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5 Things You Must Ask Before Hiring An Ecommerce Agency

4 minutes
Cardiff Web Design Company EMBAR - Born in South Wales

by Kade McConville - CEO of EMBARK with 15 years of WordPress experience. A University of the West of England graduate in Business and Law with a love video games, live music, and film. Marathon runner and mental health campaigner and proud dad.

An eCommerce agency is a business that specialises in selling products online. eCommerce agencies often provide services like website design, marketing and customer/client support.


Typically, your online store will consist of products catalogues, product pages, basket/cart, checkout pages and customer account areas.

Think about Amazon, ASOS, Nike and Chilly’s ecommerce websites, to name a few.

EMBARK are helping start-ups to large businesses increase sales by designing and implementing effective marketing strategies, as well as providing support to our clients. We are here to chat with your regarding your ecommerce project.

Let’s discuss the five questions you should be asking potential agencies before hiring them…

1. What eCommerce Platform Will They Be Using?

The most popular ecommerce platforms include:

  • WooCommerce (Wordpress plugin)
  • Shopify
  • Wix
  • Squarespace
  • Magento

Both Wix & Squarespace are targeted towards small business owners looking to create and manage their online shops themselves, so you will find that agencies don’t usually use these platforms.

What is the best ecommerce platform?” I hear you ask..

Answer – It’s the one that suits your specific business needs.

EMBARK build powerful ecommerce websites on both WooCommerce & North Commerce. North Commerce is a new platform that we have been supporting since 2021 and we can’t wait to start building client sites on this exciting (and super-fast) ecommerce platform!

2. Are Their Prices Reasonable?

If you’re looking to hire an eCommerce agency, make sure you understand how much work they will do for you. It’s not uncommon for agencies to charge by the hour, so you need to know exactly how much time each task will take. Also, make sure you understand any additional costs associated with using an agency.

What is “reasonable” varies from project-to-project. Budget should be relative to the scope, requirements and goals of the project.

3. Will They Be Able To Meet Deadlines?

Another thing to consider when choosing an eCommerce agency is whether they can meet deadlines. Many companies use freelancers who are paid per project, so they might not be able to commit to meeting tight deadlines. Make sure you find out how flexible the agency is when it comes to meeting deadlines.

4. Do They Have A Clear Strategy For Me?

If you’re looking for an eCommerce agency with a plan for growth, make sure they have one. It should include goals for both short term and long term growth. They should also have a strategy for achieving those goals.

There are five key questions you need to ask when considering an eCommerce agency. These will help you determine whether they have a clear strategy for you.

  • Are They Experienced With My Industry?
  • What Is Their Growth Plan For My Online Shop?
  • Do They Have The Experience & Skillset?
  • Do They Understand My Business & Products?
  • Do They Have A Website That Looks Good & Works Well?

5. Do They Have Experience with Your Industry?

If you’re looking for an agency that has experience in your industry, then you should make sure that they do. It’s not enough to just say “we’ve worked with other companies in our space before.” Make sure that they actually have experience in your industry.

BONUS QUESTION: Why Not Build It Myself?

There are a lot of reasons to choose an eCommerce agency over doing it yourself. An ecommerce agency will be able to design and create your store for you, which may save you time and money in the long-term.

An eCommerce agency is a professional solution which can deliver a highly converting store to sell your products.

Your shop must be optimised for performance, user-experience and conversions. It must also work alongside a fully-integrated marketing strategy to deliver the results that your business is aiming for.

A DIY approach is often the limiting factor in a store’s growth.


EMBARK Create Powerful Ecommerce Websites

EMBARK is a digital ecommerce agency that helps businesses sell their products online. We provide a comprehensive suite of services to our clients, from website design and development to digital marketing and SEO.

We can assist your business with:

  • Project Brief
  • Discovery Workshops
  • Project Discovery
  • Digital Marketing & SEO
  • Shipping Integrations
  • Payment Solutions

EMBARK build ecommerce websites with an integrated approach with scope to scale your business. We throw passion, transparency, collaboration, high-standards & creativity at our projects which all help to create value.

Our goal is to help businesses succeed online, and we have a proven track record of doing just that. Let’s set-up a discovery call to learn more about your project.

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, share your details with us below and our team will be in touch.

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