Hiring a digital marketing agency means handing part of your customer relationship to another team: the website, the ads, search and the data. Miami has plenty of options, and many of them sound alike. This guide collects the criteria that make proposals comparable.
What does a digital marketing agency do?
A digital marketing agency plans, runs and measures a business's presence online. The scope varies a lot from one agency to the next, so it pays to define it before asking for proposals. The most common services are:
- Website. Strategy, design, development and maintenance.
- Paid media. Campaigns on Google, Meta and other platforms, including the creative.
- SEO and AI search. Work to show up in search engines and in the answers of AI assistants.
- Social media and content. Posts, calendar and community.
- Data and measurement. Analytics, dashboards and reports.
Some agencies do everything and others specialize in one channel. The right choice depends on what the business needs to solve now.
What should you define before looking for an agency?
Before the first meeting, write down three answers:
- The goal. More inquiries, more online sales, more bookings or a better-known brand. Each goal calls for different work.
- The starting point. Which website, ad accounts and data exist today, and who has access to each one.
- The business's own resources. Who will answer inquiries, approve creative and provide the information the agency needs.
With that on paper, proposals can be compared against each other.
Which criteria help you choose an agency in Miami?
| Criterion | What to check | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Language | The team writes and serves clients in English and Spanish | Machine translation or a single language |
| Scope | It covers the channels the goal requires | A fixed package that does not adapt to the business |
| Ownership | The website, domains and accounts are in the business's name | Accounts created under the agency's name |
| Measurement | Indicators tied to inquiries or sales, not just clicks | Reports full of metrics that never connect to the business |
| Past work | Cases with the problem, what was done and how it was measured | Client logos with no detail |
| Communication | A named contact and a set reporting rhythm | Changes to the site or campaigns without notice |
Language is not a detail in Miami
In Miami, many people search in English or in Spanish depending on the moment. An agency that works in both languages can write each version of the site and the ads for the person who will read it, instead of translating it. Ask for samples in both languages and check whether they sound like a person wrote them.
Nobody can guarantee the top spot
Google's guidance for anyone considering an SEO is clear: no one can guarantee a number one ranking on Google. The same page suggests asking for examples of past work, for the expected results and timeline, and for the agency to explain every change it makes to the site. Those questions work just as well for paid media and social.
Why should the accounts stay in the business's name?
Because campaign history, analytics data and the domain are business assets. If the relationship with the agency ends, the business has to keep them.
The way to get there is for the business to own every account and give the agency access. Google Ads, for example, lets the owner grant different access levels to an account, such as read-only, standard or admin. The same applies to the domain, the hosting, analytics, the Google Business Profile and social media pages.
What questions should you ask in the first meeting?
- What similar work have you done, and how did you measure the result?
- Who will work on the account, and who is the day-to-day contact?
- Which indicators will you report, and how often?
- Will the accounts and data stay in the business's name?
- What happens to the website, the ads and the data if the relationship ends?
- How do the website, paid media and SEO connect with each other?
A proposal that explains what will be done, how it will be measured and what the business decides at each step is easier to evaluate than a list of services.
Is one full-service agency better than several specialists?
It depends on how many channels the business needs and who will coordinate them. One team for the website, the ads and SEO lowers the risk of each part measuring differently, and it makes it easier to connect what happens after the click. Several specialists can work when someone inside the business coordinates them and brings the data together. The difference between SEO and SEM is a good example: both channels perform better when they are planned together.
At TersLab, with a team in Miami and in Buenos Aires, the website, paid media and growth work are connected and done in both languages. The digital services in Miami page shows how each part fits, and the SEO and AI positioning work includes dashboards that put SEO, ads and sales in one view. The case studies show finished projects.
Frequently asked questions
What does a digital marketing agency do?
It plans, runs and measures a business's presence online. Depending on the scope hired, it handles the website, paid media, SEO, social media and the measurement of results.
How do you know if a digital marketing agency is trustworthy?
A trustworthy agency shows past work with the problem, what it did and how it measured it, keeps the accounts in the client's name, explains the changes it makes and does not promise guaranteed rankings on Google.
Does the agency need to work in Spanish in Miami?
Yes, when the business serves Spanish-speaking customers. In Miami people search in both languages, and each version of the site and the ads should be written for the person reading it, not translated.
Who should own the ad and analytics accounts?
The business. The recommended setup is for the business to own the domain, the website and every account, and to give the agency the level of access it needs to do the work.
