I had two meetings yesterday with prospective clients who echoed similar sentiments. Their current marketing agency delivers basic reporting to them. Here is what I heard then and what I often hear: 

• "The report said we got 300 clicks to our website."
• "I have no idea what that means."
• "I don't know what we're spending our money on."
• "As long as my phone rings, I know something is working."
• "I see the reports, but I don't have time to read them much less understand them."

Marketing agencies provide a common deliverable...reports. These reports generally consist of data gathered by Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Looker Studio, and probably their own custom reporting tools to an extent. Much work probably goes into them, yet the sentiments expressed above prove that there's a disconnect. What's the solution? 

The solution, if possible, depends on a number of factors. These would include the following qualities: 

1. Patience
2. Budget
3. Setting realistic expectations
4. Education

Let's dive deeper into each and how we might apply these qualities so they contribute to a longer lasting, trusted relationship with clients.