There are many reasons companies switch marketing agencies. Whether your contract is up, your budget has changed, or your business has grown so that your former agency can’t keep up, it may be time to find a new digital marketing team.
When you need to find professionals who can better meet your needs, there are a few things to consider before making any big decisions. Here are some of our top preparation tips when you’re planning on switching digital marketing agencies.
Confirm What You Do and Don’t Own
Before ending your contract, it’s important to confirm what property you do and don’t own with your marketing agency. Determining what’s yours and what’s not can help prevent snags in the process when you’re transferring to a new team.
For example, do you own your domain name account? If your marketing agency handled the domain name registration, they might be listed as the owner, not you.
Another crucial consideration is whether you own your website and its content. Some agencies allow you to own your website and its content outright, so there won’t be an issue. Other times, the agency may claim rights to the website and its content, so check your agreement.
Switching agencies before you can confirm this information could mean losing access to your accounts, including your website, its content, and the domain name.
Determine Who Hosts Your Website and Manages Your Email
You’ll also need to find out who hosts your website before switching. If you control hosting, there should be limited issues with transferring agencies.
However, if the marketing agency hosts it and you plan on keeping the website, you will need to get the account information from them so your new agency can handle the site transfer. In some cases, you may be able to take over ownership of the account before you make the switch.
Your existing marketing agency may also manage your business email if they handle your website hosting. While this isn’t always the case, it’s important to know that switching hosting could impact your email settings, so it’s good to verify who manages your email before making any changes.
Do You Need to Give Notice to Your Agency?
Before you consider giving notice to your existing marketing agency, address the above concerns. Doing so will help you have a smoother transition and reduce conflict when switching agencies.
Once you can confirm ownership of accounts, hosting, content, and email, check your existing agreement with your current marketing agency. Some contracts ask that you give notice, such as 30 days. If you can, abide by the terms of the agreement to make the transition smoother.
It’s also helpful to have another marketing agency lined up to assist you with the switch so you can ensure all your information is transferred properly, if possible.
Let Gazz Digital Help You Make the Switch
We understand that your business needs change over time, and not every digital marketing agency lives up to its promises. When it’s time to switch digital marketing teams, consider Gazz Digital. We can help you properly plan your transition for minimal issues so you can get started sooner with us. Contact us today for a consultation.
