Digital media has forever changed the way we do business. Just a few years ago, businesses could get away with having a mediocre site, a basic internet ad campaign, and no social media presence, but now consumers expect businesses to have streamlined websites with fresh content, understand how they search, and engage with them on their favorite social networks. Over the last 10 years, search engine optimization has become its own discipline, and social media marketing is on track to become its own discipline too. Businesses new to online marketing need experienced professionals to help create a winning campaign that engages consumers in new and exciting ways. Now that you know you need an agency, how do you go about picking one? Here are some things to consider:

Goals: Do you want to drive visitors to your microsite? Increase your organic search result rankings? Start a PPC campaign? Generate new leads? Your answer will help narrow your search. Don’t waste time in your search by not having clear goals when you start looking, and don’t get duped in the search process by not understanding what it is you want to get out of your campaign. You and your agency will be happier because you defined your goals from the beginning.

Competition: What kind of marketing tactics are being used by your competitors? Do they rely on paid search, organic, display, or something else? Where can you gain a competitive edge? It’s best to have a focused strategy versus a blanket strategy to neutralize your competition. What are your prospective agencies suggesting? What seems attractive in the short term may not be the best solution in the long term.

Change: What are you willing to change about your businesses image? If you’re not willing to have changes made to your site or bid on your brand terms, this may limit the number of agencies willing to work with you. Yes, agencies are allowed to be picky too. Every agency will offer you a different approach for achieving your goals, but know where your objectives stand before you make a decision. This will save you and the agency a lot of headache.

Expertise: What does your prospective agency specialize in? Who are their current clients? What kind of clients do they tend to work with? Could your company fit in the agencies roster? If the agency works with similar businesses, they might be perfect to fit your needs. Lots of agencies have niches. Take the time to find the agency that fits yours.

Picking the right interactive marketing agency can drastically increase site traffic, generate new leads, or improve sales, but choosing the right one doesn’t happen overnight. This decision will be the beginning of a relationship between your business and the agency, so don’t jump at the first attractive offer.