Definition of a Transparent Digital Agency

When it comes to hiring a digital marketing agency, it’s important that they are transparent in all things they do. A client should never feel left in the dark about what is going on. However, there are many aspects to transparency that a lot of clients don’t realize. Here’s an examination into the concept of transparency and what it means for both the agency and the clients:

Build a Solid Relationship

It all starts when the client and agency build a solid relationship with one another. Sure, the client hires the agency for a reason. In the sales process, they decided they can trust that the agency will do a great job with their digital marketing. Well, building trust in the sales process is a lot different than building a real relationship.

Building a real relationship takes work, and it’s also a two-way process. There is a lot that goes into building a great relationship, and when it comes to transparency, it is a bit of a chicken or the egg scenario. A great relationship encourages transparency. Transparency helps build the relationship.

Letting the client know what is going on and why things are being done the way they are is a good start. You may also want to schedule regular check-ins, at least at the beginning when in the beginning stages of building the relationship. In other words, a transparent agency is one that is motivated to build a great relationship.

Be Honest About What Is Needed

Another marker of a transparent agency is that they are willing to do what needs to be done to improve results. Sometimes, identifying what needs to be done is somewhat controversial. A transparent agency stands by their knowledge and expertise and offers the suggestion anyway. Even if the client doesn’t take the advice, at least the agency tried. It shows they have the client’s best interests at hand.

We have a client who just built a new site over the past year. They didn’t consult with us about the site, which means that the conversion elements are not as strong as they could be. Sales are actually down! The right thing for us to do is say something. Whether or not the client takes the advice is one thing, but at least we will be offering a suggestion that will improve business.

We also recently had a client whom we had been working with over the period of about a year and a half. At first, we had high hopes to really improve this client’s results, but for various reasons, we had reached the end of the line with what we could do for him. It was a complex scenario, and he needed more help outside of marketing. We told him the truth in a kind and calm way, and he appreciated the honesty. We parted ways amicably.

Sometimes, transparency means that you need to have the tough conversations. It also means that there is a priority beyond money. We genuinely want to help our clients improve their results. This is the core of our digital marketing agency transparency philosophy.