Working with the right design agency can help your business grow and reach new clients. You’ll have access to vetted experts that have a lot of industry experience. With their help, you can impress your customers, generate leads and also present your business in a more professional manner. Which does bring the question, how can you find the right creative agency? Here are some ideas to take into consideration.

Tips and ideas to help you find the best creative agency

Finding a good creative agency is all about understanding your needs, assessing what’s available on the market and what results you can obtain. With that in mind, here you have some of the things you want to focus on:

• ‍Set clear goals and objectives. To be clear, you don’t need a specific creative idea right out of the gate. Of course, there needs to be clarity and you need to make sure to know what you are trying to achieve as a business. Have that information prepared with you in advance and present it to the creative agency on your discovery call. This will help you save time and align quickly with the agency to see if they can formulate a customized plan for you or not.‍

• Work within your industry if possible. Most agencies are general and they work with any industry. If you can find a creative agency specialized in your own industry, that can be a major advantage. This is because they can better understand your needs and pain points. You can align much quicker when you’re already on the same page. While it’s possible to find a local agency because of the convenience of close proximity, it’s always a good idea to cast your net wider as there’s a possibility of finding better and more affordable solutions outside your immediate area. With the power of technology bridging the gap, collaboration beyond borders have become easier than ever.‍

•  Check their portfolio and results. Any professional creative agency should have a portfolio of previous work and samples they can share with you. This will give you a good idea of what results you can expect from them. A good portfolio should demonstrate their ability and skill sufficiently. It’s always a very good idea to have clear expectations, as that’s what will open up your eyes and let you know exactly what you can achieve. Don’t see a design that matches your style or industry but like their vibe or tone? Reach out to set up a discovery call. The best creative agencies don’t only deliver great design, they can understand your needs and communicate their plans well.‍

• Study their content and see how they present themselves. Do you like what you’re seeing? That can be very important, since it shows what results you can expect from them. A great creative agency will take the time to share information and educate their customers. This shows you that they’re knowledgeable and confident with their abilities. They’re willing to put themselves out there and generate their own content. Take a look at their blog or social media feeds. Their social presence should give you a good sense of their personality. If they didn’t bother to put an effort into brand building, that should be a big red flag that they might not take things seriously with you either.

Ideally, you want to make sure that you interview at least 3 agencies. While an exceptional portfolio would be the first thing to look at, this is part is important. Taking time to compare between agencies with allow you to focus on value and excellence. Great work alone isn’t going to be enough when the agency is not responsive to communication or can’t grasp your ideas. While great design or a cheap price might be a big draw for you, hiring a creative agency that “gets” you is so much more important to your success.

Are there any questions that you should ask during the interview?

Finding the right creative agency for you requires that you ask the right questions. Always ask direct questions that’ll help you understand their processes and personality. Ideally, you want to ask them about their expertise and previous work. You also want to see some data to back up their claims. Are they speaking in industry terms or in everyday language? Do they understand the fundamentals of the required deliverables? On top of that, you also want to know if they outsource any of the work. Another great idea is to ask them about their creative process and how it works. It’s crucial to talk with them and see if they actually have time to work on your project or not.

Not sure what to ask? Here are a few generic questions we get asked all the time:

• How long have you been working in this industry?
• What does your turnaround time look like?
• How do you charge for your service?
• How much work do you currently have going? Do you have the bandwidth to manage my project?
• Who is my point of contact?
• Do you outsource any of your work?

Conclusion

Once you find the right creative agency to work on your project, it’s very important to keep the partnership alive. Remember, it’s a partnership. That means that it’s the responsibility of both parties to make the relationship grow. Work closely with them, let them know your needs and try to assist as much as possible. Showing what you want and offering them ideas about your presentation design or the expected content helps a lot. You should also be open about when and how you must split any workload. That alone can make things well worth the effort.