LimeLight is an ecommerce agency and we’re proud of what we do – but that doesn’t always mean we’ll advocate for your company to hire an agency.
Of course, we believe there are many deep benefits to bringing an ecommerce agency on board, and that the right agency can truly help your company thrive. But hiring an agency may not be the right thing to do for your business, which is why a balanced approach is necessary.
Weighing up the Benefits of Hiring an Ecommerce Agency
There are plenty of benefits that come with hiring an ecommerce agency, and you should weigh these up against any potential pitfalls.
Start by going back to basics. Make a list of reasons why hiring an ecommerce agency could be beneficial for your business. Seeing the pros and cons weighed up in black and white can bring clarity to a situation.
Here are some benefits that we believe the right ecommerce agency can bring to the table…
- A fresh and different perspective
- A deep and varied range of experience
- Effective and consistent growth for your business
- Knowledge of the latest marketing and tech trends
- SEO knowledge and expertise
- They can keep your output stable
- They can offer ongoing maintenance and support
- They can help your in-house team to become more effective
Taking the Right Amount of Time
Once you have decided that it’s time to hire an ecommerce agency, it’s important to take due care and consideration to match with the best one for your business. Not all agencies are created equal and a good agency doesn’t necessarily translate to a good agency for you.
Check out our article on what to look for in a good ecommerce agency, as it will help you break down the finer points.
One of the most important elements when picking an ecommerce agency is to find one that aligns with your own brand values. It’s essential to be on the same page when it comes to presenting your business to the world, and you’ll find that a company that understands who you are and what you do will have the skills and the toolkit to come up with a tailored plan of action that aligns with who you are.
Transparency at All Costs
When going through the process of hiring an ecommerce agency, it’s important to maintain as much transparency as possible before, during, and even after the hiring process. You want to be upfront about everything, from expectations to time scales and budget, so there aren’t any surprises down the road.
Transparency and open communication are two of the key values when forming a relationship with an ecommerce brand and this works both ways. As you are effectively forming a partnership, it’s important that each partner knows what is expected of them so they can rise to the occasion.
What if it isn’t Working Out?
Even when you have hired an agency, there may be teething errors at the beginning as you align your expectations. Being open about any problems or issues early on can give the agency the chance to iron out the kinks and prove their worth when it comes to solution based thinking.
Mistakes can be costly and time consuming, so while it’s good to give the situation a chance early on to be rectified, you may also want to put a time stamp on it so that you don’t lose too much time.
Remember that miracles don’t happen overnight, and it may take an ecommerce agency time to get your company where it needs to be. Of course, this will also depend on what your requirements are and the type of work you need.
However, there may be some signs that it’s not working out with your agency and when these signs flag up, you may want to consider switching to a different agency. Some of these signs may not be anyone’s fault but can include:
- Your business has changed and grown and the agency no longer suits your needs
- Your agency is no longer being proactive in meeting your goals
- They are unable to show metrics or results that prove things are changing
- Your agency has mishandled or made mistakes on more than one project
- They aren’t on top of the latest tech and trends
- They have poor communication skills
Do You Need an Ecommerce Agency?
While a good ecommerce marketing agency can be a game changer, they may not be suitable for every brand or for every occasion.
No matter what stage of your ecommerce journey you are in, you can most likely benefit from the expertise of an ecommerce agency, but there may be times when it simply isn’t the right time or it’s just not necessarily the best step for your business.
For example, if your business is firmly rooted in repeat custom from well established clientele, you may not need a full or additional marketing package. That’s not to say that an ecommerce agency can’t help you out or provide any value, but that you may just need a segment of services.
You may also not be in the right financial position to hire an ecommerce agency, or you may prefer to hire in house. When you do your ecommerce marketing in-house, you already have a clear understanding of the brand and the customer and you are well-placed to communicate effectively with the team. But you may not have a big enough team to cover all your needs, or you may find that other work gets prioritized. With an ecommerce agency, you can really on all the work you need to get done, getting done.
Taking an honest look at where your business is currently situated on the market can be a good place to start from when deciding whether you need an ecommerce agency or not.
Identifying your strengths and weaknesses as a company can help you to ascertain if you are at a place where you would benefit from outsourcing certain areas of your marketing and how much work needs to be done to get you to a place of positive impact.
