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Agency Review Guide

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Agency specialties

Most bad agency hires start with the wrong category. Use this buyer’s guide to see what each type of agency does, who it suits, how it differs from similar services and what to ask before you shortlist.

Brand and identity

Brand Strategy

Positioning, audience research and messaging architecture that sets direction before design begins.

What it includes

  • Audience and competitor research
  • Positioning and value proposition
  • Messaging hierarchy and tone of voice
  • Brand architecture for multiple products

Questions to ask before hiring

  • What research will you run, and with whom?
  • What does the final deliverable look like and who uses it?
  • How do you test positioning before design starts?
Good fit for
Companies repositioning, merging, entering a new market or whose sales team describes the business differently every time.
Probably not the right choice for
Teams that already have clear positioning and simply need a new logo or refreshed visuals.
How it differs from similar services
Brand strategy decides what you stand for and say; branding turns that into a visual and verbal identity. Strategy usually comes first.
See Brand Strategy agencies →

Branding

Identity systems, naming and visual language for companies entering a new stage of growth.

What it includes

  • Logo and identity system
  • Colour, typography and imagery rules
  • Naming (sometimes)
  • Brand guidelines and core templates

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Is strategy included or assumed?
  • How many concept routes will we see?
  • What files and guidelines do we own at the end?
Good fit for
Businesses whose identity no longer matches their stage, audience or price point.
Probably not the right choice for
Problems that are really positioning or product issues — new visuals will not fix an unclear offer.
How it differs from similar services
Branding creates the identity system; graphic design applies it day to day across collateral and campaigns.
See Branding agencies →

Graphic Design

Layout, typography and production design for print, digital and brand collateral.

What it includes

  • Sales and marketing collateral
  • Presentations, reports and print
  • Social and digital assets
  • Layout and production artwork

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Do you work on retainer or per project?
  • What is your typical turnaround?
  • Will you work inside our existing templates?
Good fit for
Teams with an established brand that need consistent, ongoing design output.
Probably not the right choice for
Building a new identity from scratch — that is a branding project.
How it differs from similar services
Graphic design executes within a brand; branding defines the brand. Creative and advertising adds the campaign idea.
See Graphic Design agencies →

Packaging Design

Retail and e-commerce packaging built for shelf impact, compliance and production reality.

What it includes

  • Structural and graphic packaging
  • Range and variant systems
  • Regulatory and label requirements
  • Print-ready artwork and supplier liaison

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Have you designed for our retail channel and category?
  • How do you handle printer proofs and colour?
  • Who checks labelling compliance?
Good fit for
Consumer product brands launching, entering retail or extending a range.
Probably not the right choice for
Digital-only businesses or brands without a confirmed product and supplier.
How it differs from similar services
Packaging design must work on a shelf, in a shipping box and at the printer — constraints most branding projects never face.
See Packaging Design agencies →

Websites and product

Web Design

Marketing sites designed around buyer journeys, clarity and measurable conversion.

What it includes

  • Site structure and page planning
  • Visual and interface design
  • Copy guidance and content layout
  • Handover to build (or build included)

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Is development included?
  • Which CMS will we edit content in?
  • How will you measure whether the new site performs better?
Good fit for
Businesses whose website is the main way buyers evaluate them.
Probably not the right choice for
Complex web applications or integrations — those need a development partner.
How it differs from similar services
Web design shapes what visitors see and do; web development builds and connects it. Many agencies do both, so confirm which.
See Web Design agencies →

Web Development

Front-end and back-end build work: CMS, headless, application and integration development.

What it includes

  • Front-end and back-end build
  • CMS and headless setups
  • Integrations with CRM, payments or data
  • Hosting, security and maintenance

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which stack do you recommend and why?
  • Who owns the code and hosting?
  • What does ongoing support cost and cover?
Good fit for
Projects with custom functionality, integrations or performance requirements.
Probably not the right choice for
Simple brochure sites a website builder can handle.
How it differs from similar services
Developers build and maintain; designers decide the experience. Platform specialists (Webflow, Shopify) focus on one system.
See Web Development agencies →

Webflow

Webflow builds and migrations for teams that want to publish without engineering bottlenecks.

What it includes

  • Webflow site builds and migrations
  • CMS collections and editor setup
  • Interactions and animation
  • Training for your team

Questions to ask before hiring

  • How will our team edit content after launch?
  • How do you handle SEO redirects in a migration?
  • Do you build reusable components?
Good fit for
Marketing teams that want to publish and edit pages without developers.
Probably not the right choice for
Sites needing heavy custom back-end logic or large-scale ecommerce.
How it differs from similar services
A Webflow specialist works inside one platform; a general web developer can choose the platform for you.
See Webflow agencies →

Shopify

Shopify and Shopify Plus storefronts, theme development and commerce optimisation.

What it includes

  • Shopify and Shopify Plus storefronts
  • Theme development and apps
  • Migrations from other platforms
  • Checkout and performance optimisation

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Do you build custom themes or adapt existing ones?
  • Which apps do you usually rely on?
  • Do you offer support after launch?
Good fit for
Ecommerce brands already on Shopify or moving to it.
Probably not the right choice for
Marketplaces or businesses that mainly sell through Amazon or retail.
How it differs from similar services
Shopify agencies build the store; ecommerce marketing agencies drive traffic and sales to it.
See Shopify agencies →

UX/UI

Product and interface design grounded in research, testing and accessibility.

What it includes

  • User research and testing
  • Information architecture and flows
  • Interface design and design systems
  • Accessibility review

Questions to ask before hiring

  • How do you test with real users?
  • Do you deliver a design system?
  • How do you hand over to our developers?
Good fit for
Software products, apps and complex sites where usability affects retention or revenue.
Probably not the right choice for
Simple marketing sites where web design covers the need.
How it differs from similar services
UX/UI focuses on how a product works for users; web design focuses on marketing pages that persuade.
See UX/UI agencies →

Conversion Optimization

Experimentation programmes that improve revenue per visitor rather than vanity metrics.

What it includes

  • Analytics and funnel audits
  • Hypotheses and A/B testing
  • Landing page and checkout changes
  • Reporting on revenue per visitor

Questions to ask before hiring

  • How much traffic do we need for testing?
  • How do you decide a test has won?
  • Who builds the test variations?
Good fit for
Sites with enough traffic to test, where small conversion gains are worth real money.
Probably not the right choice for
Low-traffic sites — tests take too long to reach a reliable answer.
How it differs from similar services
Conversion work improves results from existing traffic; SEO and paid media bring more traffic.
See Conversion Optimization agencies →

Search and visibility

SEO

Technical, content and authority work aimed at durable organic demand.

What it includes

  • Technical site audits and fixes
  • Keyword and content planning
  • On-page optimisation
  • Link and authority building

Questions to ask before hiring

  • What will you do in the first 90 days?
  • How do you build links?
  • Which metrics will you report on?
Good fit for
Businesses whose buyers search before they buy and who can wait months for results.
Probably not the right choice for
Needing leads next week — paid search is faster.
How it differs from similar services
SEO earns unpaid rankings over time; PPC buys placement immediately. AEO/GEO extends this to AI-generated answers.
See SEO agencies →

AEO and GEO

Visibility inside AI answers and generative search results, backed by citable content.

What it includes

  • Content structured for AI answers
  • Structured data and entity work
  • Citable sources and expert content
  • Tracking mentions in AI tools

Questions to ask before hiring

  • How do you measure AI visibility?
  • How does this differ from your SEO work?
  • Which content changes do you recommend first?
Good fit for
Brands whose buyers ask ChatGPT, Gemini or AI search for recommendations.
Probably not the right choice for
Sites without basic SEO foundations in place — fix those first.
How it differs from similar services
AEO/GEO targets inclusion in AI-generated answers; traditional SEO targets ranked links. They overlap heavily.
See AEO and GEO agencies →

PPC and Search Advertising

Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and shopping campaigns managed against cost-per-acquisition or return-on-ad-spend targets.

What it includes

  • Google and Microsoft Ads
  • Shopping and Performance Max campaigns
  • Keyword, bid and budget management
  • Conversion tracking setup

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Do we own the ad accounts?
  • How are your fees calculated?
  • Which conversion target will you optimise toward?
Good fit for
Businesses that need predictable demand from people actively searching.
Probably not the right choice for
Products nobody searches for yet — social or awareness channels fit better.
How it differs from similar services
PPC is search-focused; paid media covers search, social and programmatic together.
See PPC and Search Advertising agencies →

Growth and channels

Digital Marketing

Integrated acquisition across channels, planned and measured against pipeline.

What it includes

  • Channel planning across search, social and email
  • Campaign management
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Coordination of content and creative

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which channels do you run in-house?
  • Who is our day-to-day contact?
  • How do you split budget between channels?
Good fit for
Businesses wanting one partner to run several channels together.
Probably not the right choice for
Deep needs in one channel — a specialist usually goes further.
How it differs from similar services
Digital marketing agencies are generalists across channels; growth marketing adds activation and retention experiments.
See Digital Marketing agencies →

Growth Marketing

Full-funnel growth programmes combining acquisition, activation and retention.

What it includes

  • Full-funnel experiments
  • Acquisition, onboarding and retention
  • Analytics and attribution
  • Rapid testing roadmaps

Questions to ask before hiring

  • How many experiments per month?
  • What data access do you need?
  • How do you prioritise tests?
Good fit for
Startups and subscription businesses with product data and appetite to experiment.
Probably not the right choice for
Organisations that need slow, approval-heavy brand campaigns.
How it differs from similar services
Growth marketing works across the whole customer lifecycle; digital marketing usually focuses on acquisition.
See Growth Marketing agencies →

Media Planning and Buying

Cross-channel media plans and buys across digital, out-of-home, radio, print and broadcast inventory.

What it includes

  • Media strategy and planning
  • Negotiating and buying placements
  • Digital, outdoor, radio, print and TV
  • Delivery tracking and reconciliation

Questions to ask before hiring

  • How are you paid — commission or fee?
  • Do you take rebates from media owners?
  • How do you prove ads ran as booked?
Good fit for
Brands spending across many channels, including traditional media.
Probably not the right choice for
Businesses running only a few digital ad accounts.
How it differs from similar services
Media buyers place ads; creative agencies make them. Paid media agencies usually stay digital.
See Media Planning and Buying agencies →

Email and Retention

Lifecycle, CRM and retention programmes that raise repeat revenue.

What it includes

  • Email and SMS flows
  • CRM segmentation
  • Lifecycle campaigns
  • Retention and repeat-purchase reporting

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which email platforms do you work in?
  • Do you write and design the emails?
  • How do you measure revenue from email?
Good fit for
Businesses with an existing customer list where repeat purchases matter.
Probably not the right choice for
Brands with very few customers yet — acquisition comes first.
How it differs from similar services
Retention work grows value from existing customers; most other channels find new ones.
See Email and Retention agencies →

Ecommerce Marketing

Direct-to-consumer ecommerce growth: acquisition, merchandising and retention.

What it includes

  • Acquisition for online stores
  • Product feeds and shopping ads
  • Merchandising and promotions
  • Retention and customer value

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which ecommerce brands are similar to ours?
  • How do you measure profit per order?
  • Which channels do you lead with?
Good fit for
Direct-to-consumer brands selling through their own store.
Probably not the right choice for
B2B lead generation businesses.
How it differs from similar services
Ecommerce marketing drives sales to your store; Shopify agencies build the store; Amazon agencies sell on the marketplace.
See Ecommerce Marketing agencies →

Amazon Marketing

Amazon listing optimisation, Sponsored Products and Brands, storefronts and marketplace retail media.

What it includes

  • Listing and content optimisation
  • Sponsored Products and Brands ads
  • Storefronts
  • Inventory and marketplace reporting

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which Amazon marketplaces do you manage?
  • Do you handle Seller or Vendor Central?
  • How do you report advertising cost of sale?
Good fit for
Product brands where Amazon is a major or growing sales channel.
Probably not the right choice for
Service businesses or brands not selling on Amazon.
How it differs from similar services
Amazon specialists work inside one marketplace's rules and ad system, unlike general ecommerce agencies.
See Amazon Marketing agencies →

Content, creative and reputation

Content Marketing

Editorial content, video and content strategy for demand and search.

What it includes

  • Content strategy
  • Articles, guides and video
  • Editorial calendars
  • Distribution and performance reporting

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Who writes — specialists or generalists?
  • How do you check facts?
  • How do you tie content to leads or sales?
Good fit for
Brands that win by educating buyers over a long research process.
Probably not the right choice for
Quick sales wins with short buying cycles.
How it differs from similar services
Content marketing creates material buyers seek out; SEO makes sure it is found; social distributes it.
See Content Marketing agencies →

Social Media

Organic social strategy, community management and creator work.

What it includes

  • Organic social strategy
  • Content creation and posting
  • Community management
  • Creator and influencer work

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which platforms do you focus on?
  • Who responds to comments and messages?
  • How do you measure business impact?
Good fit for
Brands whose buyers spend time on social platforms and respond to an ongoing presence.
Probably not the right choice for
Paid social ads alone — that sits with paid media.
How it differs from similar services
Social media agencies run organic channels and communities; paid media agencies run social ads.
See Social Media agencies →

Creative and Advertising

Campaign concepts, art direction and copy produced for advertising across paid and owned channels.

What it includes

  • Campaign ideas and concepts
  • Art direction and copywriting
  • Ads for TV, digital, print and outdoor
  • Brand campaigns

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Who on the team will work on our account?
  • How many concepts do we see?
  • Is production included in the price?
Good fit for
Brands needing a big idea that runs across many channels.
Probably not the right choice for
Ongoing small design tasks — graphic design covers those.
How it differs from similar services
Creative agencies make the ads; media agencies buy the space; production companies film or photograph them.
See Creative and Advertising agencies →

Public Relations

Earned media, media relations, communications and reputation work.

What it includes

  • Media relations and press coverage
  • Announcements and launches
  • Crisis and reputation work
  • Executive communications

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Which journalists and outlets do you know in our sector?
  • How do you report results?
  • Who handles a crisis out of hours?
Good fit for
Brands needing credibility, coverage or reputation management.
Probably not the right choice for
Direct, trackable lead generation — PR results are harder to attribute.
How it differs from similar services
PR earns coverage you do not pay for; advertising buys guaranteed placement.
See Public Relations agencies →

Production

Video Production

Scripted and documentary video, animation and motion for social, web and paid media.

What it includes

  • Scripting and pre-production
  • Filming and animation
  • Editing and motion graphics
  • Versions for each channel

Questions to ask before hiring

  • What is included — crew, locations, talent, music?
  • How many revision rounds?
  • Do we own the raw footage?
Good fit for
Brands that need video for ads, websites, social or training.
Probably not the right choice for
A campaign idea — creative agencies develop the concept first.
How it differs from similar services
Video production makes the film; television and broadcast also handles airing it.
See Video Production agencies →

Photography

Commercial, product, lifestyle and location photography for brand and ecommerce use.

What it includes

  • Product and ecommerce photography
  • Lifestyle and brand shoots
  • Location and team photography
  • Retouching and usage licensing

Questions to ask before hiring

  • What usage rights are included?
  • Is retouching in the price?
  • Do you provide styling and props?
Good fit for
Brands needing original images for ecommerce, campaigns or their website.
Probably not the right choice for
Projects where stock imagery is enough.
How it differs from similar services
Photographers create images; creative agencies decide the concept the images serve.
See Photography agencies →

Television and Broadcast

TV and broadcast production, from spot creative through to trafficking and airtime buying.

What it includes

  • TV and broadcast spot production
  • Clearance and broadcast delivery
  • Airtime planning and buying
  • Connected TV and streaming

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Do you handle clearance and delivery?
  • Do you buy airtime or partner with a buyer?
  • How do you measure reach and response?
Good fit for
Brands with budgets for mass awareness through TV or streaming.
Probably not the right choice for
Small or tightly targeted budgets.
How it differs from similar services
Broadcast specialists handle production through to airing; video producers usually stop at the finished file.
See Television and Broadcast agencies →