In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, businesses often find themselves contemplating a switch in their agency partnership. Whether it’s for better services, a change in strategy, or any other reason, a seamless transition is crucial to ensure continuous growth. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve deeper into the steps involved in switching digital marketing agencies, offering insights and recommendations for a successful shift.
1. Ensure System Access: The Foundation of a Smooth Transition
Before contemplating a switch, businesses must ensure full administrative access to critical systems. These include:
- Domain Name Registrar and DNS Settings: Essential for managing your web address.
- CMS Master Admin: Full access to your Content Management System for content updates.
- Hosting Server: Access to the server storing your platform/site and database.
- Source Code Repository: Secure your source code, ensuring its safety and accessibility.
- 3rd Party Libraries or Licenses: Maintain access to external resources like fonts and widgets.
- Social Media Accounts and Online Tools: Full login access to your accounts.
Some agencies might be wary of sharing all this information, but it’s crucial for due diligence, business continuity, and compliance. Your intellectual property is a valuable asset and having your own copy/backups is best practice and safeguards against unforeseen circumstances.
After all, you have already paid for this intellectual property.
2. Handover Meeting: Setting the Stage for Success
Once access is ensured, a comprehensive handover meeting is essential. This meeting should cover:
- Background of the Project and Team Introductions: Understanding the context and getting to know the new team.
- Review of All Systems: Highlighting any custom configurations or non-standard implementations.
- Current Status of Releases: Identify any work in progress and understand the development pipeline.
- Migration Plan: Establish cut-off dates.
A well-organised handover meeting sets the foundation for effective collaboration and ensures all stakeholders are on the same page.
3. Prepare the Assets: Facilitating a Seamless Transition
After securing access to systems, the next step is to prepare and share relevant assets with the new agency. These assets typically include:
- Branding Guidelines and Current Assets: Offering insights into your brand’s visual identity.
- Stakeholder List: Defining roles and responsibilities within your team.
- User and Persona Research: Providing insights into your audience, Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and target customers.
- Marketing Plan: Outlining key performance indicators (KPIs) and planned activities.
- Backlog of Features and Existing Bug List: Detailing your product’s development status.
- Internal Policies and Requirements: Information security, data protection, and quality management.
Organising a workshop with the new agency to present these assets can significantly expedite the onboarding process. The more knowledge shared, the better equipped the new agency becomes an extension of your team.
4. Transfer Access: Securing the Handover
Once the agreement with the new agency is in place, it’s time to transfer access to systems. Invite their team members to all the systems listed in the first point. This step is crucial for reconfiguring settings such as hosting accounts and changing API keys to discard previous access.
Follow best practices during this process and try to use named accounts to maintain accountability. Logging who makes changes ensures a transparent and auditable transition.
5. Platform Audit by the New Agency: Ensuring Stability and Improvement
Post-handover, the new agency will likely conduct a platform audit, dedicating a few billable days to run a code and features assessment. This involves:
- Restoring the code and assets locally in their environment for a comprehensive review.
- Looking for documentation, automated tests, custom modules, 3rd-party tool connections, and overall structure and security of elements.
- Compiling a list of questions and recommendations based on their findings, which are added to your backlog for prioritisation.
At this stage, the new agency may also upgrade components and add tools from their internal stack. This includes monitoring agents for uptime and an automated deployment process for enhanced reliability and velocity.
Monitoring-wise, many websites/platforms taken over by new agencies lack proper error logging, making them blind to errors raised in the legacy code. Addressing these issues contributes to the overall stability and health of the digital presence.
6. Website Rescue Tips: Safeguarding Your Digital Presence
In digital marketing, websites are often the central hub of operations. Ensuring that you have control over essential components is vital. Here are some key considerations:
- Domain Ownership: It’s crucial to own and control your domain name. Developers purchasing the domain can lead to complications if the relationship sours. The entity purchasing the domain is its rightful owner, and if the developer purchased it, they can take it with them when they leave. Reclaiming ownership may require a transfer of the domain registrar.
- Registrar Access: Ensure access to the domain registrar to facilitate a smooth transfer of ownership if needed.
- Admin Access to Your CMS: Maintain administrative access to your Content Management System to make updates and changes.
- Backup All Existing Files and Data: Regularly back up all files and data to ensure you have a copy in case of emergencies.
- Confirm Hosting Environment: Verify the hosting environment for stability and reliability.
These proactive measures ensure you maintain control over your digital assets and set the tone for a healthy relationship with the development team.
7. Managing Access to Google Analytics: Transparency and Ownership
Digital marketing success relies heavily on data analytics, and Google Analytics is a powerful tool in this domain. It’s crucial to manage access to Google Analytics accounts ethically. Clients should always own their Google Analytics data, and agencies should educate them on setting up their accounts with their email credentials.
Clients can then share access with the agency based on trust levels. If the trust is high, clients may grant “Manage Users” and “Edit” access, allowing the agency to share access with relevant team members.
This transparent approach ensures data ownership and establishes a foundation for a collaborative and trustworthy partnership.
8. Consider an Australian Hosting Provider: We Recommend Digital Pacific
Choosing a reliable hosting provider is fundamental to the stability and performance of your digital presence. Digital Pacific, a long-time Australian hosting provider, is known for its excellent customer support and reliable solutions.
Whether you’re looking to transfer/buy a domain or host your website, Digital Pacific offers a range of services tailored to meet your needs. The Australian-based support team adds an extra layer of reliability and responsiveness to your hosting experience.
Conclusion: A Seamless Transition for Continued Success
Switching digital marketing agencies is a strategic move that can propel your business to new heights. However, the success of this transition lies in meticulous planning, effective communication, and a commitment to transparency. By following the steps outlined in this comprehensive guide, businesses can ensure a seamless switch, maximising the benefits of their new agency partnership. From safeguarding digital assets to fostering transparent collaborations, each step contributes to a successful transition that sets the stage for continued growth and success in the dynamic landscape of digital marketing.