Picture a contractor who signs with a marketing agency. $5,000 upfront. Six-month contract. Promised 'page one in 90 days.' Nine months later, still on page four, locked into a contract he couldn't get out of, with a website built on a platform he didn't own. He got burned. It happens more often than you'd think. Here's how to avoid it.
Red Flags to Watch For
- No published pricing — 'call for a quote' usually means high-pressure sales and opaque fees
- Long-term lock-ins — 2-year contracts with hefty early termination fees
- Guaranteed rankings — Google controls rankings; anyone who guarantees them is lying
- You don't own your site — if they host it on their platform and you can't take it with you, that's a red flag
Green Flags
- Transparent pricing — everything published on their website
- Your domain and ad accounts are always yours; website files transfer on exit (fees + $750 migration)
- Month-to-month after initial term — no long-term trap
- Local accountability — a real person, a real phone number, someone in Green Bay
8 Questions to Ask Any Agency Before Signing
- Do I own my website? (Code, content, domain — all of it.)
- Do I own my ad accounts? (Google, Meta — you should.)
- What's in the contract if I want to leave? (ETF, notice period, what you get when you go.)
- Do you guarantee rankings? (If yes, run.)
- Is your pricing published? (If no, why not?)
- Who will I actually be talking to? (Account manager? The person doing the work? A call center?)
- Are you a registered LLC and insured? (COI available on request — no need to share policy numbers.)
- Can I see past client sites? (Real work, real results.)
The Difference Between a Vendor and a Partner
A vendor does the work and moves on. A partner is invested in your success. They answer your calls. They explain what they're doing and why. They don't lock you in because they'd rather keep you happy than trap you. When you're evaluating agencies, ask yourself: does this feel like a partnership, or a transaction?
A vendor does the work and moves on. A partner is invested in your success.
If you're evaluating agencies right now, we'd love to be on your list. We'll answer every question on that list honestly. No pressure, no obligation — just a real conversation about what your business needs. Get a free quote.