What a marketing agency should deliver to a small business
A useful marketing agency for a local service business does three things: it brings in people who are already looking for what you sell, it turns them into calls or inquiries, and it measures which ones become customers. Everything else (logos, posts, videos) comes after that.
At Always Booked, the work breaks down like this:
- Attract. Google Ads for people searching for your service today, and Facebook and Instagram ads to put an offer in front of people who are not searching yet.
- Convert. A website that is fast on a phone, in English and French, with a button to call, book or request a quote where people decide.
- Lose nothing. AI automation: a text after a missed call, appointment reminders, quote follow-ups and review requests.
- Measure. Call and form tracking from day one, and a plain-language monthly report.
Step 4 decides everything else. Without tracking, nobody knows which keyword or ad brings customers, and you end up paying for clicks.
What a digital marketing agency costs in Montreal
In Montreal, agencies typically charge a setup fee of $500 to $1,500, then either 10% to 20% of ad spend or a flat $500 to $5,000 a month, according to helloDarwin's page on Montreal Google Ads agencies, checked in November 2026.
| Who | Model | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| helloDarwin range (Montreal) | Setup, then flat or percentage management | $500 to $1,500, then $500 to $5,000 a month, or 10% to 20% of spend |
| ThinkProfits (Vancouver, serves Montreal) | Tiers capped by ad spend | $399 to $1,499 a month in its packages; its FAQ says management "starts at $1,000 per month" |
| Always Booked, Google Ads only | Setup, then month-to-month management | $900, then $450 a month |
| Always Booked, Website + Google | Site, profile, photos, Google Ads, care | $2,500, then $500 a month |
None of these fees include the ad budget itself, which you pay directly to Google or Meta. Compare agencies on three numbers: setup, monthly fee and how long you are locked in. The Google Ads agency contract guide lists the clauses to check.
Three packages, depending on where you start
| Package | Price | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Website | $1,500, optional care plan at $150 a month | You get customers by word of mouth, but your site does not convert them |
| Website + Google (recommended) | $2,500, then $500 a month | You want inquiries every week from people searching for your service in Montreal |
| Complete system | From $5,000, then $1,000 a month | You have a team to keep busy and a customer value high enough to invest in several channels |
Website + Google includes the site, your Google Business Profile, a 2-hour photo session, Google Ads setup in English and French, then monthly management and care. Bought separately, the same services would cost $3,300 and $600 a month. The complete system adds up to 10 pages, a landing page per campaign, Facebook and Instagram ads, the AI receptionist, automated text follow-up (500 texts a month) and a monthly strategy call. Details are on the pricing page.
Lead generation: do the math before the campaign
You can estimate the cost of an inquiry before spending a dollar: budget ÷ cost per click = clicks; clicks × the share of visitors who call or write = inquiries.
Example for a dental clinic in Montreal. In my cost-per-click study (Keyword Planner, October 26, 2026), the median top-of-page bid for dental searches ranged from $2.74 to $13.20; take the middle, about $7.97. A $1,500 monthly budget buys about 188 clicks. If 5% of visitors call or book (an example, not a market average), that is about 9 inquiries, or roughly $160 per inquiry before management fees. A bid is not a guaranteed price: Google says these statistics reflect the last 30 days.
Run your own numbers in the Google Ads budget calculator: it adds your management fee, your close rate and the value of a customer.
The first 90 days
- Days 1 to 21. Website or landing page, Google Business Profile, call and form tracking. You approve the copy.
- Weeks 4 and 5. Google campaigns go live in English and French, on your two or three most profitable services, with a negative keyword list from day one.
- Month 2. Cut the searches that cost without paying, adjust pages and schedules. Facebook and Instagram come in if your offer shows well in pictures.
- Month 3. Automation: missed-call texts, reminders, quote follow-ups, review requests.
- Every month. A report: calls, forms, cost per inquiry, and what changes next month.
How to choose a marketing agency in Montreal
Before you sign with any agency, mine included, get these seven answers in writing:
- Are the Google Ads and Meta accounts in my name, paid with my card?
- How long am I committed, and how much notice do I give to stop?
- What are the fees, separate from the ad budget?
- How do you track calls and forms from the first month?
- Who does the work each week, and who answers me?
- Will my ads and site be in both English and French?
- What does the monthly report look like?
A Laval agency for Montreal small businesses
Always Booked is Fahad Rahman's small agency, based in Laval. I work with every client myself, from the first call to the monthly report, with no account manager in between. Meetings happen by video or phone, and in person around Laval when it helps, for example for a photo session.
I work with independent businesses in Montreal, the West Island, Laval and the North Shore: trades and home services, clinics, salons, studios, restaurants and professional services. No chains or franchises. Google campaigns in particular are covered on my Google Ads agency in Montreal page.
Questions
What is the difference between a web agency and a marketing agency?
A web agency builds the site. A marketing agency brings people to it and measures what they turn into: calls, inquiries, customers. Always Booked does both, priced separately or as a package.
Do I need a big ad budget to start?
No, but you need one. The budget calculator shows what a given amount buys in your trade, using cost-per-click data pulled for Montreal and Laval.
Do you work in English?
Yes, in English and in French. Ads and pages in Quebec should always have a French version; an English campaign can run alongside it with its own pages.
Do I have to sign for 12 months?
No. Management and care are month to month. The ad accounts stay in your name, and you keep everything if you stop.
Want this done for you?
Google Ads: from $450 / month. A 15-minute call to see if it is a good fit.