Advertising · 5 August 2026 · English edition

How to review your marketing agency: 7 questions worth asking

A useful agency review is based on access, evidence and clear expectations. Start with seven areas: reporting, account control, cost transparency, conversion tracking, campaign decisions, contract terms and communication. A concern is a reason to ask questions, not proof of poor work.

1. Does the report connect activity to outcomes?

Clicks, impressions and reach can explain campaign delivery, but they do not show the full business outcome. Ask for spend, relevant enquiries or orders, conversion costs and, where the sales data supports it, customer acquisition costs.

For a long sales cycle, a qualified opportunity may be the most useful intermediate measure. The report should explain what is measurable now and what still needs to be connected.

2. Does your business control the accounts?

Confirm who owns and administers the advertising, analytics and domain accounts. Your business should have appropriate access and a documented handover process. Give the agency the permissions it needs rather than relying on personal logins.

Not seeing an account when you sign in may mean you lack access; it does not alone prove someone else owns it. Request a clear explanation of ownership and administrator permissions.

3. Are fees and media spend separate?

Ask for an itemised breakdown of advertising spend, management fees, setup work and any creative production or tools. You should be able to compare the provider’s invoice with the amount actually billed by the advertising platform.

For an explanation of the components, see our guide to Google Ads costs.

4. What counts as a conversion?

Check which actions campaigns optimise for. A page view or a short visit can be useful for analysis, but it is different from a submitted enquiry, a qualified call or an order. Ask whether test submissions, duplicates and low-quality leads are excluded where practical.

Compare reported results with your actual enquiries or sales records. Differences can arise from attribution windows and consent, so seek an explanation before assuming the tracking is broken.

5. Can the agency explain its decisions?

Campaign change history can show adjustments, but it does not capture all analysis, creative work or decisions to leave a stable campaign alone. Ask what was tested, what was learned and why the next step makes sense.

The number of edits is not a performance score. Repeated changes without a hypothesis can be as unhelpful as neglect. Look for a coherent relationship between the goal, evidence and action.

6. Are the contract terms clear?

Review notice periods, deliverables, account handover, intellectual property and any minimum commitment. A longer agreement can be appropriate for some projects; the key is whether its obligations, risks and exit terms are understood.

7. Do you get a direct answer?

Ask: “What did our budget achieve last month, how certain are we, and what are we changing next?” A useful answer may contain uncertainty, particularly when sales data is incomplete. It should still explain the available evidence in language you understand.

A 15-minute first review

1. Open the latest report and identify spend, meaningful conversions and the next action.
2. Check that you can access the advertising and analytics accounts.
3. Compare the media spend and management fee with your invoices.
4. Write down the conversion definitions and any unexplained discrepancies.
5. Request a short review call with those specific questions.

Read the context before drawing conclusions

Seasonality, stock availability, a new competitor or changes to your offer can affect performance. A young campaign may not yet have enough data for a stable judgment. Review a suitable period and the quality of the evidence rather than looking for one metric that proves a point.

When something is unclear, ask for a concrete improvement plan: what will be checked, by whom and by when. That creates a more useful basis for evaluating the relationship.

When an independent audit helps

An independent review is useful when account data and business outcomes remain difficult to reconcile, or when you want a second view before changing providers. You can use its findings with your existing agency.

Our Express Audit costs €59 and covers the website, conversion tracking and one advertising channel. The Data-First Audit costs €350 and adds a wider assessment, written plan and review call. Prices exclude VAT where applicable and the final total is confirmed before payment.