Most entrepreneurs who have a great idea for an online business fly by the seat of their pants until they realize they need help—and then it might be too late.

 Certum Solutions works with many companies in the e-commerce space, and through our partnership with Shopify and Webgility, we are able to integrate these platforms with QuickBooks Online to create accurate, always up-to-date books and everything else you need for your online store.

Still, there may be some operational areas of your business you want to know about to improve the long-term health of your company. An e-commerce agency can help you with digital marketing, content creation, SEO strategy, and social media management—areas that go beyond what we provide. 

While Certum can help source the resources on where to find an e-commerce creative agency, here are 5 pro tips we’ve discovered to help you decide on an agency and find solution that best fits your needs.

 

Pro Tip #1: Recognize the Best Time to Hire an Agency

Before you find yourself swimming in a sea of complications, recognize these warning signs:

·       There is a decline in sales. Although this might be obvious, a business owner may have tunnel vision when it comes to adding up the numbers. Remember that cash flow isn’t the same thing as revenue.

·       You’re launching a new product. If you have an idea to expand a product or service line, that’s great, but have you done your research to know if your customers and prospects really want it?

·       You have a lack of in-house talent. Remember the old saying from Shakespeare: Jack of all trades and master of none. That’s entirely true! You can’t expect your order processing staff to know how to market a product or design a new area of your website.

·       You want to pursue a new market. Expanding beyond your current reach isn’t difficult to do if you think you have the goods to deliver, but again, have you researched that new market?

·       Marketing is not something you like to do. You might be great at running your company, but do not want to get into the weeds when it comes to marketing and promotions.

 

Pro Tip #2: Write Down Your Goals, but be Flexible

Remember when you had to write a business plan to justify a loan? Even if you didn’t need a loan, chances are you created some kind of plan of action for your business.

Before you find an e-commerce agency, you’ll want to do the same sort of thing: Create a set of goals for what you want the agency to deliver and the solutions you’re solving for. While an agency could help refine your goals, it is still a good idea to create these on the front end. But along the way, remain flexible and change them as you see fit.

Here are some possible goals:

·      Increase monthly sales.

·      Increase traffic to your e-commerce store.

·      Improve the user experience on your website and improve your mobile experience.

·      Launch a new product.

·      Increase brand awareness.

·      Generate more online followers.

 

Pro Tip #3: Budget is Extremely Important

One thing you definitely don’t want to do is overextend yourself.

According to Zippia, you should spend about 5% to 10% of gross revenue on marketing and advertising. So if you’re going to engage an e-commerce agency, remember that part of that percentage has to go to their agency fees, while a part also covers the direct expenses if you’re, for example, placing pay-per-click ads or the expenses associated with a campaign. 

Of course, it could be difficult to know if an e-commerce agency’s fees are too high unless you can compare agencies, which leads to our next pro tip ….

 

Pro Tip #4: Interview More Than One Agency

Even if you have a friend or neighbor in the e-commerce agency business and what to show them that you’re their friend (is it wise to do business with friends? That’s a topic for another blog), resist choosing the first agency you find. 

Instead, interview the agencies and ask the following types of questions:

·      Has the agency worked in our industry?

·      Who will be working on my account? One of Certum’s friends who works in a PR agency reported that it’s very common for an agency head to close the deal, but delegate the day-to-day activities to junior staff whose billable hours are much less. What you trade in experience you make up for with lower fees—but who wants that?

·      Is the work done in-house or will the agency outsource to contractors? That may be okay for you, but you should still know the process.

·      What is the onboarding process and how long will it take?

 In addition come up with your own questions that best fit your own needs. Don’t hold back; this is the time to vet all your options.

 

Pro Tip #5: Don’t Rush!

 We know you’re anxious to make more money, launch something new or improve your operations, but take a step back to ensure you’re not speeding along at a breakneck pace only to crash and burn. Take the time you need and don’t rush the process. If you’re launching something or need help with seasonal goods or services, plan ahead. The last thing you’ll want to do is engage an e-commerce agency on Dec. 1 for a holiday-type promotion.

 

Call on Certum Solutions for Help

We hope these pro tips are helpful to you with your online store. Certum works with a wide variety of clients in various industries, including retail—and we are sure to come up with accounting and operational solutions that fit your needs.

Schedule a consultation with us today or call 980.210.6946. Good luck!