If you manage an eCommerce store for a growing company, you might need an agency to help your site grow along with you. Most people like you also run an essential part of the business, and your eCommerce sales lag behind other parts of the company and your expectations. Your website’s demands outpace your ability to keep up. You don’t have the technical skills or time to devote to your website. If your eCommerce website isn’t working as you had hoped and you can’t fix it yourself, you need an eCommerce agency.
Many agencies would love to take your money. Some agencies would like to help you. Few agencies want to partner with you and take on your problems as if they were owners. Look for those agencies.
But what characteristics should you look for when you’re choosing an agency?
First, try to find an agency that has a proven track record of success. How long have they been in business? What sets them apart, and what is their specialty? How big is their team? Look at their portfolio of clients. Are their clients positioned well within their industry? Are they growing? Are any of their clients like you? Do their client websites work well and look good? How are their search engine rankings when you Google related keywords? Look beyond the form of their client websites and focus on the function. Often an ugly website outperforms a pretty website. How well do the sites in the agency portfolio work?
Next, look for an agency that uses data to make design and development decisions. You don’t want an agency that makes decisions based on opinion or what has worked for their other clients. Look for an agency that will take the time to determine what is best for you and your audience by compiling and analyzing your data.
Once you contact an agency that meets the previous criteria, ensure that the agency listens to you and is interested in your specific problems. If they continually talk about themselves without digging deep into your issues and goals, then you might not be happy with the results.
Is the agency results-oriented? Do they post statistics related to their success? Have they taken the time to discover their clients’ desired outcomes and proved their work towards those goals? Look for whitepapers and executive briefs about projects they’ve completed in the past.
Is the agency a partner with their clients? In other words, was the work they did for the clients a one-time project, or do they keep working together after the project is over? If their clients come and go because their client relationships are transactional, consider if that’s the type of working relationship you want to have with your agency.
And finally, look for an agency that’s a subject matter expert, not just for eCommerce but also for your type of business. For example, finding an agency that understands your industry’s problems, culture, politics, regulations, and jargon can make the work go quickly.
If you think Ballistic Agency might be a good fit for your business, contact us today for a free consultation. We’d love to help solve your problems and build a plan for your growth using our Optimized eCommerce™ process.
