If you run a flower shop, a small boutique, or a local service business, you don’t need to be everywhere online right now. You don’t have to post five times a day, run ads on every platform, and learn every new tool just because a blog said so. A digital marketing agency should meet you where your business is today, not push you into things you’re not ready for.

What do you actually want more of—online orders, phone calls, people walking in, or past customers coming back? Once you name that, it becomes a lot easier to tell if a digital marketing plan is right for you or just noise.

We’ve seen a lot of small online stores struggle with this, so we put together this guide to help you pick a digital marketing agency that speaks human, understands small business, and helps you grow at a pace that makes sense.

Pick the Approach, Then Decide How Big to Go

Agencies don’t all work the same way. Some start with one channel, some roll out several at once. Neither is wrong. The question is what your business can use right now.

• Site/store first – Fix the website, product pages, or checkout so customers don’t drop off.
• Search and local SEO – Get you showing up when people in your area look for what you sell.
• Ads (Google, Meta, sometimes Pinterest) – Turn on traffic right away, especially for promos or seasonal products.
• Retention (email/SMS/social) – Keep the customers you already earned coming back.

If your website, pricing, and inventory are already in good shape, it can make sense to run several of these together so you grow faster. That’s why some teams will say, “Let’s do search, ads, and email at the same time,” because your business can support it.

If you’re still getting organized (new site, new photos, no email list yet), then starting with one or two channels might be smarter. A good digital marketing agency should be able to tell you which plan you’re ready for and not just sell you the biggest one.

The Five Services Every Growing Business Should Ask About

When you’re comparing digital marketing services, it helps to know the essentials—what every solid plan should include, no matter your size or industry. These five areas work together to help your business show up, stand out, and convert clicks into real customers.

SEO and local search

Your customers use Google to find what they need. A strong search engine optimization plan keeps your business visible in search results and your Google Business Profile updated so people can actually reach you.

PPC and search ads

Google Ads and other pay-per-click campaigns drive fast visibility. The key is smart targeting, so you only pay for clicks from the right audience.

Email and SMS marketing

Once someone buys or contacts you, staying in touch builds loyalty. Email campaigns and text messages keep your name in front of customers between visits or seasons.

Social media management

Posts, ads, and engagement across platforms help maintain a consistent brand voice and connect with your target audience where they already spend time.

Conversion rate optimization

Getting traffic is one thing; converting it is another. Clean web design, strong calls-to-action, and faster load times help turn interest into sales or appointments.

A leading digital marketing agency should be able to explain each of these in a straightforward way, such as how they work, what they cost, and what results to expect. If the answers sound too vague or too technical, it’s okay to keep looking for a marketing company that speaks your language.

Red Flags to Watch For (So You Don’t Pay for the Wrong Kind of Marketing)

Not every digital marketing company is built for a real-life small business schedule. Some work great for national brands, but they’re too slow, too rigid, or too expensive for a florist, local retailer, or niche online shop. Here’s what to watch for:

• Everything is vague and far away. It’s normal for SEO or content to take time, but you should still see a 30-day and 90-day plan. “You’ll see something in 6–12 months” with no checkpoints isn’t helpful.
• Overpromising or underexplaining. If an agency claims they can triple your traffic without asking about your customers, budget, or website, that’s a red flag. A digital marketing strategy should start with understanding your business, not a one-size claim.
• Reports you can’t read. You should know, in normal language, what you paid for and what happened, like traffic, leads/orders, and what’s next. If the report is all impressions and no actions, it’s hard to tell if your marketing efforts are working.
• Pushing a full rebuild too early. Sometimes your website really does need a refresh. But if you only asked for more traffic or better local SEO, the first answer shouldn’t always be “new site.”

The best digital marketing agencies stay transparent, use proven strategies, and explain what’s being done in terms that make sense.

What Good Reporting Looks Like

A report should help you make decisions, not make you Google every other word. A good digital marketing agency will give you something simple and readable:

• One page, once a month. You don’t need a 20-page slide deck to know if things are working.
• Traffic + results. “Here’s how many people came to your site, here’s how many became leads/orders, and here’s where they came from (Google, ads, social, email).”
• What we did. Last month’s work, like updated product pages, Google Ads run, socials posted, or local SEO that’s been cleaned up.
• What’s next. What we’re focusing on this month, so you know the plan.

If you can’t explain that report to someone on your team in 60 seconds, it’s too technical. Even with data-driven strategies, the goal is clear marketing efforts that move you toward your business goals.

Questions to Ask Before You Sign Anything

Before you lock in with a digital marketing agency, make sure you know how working with them will feel day to day. These questions keep things practical and protect your business:

• “Who will I talk to every month?” You want a real person, not a rotating inbox.
• “What do the first 30 days look like?” A good agency will tell you: audit, fixes, quick wins, then ongoing work.
• “How do you handle updates to my site or store? Do I send them or do you?” This matters a lot for eCommerce and local businesses that update products, hours, or promos often.
• “If I leave, do I take my data, creatives, and ad accounts with me?” The answer should be yes. Your audience and ad history are your assets.

If an agency can answer these clearly, there’s a good chance they’ll give you the level of support, reporting, and strategy your business needs.

When It Makes Sense to Switch Agencies

Sometimes the clearest sign you’ve outgrown your current marketing agency is a slow drift where results stall and communication fades. If you’re noticing these signs, it might be time to move on:

• You only get vanity metrics. Likes, impressions, and followers look nice, but they don’t pay bills. Your digital marketing team should focus on orders, calls, or qualified leads that drive growth.
• They don’t understand your platform. If your website runs on BigCommerce, WordPress, or another specific system, your marketing agency should know how to use it without breaking pages or slowing your site down.
• No seasonal planning. Every business has its busy and slow seasons. A strong marketing team adjusts campaigns and messaging so you don’t waste ad spend when customers aren’t looking.
• You’re doing the follow-up. If you’re chasing updates, rewriting posts, or checking reports yourself, the balance is off. Your marketing team should handle execution and communication so you can focus on your business.

Switching agencies doesn’t mean starting from scratch; it simply means finding a full-service digital marketing partner who listens, fine-tunes your strategy, and keeps your marketing aligned with your goals instead of their template.

Bring Your Marketing Together with Epic

The right agency for you is the one that understands your products, your platform, and your buying cycles. That’s us at Epic.

Epic helps you turn your website and marketing into sales. We look at what you sell, who you sell to, and where you’re showing up now, then build a focused plan around the channels that work fastest for you. You get clear reporting, content that fits your brand, and hands-on support when you need updates or new campaigns.

Book a consultation, and let’s map out what real growth could look like for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should digital marketing services include for a small business?

At minimum, it should include these: SEO/local search, basic social posting, a way to collect emails, and help keep your website updated. From there, you can layer on ads, content, or conversion work.

How do I tell if I’m talking to the best digital marketing agency for my business?

They ask about your offers, seasonality, and who buys from you now before pitching. If they jump straight to a big package without that, keep looking.

Can I get a custom strategy even if I’m starting small?

Yes. A good agency can start with one or two channels (like email marketing and local SEO) and fine-tune as results come in.

Why do agencies talk about audience segmentation so much?

Because not all customers should get the same message. Segmenting helps you send the right email to the right group, which usually means better opens, more clicks, and more sales.