A performance marketing agency manages advertising budgets and campaigns against measurable business objectives. Ecommerce focuses on orders and sales value; service businesses need to follow qualified enquiries, appointments and sales. To choose an agency, examine what it measures, how it verifies the result and who retains control of the accounts.
This guide brings together questions for comparing proposals, pricing, measurement and the initial work plan. For DijitalPi's implementation scope, explore Google Ads management, social media advertising and data analytics.
What does a performance marketing agency do?
Work begins with objectives and measurement before advertisements are launched. The agency reviews existing accounts, landing pages and conversion records, then develops the campaign, creative and budget plan. Subsequent decisions should follow the agreed outcomes and findings from tests.
- Identify the priority product, service or customer group.
- Plan how advertising, website and, where relevant, CRM records will be compared.
- Review advertising messages, targeting and landing pages together.
- Document the hypothesis, budget limit and conditions for making changes.
- Report spend, results and the next action together.
A click on a phone number is different from a completed conversation or sale. Ask which event the agency calls a conversion. Google Ads can measure different activities, including purchases, registrations and phone interactions; selecting what matters to your business is part of setup. See Google's conversion measurement guidance.
How should you compare agency proposals?
| Area | Question | Expected detail |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Are we measuring forms, qualified enquiries or sales? | Event definition, data source and acceptance criteria |
| Scope | Which channels and deliverables are included? | Setup, creative, page development and reporting |
| Budget | What do we pay the platform and agency? | Separate media spend, management fees and additional costs |
| Access | Who controls the accounts and data? | Business access, permissions and handover arrangements |
| Evidence | Which period does the example cover? | Baseline, spend, measurement method and limitations |
Do CPA, CAC and ROAS tell the same story?
CPA is the cost per defined action. If that action is a form submission, it is not the cost of acquiring a customer. CAC divides the acquisition costs included in the calculation by the number of new customers. Do not compare two CAC figures without clarifying whether agency fees, sales staff and production costs are included.
ROAS divides sales value attributed to advertising by advertising spend. It does not directly measure profit. Product costs, refunds, discounts and other expenses need separate consideration. Different platforms may also claim the same order; adding their reported conversions without reconciliation does not produce a reliable sales total.
Illustrative calculation: Suppose TRY 20,000 in advertising produces 100 forms, of which 20 become qualified enquiries and four become new customers. Media cost is TRY 200 per form, TRY 1,000 per qualified enquiry and TRY 5,000 per new customer. The last figure excludes other expenses and is not full CAC. This is a teaching example, not a client outcome or performance promise: it shows how different denominators change the assessment of one campaign.
What should the initial engagement deliver?
- Baseline review: Account access, objectives, conversion definitions and a list of measurement issues.
- Implementation plan: Campaigns, landing pages, creative requirements, owners and budget limits.
- Controlled testing: The element being changed, the metric to assess and the approach while sufficient data accumulates.
- Decision report: What was learned, what continues, what stops and which information is still missing.
This is a suggested delivery sequence, not a first-month sales guarantee. In a long sales cycle, an enquiry and its eventual sale occur on different dates. With an appropriate setup, outcomes completed by phone or in a store can be connected to advertising interactions. See Google's offline conversion guidance and our offline conversion tracking service.
How should you assess performance marketing agency fees?
You may encounter a fixed management fee, a percentage of media spend or a hybrid arrangement. Comparing the percentage alone is insufficient: creative production, measurement setup and landing-page improvements may be included in one proposal and priced separately in another. Compare total cost for the same scope and clarify approval of additional work.
The phrase “performance marketing” does not automatically mean payment only when a result occurs. If that model is offered, clarify the result definition, cancellations and refunds, attribution method and calculation period. A proposal should consider the sector, target market, existing advertising account, budget range and sales process.
How can you assess DijitalPi's approach?
Our working model explains AI-assisted analysis and the decisions that remain people's responsibility. Review our published results and case studies alongside their sector, period and scope. Another business's result does not guarantee yours.
For the roles of advertising and organic visibility in ecommerce, read our ecommerce SEO guide. To review losses after an enquiry, use the sales funnel calculator. Share your objectives and current account to discuss a suitable scope.
