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A proposal can include SEO, social media, paid advertising, content and monthly reports while leaving one question unanswered: which problem does the business need to solve first?
Choose digital marketing services by the constraint. A company that cannot be found needs different work from one receiving many unsuitable enquiries or losing customers during checkout.
Diagnose before selecting the package
| Business problem | Work to investigate |
|---|---|
| Relevant customers cannot find you | Search visibility, accurate local information and suitable acquisition channels. |
| Traffic arrives but people do not act | Offer clarity, usability, proof and conversion flow. |
| Enquiries are unsuitable | Targeting, scope information and qualification. |
| Customers do not return | Delivery, support and permission-based retention. |
| Reports do not explain results | Tracking definitions and business-data reconciliation. |
The right service may be a small diagnostic project before an ongoing retainer. Avoid buying a large volume of production before the underlying offer is clear.
Understand what each service actually delivers
SEO should connect technical access and useful pages with relevant searches. Content should answer defined customer questions. Paid advertising should include targeting, destinations and verified measurement. Social management should explain both production and response responsibilities.
Google’s SEO hiring guidance is useful when evaluating search proposals and unrealistic ranking promises. Ask what will change, why and how the provider will show the work.
Need help deciding what to do first? Request a free strategy consultation.
Include the parts outside the agency’s control
The business may need to provide subject knowledge, approvals, product data and timely lead handling. An agency cannot accurately explain a service it has never been briefed on, or repair sales follow-up by increasing impressions.
For a hypothetical home-service company, clarifying the service area and improving enquiry handling may be a better first project than publishing across four social channels.
Make cost comparisons meaningful
Separate media budget, management, creative production, software and taxes. Verify current prices directly on the provider’s site or written proposal. A low monthly figure may describe a limited scope; a higher price does not prove a better fit.
Ask who owns the domain, website, advertising accounts, analytics and source assets. Define access, approvals, reporting and exit arrangements in writing.
Set success measures the business can use
Define a qualified lead or completed order and test the tracking. Google Ads measurement documentation is relevant for Google campaigns; reconcile platform reports with actual sales information.
For email or direct messaging, confirm responsibilities for consent and unsubscribing using the CRTC’s CASL guidance. Compliance should be included in the workflow, not treated as a later editorial detail.
Start with a scoped conversation
Bring the provider your main constraint, current evidence, budget range and operating capacity. Ask for priorities and tradeoffs rather than a promise to do everything at once.
Graby’s current services page lists its offerings. Use our channel-selection guide and SEO-provider guide to prepare questions. A useful proposal should make it easier to decide what to defer as well as what to begin.