10 Marketing Agency Red Flags Every Contractor Should Know
The warning signs that a marketing agency is about to waste your money — from someone who got burned before starting this company.
Ads By Crest exists because of a bad agency experience. Here are the red flags that should make any contractor walk away, so you don't learn them the expensive way.
They won't show you what they're actually doing
If an agency can't explain in plain English what work they'll do each month, they're probably not doing much. Vague deliverables are how agencies bill you for nothing.
They lock you into a long contract upfront
Confident marketers earn your business month to month. A 12-month contract before they've produced a single result is a way to keep collecting after the leads dry up.
They promise a #1 ranking by a specific date
Nobody controls Google's algorithm. Anyone guaranteeing a #1 spot by next month is either lying or about to use tactics that get you penalized.
They report 'impressions' and 'reach' instead of leads
Impressions don't fix your truck payment. If the report is full of vanity metrics and short on actual calls and form fills, they're hiding the fact that it isn't working.
They build your website on a platform you don't own
Some agencies trap your site on a proprietary builder so you can't leave without losing everything. You should own your website, full stop.
They can't name a single thing specific to your trade
A roofer and a remodeler need completely different marketing. If the plan sounds like it'd work for a dentist too, it wasn't built for you.
The pricing is vague or keeps changing
Honest pricing is clear pricing. Surprise fees and 'it depends' answers are a sign of an agency that bills based on what they think they can get.
They take credit for leads you were already getting
A common trick: count every call as their win, including repeat customers and referrals that had nothing to do with marketing. Insist on knowing where leads actually came from.
They're impossible to reach after you sign
Attentive before the sale, silent after — it's the oldest move in the book. You should be able to reach the person doing your work.
They badmouth every other option instead of explaining theirs
Good marketers explain why their approach works. The ones who only trash competitors usually don't have much of their own to stand on.
Common questions
Who is this guide for?
Does Ads By Crest actually do this work?
Will you give me an honest opinion on my current setup?
How much does working with you cost?
Do you lock me into a contract?
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