With so many choices out there, finding the perfect email marketing agency can be difficult. But there are a few things to consider that should make your choice easier.

1. Location

Though being in close proximity to your email marketing agency isn’t crucial, you have to imagine the way you see your partnership going.

Do you enjoy in-person meetings with people working with your business? Or do you have no problem talking over the phone, emailing, or via Skype?

If you don’t mind not being able to meet in person often, the location won’t matter. However, take time to consider if you’ll want to regularly meet with your email marketer to talk about your campaign, new goals, etc.

2. Budget

One of the most important things about hiring anyone for your company is your budget. Though often we like to think that we have limitless spending, when you’re running a business, every penny counts.

That’s why it’s crucial that you consider your budget.

You should start by making a shortlist of all the email marketing agencies that you’re interested in. You should also set a budget at the start of your search. This budget should be concrete, and not able to be amended.

That way, when you see an agency that is too high price-wise, you can cross them off your list.

Not only does this make it easier to come to a decision, but it ensures that you’re responsibly budgeting your business.

3. Their personality

You should never hire an email marketing agency without first getting to know them. You should do a lot of research before you contact them, and when you do speak, be sure to ask a lot of questions.

They should make it clear that your goals are their goals, and that when you work together, they are working to get results for you.

You should also monitor if conversation is easy, if they’re confident in their abilities, and if they seem willing to go the extra mile for your company’s success. They should have no problem sharing the exact prices of their services. If they seem hesitant, you should reconsider.

4. Reviews and testimonials

Another important deciding factor when choosing an email marketing agency is what their reviews say about them and how many testimonials they have.

Review can be found on sites like Yelp and help you to understand other customers’ experiences with them. Everyone has a different experience, so you shouldn’t shy away from an agency if they have one or two bad reviews. However, if most of the reviews are negative, you may want to keep looking.

A fantastic email marketing agency will have hundreds of testimonials — or proof of how their satisfied clients feel about the services.

Testimonials can usually be found on an agency’s website, and they can be in the form of textual content or a video.

An agency with little to no testimonials likely doesn’t have much experience — so you should aim to find an agency with an excess of testimonials.

5. Their experience

Experience is huge when it comes to email marketing.

You want to find an email marketing agency that has been in the business long enough to know what email strategies work and which ones don’t, and how to craft a custom campaign around your unique business.

The more experience an agency has, the better they’ll be able to help you create the most effective campaign.

This doesn’t mean you have to find an agency that’s been in the business for decades, but at least 5 years is a must.