What to Do If Your Agency Becomes Unresponsive

We're assuming you're reading this article because you've run into a snag with your current agency. That's never good, and we're bummed to know you're in this situation. Last year was rough on many businesses, and the ad industry was no exception.

 

Reports have revealed 2020 was the most crushing year for the ad industry since the 2008 recession. In terms of careers, it was worse, with nearly 50,000 jobs lost globally, according to Forrester. Some smaller (and even local) agencies found themselves out of business at the turn of 2021. At the very least, they're short-handed and not able to properly assist clients in a timely manner. The result is many businesses, like yours, may have been left in the lurch. If you're in the position of needing help with content, design, or website edits, keep reading.

 

The Good News

 

Matchstick Studio is coming to you alive and well. We're in our fifth year of business and have enjoyed steady growth since day one. We don't classify ourselves as an "ad agency," which may have helped insulate us from some of the fallout this past year. As a digital studio, we've always been accustomed to a changing environment. Technology never stays the same, and neither do we. As a result, we're constantly creating, building, coding, writing, and innovating on behalf of our clients. This growth mindset allows us to not only adapt but also solve real business problems. As companies continue to find themselves needing a website for the first time or needing changes made to their existing site, we were in a position to step in and help right away.

 

Most recently, we've heard from several local companies needing urgent assistance with their website. As we listened to their frustrations, we discovered a few things they had in common: 1. They didn't have access to their site; 2. They wouldn't know how to update their site even if they did have access; and 3. Their agency had become unresponsive. That's why we're writing this article. And, if you're in this position, we've outlined a few things you can do.

1. Give your agency another shot. Start by reaching out to your agency again. Perhaps there was a glitch in their system, and they didn't get your messages. Or maybe they took a short vacay and forgot to put an "out of office" message in their email. They're human, and things happen. If you do reach them again, go ahead and secure the next three items for safekeeping - even if they're able to help you this time around.
2. Get the "keys to your kingdom." What we mean by this is owning your domain. We always encourage our clients to purchase their domain and have complete access to this information. We often recommend GoDaddy or Google Domains because they allow "delegate access." This means you can provide the access needed to do technical work without having to share your password. If you ever need to move your site to a different provider, you can easily change the access.
3. Include all of your passwords: In addition to owning your domain, you also want to keep and maintain any passwords to your current site, domain registrar, emails, social media, or any service that an agency may have set up for you.
4. Backup your site: If you can, request a full back up of your current site. This is always a good idea to have on file. Even if you end up going through a total redesign of your site, you may want to have access to the photos or other files you've uploaded to your old site at some point in the future.
5. Possibly start over: If your agency is out of business and/or unable to provide all of the above, you may have to start over. While this may sound frustrating, there could be a silver lining. If your site hasn't been updated in terms of photos or information in the past year, it could be time for a refresh anyway. Embrace this as an opportunity to improve one of the most essential marketing tools for your business.
6. Use a friendlier platform: Considering your current situation, we'd recommend moving your site to a platform that's simple so you can make changes on the fly. We believe every business owner should be equipped to make changes to their site with ease. That's why we built our framework with drag-and-drop features and allow you to edit right on the page. We also have a built-in media library so you can browse free stock images to swap out at any time. You can learn more about it in this short video.
7. Launch before you leave: If you've had a bad falling out with your provider, it can be a good idea to get your new site all ready to go before alerting them you're switching. In most cases, people usually are friendly, but every once in a while, a sour relationship can cause issues.

Again, we're sorry you're in this situation. It can be extremely frustrating to feel stuck and not able to access something so crucial to your business's success - especially when there's a growing dependence on online shopping, ordering, and researching.

 

Because we've heard from a number of companies who need help right now, we've decided to offer our Modular Orange product, which was already priced at an affordable monthly fee, at an even lower price. Just reach out and let us know what's going on. We'll work with you to get you in a good spot. Our mission has always been to empower businesses with a better way to own and manage their online presence. And that includes you.