Pick the agency that can trace your ad spend to revenue, not the one with the longest client list. In practice that means it fixes tracking before scaling budget, puts senior people on your account, tests creative on a schedule, and ties its fee to your results.
Ask every agency on your shortlist these five questions:
- What share of a current client's spend can you trace to revenue?
- What will you fix in the first 30 days?
- Who exactly works on our account?
- How many creatives do you test each month?
- What happens to your fee if we miss the target?
This checklist comes from GTMLab, a Jakarta-based performance marketing and growth agency that has run $20M+ in ad spend for 200+ brands across 6+ countries.
Should I hire a boutique agency, a network agency, or build in-house?
| Factor | Boutique, senior-led | Large network | In-house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Measured on | Speed to launch | Best for |
| Senior operators | Revenue, ROAS, pipeline | Days to weeks | Growth-stage brands already running ads |
| Often junior staff | Reach, media efficiency | Weeks to months | Multi-market brand campaigns |
| Your hires | What you set | Months | Large, stable budgets |
Most growth-stage brands start with a specialist, then bring work in-house once tracking and testing are stable. For a side-by-side of named agencies, see our 2026 agency comparison.
What should I check before hiring a performance marketing agency?
1. Reports show revenue, not clicks
A good agency ties spend to revenue or qualified pipeline, by channel. If its sample report stops at CTR and leads, it is optimizing for the platform, not for you.
2. Tracking gets fixed before budget goes up
In Indonesia, many sales close on WhatsApp, by phone, or through OTAs and marketplaces, so ad platforms never see them. For a Bali yacht operator, GTMLab rebuilt that trail with server-side tracking and CRM attribution. 100% of paid spend became traceable, and revenue grew 27% year over year on lower spend (see how).
3. Proof comes with numbers and timeframes
"Improved performance" is not a result. Look for client type, result, and how long it took, ideally in your own industry, like these hospitality and healthcare examples.
4. Senior people do the work
Ask to meet the team that runs your account, not just the pitch team. GTMLab runs a seniors-only team for this reason.
5. Creative is tested on a schedule
Ads fatigue fast. The agency should test new concepts every month and have clear rules for scaling winners. A structured creative testing system tripled one client's CTR, from 0.8% to 2.4%.
6. The fee is clear, and so is what it buys. A percentage of ad spend rewards spending more, not selling more. Look for a flat fee with a defined scope, and results measured on your sales rather than the platforms’ own reports.
What are the red flags when hiring an agency?
- Reports with clicks and leads, but no revenue.
- A plan to raise budget before auditing tracking.
- Case studies without numbers or timeframes.
- A pitch team you never see again.
- "Guaranteed results." No one controls ad auction prices.
What results should I expect from a performance agency?
These GTMLab outcomes show the format to ask any agency for: client type, result, timeframe.
| Client | Result | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Bali luxury yacht operator | 30%+ of revenue direct from website, less OTA dependence | 30 days |
| Lion Parcel | $1M+ qualified B2B pipeline | 30 days |
| Central Wellness | High-value bookings +230%, cost per qualified lead down 50%+ | 6 months |
| Luxury hotel chain | 40x+ ROAS, 4x direct-booking revenue | 12+ months |
| Premium yoga studio | 63x ROAS without discounting | From launch |
More numbers by platform are on our verified results page.
How much of your ad spend can you trace today?
In many accounts we audit, sales closed on WhatsApp or through OTAs never reach the ad platform. That is usually where budget leaks first.
Send us read access to your ad account for a free 30-minute teardown. You get three things back: the share of your spend you can trace to revenue right now, where the tracking breaks, and three specific fixes you can ship next week. No pitch deck.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until a performance agency shows results?
Expect tracking fixes and first tests in the first 30 days. Compounding gains, like sustained 40x+ ROAS, usually take 6 to 12 months.
What reports should an agency send?
Spend and revenue by channel, blended ROAS or cost per acquisition, the share of spend that is tracked, and the creative tests run.
Which agencies in Indonesia handle server-side tracking?
Look for one that lists data and analytics as a core service. GTMLab, based in Jakarta, sets up tracking and attribution before scaling spend.
How do I scale ad spend and stay profitable?
Scale only once tracking is reliable, bid on customer value instead of the cheapest conversion, and raise budgets in steps while watching blended ROAS. Our performance marketing and CRO teams work this way.
