Qualitative data – what do we know about it?
When you think about data, you usually imagine numbers that you can pull from…
Read more
February 17 2023
The e-commerce agency is a team of professionals specializing in creating and operating online stores.
The responsibilities of individual agencies vary and depend on many factors. You can meet companies that narrow their activities to specific areas, e.g. creating stores on specific platforms, such as PrestaShop, or specific industries. Other agencies, in turn, employ larger teams of specialists, e.g. in the field of marketing, and it is in this field that they can offer you the most.
An optimal e-commerce agency should be able to take care of every aspect of your online store, providing technical support and advice both at the stage of creating the store and its further operation.
You enter “good e-commerce agency” in the search engine and a wide list of results appears. How do you know that a given agency will be the best for your industry?
Pay attention to this from the beginning. If you encounter a pushy sales representative on your first phone call, beware of the red flag. A good e-commerce agency should give you space to describe your situation in detail. After all, every business is different and deserves a personalized approach.
It’s good if you receive a brief to fill out, in which there will be questions about the background of your brand, your current position against the competition, or the goals you want to achieve. Note: A good e-commerce agency won’t be satisfied with a generic “increase in sales” answer.
Look carefully at the level of the website of the agency with which you are considering starting cooperation. Is its site made carefully and aesthetically, or does it look as if it was created in the late 1990s? Just looking at the agency’s website gives you a lot of information about the skills of the graphic designers, copywriters or UX specialists employed there.
It is also worth checking which people work in which positions. However, keep in mind that appearances are deceptive: a large team does not always mean quick and effective actions, and the young age of the crew does not have to be synonymous with inexperience. However, if you see that the same person is responsible for texts, graphics and customer contact, you can expect that he will not be able to meet many deadlines.
Another aspect to consider is the portfolio that a given e-commerce agency boasts. An extensive blog section, as well as examples of case studies (i.e. specific projects) are indicators that suggest that you are dealing with professionals. By getting to know the existing stores that the agency takes care of, you can check whether it has experience in your industry. After all, it is better to work with people who are already initiated into the subject of clothing or pet stores.
A good e-commerce agency is one from which you can expect an individual approach. Pay attention to the available forms of contact, because it will be an important factor when working on your store. Find out if face-to-face or virtual meetings are possible. Also check whether and how often the agency intends to report the results of its activities to you.
There is also a financial issue here, because an agency that gives you a fixed valuation of activities in advance is unlikely to qualify as a “good” e-commerce agency. Talks about financial details should be preceded by a detailed interview, needs assessment, as well as the collection of appropriate documentation.
Word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective forms of advertising. Also in the case of e-commerce agencies, you can be guided by the opinions of other entrepreneurs. When looking for agency reviews on the Internet, remember to choose verified ones. In addition to positive entries, it is also worth reading how the company deals with possible allegations from former clients, employees or … completely random people.
A company that bravely faces criticism and responds to allegations of Internet users in a reasonable way shows that it cares about a substantive discussion, as well as the satisfaction of its customers and business partners.
When analyzing the business goals you have set for yourself, a good e-commerce agency should give you an honest answer to the question of whether such assumptions are realistic. Of course, there are companies that accept every order, promising the client gold mountains. Over time, however, it turns out that some implementations are not possible, and this was predictable practically at the very beginning.
So think about whether you want to pay for time that will ultimately turn out to be unproductive for your business.
We were close to establishing cooperation with a seemingly perfect client. Excellent assortment, many years of experience, great potential and a large budget. The company pushed for heavy advertising on the assumption that other business aspects were working fine. However, we quickly noticed that the unsatisfactory sales results have their sources in poorly functioning store structures. In this case, activities, for example, in social media missed the point. Engaging fans to visit a website where it’s hard to order anything is just burning the budget and causing unnecessary frustration of potential customers.
An honest e-commerce agency in such a situation presents even the brutal truth, putting the good of the client above its own profits. It may happen that you will not hear what you expected from her, but treat it as a favor thanks to which you will avoid stepping on an e-commerce mine.
Remember that at every stage of cooperation you should feel comfortable enough to ask a question that bothers you. A good agency willingly shares its knowledge and patiently explains technical issues. All this so that you understand the ongoing processes and gradually take independent action.
When looking for the perfect agency, think carefully about your business goals. Make contact with agencies whose portfolio seems attractive to you. Initial interviews will quickly verify your competences and experience, and will also allow you to estimate costs.
A good e-commerce agency should approach your business individually, even if it already has similar projects in its portfolio. Therefore, thorough research and a pinch of intuition are your allies in the search for a company that will be able to take care of your online business.
In the creative department, she is responsible for creating content and making up marketing ideas, which then form into neat plans.
Qualitative data – what do we know about it?
When you think about data, you usually imagine numbers that you can pull from…
How to build a brand on Instagram?
Is there a recipe for building a strong brand for your e-commerce on Instagram?…
CRO – how to increase sales without increasing costs?
Conversion rate optimization (CRO for short) applies to all activities that lead to an…