About the work
What happens in month one, specifically? Named pages, named fixes, named systems. Vague answers mean a vague engagement.
What will exist at the end of month three that does not exist now? If it cannot be answered concretely, the proposal is not ready.
Which parts do you expect to produce enquiries, and roughly when? A good provider answers specifically and is comfortable being held to it.
What will you need from me? Photos, service details, approvals, which enquiries closed. A provider needing nothing from you will not produce anything specific to your business.
About the people
Who actually does the work? The person in front of you or an unnamed team. Both are legitimate; you should know which.
Who do I call when something breaks?
Can I speak to a client in a similar trade? A phone call, not a logo wall.
About measurement
How will we know it worked? If the answer is traffic and rankings rather than enquiries and booked jobs, they are measuring the wrong thing.
What will the reporting show, and how often?
What would a bad month look like in your reporting? If the honest answer is the same charts rising slightly less, the reporting cannot inform a decision.
About leaving
What do I own if I leave? Domain, hosting, Google Business Profile, ad account, analytics, content, email list. Anything less than all of it is a finding.
What is the notice period? Thirty days is reasonable. Ninety on a twelve-month term is fourteen months.
Does the work produced remain yours? Some contracts say otherwise. Read that clause.
Is there auto-renewal? And in what window can it be cancelled.
The two that reveal most
What could go wrong? Every honest provider has real answers — a redesign losing rankings, seasonality, a competitor's activity. "Nothing" means inexperience or evasion.
What would make you tell me not to hire you? Every honest provider has cases they should decline: too early, wrong channel, no capacity to serve the work. A provider with none will sell to anyone.
Answers that should end the conversation
- Guaranteed rankings or guaranteed lead volume
- A proprietary method that cannot be explained
- First-page results promised in thirty days for competitive terms
- Reluctance to confirm you own your own accounts
- Pressure to sign today
What to bring
Rough numbers: enquiries last month, roughly where from, how many became jobs. Approximate is fine, and every answer you get will be more specific for it.
Asking them here
Call James on 832-338-2926 and ask all of them. That is a reasonable use of a first call, and it costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask about the work?
What happens in month one specifically, what will exist at the end of month three, which parts are expected to produce enquiries and when, and what they will need from you.
What should I ask about leaving?
What you own — domain, hosting, profile, ad account, analytics, content, list — the notice period, whether work produced remains yours, and whether there is auto-renewal.
Which questions reveal the most?
What could go wrong, and what would make them tell you not to hire them. "Nothing" to the first means inexperience or evasion; no answer to the second means they will sell to anyone.
What answers should end the conversation?
Guaranteed rankings or lead volume, an unexplainable proprietary method, first-page results in thirty days for competitive terms, reluctance about account ownership, or pressure to sign today.