Hiring an eCommerce Agency: A Comprehensive Guide (2024)

As the eCommerce sector continues to exhibit remarkable growth, driven by evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements, having an eCommerce agency partner is critical to your online success.

Hiring an eCommerce agency that can effectively leverage advanced technologies and strategic insights is vital for enhancing your competitive edge and driving sustainable business expansion. This guide lays down the steps you need to take and considerations you must keep in mind to hire the eCommerce agency that best aligns with your business needs and goals.

Identifying your eCommerce needs

Before partnering with an eCommerce agency, it’s crucial to clearly understand your business goals and the specific challenges you face online.

Start by assessing your current digital presence—analyze your website’s design, user experience, conversion rates, and backend functionalities. Identify areas that require enhancement, such as mobile optimization, personalized customer experiences, or integrated marketing strategies.

Agencies like scandiweb specialize in addressing these complex needs by offering customized solutions that leverage advanced technologies and data-driven insights. Our experience spans designing visually appealing and highly functional eCommerce sites to deploying complex backend solutions that streamline operations and enhance user engagement.

Types of eCommerce agencies

Selecting the right eCommerce agency involves understanding the different types of agencies available and recognizing which is best suited to meet your business needs. Here are three common types of eCommerce agencies.

Full-service eCommerce agencies

Full-service agencies provide a comprehensive range of services covering all aspects of eCommerce. These include website design and development, marketing (SEO, PPC, social media, email), analytics, and customer service solutions, and sometimes extend to logistics and post-purchase support. They are ideal for companies looking for a one-stop solution that can handle multiple facets of their eCommerce operations.

Key benefits

Ensures all elements of eCommerce—from technical development to marketing—are aligned and managed cohesively
Reduces the need to coordinate with multiple vendors or internal teams

Specialized eCommerce agencies

Specialized agencies focus on specific aspects of eCommerce, such as SEO, paid advertising, or platform-specific development (e.g., Magento, Shopify). They possess deep expertise in their focus areas and can provide advanced insights and solutions.

Key benefits

Offers in-depth knowledge and skills in specific areas, which can lead to more effective and innovative solutions
Services are highly customized to specific challenges or goals

Boutique agencies

Boutique agencies offer digital marketing and eCommerce development services on a smaller scale. They often cater to niche markets or smaller businesses, prioritizing personalized service and close client relationships.

Key benefits

Smaller size allows for more adaptability and customized approaches to projects
Particularly effective for unique or specialized market segments that may not be the primary focus of larger agencies

Also read:
8 Reasons to Change Your eCommerce Agency
Reimagining Your eCommerce Store with Apple Vision Pro

How to find the right eCommerce agency for you

Selecting the right eCommerce agency involves more than just scanning through portfolios.

Consider factors such as the agency’s expertise in the specific technologies you use, their experience with businesses in your industry, and their ability to scale solutions as your business grows.

Agencies that offer a broad spectrum of services, from Magento development to performance marketing and custom software solutions, might be particularly advantageous.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to find and hire the right eCommerce agency for your business

1. Assess technology expertise

Start by identifying agencies with a strong track record with the eCommerce platforms and technologies your business uses, such as Magento/Adobe Commerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, or custom software solutions.

Agencies with specific technical skills can better tailor their services to fit your platform’s unique needs, ensuring more efficient and practical implementations.

Verify their technical certifications and awards, which reflect their competence and commitment to quality in these areas. Ask for case studies or examples of how they have successfully integrated these technologies for other clients.

2. Evaluate industry experience

Look for agencies that have extensive experience working with businesses in your industry. This experience means they are likely familiar with the common challenges and trends in your market, allowing them to provide relevant and proactive insights and solutions.

3. Check for scalability

Ensure the agency can scale its services as your business grows.

An agency capable of scaling effectively will not only be able to handle the increased workload but also adapt to evolving digital trends and business requirements.

Inquire about different client scenarios where they have managed scaling and how they adjust their staffing, resources, and strategies in response. It’s essential that they can demonstrate flexibility in services and pricing to accommodate your growing business needs.

4. Review past projects and testimonials

Analyzing the agency’s portfolio will give you insight into the breadth and depth of its capabilities. Client testimonials can provide a glimpse into the agency’s reliability and the satisfaction level of past clients.

Look for detailed case studies that showcase the agency’s problem-solving skills and the tangible results they’ve delivered. Ensure these projects reflect various challenges and solutions, indicating the agency’s ability to handle diverse requirements.

7. Book a discovery call

Schedule a discovery call with potential agencies to discuss your needs and goals. This step is critical as it lets you get a feel for their approach, expertise, and the chemistry between your teams.

6. Look for transparency in communication

Effective communication is crucial for the success of any project. Determine if the agency practices transparency in its processes and communications, which is essential for trust and long-term relationships.

Note how they explain complex concepts and whether their communication style aligns with your company’s internal culture. During initial discussions, observe if they listen as well as they speak, which suggests a collaborative approach.

7. Align on business objectives

The right agency should clearly understand your business objectives and demonstrate how their strategies will help achieve them. They should be proactive in suggesting innovative solutions that align with your business vision.

Discuss how they measure the impact of their efforts and evaluate success in previous projects. Alignment on business objectives ensures that the agency will act as a true partner in your growth rather than just a service provider.

What to expect in a discovery call?

Purpose of the call

Arrange a discovery call to engage directly with the agency, allowing you to present your business needs, challenges, and goals. This initial conversation is crucial for assessing whether the agency’s approach aligns with your expectations and requirements.

Before the call

Prepare a list of questions that cover essential topics such as their approach to project management, examples of similar projects they have handled, and their strategy for dealing with potential challenges. This preparation ensures that you cover all critical areas and gather necessary information.

Evaluating communication style

Use the discovery call to evaluate the agency’s communication style. Notice how they describe their processes, how well they understand your queries, and their ability to articulate clear, strategic responses. Effective communication during this call is a strong indicator of future interactions.

Discussing collaboration expectations

Discuss how they handle collaboration with clients, including tools, frequency of updates, and involvement levels. This is also the time to talk about their flexibility regarding project adjustments and scaling operations to meet your growing business needs.

scandiweb is a full-service eCommerce agency

scandiweb is a full-service eCommerce agency offering a comprehensive suite of services from web development and performance optimization to advanced marketing strategies and customer experience improvements.

Unlike typical agencies that may spread their knowledge and skills too thinly over various disciplines, scandiweb ensures deep expertise in specific domains such as Magento development, Progressive Web Apps (PWA), SEO, PPC, and comprehensive digital marketing strategies. This specialization within a full-service framework allows us to offer advanced insights and highly customized solutions, ensuring that every aspect of eCommerce, from technical development to marketing and customer experience, is handled expertly and cohesively.

With a strong focus on data-driven results and a robust portfolio featuring projects across various industries, scandiweb provides a one-stop solution for businesses looking to expand and refine their online presence.

scandiweb’s core offerings are in the following areas:

Strategy
Technology
Customer Experience
Acquisition & Retention
Data & analytics

Among other eCommerce platforms, scandiweb specializes in:

Magento / Adobe Commerce
Shopify
BigCommerce
commercetools
Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Official partnerships

Wrapping up

Remember that hiring an eCommerce agency to work with is as much about forging a partnership as it is about procuring a service.

Your selected agency should not only have the expertise in the technologies you already use or are interested in but also must align closely with your business vision and goals. This alignment and their ability to scale solutions and communicate transparently will set the foundation for sustained digital growth and innovation.

Ready to start the conversation about the future of your eCommerce business? Use the form below to book a discovery call with our eCommerce experts.

Katherine Laparan

Hiring an eCommerce Agency: A Comprehensive Guide (2024)

Identifying your eCommerce needs