Dustin Hobbs

Founder & CEO of Louisville Web Lab. Based on our experience working with 50+ small businesses across Kentucky and the U.S., Dustin specializes in SEO, paid media, and marketing automation that generate real leads — not vanity metrics.

The wrong marketing agency costs more than money. It costs months of momentum, drained budget, and lost patients to better-marketed competitors. Here is the diligence checklist that filters out the wrong fit fast.

What to Look For

• Healthcare specialty — the majority of clients should be practices in your niche
• Strategic depth — not just execution; they should challenge your assumptions
• HIPAA-aware processes — patient data handling, review response protocols
• Proof in your specialty — case studies from practices that look like yours
• Clear reporting — booked appointments, not vanity metrics
• Honest pricing — no setup-fee surprises, no required long contracts beyond the standard 3-month onboarding

Red Flags to Walk Away From

• Guarantees of rank ("#1 on Google in 30 days") — impossible to promise honestly
• No specialty fit — they market for HVAC and law firms and you
• White-label vagueness about who actually does the work
• Owner of agency cannot articulate strategy in your specialty
• Reporting that omits cost per booked patient
• Pressure to sign fast without a discovery call

10 Questions to Ask Every Agency

1. How many private healthcare practices in my specialty do you currently serve?
2. Show me a current client whose Map Pack rank you improved — including the before and after.
3. Who specifically will work on my account?
4. What HIPAA-safe processes do you use for review responses and patient testimonials?
5. How do you track cost per booked patient (not cost per lead)?
6. What is the expected timeline for my market to see meaningful patient flow increase?
7. What happens if we are not seeing results at month 4?
8. Can I speak to 2 current healthcare clients?
9. What is your monthly fee, what is included, and what is extra?
10. What is your contract structure and termination clause?

How to Verify Their Claims

• Check their own Google rank — if their site does not rank, neither will yours
• Read their own reviews, especially the recent ones
• Look at their client websites — are they fast, modern, conversion-built?
• Ask for proof of work in your specialty, not generic case studies

Niche-Specific Considerations

• Dental & ortho — agency should understand Invisalign, implant, and pediatric/ortho patient psychology
• Vision care — LASIK and dry-eye funnels are distinct; verify experience
• Pain & chiropractic — condition-specific marketing requires nuance generalists miss

Book a diagnostic call — we will be the first agency you talk to that will tell you whether we are even the right fit.

What is the most important thing to look for in a marketing agency?▼

Healthcare specialty. A generalist who does not understand patient psychology, HIPAA, or specialty-specific funnels will produce generic, underperforming work.

Are agency guarantees real?▼

Almost never. No reputable agency can guarantee a specific Google rank or patient count because too many variables are outside their control. Guarantees usually signal a sales-led, results-thin shop.

How long should I commit to a new agency?▼

A 3-month onboarding is reasonable. Beyond that, contracts should be reasonable and the agency should earn renewal through results, not lock you in.

What questions reveal an agency's strategic depth?▼

Ask what they would change in your top 3 service pages and why. Ask how they would attack your top 3 local competitors. Vague answers reveal vague strategy.

Written and reviewed by Dustin Hobbs, Founder of Louisville Web Lab · How to Choose a Marketing Agency for Your Healthcare Practice · Last updated 2026-04-24