5 Tips for Choosing the Right Digital Agency for Your Small Startup

These days, using a qualified digital design company to help with branding is an accepted best practice for smaller startups. A professional-looking brand image, logo, and online presence all play a role in helping a brand appear bigger, more credible, and more attractive to customers and investors alike.

However, not all digital design companies are the same. The ones that are right for other startups may not necessarily be the right ones for yours. There are also plenty of fly-by-night “agencies” out there that are just out to make a quick buck with no regard for the success of your venture.

Here, we have some proven tips for finding the design agency that best suits your business.

1.) They’re communicative

Healthy relationships with agencies and other contractors hinge on timely and thoughtful communication. When there is a hitch in the project or some other concern, you would rather know about it now rather than during the due date of the deliverables itself. Good communication is also important for setting expectations so that the agency does not do something that you don’t want.

2.) They don’t offer every possible service

Digital marketing agencies that offer every service under the sun are usually not particularly good at any of those services. Instead, it’s usually better to choose more specialized agencies that can credibly promise delivery on specific projects. While there are numerous exceptions, in most cases, it’s better to go with multiple specialized agencies rather than one that offers a package deal.

3.) They have a good portfolio

Having a good body of work isn’t a guarantee that the digital agency will be able to perform miracles for your startup. But it is a guarantee that they at least know what they’re doing. Try to choose agencies that have the type of visual branding you think will appeal to your customers as well as those that have worked within your industry and target market.

4.) Former clients have plenty of good things to say about them

Of course, just because an agency did well with other clients, doesn’t mean they’ll be great for you. But if the positives review online and offline seem to outweigh the negative, you might have a winning agency on your hands. Universally negative reviews, on the other hand, are usually quite accurate and can normally be believed with confidence.

5.) They’re familiar with your industry and market

Chances are that you would rather go with a small agency that understands what you do and what your market wants over a big one that still needs to get its feet wet. Whether it’s something as mundane as using the correct keywords that appeal to the target market, rather than just going with the highest search volume or making visual assets that appeal to the target audience, knowing the market and the industry makes a huge difference.

We hope these guidelines help you find a digital agency that you could work with in the long term. Remember to use your better judgment when working with any third party.

What other tips can you share for picking the right digital design company? Tell us!