Not All Agencies Are Built to Take You the Distance
There are levels to this. Some agencies get you live. Others get you ahead. Knowing the difference could save your whole strategy.
Why “Getting It Live” Isn’t the Same as Getting It Right
Level 1: The Get-It-Live Crew
Good at quoting fast. Launching faster.
High throughput, low strategic depth.
Playbook-driven and price-competitive—perfect if you just need a build.
You know the type: “Use this <tech> and you’ll get 100/100 on Core Web Vitals.” That’s not a strategy. That’s a Level 1 agency.
🔻 Watch for red flags: No roadmap. No interest beyond your backlog. No challenge to your thinking.
Level 2: The Fix-It-On-Launchers
- Surface-level strategy wrapped around a delivery mindset.
- They’ll ask decent questions, but they’re still scope-first.
- Strong polish, weak ownership.
🔻 Red flags here look like: Reactivity. Post-launch misalignment. Unclear outcomes.
Level 3: The Make-It-Work Long-Term Partners
- Start with discovery and stay through transformation.
- Design for systems, people, priorities—not just features.
- They’ll challenge you. And they won’t disappear when it gets hard.
✅ Green flags to look for: Strategic tradeoffs. Confident “no”s. Multi-year client partnerships with proof.
“We Just Need to Get Online” vs. “We Need to Move Forward”
One’s focused on speed. The other, outcomes.
We hear this often from teams who’ve experienced Level 1 or 2 agencies before:
“I don’t need another agency to tell me what I asked for. I need one to tell me what I’ve missed.”
“They just answered the questions. What we needed was challenge.”
When pressure’s high, it’s tempting to go with whoever can go fastest. But speed only matters if it has a runway to land on—and keeps moving directly afterwards. Otherwise, it’s just a short flight to nowhere.
7 Questions That Reveal What Level You’re Talking To
Not sure who you’re speaking with? Ask these:
- Do they start with features or outcomes?
- Have they challenged the brief yet?
- Can they define success beyond “go live”?
- Do they ask about your business, not just your backlog?
- Can they talk about total cost of ownership, not just build cost?
- Do they have multi-year client references with outcomes?
- What tech will make the difference in this project? (It’s a trick question. The right agency knows the outcome won’t come from tech alone—it comes from how you use it.)
You’ll know the level in under 10 minutes.
It’s Not Just Capability—It’s Mindset
Plenty of Level 1 and 2 agencies say they offer strategy. But if their model relies on “build, repeat, move on”—you won’t get strategic depth.
You’ll get fast answers. Not smart ones.
Here’s the difference:
- Tactical = Delivering what’s asked because they don’t know better
- Strategic = Challenging what’s assumed because they see themselves as part of your long-term team and success
The right agency isn’t just capable. They think differently. They stay curious. And they’re honest about the trade-offs involved because they’re going to be around in five years, facing the consequences right there with you.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
Complexity is rising. Teams are stretched. Budgets are scrutinised.
And yet most brands are still with their agency—not because it’s working, but because the idea of switching feels riskier than staying stuck. You’re not alone. Desperation to avoid more instability is one of the biggest reasons teams cling to the wrong partner.
But digital projects don’t just need to launch. They need to prove value.
You can’t afford to find out six months post-launch that you hired the wrong partner. Especially not when the wrong foundation affects the next five years of growth.
“It was never set up right.”
“They weren’t the agency that appeared in the pitch.”
“I met the team, then they disappeared as soon as the project started.”
Don’t Choose the Quickest. Choose the Deepest Fit.
If you want to move fast, work with someone who’ll keep you moving after go-live. If you want real outcomes, pick a partner that shows up to challenge—not just to quote.
Your future state depends on who builds your foundation. There are levels to this. Make sure you’re not hiring Level 1 for a Level 3 problem.
JH – The Breakthrough Agency.
At JH, we work with ambitious ecommerce teams who want to get unstuck—whether that’s through strategy, delivery, or just better alignment.
We don’t do silver bullets. We ask better questions, challenge the brief, and help teams move with purpose, especially when progress feels out of reach.
Because breakthroughs don’t come from playing it safe. They come when you stop settling for work that holds you back.
Reach out to us by sending a message on LinkedIn or email breakthrough@wearejh.com.