When considering digital marketing services for your business, one decision you will have to make on the way is choosing between a digital marketing agency and consultant (in fact, you most likely clicked on this article to help with that exact decision!).
While both agencies and consultants aim to grow your website’s traffic and revenue, their approach, structure, and relationship with clients differ significantly.
- Digital marketing agencies typically consist of multiple people skilled in different aspects of digital marketing, account managers, developers, admin staff and directors.
- Digital marketing consultants on the other hand are just the person skilled in digital marketing, covering admin duties themselves.
To help you decide between the two, I’ll compare both against seven key factors that are important to businesses deciding between choosing an agency or a consultant:
- Variety of Skills
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Resources
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Personalised Service
- Quality of Work
1. Variety of Skills
Winner: Agency
Digital marketing agencies, by nature, typically have a broad team of experts including digital marketing specialists, developers, account strategists, copywriters and more.
This diversity allows agencies to handle projects requiring multiple skill sets across teams.
For businesses needing a wide range of services, an agency can provide a one-stop solution.
However, this breadth of skills may not always be necessary for projects requiring only 1-2 skill sets (e.g. SEO/PPC).
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Winner: Consultant
Although agencies can offer competitive pricing, but that usually includes the burden of office rent, team managers, and administrative support.
Consultants work differently. There’s no organisational padding – just direct access to their professional insight.
Consultants are often the wiser financial choice in digital marketing.
3. Resources
Winner: Agency
With multiple professionals on hand, agencies are usually better equipped for large-scale digital marketing efforts.
They can divide tasks among team members, allowing different elements of your campaign to progress in parallel.
For businesses needing a broader team effort, working with an agency might be more practical.
4. Adaptability
Winner: Consultant
Because agencies juggle multiple people and projects, they often depend on pre-set processes to keep everything on track.
This structure can sometimes delay updates or changes to your campaign setup.
Consultants, on the other hand, are nimble. They tailor their approach and can pivot as your priorities shift.
In a dynamic digital space, that kind of adaptability is a real strength.
For example, if you need to shift gears halfway through a campaign, a consultant can typically act straight away, while agencies may need more time to get everyone aligned.
5. Communication
Winner: Consultant
A key advantage of working with a consultant is having one consistent point of contact throughout the project.
This means you avoid the common agency experience of being handed from one account manager to another or dealing with staff changes mid-way through.
With a consultant, communication tends to be clearer and more direct, as you’re speaking to the person actually doing the work.
This kind of connection not only saves time but also helps foster a stronger, more collaborative relationship.
6. Personal Service
Winner: Consultant
With digital marketing consultants, you often get a deeper level of commitment – their business thrives on results and happy clients.
Agencies, by contrast, typically work within larger structures where client focus can be diluted by internal priorities.
Consultants, working independently, are driven to deliver great outcomes.
For them, your success directly reflects on their own – which often leads to a more dedicated partnership.
7. Quality of Work
Winner: Equal
Consultants and agencies both have the ability to deliver strong digital marketing campaigns.
Agencies may draw on a mix of experts, but that often involves delegating tasks to more junior staff as part of their development.
Consultants, however, usually manage the full project themselves, which means your strategy benefits from a more personal, detail-oriented approach.
Final Score
- Agency: 3
- Consultant: 5
Conclusion
Both Magento digital marketing agencies and consultants have their strengths.
While agencies bring extensive resources and a variety of skills, consultants may offer a more cost-effective, adaptable, and personalised approach.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of working with a Magento digital marketing consultant…read more