Get answers before we talk
We believe in being completely transparent about how we work, what we charge, and what you can expect when working with us.
Questions to ask a digital marketing agency
We get a lot of the same questions from potential clients, so we’ve put together honest answers into our Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand our approach. These are the top questions to ask a digital marketing agency. Whether you’re wondering about pricing, timelines, or how our services actually work, you’ll find straightforward answers below. No sales-speak, no hidden details – just the real information you need to make a smart decision for your business.
Working With Us
How do you price your services?
We operate on a per-project basis using hourly bill-out rates that determine overall project costs. Instead of forcing you into rigid packages, we take your budget and build a work plan that’s reasonable and sustainable for your business. This means you get exactly what you need without paying for services that don’t make sense for your situation.
What are your typical project timelines?
Timelines can fluctuate depending on project complexity and scope, but communication is key to managing expectations. We try to plan for potential disruptions and always do our best to hit deadlines as promised. Most projects range from 4-12 weeks, but we’ll give you a realistic timeline during our initial planning and keep you updated if anything changes along the way.
How do you communicate with clients during projects?
We follow industry standards for client communication and pull best practices from other professional service providers. This includes regular check-in meetings, scheduled deliverable review sessions, and clear project timelines. You’ll always know what’s happening with your project and when to expect the next update or deliverable.
Do you require long-term contracts?
No, we don’t lock clients into long-term contracts. We prefer to earn your continued business by delivering results rather than trapping you in agreements. Most of our ongoing clients work with us month-to-month or project-by-project because they’re happy with the results we’re delivering.
What size businesses do you typically work with?
We specialize in working with small to medium-sized businesses, typically those with 1-50 employees. Our sweet spot is businesses that are established enough to invest in professional marketing but small enough to benefit from our personal, hands-on approach.
How quickly can we get started?
Most new projects can begin within 1-2 weeks of our initial consultation, depending on our current workload and your project requirements. Rush projects are sometimes possible, but we find the best results come from proper planning and realistic timelines.
What happens if we’re not happy with the results?
We’re committed to delivering work that meets your expectations. If you’re not satisfied with any deliverable, we’ll revise it until it’s right. Our goal is your success, and we’ll work with you to ensure you’re happy with both the process and the results.
Do you work with businesses outside of Vancouver Island?
Yes, we work with clients across Canada and beyond. While we’re based on Vancouver Island, most of our client communication happens virtually, and we’re experienced at managing remote client relationships effectively.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
What’s included in your website quality audit?
Our audit covers technical SEO factors like site speed, mobile responsiveness, security issues, broken links, and accessibility compliance. We also evaluate whether your website builds trust with visitors through professional design, clear messaging, and transparent information. If we find design or accessibility issues that hurt your rankings or user experience, we’ll provide specific recommendations for improvements. Learn more here
How does website accessibility affect my SEO?
Google prioritizes websites that provide good user experiences for everyone, including people with disabilities. Accessible websites typically have better structure, faster load times, and clearer navigation – all factors that improve search rankings. Plus, making your site accessible expands your potential customer base and demonstrates that your business cares about serving all customers.
Will you recommend changes to my website design?
If our audit reveals that design issues are hurting your trust-building or accessibility, we’ll recommend specific changes. This might include improving your site’s professional appearance, making navigation clearer, or ensuring your content builds confidence with visitors. We only suggest changes that will improve both your search rankings and your ability to convert visitors into customers. Learn more here
Do you handle the technical SEO work yourself?
Yes, we handle all technical SEO improvements in-house, including Core Web Vitals optimization, accessibility enhancements, and performance improvements. We don’t outsource technical work because we believe in maintaining quality control and being able to explain exactly what we’ve done and why. You’ll always know what changes we’ve made and how they benefit your business.
Data Tracking & Analytics
What exactly will you track for my business?
We track everything that matters to your business growth: website traffic and behaviour, lead generation from all sources, phone calls, email performance, social media engagement, ad performance, and most importantly, actual sales and revenue. We customize the tracking based on your specific business model and goals, so you see the metrics that directly impact your bottom line.
How quickly can I start seeing data and reports?
Basic tracking setup typically takes 1-2 weeks, and you’ll start seeing data immediately. Your first comprehensive report will be ready within 30 days, giving us enough data to identify meaningful trends and provide actionable recommendations. From then on, you’ll receive detailed monthly reports and have access to your live dashboard 24/7.
Will I be able to understand the reports you provide?
Absolutely. We specifically design our reports for business owners, not data analysts. Every report is written in plain English, focuses on business impact rather than technical metrics, and includes clear recommendations for what to do next. We avoid jargon and complicated charts, instead showing you exactly what’s working and what needs attention in terms you can immediately understand and act on.
Can you track marketing I’m already doing?
Yes, we can integrate tracking for your existing marketing efforts including current ads, social media, email campaigns, and website activity. We’ll also identify any gaps in your current tracking and fix them so you get a complete picture of your marketing performance. If you’re already using some analytics tools, we can often build on what you have rather than starting from scratch.
Search Engine Marketing & Local Ads
How much should I budget for online advertising?
Ad budgets vary based on your business goals, competition, and market size. We typically recommend starting with a test budget that allows us to gather meaningful data – usually $1,000-2,000 per month for Google Ads, plus our management fee. We can work with smaller budgets for local businesses, and we’ll always recommend the most cost-effective channels for your specific situation rather than pushing you to spend more than necessary. Learn more here
How quickly will I see results from my ads?
Google Ads can start generating leads within days of launch, though we typically see optimal performance after 30-60 days of testing and optimization. Facebook ads often take 2-4 weeks to find the right audience and hit their stride. We provide weekly updates during the first month so you can see progress, and we’ll make adjustments quickly if campaigns aren’t performing as expected.
What’s the difference between your ad management and doing it myself?
Professional ad management involves strategic setup, continuous optimization, and deep knowledge of platform best practices that most business owners don’t have time to learn. We know how to structure campaigns for maximum efficiency, write copy that converts, and interpret data to make smart optimization decisions. Plus, we stay current with platform changes and new features that could benefit your campaigns.
Do you guarantee a certain number of leads?
We don’t guarantee specific lead numbers because they depend on factors like your market, competition, and budget. However, we do guarantee that we’ll continuously optimize your campaigns for the best possible results and provide transparent reporting on performance. Our goal is to consistently improve your cost per lead and lead quality over time, and we’ll work with you to adjust strategy if results aren’t meeting expectations.
Social Media Marketing
Do you actually post content for me, or do you just create the strategy?
We focus primarily on strategy, planning, and content creation rather than daily posting. We develop comprehensive content strategies, create blog articles, and provide detailed content calendars and messaging frameworks. While we can handle posting if needed, we find most businesses get better long-term results when they handle their own posting using our strategic guidance, as it feels more authentic and allows for real-time engagement with their community.
Which social media platforms should my business be on?
It depends entirely on where your customers spend their time and what type of business you run. We research your specific audience and recommend focusing on 1-2 platforms where you can be consistently active rather than trying to maintain a presence everywhere. For most local businesses, this typically means Facebook and Instagram, but we’ll analyze your specific situation and recommend the platforms that will give you the best return on your time investment.
How do I know if social media is actually helping my business?
We help you set up tracking systems that measure real business impact, not just vanity metrics. This includes tracking website traffic from social media, leads generated from your posts, and customer inquiries that originate from your social presence. We also help you develop systems for converting social media engagement into actual business relationships and sales opportunities.
How often should I be posting on social media?
Quality and consistency matter more than frequency. We typically recommend posting 3-5 times per week on your primary platforms with valuable, strategic content rather than posting daily with filler content. We help you develop sustainable posting schedules that you can maintain long-term while ensuring every post serves a strategic purpose in building your business. The key is being consistently helpful and visible to your audience.
Social Media Marketing
Do you actually post content for me, or do you just create the strategy?
We focus primarily on strategy, planning, and content creation rather than daily posting. We develop comprehensive content strategies, create blog articles, and provide detailed content calendars and messaging frameworks. While we can handle posting if needed, we find most businesses get better long-term results when they handle their own posting using our strategic guidance, as it feels more authentic and allows for real-time engagement with their community.
Which social media platforms should my business be on?
It depends entirely on where your customers spend their time and what type of business you run. We research your specific audience and recommend focusing on 1-2 platforms where you can be consistently active rather than trying to maintain a presence everywhere. For most local businesses, this typically means Facebook and Instagram, but we’ll analyze your specific situation and recommend the platforms that will give you the best return on your time investment.
How do I know if social media is actually helping my business?
We help you set up tracking systems that measure real business impact, not just vanity metrics. This includes tracking website traffic from social media, leads generated from your posts, and customer inquiries that originate from your social presence. We also help you develop systems for converting social media engagement into actual business relationships and sales opportunities.
How often should I be posting on social media?
Quality and consistency matter more than frequency. We typically recommend posting 3-5 times per week on your primary platforms with valuable, strategic content rather than posting daily with filler content. We help you develop sustainable posting schedules that you can maintain long-term while ensuring every post serves a strategic purpose in building your business. The key is being consistently helpful and visible to your audience.
Website Design & Optimization
How do you know what’s wrong with my website?
We use a combination of analytics data, user behavior analysis, technical testing, and conversion best practices to identify issues. We look at where visitors are dropping off, how long pages take to load, whether your site works on mobile devices, and if your messaging clearly communicates your value. We also compare your site to conversion optimization best practices to identify opportunities for improvement.
What’s the difference between web design and conversion optimization?
Traditional web design focuses primarily on how a site looks, while conversion optimization focuses on how well it turns visitors into customers. We combine both approaches – your site will look professional and reflect your brand, but every design decision is made with conversion in mind. This means optimizing page layouts, messaging, navigation, and user flow to guide visitors toward contacting you or making a purchase.
How long does it take to see results from website optimization?
Some improvements (like page speed optimization) can show immediate results, while others (like design changes) may take 30-60 days to accumulate enough data to measure impact. We typically see meaningful conversion rate improvements within 60-90 days of implementing optimizations. We provide monthly reports so you can track progress and see how changes are affecting your business results.
Do you guarantee my conversion rates will improve?
While we can’t guarantee specific numbers, we do guarantee that we’ll systematically identify and fix issues that prevent conversions. Our optimization process is based on proven conversion principles and data analysis, not guesswork. If our initial recommendations don’t improve results, we’ll continue testing and refining until we find what works for your specific business and audience.
Still Have Questions? Let’s Talk.
Book a 30-minute discovery call and we’ll answer your questions while learning about your specific business challenges.
Sign up for accessible digital marketing news, straight to your inbox