How to Tell if Your Digital Marketing Agency is Actually Getting the Job Done

1. Set KPIs That Make Sense for Your Business

Before you can judge whether your agency is worth the cash, you need to know what you’re aiming for. This is where KPIs—or Key Performance Indicators—come in. And no, they don’t have to be some fancy marketing jargon. Think about your goals: Do you want more people coming to your website? More leads? More sales? Whatever it is, make it specific. Here’s the kicker: if your agency doesn’t help you set clear KPIs that match your business goals, they're probably just winging it.

A good KPI might look like:

• Increase website traffic by 25% over six months
• Bring in 100 new leads per month
• Boost conversions by 15%

If those numbers aren’t clear, then neither is your agency's plan.

2. Use the Right Tools to Track What Matters

We live in the age of data—more numbers than you know what to do with. Thankfully, there are tools out there to help you make sense of it all. Google Analytics, HubSpot, or even social media dashboards can tell you where your traffic is coming from, how long people are staying on your site, and whether they're actually buying anything.

Here’s what you should be tracking:

• How many people are visiting your site?
• Are they clicking on things that matter (like that big “Buy Now” button)?
• What’s your bounce rate? (Are people leaving your site faster than they showed up?)

If your agency isn’t giving you regular updates on these numbers, they might not be paying attention. And if they’re not paying attention, guess what? You’re not getting your money’s worth.

3. Sit Down and Have a Real Conversation

Look, communication is key. It doesn’t matter how fancy their strategies are—if your agency isn’t talking to you regularly, something’s off. Make time to meet with them at least once a month. In these meetings, ask questions like:

• Are we hitting our goals?
• What’s working, and what’s not?
• What adjustments are you making to improve things?

If they can’t answer these questions or if they’re giving you vague answers, it’s time to ask yourself if they’re really in it for you—or just coasting by.

4. See How You Stack Up Against the Competition

There’s no better way to know if you’re doing well than by comparing yourself to others. What are other businesses in your industry getting for their marketing dollars? This is where industry benchmarks come in handy. Every sector has its own standard—whether it’s conversion rates, click-through rates, or cost-per-click.

Ask your agency to show you how your performance lines up against these industry norms. If they can’t—or won’t—that’s a red flag.

5. If It’s Not Working, Change It

Here’s the beauty of digital marketing: if something’s not working, you don’t have to stick with it. You can change things up. Your agency should be able to pivot based on what the data is telling them. Whether it’s tweaking ad copy, shifting the budget, or changing up their targeting, the name of the game is flexibility.

If you notice that a certain campaign isn’t performing, don’t wait—make adjustments. And if your agency isn’t proactive about this, they’re not doing their job.

The Bottom Line

Assessing your digital marketing agency’s effectiveness doesn’t have to be complicated. Set clear goals, track the numbers, talk things out regularly, and make changes based on what’s working. If you do all this, you’ll know whether your agency is worth the investment—or if it’s time to show them the door.

At the end of the day, the best way to see if your agency is getting the job done is to follow the numbers, have honest conversations, and stay engaged. Because nothing good happens when you’re hands-off—whether it's digital marketing or anything else in life.