You asked three agencies for a proposal. What came back were three documents with very different price tags, a lot of the same buzzwords, and almost identical promises: more leads, more sales, a stronger brand.
So how do you pick one? Most business owners end up deciding on price, or on whoever gave the most confident pitch. Neither tells you much about the results you’ll actually get.
Full disclosure: we’re an agency, so we have a bias. But because we know what happens behind the scenes, we can tell you what’s worth checking, what should make you suspicious, and which questions will show you how any agency really works, in a single meeting.
Before You Start: Three Things to Know About Your Own Business
A good agency will ask you these. It helps to have the answers ready so you can judge proposals on your terms.
1. What’s the goal, in numbers? “More awareness” isn’t a goal. “30 more bookings a month” or “15 serious buyer enquiries a month for our villas” is. From there, an agency can work backwards to the number of leads you need and a sensible budget.
2. What have you already tried? Boosted posts? A previous agency? Write down what worked and what didn’t. It saves weeks of testing.
3. Who handles the leads once they come in? This one gets skipped all the time. An agency can bring in WhatsApp enquiries, but if they get a reply the next afternoon, many of those people have already booked somewhere else.
If you’re not sure how much to spend on ads, our guide on how to set a realistic ad budget is a good place to start.
7 Things to Check Before You Sign
1. They ask about your business before pitching packages A serious agency wants to know your margins, your average order value, who your best customers are, and when your high and low seasons hit. If the first meeting jumps straight to Package A, B, or C, they’re probably selling the same thing to everyone.
2. They can explain the whole path from ad to sale Ads are only one piece. There’s the offer, the creative, the landing page, the follow-up, and the close. Ask them where people usually drop off for a business like yours. A specific answer tells you they think in systems, not just campaigns.
3. They report business numbers, not vanity numbers Reach and likes can sit in a report, but they shouldn’t be the headline. What matters is how many leads came in, what each one cost, and how many became customers. Ask for a sample monthly report with client details removed. If it’s all upward-trending charts with no explanation, judging their work later will be hard.
4. The ad accounts are in your name Your Google Ads account, Meta Business Manager, Pixel, and Analytics should belong to your business, with the agency added as a user. Your ad history is an asset. If you ever switch agencies, you keep the data instead of starting from zero.
5. They have relevant proof Running ads for a clinic is different from selling villas or filling restaurant tables. Ask for examples close to your industry and look through their success stories. Our write-up on how a digital strategy boosted restaurant bookings is one example of the kind of detail worth looking for. Even better, ask to speak with one of their current clients.
6. You know who’s actually doing the work At some agencies, a senior person pitches and a junior team or a subcontractor does the work. That isn’t always a problem, as long as you know. Ask who runs your ads, who makes your content, and who you call when something breaks.
7. Scope and contract terms are in writing What’s included? How many creatives per month? Is ad spend separate from the fee? What’s the minimum term, and how do you exit? Settle this at the start, not when something has gone wrong.
Red Flags
- Guaranteed numbers. “100 leads a month, guaranteed” sounds great. Nobody can promise that before seeing your data. Results depend on your offer, competitors, seasonality, and more.
- No access to your own account. If you can’t see your ad dashboard yourself, you can’t verify anything.
- Screenshot reports with no context. Numbers without comparison to last month, your target, or cost aren’t useful for decisions.
- The same strategy for every client. A beach club in Canggu and a builder in Denpasar need very different approaches.
- Prices far below the market with no explanation. Cheap isn’t wrong. Just ask what they’re leaving out to get there.
Local Bali Agency or One Based Elsewhere?
Both can work. It comes down to context.
An agency that knows Bali tends to pick up local details faster: how foreign tourists behave differently from local buyers, peak seasons that follow Australian and European school holidays, and the fact that people here would rather message on WhatsApp than fill in a form. Meeting face to face is also easier when things need fixing.
An agency in Jakarta or overseas may have a bigger team. The thing to confirm is whether they understand the Bali market or are reusing a campaign template from another city.
Either way, make sure they’re strong in the channels that fit your business, such as Google Ads for people actively searching, or Meta Ads for products that sell on visuals.
When You Don’t Need an Agency Yet
Agencies rarely say this, but sometimes your money is better spent elsewhere first:
- Your offer isn’t clear. If you can’t explain why someone should buy from you instead of the business next door, ads will only spread that message faster.
- Nobody is ready to answer messages. Leads that wait hours for a reply are wasted spend.
- There’s nowhere good to send traffic. At minimum you need a fast, clear landing page, or a well-kept Google Business Profile and Instagram.
- You’re brand new with a very small budget. Learning the basics yourself for a month or two can be the smarter move.
8 Questions to Ask in the First Meeting
Keep this list and use it with every agency you talk to:
- Which channels would you recommend for a business like mine, and why?
- How did you arrive at the ad budget you’re suggesting?
- What will you do in the first 30 days?
- How do you track a lead from the ad all the way to a sale?
- Who exactly will work on my account?
- What do your reports look like, and how often will I get them?
- If results aren’t there by month two, what do you usually change?
- Whose name are the ad accounts and data under?
A good agency will be happy to answer all of these. If one dodges, that’s your answer.
How We Work at Sentris
We try to hold ourselves to the same standard. In the first session we don’t open with packages. We start from your revenue target and work backwards: how many customers you need, how many leads that takes, and what budget makes sense. Then we look at the full funnel, from the offer and ad creative to the landing page and how your team handles incoming chats.
Our services come in three tiers, from a single-channel focus to fully managed digital marketing. Which one fits depends on where your business is right now, and that’s what we work out together in the consultation. You can learn more about the team on our About Us page.
Comparing agencies right now? Bring the questions above to us too.
