Juggling too many balls? - Choosing a digital agency

Managing a digital strategy can be a tough old gig! With so many new trends and techniques constantly coming to the fore, staying on-top can be a mindfield. It’s therefore important to determine what support you will need to achieve your goals. One key consideration is whether to manage your resources in-house, or contract an external agency.

There are numerous digital creative and web technical service providers out there, all keen for your business - so how do you decide which one is right for you? Of course budget, reputation and location are all essential, but some of the finer details can often become overlooked.

In my experience there two types of provider out there: Full-service agencies, offering a wide range of services, from web design and development to search engine marketing (SEO & PPC) and social media strategy etc. On the other hand there are the smaller, more niche providers who tend to specialise in a particular area.

There are pro’s and con’s to working with both. Larger, full-service agencies are capable of fully developing and managing the majority of your digital activity, though may lack expertise in some of the more intricate areas. Smaller agencies can be great a fulfilling creative, conceptual briefs, but may not fully consider the bigger picture that is your overall strategy. None of this is gospel, but my advice is simple - when you start searching for a provider, be sure to take a look at both.