Agency Comparison
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Most ecommerce brands have tried 2-3 agencies before finding one that works. Here's why most models are structurally broken for profit-focused growth.
The Four Common Models
Each has a structural flaw that costs you money
Percentage-of-Spend Agency
Charges 10-20% of your monthly ad spend as their fee
Structural Problems
- Incentive to increase spend, not profit
- Fee grows as you scale, even if efficiency drops
- Hidden margin in spend recommendations
- No accountability for commercial outcomes
Warning Signs
- "We recommend increasing budget to £50k"
- Reports focus on ROAS, not actual profit
- Vague answers about SKU-level performance
- Reluctant to cut spend on underperformers
Their revenue grows when your spend grows. Not when your profit grows.
Generalist Digital Agency
Handles Google Ads alongside SEO, social, web dev, and more
Structural Problems
- Google Ads is one of 12 services they offer
- Junior team members run your account
- Template strategies, not commercial insight
- No deep expertise in ecommerce economics
Warning Signs
- Account manager changes every 6 months
- Same structure as last year, just higher budgets
- Can't explain margin-based bidding
- "We follow Google's best practices"
You're paying for breadth, not depth. Your account is a line item, not a priority.
Performance Network / Holding Co
Part of a larger network with global clients and standardised processes
Structural Problems
- Your account is small in their portfolio
- Rigid processes designed for scale, not profit
- Layers of account managers before strategists
- Optimise for Google Partner status, not your P&L
Warning Signs
- Weekly calls with no strategic changes
- "That's not in our standard package"
- Long approval chains for simple tests
- Reports look impressive but say nothing
You're buying a brand name, not a commercial partner.
Cheap Offshore / Freelancer
Low-cost option, often with limited oversight or accountability
Structural Problems
- No understanding of UK ecommerce economics
- Time zone and communication gaps
- No strategic oversight, just task execution
- You get what you pay for
Warning Signs
- £500/month for "full management"
- Generic responses to specific questions
- No proactive recommendations
- Disappears when things go wrong
Cheap execution without strategy is expensive in the long run.
A Different Model
What happens when incentives align with profit
We built JudeLuxe specifically to avoid the structural problems that plague most agencies. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Fixed-Fee Pricing
Our fee doesn't grow when your spend grows. We're incentivised to make your budget work harder, not inflate it.
Profit-First Methodology
Every decision is evaluated through commercial impact. We measure POAS (Profit on Ad Spend), not just ROAS.
Full Transparency
Weekly Loom updates, monthly strategy calls, and complete visibility into every change. No black boxes.
Ecommerce Specialists
We only work with ecommerce brands spending £10k+ on Google Ads. No SEO, no social, no distractions.
The Bottom Line
We're not the cheapest option. We're not the biggest. But we're structured to make money when you make money, not when you spend more.
Side-by-Side
How JudeLuxe compares
| Factor | % of Spend | Generalist | JudeLuxe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee structure | % of spend | Retainer + upsells | Fixed fee |
| Primary metric | ROAS | Conversions | POAS / Profit |
| SKU-level strategy | |||
| Margin-based bidding | |||
| Weekly updates | Monthly call | Report only | Loom + async |
| Contract | 12-month lock-in | 6-12 months | Rolling after setup |
Migration Stories
Why brands leave larger agencies
These are the patterns we see when brands outgrow generalist or holding-company agencies and move to a specialist, profit-first model.
High-SKU Retailer
From Performance Network to Specialist
"We were spending £40k/month managed by a team that didn't know our top 50 products by margin. JudeLuxe broke the catalogue into commercial roles and cut waste by 34% in 90 days."
Read the full studyDTC Brand
From Generalist to Commercial Partner
"Our previous agency optimised for ROAS. It looked great on paper. But our Finance Director kept asking why cash flow was flat despite 'record performance'. The disconnect was margin-blind bidding."
Read the full studyThe common thread
Brands that switch to JudeLuxe typically share three characteristics: high SKU complexity, a disconnect between agency reports and financial reality, and a finance team that cares about contribution margin, not ROAS.
Related Reading
Go deeper on agency evaluation
Ready to see what a profit-aligned agency looks like?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll show you exactly where your current setup is leaking money.