For partners and business owners who want enquiries—without wasting budget.
Have you ever hired a “creative” agency, got a glossy new website and a slick report… but no measurable lift in enquiries?
Should you keep marketing in-house, hire a freelancer, or work with a system-based partner who can actually generate consistent leads?
This guide gives you a straight answer. You’ll see when you should and shouldn’t hire an agency, what a good partner must deliver, realistic costs, and the red flags to avoid.
By the end, you’ll know:
- The four real options (DIY, freelancer, in-house, agency) and which fits your firm
- What an agency must deliver under EnquiryOS™ (Strategy → Traffic → Process)
- Costs and KPIs to set from day one
- A copy/paste due diligence checklist before signing anything
The Short Answer
You don’t always need a marketing agency.
- If referrals keep you busy and growth isn’t a priority → DIY or a freelancer may be enough.
- If you want a predictable flow of qualified enquiries and don’t have in-house marketing leadership → a system-based partner (not a design shop) is usually the right move.
The goal isn’t “hire an agency.” The goal is an enquiry system you own, can measure, and can scale.
Your Options (and When Each Makes Sense)
| Option | Best When | What You Get | Time to Results | Typical Cost | Risks |
| DIY | Low growth goals; brochure-only site | Basic presence, ad-hoc posts | Immediate | £0–£300/mo tools | Time cost; weak SEO; inconsistent pipeline |
| Freelancer(s) | Tight budget; specific small deliverables | Piecework: design, content, ads | Weeks | £30–£80/hr | No strategy; gaps between specialists; you PM everything |
| In-house hire | 40+ hrs/mo of marketing; long-term horizon | One dedicated resource | 1–3 months ramp | £35k–£60k+ salary + tools | Narrow skillset; needs leadership and plan |
| Creative agency | Branding or visual redesign | Polished visuals, campaigns | Weeks–months | £1.5k–£5k/mo + build fees | Design-first; vanity metrics; weak follow-up |
| System-based partner (EnquiryOS™) | You want predictable enquiries | Strategy, SEO, CRO, tracking, follow-up | Weeks for quick wins; 90 days to scale | Build: £4.5k–£9.5k; Growth: £2k–£8k/mo | Higher upfront; requires collaboration |
If budget is tight, start by fixing conversion (so existing traffic enquires), then layer on SEO, then scale with ads or social.
What a Good Agency Should Deliver (EnquiryOS™ Framework)
1. Strategy (foundation)
- Positioning per service line
- Conversion-ready pages (CTAs, FAQs, proof, fees/timeframes)
- Content plan built on the Big 5 (Cost, Problems, Comparisons, Reviews, Best)
2. Traffic (qualified visibility)
- Technical + on-page SEO, local profiles, schema
- Paid ads only after site converts
- Retargeting for non-converters
3. Process (turn clicks into clients)
- Forms and calls routed into your CRM with UTM attribution
- Lead nurture (FAQ → cost → proof)
- 50-step launch checklist (speed, accessibility, redirects, tracking)
- Live dashboards: GA4, GSC, call tracking, CRM (you own access)
Ownership & Transparency (non-negotiables):
- You own domain, hosting, analytics, CRM.
- Admin access from day one.
- Exit clause with 5-day handover.
ROI: Traditional Agency vs System-Based Partner
| Agency Type | What You Get | ROI Impact |
| Traditional Creative | Branding, design, campaigns | Low – looks good, but weak on measurable enquiries |
| System-Based (EnquiryOS™) | Strategy, SEO, CRO, tracking, proof | High – predictable enquiries, measurable ROI |
Proof in Practice
Fountain Solicitors — Moved from brochure site to system-first build → 60+ enquiries/month and scaled from 1 to 5 offices.
Studio Charrette (property consultancy) — After relaunch, achieved 10+ qualified enquiries/day at ~£17.20 each; organic keywords doubled in 30 days.
Hair by Imad (service business) — SEO + conversion systems turned visibility into a 700% increase in bookings.
Costs & KPIs to Set Upfront
Build: £4,500–£9,500 (conversion-ready site)
Growth: £2,000–£8,000+/mo (SEO, content, ads)
KPIs to agree in writing:
- Enquiries/month (by service)
- Conversion rate (key pages)
- Cost-per-enquiry (by channel)
- Time to first enquiry + 90-day leading indicators
If an agency won’t commit to measurable KPIs and asset ownership, don’t sign.
When You Should Not Hire an Agency
- You only need a static brochure site
- You can’t assign an internal reviewer (weekly 30–60 mins)
- You want “set and forget” marketing
- The contract locks you in and the agency owns your assets
Red Flags to Watch For
- “We’ll handle everything under our accounts” → you don’t own anything
- “Awareness is up” → but no enquiry data
- “Copy/SEO later” → design-first trap
- No SEO migration plan
- No Core Web Vitals or accessibility targets
- “Admin access stays internal”
Final Thought
You don’t need a marketing agency for design.
You need a system that generates enquiries — one you own, measure, and scale.
Want a diagnostic, not a pitch? Book a More Clients From Your Website Call, or review transparent options on our Pricing Page.
Final Word: Don’t buy “awareness.” Buy outcomes. The right system makes the difference.
