Bringing Structure to Agency Discovery

Finding the right agency is rarely a structured process. Businesses often rely on referrals, Google searches, and curated portfolios, making comparisons inconsistent and credibility difficult to verify.

Open Website
Open Website

The website we built

Agency Reviews was designed to bring structure, transparency, and comparability into agency discovery.
Role
Product Designer
Scope
Marketplace Platform
+ Agency Dashboard
Industry
All type of Agencies
Duration
6 Months

The Core Problem

Whenever a business searches for an agency, dozens of options appear claiming to be the best in the market. But beyond polished websites and bold promises, there’s no reliable way to know if an agency is truly the right fit until after working with them.

The Two-Sided Industry Gap

This is a two-sided problem where businesses struggle to confidently evaluate agencies, and agencies struggle to establish structured credibility in a competitive market.

Businesses

Too many agencies claim to be the best,
with no standardized way to compare them
No reliable proof of performance
before committing to work

Agencies

No neutral platform to showcase
expertise beyond self-marketing
Difficulty collecting and presenting
structured, trustworthy client reviews

Product Objective

Design a two-sided platform that:

Enables businesses to discover agencies through meaningful filters
Standardizes how agencies present information
Builds credibility through structured reviews
Provides agencies with a dedicated dashboard to manage their profile

The goal was not to create another directory.
It was to build an evaluation system.

Understanding the Two User Groups

1. Businesses Looking for Agencies

For businesses, the primary challenge was decision fatigue. Search results often surface dozens of agencies, each claiming expertise, but without a consistent way to compare them.

They need:

Clear comparability across agencies
Relevant filtering based on real criteria
Visible proof of performance before engagement

Design Approach

We introduced a structured discovery system built around meaningful filters such as ratings, domain expertise, service category, and budget range.
Agencies were presented in standardized listing cards, ensuring consistency in how information was displayed. Ratings and review counts were visible at the listing level, allowing users to evaluate options without excessive navigation.
The experience shifted discovery from passive browsing to intentional shortlisting.

2. Agencies

For agencies, visibility alone was not enough.
They needed a controlled and credible way to represent their work.

Design Approach

We designed a dedicated dashboard that allowed agencies to:
Build detailed public profiles
Define services and industry specializations
Showcase case studies
Manage and respond to reviews
Update operational information
This transformed agencies from static listings into active participants.
The dashboard functioned as a structured credibility management tool rather than a simple profile editor.

The Public Site

Landing Page

Landing Page

The landing page was designed to reduce overwhelm from the start.

Instead of showing long lists of agencies, it focused on guiding users into a structured discovery flow. The hero highlighted a clear value proposition with a strong “Find the Right Agency” call to action.

It also included:
• A brief explanation of how the platform works
• Quick category or industry entry points
• Featured or top-rated agencies for credibility

The goal was to move users from browsing to action quickly and confidently.
The landing page was designed to reduce overwhelm from the start.

Instead of showing long lists of agencies, it focused on guiding users into a structured discovery flow. The hero highlighted a clear value proposition with a strong “Find the Right Agency” call to action.

It also included:
• A brief explanation of how the platform works
• Quick category or industry entry points
• Featured or top-rated agencies for credibility

The goal was to move users from browsing to action quickly and confidently.

Quiz Approach

Quiz Approach

We discovered that businesses struggled to filter agencies effectively because many profiles appeared similar at first glance. The lack of structured guidance made the discovery process overwhelming and time-consuming.

To address this, we introduced a guided, quiz-style onboarding journey. Instead of asking users to manually browse and apply filters, we prompted them to define their requirements, industry type, and budget upfront.

Based on these inputs, the system intelligently narrowed the results and presented the top three most relevant agencies.

This shifted the experience from open-ended searching to focused decision-making, significantly reducing friction and cognitive load.
We discovered that businesses struggled to filter agencies effectively because many profiles appeared similar at first glance. The lack of structured guidance made the discovery process overwhelming and time-consuming.

To address this, we introduced a guided, quiz-style onboarding journey. Instead of asking users to manually browse and apply filters, we prompted them to define their requirements, industry type, and budget upfront.

Based on these inputs, the system intelligently narrowed the results and presented the top three most relevant agencies.

This shifted the experience from open-ended searching to focused decision-making, significantly reducing friction and cognitive load.

Agency Profile Page

Agency Profile Page

The agency profile page was designed to help businesses quickly understand and evaluate an agency without relying only on marketing claims.

At the top, the agency name, website link, and tagline establish identity. There is also an option for agencies to verify and claim their profile, adding a layer of authenticity.

The page includes a clear “About” section along with tagged services and industry expertise. This makes it easy to see what the agency does and who they work with.

A snapshot section highlights key details such as:
• Number of verified reviews
• Overall rating
• Average cost range
• Last updated date

These details help users make quick comparisons.

Reviews are structured with pros, cons, rating breakdowns, and agency responses. This creates transparency and shows balanced feedback instead of one-sided testimonials.

Similar agencies are also shown below the profile, allowing users to continue exploring without restarting their search.

Overall, the page is built to make evaluation clear, structured, and trustworthy.
The agency profile page was designed to help businesses quickly understand and evaluate an agency without relying only on marketing claims.

At the top, the agency name, website link, and tagline establish identity. There is also an option for agencies to verify and claim their profile, adding a layer of authenticity.

The page includes a clear “About” section along with tagged services and industry expertise. This makes it easy to see what the agency does and who they work with.

A snapshot section highlights key details such as:
• Number of verified reviews
• Overall rating
• Average cost range
• Last updated date

These details help users make quick comparisons.

Reviews are structured with pros, cons, rating breakdowns, and agency responses. This creates transparency and shows balanced feedback instead of one-sided testimonials.

Similar agencies are also shown below the profile, allowing users to continue exploring without restarting their search.

Overall, the page is built to make evaluation clear, structured, and trustworthy.

The Agency Dashboard

Home

Home

The Agency Dashboard was designed to give agencies control over their presence and performance on the platform.

An onboarding tracker highlights key milestones like listing status and reviews secured, encouraging profile completion. The dashboard also shows core performance metrics such as total visits, leads, views, and reviews.

Agencies can manage their profile details, services, industry expertise, and featured work. A structured leads section helps track incoming inquiries, while the reviews area allows agencies to read and respond to feedback.

The dashboard also surfaces performance metrics like:
• Total visits
• Total leads
• Total profile views
• Total reviews
This gives agencies clear insight into how they are performing.

Overall, the dashboard acts as a credibility and performance management tool, helping agencies actively shape how they are discovered and evaluated.
The Agency Dashboard was designed to give agencies control over their presence and performance on the platform.

An onboarding tracker highlights key milestones like listing status and reviews secured, encouraging profile completion. The dashboard also shows core performance metrics such as total visits, leads, views, and reviews.

Agencies can manage their profile details, services, industry expertise, and featured work. A structured leads section helps track incoming inquiries, while the reviews area allows agencies to read and respond to feedback.

The dashboard also surfaces performance metrics like:
• Total visits
• Total leads
• Total profile views
• Total reviews
This gives agencies clear insight into how they are performing.

Overall, the dashboard acts as a credibility and performance management tool, helping agencies actively shape how they are discovered and evaluated.

Warm Leads

Warm Leads

The Warm Leads section gives agencies visibility into businesses that have shown interest in their profile.

Instead of vague traffic numbers, agencies can see structured details such as company name, location, visit date and time, company size, and website URL. This helps them understand who is exploring their services and assess potential fit.

By organizing this information in a clear, table-based format, agencies can quickly identify high-potential opportunities and prioritize follow-ups.

This feature shifts the platform from being just a visibility tool to a lead generation engine.
The Warm Leads section gives agencies visibility into businesses that have shown interest in their profile.

Instead of vague traffic numbers, agencies can see structured details such as company name, location, visit date and time, company size, and website URL. This helps them understand who is exploring their services and assess potential fit.

By organizing this information in a clear, table-based format, agencies can quickly identify high-potential opportunities and prioritize follow-ups.

This feature shifts the platform from being just a visibility tool to a lead generation engine.

Customize Banner

Customize Banner

The Customize Banner page allows agencies to showcase their credibility directly on their own website.

Agencies can choose a banner style, such as dark or light mode, and select the messaging that highlights their verified status and rating on AgencyReviews.io. This gives them flexibility while maintaining consistency with the platform’s branding.

Once selected, a ready-to-use HTML code snippet is generated. Agencies can simply copy and paste this code into their website to display the verification badge and rating publicly.

This feature extends trust beyond the platform. Instead of reviews living only inside Agency Reviews, agencies can carry their verified status to their own digital presence, reinforcing transparency and social proof wherever potential clients visit.
The Customize Banner page allows agencies to showcase their credibility directly on their own website.

Agencies can choose a banner style, such as dark or light mode, and select the messaging that highlights their verified status and rating on AgencyReviews.io. This gives them flexibility while maintaining consistency with the platform’s branding.

Once selected, a ready-to-use HTML code snippet is generated. Agencies can simply copy and paste this code into their website to display the verification badge and rating publicly.

This feature extends trust beyond the platform. Instead of reviews living only inside Agency Reviews, agencies can carry their verified status to their own digital presence, reinforcing transparency and social proof wherever potential clients visit.

Learnings & Outcomes

Key Outcomes

  • Reduced friction in agency discovery through guided filtering and shortlisting.

  • Clear, structured agency profiles that improved comparability.

  • Increased credibility through visible ratings and review transparency.

  • Enabled agencies to actively manage their presence, leads, and reputation.

  • Built a balanced marketplace where trust is structured rather than assumed.

What I Learned

  • Agency discovery is not a visibility problem, it is a structure problem. When information is standardized, comparison becomes easier.

  • Businesses prefer guided decision-making over open-ended browsing. The quiz-style journey reduced overwhelm and improved clarity.

  • Trust signals must be visible and consistent. Ratings, reviews, and verification badges work only when surfaced clearly.

  • For agencies, dashboards are not just management tools, they are reputation control systems.

  • In two-sided platforms, both sides must gain value. If one side benefits more than the other, the system becomes unstable.

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