Blog · 2026-09-15
How to choose a marketing agency in Puerto Vallarta: 8 questions before signing
The Visit Puerto Vallarta guide on how not to get burned when hiring a marketing agency in the bay makes it clear that what protects a business are the questions it asks before signing. Here are eight, taken from that guide, and under each one is how we answer it, including the ones that make us uncomfortable.
1. Does the agency ask questions before giving you a price?
The guide calls it a good sign: the agency that asks you clarifying questions about your business before quoting a price is usually the better choice.
How answers it
We start with an eight-question diagnostic. We confirm within 2 hours and within 48 hours we review your business, your direct competition and your numbers. Nearly half of the requests don't move forward, and we say so to their face.
2. Can it show you work for a business like yours?
The guide suggests asking for results, not just screenshots, from a business in the same industry and of similar size. A portfolio that is all logos and mockups, with no live sites you can open on your phone, is a red flag.
How answers it
Our portfolio is organized by industry: hospitality and gastronomy, golf, real estate and fashion. If your industry isn't there, ask in the diagnostic.
3. Whose name are the accounts in?
According to the guide, your Google Business Profile, ad accounts, domain and hosting should be registered to your business, with you holding admin access. An agency unwilling to give you that access is a red flag.
How answers it
Ad spend is paid from your own account, and you see every peso on your dashboard. Ask us in the diagnostic about the rest of your accounts before signing.
4. How will it report to you?
Ask how and how often they report results, and ask to see a sample report before you sign anything.
How answers it
Every client has a private dashboard with their numbers updated hourly on their phone, and a weekly session to review them together. On the home page you can see a dashboard example with demo data.
5. What does the price include, and what doesn't it?
Get an itemized quote, not a bundle price with no breakdown, and ask what the monthly fee includes and what gets billed as an extra.
How answers it
We split it into three items: the launch, which leaves your system installed and measuring; the team's work, either ongoing or as a project with a defined scope and delivery date; and the visibility investment, which is separate and paid from your account. The figures for your case come out of the diagnostic, not a price list. The details are in How we work.
6. How long is the contract?
Check the notice period to cancel. The guide calls thirty days reasonable, says ninety is common for larger retainers and flags long lock-ins with steep early-termination penalties.
How answers it
Our minimum term is 3 months. The reason is that month 1 builds the foundation and compound results arrive from month 2 onward. Selling you a single month would mean selling you the most expensive and least profitable month. We tell you before signing, not after.
7. Does it promise guaranteed results?
Guaranteed rankings or a guaranteed number of leads are a red flag: nobody controls Google's algorithm or a stranger's decision to book.
How answers it
We don't guarantee rankings or a number of clients. We tell you in the diagnostic whether we believe we can move your numbers, we measure every peso and we show you the results every week, good or bad.
8. Does it understand your industry and your season?
The guide gives the edge to a team that understands the neighborhoods, the seasonality and the bilingual nature of the market. High season runs roughly November through April, with a slower rainy season the rest of the year.
How answers it
We work by industry, not by formula, with a single business per category and per zone. You can see how we apply it in restaurants, hotels, real estate, golf and fashion.
In short
The best agency for your business is the one that answers these eight questions in writing before you sign. If any answer doesn't work for you, it's better to know today. We answer them in the diagnostic, at no cost.
Source for the criteria: Visit Puerto Vallarta, So You Need a Marketing Agency in Puerto Vallarta? Here's How Not to Get Burned, updated August 23, 2026.