GLOBEWICK
How to Choose a Performance Marketing Agency in India
To choose a performance marketing agency in India, look for proof in your own category (real dashboards, not logos), ask who will actually run your account and how many other accounts they handle, check that they report on revenue, CAC or cost per qualified lead rather than clicks and reach, and make sure you own your ad accounts, pixel and data. Start with a 3-month engagement with clear targets before committing longer.
What a performance marketing agency should do
A performance marketing agency runs paid acquisition, mainly Meta Ads and Google Ads, and is judged on measurable business results: sales, qualified leads, customer acquisition cost and return on ad spend. A good one also works on what makes ads profitable: tracking, landing pages, offers, creative testing and follow-up.
10 questions to ask before you hire
- "Can you show results for a business like mine?" Ask for screenshots from Ads Manager or Shopify (with client names hidden if needed) and the before-and-after numbers.
- "Who will run my account day to day?" Meet them. Ask about their experience and how many accounts they manage.
- "What will you report on, and how often?" You want spend, revenue or qualified leads, CAC or CPQL, and what was tested, weekly or fortnightly.
- "How do you set targets?" A good agency starts from your margins and customer value, not industry averages. See how to set a realistic CPA target.
- "Who owns the ad accounts and data?" The answer must be you. The agency should get partner access to your Business Manager and Google Ads account.
- "How do you handle tracking?" Ask about Conversions API, enhanced conversions and offline conversion import.
- "Who makes the creative?" On Meta, creative is the biggest lever. Find out how many new ads they will test per month.
- "What happens in the first 30, 60 and 90 days?" Expect an audit, a tracking fix, a test plan and a review point.
- "How are you paid?" Fixed fee, percentage of spend, or performance-linked. Each changes the agency's incentives.
- "What are your notice period and exit terms?" Avoid long lock-ins with no performance review.
Red flags
- Guaranteed ROAS or "10x in 30 days" promises before they have seen your account
- Reports full of impressions, reach and clicks, with no revenue or lead quality
- The agency insists on running ads in its own ad account
- No questions about your margins, AOV, repeat rate or sales process
- A senior person pitches and a junior intern runs the account
- No plan for creative testing
Pricing models compared
| Model | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed monthly retainer | Same fee each month | Predictable budgets | Make sure scope is clear |
| Percentage of ad spend | Fee scales with spend | Larger, growing budgets | Incentive to raise spend, not efficiency |
| Retainer + performance bonus | Base fee plus a bonus on agreed targets | Aligning incentives | Targets must be measured on your data |
| Pure performance (per lead or sale) | Pay only for results | Simple lead offers | Agencies may chase cheap, low-quality leads |
We cover costs in more detail in digital marketing agency pricing in India.
Specialist or full-service?
If your main need is sales from paid ads, a specialist performance agency that also handles landing pages and creative usually beats a full-service agency doing a bit of everything. If you need brand, PR, SEO and social as well, check who leads each part and whether they report as one team. Our guide on in-house vs agency helps if you are still deciding whether to hire at all.
Location: does it matter?
Less than it used to. Most performance work is remote. What matters is that the team understands your market: Indian buyer behaviour, COD and RTO, UPI, festive season costs and regional languages. A local team helps if you want regular in-person workshops or need help with shoots.
A simple scorecard
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Proven results in your category | 25% |
| Quality of the person running your account | 20% |
| Reporting on business outcomes | 15% |
| Creative testing capability | 15% |
| Tracking and data ownership | 15% |
| Fair pricing and exit terms | 10% |
FAQ
How long before a performance marketing agency shows results?
Expect the first 4 to 6 weeks to be about fixing tracking and testing. Most accounts should show a clear trend by the end of month two and a fair verdict by month three.
What is the minimum ad budget to hire an agency?
It depends on your price point, but below roughly ₹1 lakh a month in ad spend, the agency fee is a large share of total cost, and a freelancer or a well-trained in-house person may make more sense.
Should the agency have access to my Shopify store?
Read access to analytics and orders, at least. Agencies that also work on conversion rate need staff access to the theme.
Globewick is a performance marketing agency for D2C and B2B brands, based in Jaipur and working across India, the US and the UK. See our Meta Ads, Google Ads and Shopify marketing services, or book a free account audit.