- Pick an agency that reports on leads and sales, not just likes and impressions.
- Ask to see the actual ad account and tracking setup in the first month, in your own name.
- Start with a 90-day plan with clear targets, not a 12-month lock-in.
- Make sure one person owns your account and talks to you weekly.
Mumbai has thousands of businesses calling themselves digital marketing agencies, from one-person freelancers to large network agencies in BKC and Lower Parel. Most of them can run ads. Far fewer can tell you, every week, how many enquiries came in, what each one cost and which campaign produced your sales. That is the difference that matters.
This checklist is the one we would use if we were hiring an agency ourselves. Use it to compare proposals side by side.
1. Start with your goal, not the services list
Before you speak to any agency, write down the one number you want to move in the next 90 days. For most Mumbai businesses it is one of these:
- Qualified leads for real estate, education, clinics, B2B and services
- Online sales and ROAS for e-commerce and D2C brands
- Calls and walk-ins from Google Maps for local shops, restaurants and clinics
- App installs at a target cost per install
A good agency will ask about this number in the first call and build the plan backwards from it. If the conversation jumps straight to “we will post 20 times a month”, that is a sign they sell activity, not outcomes.
2. Ask how they track a lead from ad to sale
Tracking is where most campaigns quietly fail. Ask the agency to explain, in plain words, how they will know which ad produced which enquiry. You want to hear about:
- Meta Pixel and Conversions API set up on your website
- Google Ads conversion tracking and Google Analytics 4 events for form fills, calls and WhatsApp clicks
- UTM tags on every link, so traffic sources are clear
- A simple lead sheet or CRM where every lead is marked as junk, contacted, site visit or sale
3. Make sure you own the accounts
Your Meta Business Manager, ad accounts, Google Ads account, Google Business Profile, domain and website should be in your company’s name, with the agency added as a partner. If you ever change agencies, you keep your data, audiences and history. Any agency that insists on running ads from its own account should explain exactly why.
4. Check local experience in your industry
Marketing a 2 BHK in Thane, a clinic in Andheri and a D2C brand shipping across India are very different jobs. Ask for examples in your industry and city, and ask what they learned. Good answers sound specific: which audiences worked, which creatives failed, how they handled lead quality.
5. Look at the creative process
On Meta and YouTube, the creative is now the targeting. Platforms find buyers based on who responds to your ads, so fresh, tested creative matters more than clever audience settings. Ask how many new ad variations they will produce each month, in which formats (Reels, static, carousel, UGC style) and how they decide what to make next.
6. Understand how pricing works
Agencies in Mumbai usually charge in one of three ways. Make sure you know which one you are being quoted, and that the ad budget is separate from the fee.
| Model | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed monthly retainer | A set fee for an agreed scope of work | Most small and mid-size businesses |
| Percentage of ad spend | Fee grows as your budget grows | Larger, stable ad budgets |
| Project fee | One-off price for a website, video or audit | Clearly defined deliverables |
7. Red flags to watch for
- Guaranteed rankings or “page one in 30 days” promises
- Long lock-in contracts before any results
- No access to your own ad accounts or data
- Reports full of vanity metrics with no cost per lead or sale
- A different junior person on every call
A simple way to compare proposals
Score each agency from 1 to 5 on: understanding of your goal, tracking plan, creative plan, local and industry experience, reporting, and contract terms. The highest total usually beats the lowest price.