The UK eCommerce market is set to grow at a diminished pace after explosive growth in 2020, according to eMarketer figures.
This means the sector is more competitive than ever. Selecting an eCommerce agency can help, but the choice can have a large impact on the success of your eCommerce strategy, activities and performance.
What should you look for when weighing up several eCommerce agencies? How can you tell which is the best option? In this article, we answer these questions, providing helpful insights that will ensure your eCommerce agency is an excellent fit for your business, challenges and prospects.
Why do you need an eCommerce agency?
Before we look at how to select a good eCommerce agency, let’s first look at why they are so valuable. To start, eMarketer figures show the UK eCommerce market is the third largest in the world. That means it is one of the most developed, so to cut through the competition, your business needs to employ cutting-edge eCommerce approaches. An agency should be able to provide these.
To reach consumers directly, across a larger target market, you need to optimise your customer journey and provide convenience, all while building brand loyalty. And both price and USPs weigh in considerably on success. These are all areas where specialised agency assistance and skills can provide real value.
What to look for in an eCommerce agency
When hunting for an effective eCommerce agency, these are the key things you should consider.
eCommerce and platform specialists
Every digital marketing agency will have a specialism; however, many offer a jack-of-all-trades offering that will often includeeCommerce. Your business needs specialist support, so it’s crucial you find an agency partner that is entirely focused on your needs. An agency specialising in Magento will be able to drive the best results on that platform, for example.
Experience and a comprehensive portfolio
Any eCommerce agency worth its salt will have to hand a wide range of previous work examples that illustrate their specialised offering and experience. The work shown should be verifiable, and you should be able to get an idea of which companies they have worked for in the past – another indicator of their specialism. Compare these examples. Do they show technical expertise? Did they meet the brief? Does their approach appear to gel with the way your company does business?
Accreditations and awards
While eCommerce might be seen as a virgin industry in some circles, there are countless accreditations available that your chosen agency should ideally have. Shopify Partner Academy, Google Marketing Platform and Magento Certified Developers are some examples, although the accreditations you look for should be in line with your own activities and the specialisms you require.
Awards are also a good marker when it comes to selecting a productive agency partner. It not only shows that their successes have come head and shoulders ahead of their peers’, but also that they are an active business that devotes time to promoting their successes.
Communication and proactiveness
As with any agency relationship, communication and a proactive attitude often set apart the best from the rest. You need a partner that keeps you in the loop when it comes to their work, results, and challenges. And with them working autonomously to take advantage of opportunities, you can eliminate inefficient micromanagement and drive better results.
