What to Look For When Choosing a Marketing Agency for Your Ecommerce Store

Deciding who to partner with to provide your business with marketing services is a big decision, especially when you are looking to implement a potentially costly or highly technical feature like a shopping cart or other ecommerce solution. The right agency should offer a mix of expertise, creativity and above all else, be a good cultural fit to work with you – being able to communicate effectively with your suppliers is essential to a project’s success.

It is often best practice to go into finding a supplier with a clear idea of what you need. While you will be tapping into their expertise to deliver your vision and should leave some room for the creative process, knowing exactly what your goals are before you get started will help articulate your needs to potential agencies.

On paper it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between digital agencies. Often there are similarities in skillsets, prices and experience. This article looks at the important questions that you should ask yourself before making the leap.

Who Is Doing It Well?

Have you seen a really good live example of the type of ecommerce website you’re looking for? Most websites include links to the developers who created them so if there’s something you think works really well or suits the vision you have for your project, find out who did the work and add them to your shortlist.

Do They Speak Your Language?

Being able to explain complex technical solutions in plain English is essential. You need to understand what you are paying for and feel satisfied that the solution offered is going to suit the brief and work the way you want it to. You are seeking their assistance because they are the experts, but they still need to be able to communicate with you in a way that you understand.

Is It An Out Of The Box Solution?

While there are some great open source tools and applications available that offer functionality at an affordable price, not all pre-packaged software will work the way you want it to. If your agency is using one of these solutions, make sure you check that there is flexibility for customisation or future growth.

What If I Want To Change Agencies Later?

While long term relationships are often the best option for both parties, sometimes clients (and suppliers) do decide to move on from one another. Make sure that you are implementing something that is portable otherwise you may be up for big fees to redevelop your website later down the track.

Doing some research before you make your final decision is essential for any digital implementation, but due diligence before starting an ecommerce project is really important. Asking these questions when assessing your shortlist of agencies can help to narrow the field and ensure that you’re choosing a team who can deliver.

What advice would you give to someone looking to implement an ecommerce feature to their website? For more tips, check out the blogs of professional marketing agencies such as Market Smartly ( www.marketsmartly.com ). You will be learning right from the experts!