What should I ask a marketing agency before I sign?

Why ask first

Take a breath — you don’t need to know the tech to ask good questions. Most bad agency stories start the same way: a long contract, no easy way out, and a website or Google profile the owner can’t take with them.

Asking now, while you’re calm, costs nothing. Get the answers in writing.

The 8 questions

• How long is the contract? Is there a minimum term?
• How do I cancel — online, by email, or only by phone? Is there a fee?
• Who owns the domain (my web address), the website and my Google Business Profile? Are they in my name?
• What does the monthly report measure — calls, texts and jobs, or just “impressions” (how often I was shown)?
• Are there setup fees, and what do they cover?
• If I leave, can I take my website with me? In what form?
• Who writes my reviews? (The answer should be: only real customers.)
• What exactly do you promise about AI and Google?

Red flags

• A promise of a top spot in ChatGPT or Google. AI answers change each time you ask, so nobody can promise that.
• Your domain or Google profile registered in their name.
• Cancelling only by phone, or a fee to leave.
• Reports full of rankings and impressions, but no calls.
• Offers to write reviews for you, or to “filter” unhappy customers. The FTC bans fake reviews, and Google bans gating.

What good answers sound like

• “Month to month. Cancel anytime, online.”
• “Everything is in your name. We just have access.”
• “We count calls, texts and booking taps.”
• “We can’t promise any AI will pick you. We make sure your facts are right everywhere.”

Already signed?

Don’t panic. Find your contract and check the end date and how to cancel. Then ask for every login — domain, website and Google profile — while things are friendly.