The emergence of ecommerce has many retailers scrambling to establish an online presence. But while a lot of attention goes to the front-end design and branding, few business owners take the time to research development firms capable of tackling their particular needs in this new arena.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide. We’ve talked to people who have hired ecommerce development agencies and asked them to share their experience. Their experiences have helped us compile a list of things to consider when choosing the right firm.
How Can I Decide on an Ecommerce Development Agency?
A good development firm isn’t just anyone with a stock photo of an office. You need to do your research.
When it comes to a truly great agency, there are a lot of things to consider. But the most important thing is to ask yourself why you want to work with them.
Is it because they’re the cheapest? Or the most experienced? Or because they have an established online presence? If so, you’re probably looking at a good ecommerce development agency already.
It would also be worth exploring their client list and how many clients they have – if they have one or two clients that were able to get sponsorships from big brands, for example, this is a huge selling point. Ultimately, it’s about getting on the right team and finding out who has your back.
How Can I Make Sure They’re Right for Me?
There are a lot of ecommerce development agencies out there, so how can you be sure they’re the right fit?
You could start by asking to see their work. You can also ask about the kind of work they prefer to do, or if they work best on smaller projects. The answers you get will help you gauge whether or not it’s worth a shot.
Another thing you should ask is about their personal experience. The more experience they have, the better – and it’s also a good sign that they’ve been doing this for a while. Ask them if they can describe to you their previous work in detail. This will give you an idea of how creative and innovative your ecommerce development agency can be, as well as what kind of results they’re capable of producing.
Ask Them for References
We all know that references are important when choosing your next dentist or doctor, but we don’t often put enough importance on references when it comes to choosing our web development partners.
That’s a mistake. Ask for two or three references, and make sure to get them soon after you’ve signed a contract with the agency. You can also inquire about whether your contact has dealt with other clients of the agency, in case they have previously worked on similar projects for different clients.
You don’t need to ask them for details, though – you just want them to confirm what the ecommerce development agency did and how it worked out. It’s also a good idea to ask about what meetings they had with the client and who the client was, so you know that these are real people who are not just representatives created by an agency to present a list of clients.
You also want to check out that the project they’re talking about actually did happen, which means that you should try and contact these references. You’re not going to be able to talk to each person, but at the very least you should call them.
If they don’t want to talk (which is a red flag in itself) be sure to ask someone else in the company about your ecommerce development agency’s work. If that person doesn’t know anything, get on Google and start checking out what other reviews say. You can also go directly to your contact person’s references if you can find them – it might be easier than trying to dig up a comprehensive list of their references online anyway.
Although you probably won’t be able to speak with each of the references who a business gives you, it’s still smart to talk to a few. If you don’t like what they have to say, move on – the last thing you want is an ecommerce development agency that didn’t do the job right and is going to lie about it.
Over to you
When dealing with any ecommerce development agency, take time and evaluate your options well before making any decisions. If you sense something suspicious, move on. It’s always better to work with a certified eCommerce development agency than a random freelancer.
To know more, visit https://webiators.com/
