How to Change Marketing Partners Without Breaking Things

Switching Agencies Can Get Messy Fast

Changing marketing agencies can feel risky. The biggest fear is not about the marketing itself—it’s about what can break during the handoff:

• Website
• Email
• Phone numbers
• Google Business Profile
• Social accounts
• Photos and videos

The goal is not to switch fast. The goal is to switch clean. This guide shows how to do that.

Quick Version

If only three things are remembered, make them these:

1. Keep control of what’s hard to replace—domain, website files, phone numbers, Google Business Profile, and social accounts.
2. Save a DNS export before anything changes to avoid email problems.
3. Expect fresh starts for Meta Ads, Google Ads, and Analytics. That’s normal. What matters is
   that the practice owns what’s important going forward.

What Usually Gets Dentists Burned

A bad handoff usually happens for one of three reasons:

1. Unclear Ownership

The domain may sit under an old agency login. The website may be live but without a usable
copy. Social accounts may exist, but the owner email belongs to someone who left years ago.

2. Wrong Order of Changes

Settings tied to email are touched before a backup or plan exists. A phone number is
disconnected before print pieces are updated. The website is pulled before the new one is
ready.

3. Incomplete Returns

A practice asks for its website and gets only photos and text. Technically “content,” but not
enough to rebuild elsewhere.

This guide helps avoid those headaches.

What You Want to Keep

Some assets are easy to recreate. Others are not. These should always stay with the practice.

Keep These With You

• Domain login – Where the website name lives.
• DNS export – Website settings that can affect email. Save a copy before changes.
• Full website in usable form – Pages, design, layout, media, and all files needed to reuse the
• site.
• Photos, videos, and design files – Anything paid for and owned.
• Tracking phone numbers – Especially those printed on signs, postcards, or brochures.
• Social accounts and Google Business Profile – The practice should be the real owner

What Often Starts Fresh

In dental marketing, these are often rebuilt instead of transferred:

• Google Ads accounts
• Meta Ads accounts
• Google Analytics properties

This is often the cleanest way forward. What matters most:

• The practice owns long-term assets.
• The new setup is clean.
• Tracking works.
• The practice has access going forward.

The Order Matters

A clean switch depends on getting the order right.

1. Start with a Simple Inventory

List who controls:

• Domain
• DNS
• Website host
• Website editor or CMS
• Google Business Profile
• Google Ads
• Google Analytics
• Call tracking
• Social accounts
• Media files

If ownership is unclear, stop and clarify before moving forward.

2. Save a Full Website and Media Backup

Save the site and media library in a usable format—more than screenshots or text. Export
everything.

3. Save a DNS Export Before Any Changes

If the domain is involved, save DNS records before touching anything. This prevents email issues.

4. Confirm Ownership on Public Accounts

Ensure the practice email is the real owner for:

• Google Business Profile
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Other social channels

5. Protect the Phone Numbers

List every tracking number in use. Ask: Is this number printed anywhere offline? If yes, it may need to be ported, forwarded, or kept active longer.

6. Set Up Clean Tracking

If starting fresh with Analytics, set it up correctly. Test call tracking and forms.
A simple test: place a real call and confirm it tracks to a booked visit.

7. Be Realistic About Ads

If the old agency won’t transfer ad accounts:

• Save what’s useful.
• Start a new account.
• Rebuild key campaigns.

A clean start is often better than a dragged-out handoff.

8. Keep The Website Stable While You Move

Keep the current site live during the transition. Patients should not notice the switch. A boring
handoff is a successful one.

The Emails You Can Copy

Access Request

Subject: Access for continuity

Hello [Vendor],

Please add the users below as standard users on the following items. Ownership stays with us. No
service changes today.

• Website host or CMS
• Domain or DNS
• Google Business Profile
• Google Analytics
• Google Ads
• Call tracking platform
• Project folders with website files and media

Users to add:
[Owner email]
[New team email]

Thank you.

DNS Export Request

Subject: DNS export for records

Hello [Vendor],

Please send a current export of all DNS records for our domain. We are not changing email. This is
for our records.

Thank you.

Website and Media Export Request

Subject: Full export for continuity

Hello [Vendor],

Please provide a full export of our website and media library. A zip file is fine. The current site stays
live.

Thank you.

A Simple Safety Checklist

Before calling the handoff “done,” confirm:

• Domain login works
• DNS export saved
• Website export saved
• Media files saved
• GBP ownership correct
• Social ownership correct
• Call tracking works
• Forms work
• Printed phone numbers active, ported, or forwarded
• Website loads and functions correctly

This step prevents future stress.

Do You Need a Full Website Rebuild?

Usually not at the start. A rebuild makes sense only if:

• The current site still feels slow, confusing, or untrustworthy after fixes.
• Rebuilding would likely improve calls and booked visits soon.

Otherwise, a clean handoff and smart fixes matter more than a full redesign

How to Know if The Switch Worked

Keep the score simple. A practice owner should see progress on one page.

Good signals include:

• Calls from active channels
• Booked visits from those calls
• New-patient show rate
• Fresh reviews in the last two weeks
• How far out the first new-patient opening is
• Whether calls match desired case types

A few honest signals beat twenty charts.

If The Schedule Is Already Full

Do not push harder on marketing if new patients cannot be booked.

Instead:

• Hold a few near-term new-patient slots.
• Release unused slots 48–72 hours before.
• Keep consult times short and predictable.
• Fix the website and start review collection.
• Delay ads until there’s room for new patients.

Growth should make the practice healthier, not more chaotic.

A Few Things We Believe

• The practice should own the important assets.
• The domain should never bounce between agencies.
• Email should be handled carefully.
• Website handoffs should leave usable files, not scraps.
• Tracking numbers on print matter more than expected.
• Sometimes, a small fix with the current agency is the right move.

Not every frustrated practice needs a full switch. Sometimes the right answer is simply cleaning
up what’s already there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will switching agencies break our email?
It should not, as long as DNS settings are handled carefully. Save a DNS export first.

Do Google reviews move?
No. Reviews stay with the Google Business Profile.

Can the current website stay live while switching?
Yes. That’s usually the smarter move.

Do we need the old ad account?
Not always. Starting fresh is common in dental marketing.

What if the current agency is slow to respond?
Stay polite, keep requests in writing, save backups, and move what can be moved.

What should the practice definitely own?
Domain, website files, tracking numbers, social accounts, and Google Business Profile.

A Calm Next Step

Use this guide with any agency.

If you want help sorting through your own handoff, we are happy to talk it through with you. And if
it turns out the best move is fixing one thing with your current setup instead of making a full switch, we will tell you that too.

That is usually the best place to start.

Let’s Talk