Start with the labor decision
An agency may fit a firm that wants an outside team to perform daily publishing, campaign work, profile updates, and optimization. That convenience comes with reliance on the vendor’s staff, queue, and process.
An owned system fits a firm willing to name an operator for routine inputs, reviews, profile updates, and intake exceptions. The firm keeps the accounts and operating knowledge, but ownership still requires work.
Inspect control and dependency
Ask who owns the domain, website repository, analytics property, search profiles, ad accounts, call numbers, creative files, and reporting definitions. Access during an engagement is not the same as control after it ends.
Then ask how quickly each model can act. An agency can add specialist labor without hiring, but requests enter an outside queue. An internal operator sits closer to intake and attorneys, but needs time, training, and clear authority.
- Account ownership and administrator access are written down.
- Daily and monthly labor is assigned by role.
- Source and outcome data can be exported without the vendor.
- The exit plan covers files, credentials, documentation, and numbers.
Where The Firm System fits
I build the website, Google Ads structure, tracking, intake and Clio connections, follow-up, reporting, transition plan, and operator playbook as one system. I keep the website infrastructure working in every active monthly arrangement.
The firm always names an informed internal owner and backup. I may perform the routine work at first, share it, or graduate responsibility in-house as the operator demonstrates competency. The accounts and data do not need to move when the mode changes.