How to choose a marketing company for your trade.

1. Do they understand trades?

Marketing a roofer is not like marketing a café. Jobs are high-value, customers are local, and most enquiries come by phone. A company that knows trades will ask about your job values, your areas and how many jobs you can actually take on.

Ask: “Which trades have you worked with, and what did you change for them?”

2. Who will you actually deal with?

Many agencies sell with a senior person, then hand you to a junior account manager. Find out who does the work and who picks up the phone when something’s wrong.

Ask: “Who will I speak to each month, and can I have their direct number?”

3. Are the prices clear?

“Get a quote” isn’t always a bad sign, but you should know before the first call roughly what you’ll pay, what’s included, and what costs extra, such as ad spend or setup fees.

Ask: “What’s the total monthly cost, including ad spend and anything extra?”

4. How long is the contract?

Six- and twelve-month minimum contracts are common. They protect the agency, not you. A company confident in its results will let you leave if it isn’t working.

Ask: “What’s the minimum term, and what happens if I want to leave?”

5. Who owns everything?

Your website, domain, Google Business Profile, ad account and customer list should be in your name. Some companies keep them, which makes leaving painful and expensive.

Ask: “If I leave, do I keep the website, the domain, the ad account and the data?”

6. What will they report?

Impressions, reach and clicks are easy to inflate. What matters is enquiries, booked jobs and the cost of each. A good report fits on one page.

Ask: “Will you show me enquiries and booked jobs each month, not just clicks?”

7. Can you check their proof?

Testimonials on their own website are easy to make up. Google reviews, named case studies and a client you can ring are much harder to fake.

Ask: “Can I speak to a trade you work with now?”

8. Do they guarantee Google rankings?

Nobody controls Google’s rankings, and Google itself warns against anyone who guarantees them. A promise of “page one in 30 days” is a red flag. Promises about effort, speed and reporting are fine.

Ask: “What exactly are you promising, and what happens if it doesn’t happen?”

9. How fast do they reply?

If they’re slow to reply when they’re trying to win your business, they won’t be faster once you’ve signed. Their response time is a preview of the service.

Test it: send an enquiry and see how long it takes.

10. Do they know your area?

Local search depends on local detail: which towns you cover, which areas are competitive, what homeowners there need. A company that knows South Wales will ask better questions about your patch.

Ask: “How would you get me found in the towns I actually work in?”

Red flags

• Guaranteed Google rankings or “page one in 30 days”
• A 12-month contract before they’ve proved anything
• They own your website, domain or ad account
• Reports full of reach and impressions, but no enquiries
• Testimonials you can’t check anywhere else
• You can never get the person who actually does the work