Are you looking to boost traffic to your website, increase sales, or simply get your message out there? Managing a host of different platforms and campaigns in-house can be both daunting and time-consuming. That’s why hiring a display ad agency might be your best bet.
Before we dive into the best display ad agencies, we need to understand exactly what a display ad agency does and how much they cost.
What Does a Display Ad Agency Do?
A display ad agency will strategically create visually appealing and clickable ads that are displayed across social media and the Google Display Network. Google’s Display Network consists of over 2 million websites and more than 600,000 apps. Display ad agencies will place your display ads in the designated corners of web pages and social media platforms that will deliver the greatest impact, and ultimately ROI.
Display ad agencies will put in the time, effort and commitment to optimise your digital display ads, so that you can focus on the nuts and bolts of your business. Display ad agencies will use display ads to not only reach new customers, but target those who have already been on to your website without making a purchase, otherwise known as ‘remarketing’.
However, with so many display ad agencies out there, how do you know which one to pick, and how much you should be paying?
How Much will a Display Ad Agency Charge?
It can be difficult to know how much you should pay a display ad agency. According to research conducted by Adzooma, paid social media can cost approximately £430 per day, or £587 for a monthly retainer. If display ad agencies are operating on a % model, you can be expected to spend 15% of your advertising spend on fees.
PPC, or Pay-Per-Click agencies will manage paid campaigns across Google and Microsoft websites. Average cost for these services can be £1040 for a monthly retainer, or £725 per day.
Most clients will have a minimum spend, which will range from £400 per month, all the way up to £10,000.
Ultimately, it depends on your needs and size of your business. However, remember that if you pay peanuts, you’ll get monkeys. A proper display ad agency may charge a high retainer, but the benefits to your business will be well worth it.
How to Pick the Right Display Ad Agency
There are new display ad agencies popping up every day. But how do you separate the experts from the hucksters?
- Make sure they are certified. Any display ad agency worth their salt will be Google Ads certified, and that should appear on their website. If this certification doesn’t appear on the display ad agency’s website, you’d be wise to steer clear.
- Experience. Any decent display ad agency will have case studies to demonstrate their past successes, and will outline how they solved a client problem in the past.
- Tracking. Before picking your digital display agency, you must make sure they track your performance. This may sound obvious, but some display ad agencies either track improperly, or don’t track at all!
Now we know what to look for in a display ad agency, it’s time to run through the best display ad agencies in the UK.
7 Best Display Ad Agencies in the UK
The social Shephard is considered one of the best display ad agencies in the UK. They won two Paid Media Awards UK in 2022 for ‘best integrated paid media campaign’ and ‘Best use of Facebook and Instagram ads’.
If you have a big budget to play with, the Social Shephard are a safe bet. However, if you’re a small company running on a tight marketing budget, a smaller display ad agency may be a better fit.
2. Impression
Based in both Nottingham and London, Impression has a core focus on paid media. They’ve won awards from The Drum, Biddable Media Awards, European Search Awards and Deloitte.
If you’re looking to scale and scale fast, then Impression may just be the display ad agency for you.
3. PushON
If you’re running an eCommerce store, then look no further. With 10 years experience in digital marketing and awards from Google for three years in a row, PushON is a display ad agency that specializes in maximising sales, and scaling eCommerce stores.
They also don’t tie you into long-term contracts, which is perfect for eCommerce stores that are just starting out.
4. Verb
If you’re looking for a display ad agency that focuses on luxury brands, Verb is the display ad agency for you. They don’t specialize on a particular channel. Rather, they’re a display ad agency that lives and breathes luxury; they’ve worked Creed Fragrances, Clive Christian and the Calzedonia Group to name a few.
This Leeds-based agency focuses on one metric; ROI. Enjoy Digital lead the way in terms of transparency, as they will show you exactly how they are utilising your budget. If you’re looking to get the best return on investment from your display ad agency, Enjoy Digital may be the ones for you!
6. NOVI Digital
With offices across the UK, NOVI Digital is a Google Premier Partner specializing in SEO and PPC. Their past clients include Lloyd Motor Group, Property Data and Nationwide Corporate Finance. With a focus on data and psychology, NOVI Digital dive deeper into your customer than most.
They also utlise cutting edge technologies like automation, AI and Machine Learning, which brings their SEO and PPC performance to the next level.
7. One PPC
With a special focus on PPC, One PPC is a display ad agency that focuses on its niche. If you’re looking to hire a display ad agency to drive clicks, then One PPC may be the best option for you. Then even offer a free Google Ads audit to help you get started.
Can’t find the right display ad agency for you? The Ambitions Agency is has in-house expertise across PPC, digital marketing, SEO and website design. Contact us to find out more.