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Compare marketing, SEO and web design agencies

Businesses hiring an agency for marketing, search, content or a website.

Short answer

How do you choose a marketing, SEO or web design agency?

A good marketing, SEO or web design agency has done your kind of work before, says plainly what it will deliver each month, and reports results you can check in your own accounts. Compare agencies on relevant experience, scope, reporting, who does the work, and contract terms.

The OpenlyCompared guide to marketing, SEO and web design agencies explains what to compare, which questions to ask and which warning signs to look for. The first companies are being checked before they are listed.

Which agencies are listed?

We are verifying the first companies for this guide. Each listing is built from facts the company has published, and checked before it goes up.

What should you compare when choosing a marketing, SEO or web design agency?

Relevant experienceAsk for work in your industry or at your size, with links you can open.
A clear scopeA monthly retainer should list what you get, how often, and who does it.
Reporting you can checkResults should come from your own analytics, search and ad accounts, not only from the agency's tools.
Who does the workFind out whether your account is handled in house, by contractors, or passed to another firm.
Contract termsKnow the notice period, the minimum term, and who owns the accounts, content and site when you leave.
AI searchAsk how they work on being named by AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, not only on Google rankings.

What should you ask before choosing a marketing, SEO or web design agency?

  • Can you show work for a business like mine, with links?
  • What exactly do we get each month?
  • Who will work on our account day to day?
  • Which of our accounts will you need, and do we keep ownership of them?
  • How will you measure success, and where will we see it?
  • What is the notice period?

What are the warning signs when choosing a marketing, SEO or web design agency?

  • Guaranteed rankings or a guaranteed first-page position
  • Reports built only on the agency's own tools
  • The agency owning your ad account, domain or website
  • A long minimum term before you have seen any results

Frequently asked questions about marketing, SEO and web design agencies

How do I compare marketing agency prices?

To compare marketing agency prices, compare what each proposal includes every month rather than the headline fee, and ask each agency what it bills as extra, such as ad spend, content production or software.

Should I hire a specialist or a full-service marketing agency?

A specialist agency usually goes deeper on one channel, such as SEO or paid ads, while a full-service agency coordinates several channels at once. Choose the type of agency that fits where your biggest marketing gap is.

How long does it take to see results from a marketing agency?

Paid advertising campaigns can show data within weeks, while SEO and content work usually takes months to show results. Ask each marketing agency to put its own expected timeline in writing before you sign.

What should I own when I hire a marketing agency?

When you hire a marketing agency, you should own your domain, website, analytics, ad accounts and content. A good agency works inside accounts you own, so nothing is lost if you change agencies.

How this page works: companies are listed by the method on our Methodology page. Companies marked “Toutmark client” pay Toutmark, which publishes OpenlyCompared; paying never buys a position or an award. Request a correction.