Is your agency partner moving the needle, or just burning budget with shiny reports?
Performance marketing sounds simple: you pay for clicks, leads, or sales. But finding an agency that delivers on those outcomes? That’s where most businesses trip up. This article breaks it down step by step—how to get clear on your goals, what to look for in the best performance marketing agency?, the checklist that filters pretenders fast, red flags to watch out for, and the key questions to ask before you sign anything. If you’ve ever hired an agency that overpromised and underdelivered, this one’s for you.
First, Know What You Need
You can’t choose the right agency if you aren’t clear about success. That’s where most businesses go wrong—they hire for execution before defining direction. So before you start shortlisting agencies, you’ve got homework to do.
Let’s start simple:
What does success mean to you?
Not every campaign is about sales. For some, it’s building a qualified lead pipeline. For others, it’s user signups, app installs, or lower customer acquisition costs. The more specific you get, the easier it is to filter agencies that can deliver.
Here’s how this plays out in the real world:
- A SaaS startup might want 30% more product demos from paid channels within 90 days.
- An e-commerce brand might aim to decrease its ROAS from 8x to 4x while scaling ad spend.
- A local service business might want to rank top 3 for “plumber near me” in their city and double phone inquiries.
Different goals = different performance strategies = different types of agencies.
Get real about your budget and ROI expectations
If you’re working with a $5K/month budget, you don’t want an agency that’s used to handling $500K campaigns. It’s not just about the money—it’s about alignment. Ask yourself:
- How much are you willing to spend per month?
- What ROI do you need to justify that spend?
- Are you open to testing and iteration, or do you need results fast?
Pro tip: Break your budget into testing vs scaling. Some agencies are great at early experiments, others shine once the formula works.
Know your preferred channels (and where you’re flexible)
Not all agencies are good at everything. Some are paid search pros. Others kill it on TikTok. Others have niche strength in influencer or affiliate. You don’t need all of it. You need the right stack for your goals.
Start by listing out:
- Channels you’ve used before (and whether they worked)
- Channels you want to test
- Channels that your competitors dominate
Then prioritize based on effort vs impact.
What to Look for in a Performance Marketing Agency
Not all agencies are built the same. Some are specialists. Some are generalists. Some are stuck in 2019. Your job? Find the one that matches your goals, budget, and growth stage—not just the one with the flashiest website.
Here’s what matters:
Industry-specific experience
Let’s be real: running Google Ads for a B2B SaaS company is a different beast than running TikTok ads for a D2C skincare brand. Same platforms. Completely different playbooks.
Agencies with vertical experience bring more than tactics—they bring insights:
- What messages tend to convert in your niche
- Which audiences burn out fast
- What channels give you the best margins
Look at their client roster. Have they worked with companies like yours? Ask about results from similar industries, not just the biggest brand they’ve handled.
Pro tip: Ask how long clients typically stay. Long-term retention is a better signal than just logos.
Services they offer
Start with your needs. Then match them with what the agency does, not what they say on their homepage.
Most performance marketing agencies fall into three buckets:
- Channel-specific: e.g., paid search only, or just influencers
- Full-funnel: strategy, paid media, CRO, email, analytics
- Platform-focused: e.g., Meta and Google partners, but no SEO or email
Here’s a quick services list to check off:
- Paid search (Google, Bing)
- Paid social (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn)
- Programmatic display
- Affiliate marketing
- Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
- SEO and content
- Analytics + attribution
You don’t need all of them, but you do need alignment.
Strategic and technical approach
Some agencies show up with a spreadsheet. Others bring a strategy.
Ask them how they build campaigns from scratch:
- Do they start with research or reuse what worked for another client?
- Do they customize messaging and targeting?
- Do they test creative weekly or once a quarter?
Then ask about tools. Good agencies don’t just run ads—they track, automate, and optimize:
- Attribution tools (e.g., Triple Whale, Northbeam)
- Analytics dashboards (GA4, Looker Studio)
- Creative testing platforms
- AI-powered bidding or audience segmentation
If their tech stack sounds like guesswork, so will your campaigns.
Transparent reporting and KPIs
You need more than “impressions are up.” You need answers.
Here’s what solid reporting should tell you:
- How much did you spend
- What actions did it drive (leads, sales, calls)
- What does it cost you per action (CPA, CPL, CAC)
- What return did you get (ROAS, LTV)
Ask:
- How often will you send reports? (Weekly is ideal.)
- What KPIs will you track based on our goals?
- Do you offer a live dashboard or manual PDF updates?
You don’t just want reports. You want visibility, so you can make calls, not just get updates.
The Agency Evaluation Checklist
This is your shortcut. If you’re scanning through agency websites, talking to sales reps, or comparing proposals, this is the filter that keeps you from picking the wrong partner.
Use it before you sign anything. Even better—use it before you hop on that first discovery call.
| Checklist Question | Why It Matters |
| Do they offer services aligned with your goals? | No point hiring a CRO specialist if you need lead gen at scale. Start with alignment. |
| Can they show relevant case studies or proof of ROI? | Real results > big promises. You want to see outcomes from similar companies. |
| Do they have experience in your industry? | Context is everything. Niche experience means less guessing, faster testing. |
| Is their pricing transparent and fair? | Avoid surprise fees and vague “management” costs. Get clear numbers upfront. |
| Do they have clear KPIs and reporting frequency? | Weekly reports. Meaningful metrics. Real visibility. No fluff. |
| Will you get a dedicated account manager? | You want one point of contact who knows your account inside out, not a rotating cast. |
| Are they flexible with contracts and scope changes? | Things change. Look for monthly flexibility or pause options—not locked-in 12-month deals. |
Pro tip: Use this as your agency scorecard. If they check all seven boxes, you’re probably in safe hands. If they miss two or more, dig deeper—or keep looking.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Some agencies look good on paper—until you’re three months in, wondering why nothing’s working. Here’s how to catch the signs early, before your budget becomes someone else’s experiment.
“Guaranteed results” with no substance
If an agency promises guaranteed leads, traffic, or revenue, walk away.
Performance marketing is measurable, but it’s not magic. Variables like market competition, audience behavior, and product quality play a role. Agencies that truly know their craft focus on predictable processes, not guarantees.
No access to your data or dashboards
If you can’t log in, track spend, or audit targeting decisions, you’re flying blind.
You should control your campaign data, not them.
No case studies or third-party reviews
No proof of past wins? That’s not humility—it’s a red flag.
Look for:
- Industry-relevant case studies
- Video testimonials
- Verified reviews on platforms like Clutch
Communication is slow, vague, or confusing
You should never feel like you’re chasing your agency for updates. Or worse, trying to decode what their reports mean.
Warning signs:
- Delayed replies or missed check-ins
- Jargon-filled reports with no clear insight
- Multiple people jumping in, no clear owner
If you’re confused more often than you’re confident, it’s not a good sign.
Flat-rate pricing and cookie-cutter plans
If every client gets the same pitch deck, same fee, same “growth strategy”—they’re not listening.
Good agencies ask questions first. They build around:
- Your margins
- Your funnel
- Your lifetime value
- Your sales cycle
If their pricing or plans don’t flex to fit your business, they’ll break when things shift.
Questions to Ask Before Signing the Contract
You’ve shortlisted your top picks. They’ve sent the deck. The call went well. Now comes the part most people skip—and regret later.
Ask these five questions. The answers will tell you everything you need to know about how they’ll really treat your account once the ink is dry.
How do you measure campaign success?
Look for: Metrics tied to your business goals—like cost per qualified lead, ROAS, or LTV—with clear benchmarks and weekly reporting.
Red flag: Generic metrics like impressions or engagement with no tie-back to ROI.
What’s your approach to underperforming campaigns?
Look for: A clear testing roadmap, rapid budget shifts, creative refreshes, and data-driven adjustments.
Red flag: “We’ll wait and let the algorithm figure it out.”
Who manages our account day to day?
Ask:
- Will we have a dedicated account manager?
- How experienced are they with brands like ours?
- How often can we check in?
Red flag: Vague answers or rotating contacts with no clear owner.
How flexible is your contract model?
Ask:
- Can we change budget mid-month?
- What happens if we need to pause?
- Is there a trial or 30-day opt-out?
Flexibility is a sign they’re confident—not just looking to lock you in.
How quickly can we scale or pause campaigns?
Ask:
- Can we double spend next week if things go well?
- What if we need to pause due to inventory issues?
- How fast can you pivot when performance stalls?
Good agencies adapt fast. The bad ones drag their feet—or your results.
Final Thoughts: Choose Long-Term Partners, Not Just Vendors
Performance isn’t just about ROAS or cost per lead—it’s about the relationship behind the results.
The right agency won’t just “run your ads” or “optimize your funnel.” They’ll challenge your assumptions. Bring new ideas to the table. Show up when things are working—and when they’re not.
They’ll ask about next quarter before this one ends.
So when you’re choosing the best performance marketing agency in India, don’t just look at the metrics they promise. Look at how they plan, how they communicate, and whether they’re willing to adapt as your goals shift.
Sqroot – Results matter. But alignment matters more.
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