Hiring a digital marketing agency is a significant spend for most South African businesses. Get it right, and you gain a partner who helps you grow. Get it wrong, and you can spend a year paying monthly retainers for reports full of numbers that don’t turn into customers.
We’d rather you hire the right agency, even if it isn’t us, than the wrong one. A bad experience makes business owners sceptical of the whole industry, and that’s bad for everyone.
So here are the questions we think you should ask any agency before signing. Ask us too.
About results
1. “What will you measure, and how does it connect to my revenue?” Clicks, impressions and “reach” are easy to grow and easy to report. They’re not the same as enquiries, bookings, sales or patients. A good agency talks about the numbers that matter to your business, and explains how its work connects to them.
Red flag: Reports full of charts that never mention leads or sales.
2. “What results can I realistically expect, and when?” Honest agencies give ranges and timelines, and explain what they depend on. SEO usually takes months to build. Paid ads can generate leads quickly but need testing and budget.
Red flag: Guaranteed first-place rankings on Google. Nobody controls Google’s rankings, and promises like this usually mean either shortcuts or keywords nobody searches for.
3. “Can you show me results for a business like mine?” Ask for case studies or examples in your industry or of a similar size. Better still, ask if you can speak to a current client.
About the work
4. “What exactly will you do each month?” You should know what you’re paying for. “SEO” is not a deliverable. “Two new service pages, Google Business Profile optimisation and a technical audit” is.
5. “Who will actually work on my account?” Some agencies sell you on a senior strategist, then hand you to a junior or an outsourced team. That’s not always bad, but you should know.
6. “How are you adapting to AI search?” Search is changing fast. Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT and other AI tools are now part of how customers find businesses. Any agency working on your search visibility should be able to explain clearly what they’re doing about it.
Red flag: A blank look, or “AI doesn’t affect SEO”.
7. “Will you use AI to write my content? How do you check it?” Using AI tools for efficiency is normal now. Publishing unchecked AI content is a risk: it can be generic, inaccurate or simply the same as everyone else’s. Ask how content is reviewed and who’s accountable for accuracy.
About ownership and control
8. “Who owns my website, ads account, domain and analytics?” You should. Your Google Ads account, Google Analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile, domain name and website should be in your name, with the agency given access. If you part ways, you keep everything.
Red flag: The agency owns your domain or ad account and “manages it for you”.
9. “What happens if I want to leave?” Understand the notice period, the contract term and what gets handed over. Long lock-in contracts aren’t necessarily bad, but they should be matched by clear commitments on the agency’s side.
About money
10. “What’s the total cost, including ad spend?” For paid advertising, there are usually two costs: the agency’s management fee and the ad budget paid to Google or Meta. Make sure you know both, and that your ad spend goes directly to the platform.
11. “Is there anything you’d tell me not to spend money on?” This is a great test. A good agency will tell you honestly when something isn’t worth it for your business, even if it means a smaller invoice.
About fit
12. “Do you understand my industry’s rules?” Some industries have strict advertising rules. Medical and allied health practitioners must follow HPCSA ethical guidelines. Financial services have FSCA requirements. Everyone handling personal information has POPIA obligations. Your agency should know the basics and be careful, not creative, with compliance.
Warning signs to watch out for
- Guaranteed rankings or a guaranteed number of leads
- Cold emails saying your website “has 47 critical errors”
- Reluctance to explain what they actually do
- Long contracts with vague deliverables
- Ownership of your accounts or domain
- Buying reviews, followers or links
- No questions about your business, goals or customers
What a good agency relationship looks like
The best agency relationships feel like working with a part of your own team. You understand what’s being done and why. The reports talk in your language. And when something isn’t working, the agency tells you before you have to ask.
At Online Growth, we’re a consultancy rather than a volume agency. We specialise in SEO, paid advertising and conversion-focused websites, and we keep our client list focused so we can give each business proper attention. But whoever you work with, we hope these questions help you choose well.
Start with a clear picture
Before speaking to any agency, it helps to know where you stand. Our free keyword ranking scan shows which searches your business currently appears for. Take it into any agency conversation, ours included, and see what they make of it.
When you’re ready to talk, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a digital marketing agency cost in South Africa? It varies widely depending on the services, the scope and the size of the business. Small businesses often start with a focused monthly retainer, while larger companies spend significantly more across several channels. Ask for a clear breakdown of fees versus ad spend.
Should I sign a long-term contract with a marketing agency? Some work, like SEO, needs a few months to show results, so a minimum term can be reasonable. Make sure the contract clearly states deliverables and exit terms.
What’s the difference between an agency and a consultancy? Agencies often handle high volumes of work across many clients. Consultancies tend to be smaller, more strategic and more hands-on. Neither is automatically better; what matters is fit.
Should I own my Google Ads and Analytics accounts? Yes. Always keep ownership of your accounts, domain and website, and give your agency access rather than the other way around.