Maintaining your company's ecommerce website is the essential first step toward getting your product in the hands of the right customers. But with so many options available for design and execution, it can be hard to know exactly how to drive transactions and deliver a top-tier user experience.
Sure, you could take the time to train your own team on the ins and outs of ecommerce, spending valuable time and resources learning from scratch. Or, you could seek a partner who already knows what’s up. Of course, working with a firm is a tricky thing to get right and something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Ask yourself these questions to determine if you’re choosing the right ecommerce web development company.
What credentials and expertise do they have?
Looking holistically at the range of experience and expertise your potential partner has is going to be the number one step. From a design perspective, you’ll want to see if their portfolio of work aligns with your vision for the look and feel of your ecommerce experience. From a technology perspective, you’ll want to know what ecommerce platforms they have implemented or used to create a seamless UX experience that is enjoyable for your customers.
Examining their case studies, asking them for references and hearing from their other partners is the best way to suss out whether or not your vision aligns with the abilities and expertise of the team you’re considering hiring. Maturity within the team is also important, as experienced team members will be able to back up their suggestions with successful experience.
What is their experience with integration?
When talking with your potential partner, consider this: your audience is likely on mobile, apps, smart devices and marketplaces. Making a website is one thing, but can they completely integrate across multiple channels to reach your audience? And can they maintain a quality user experience on each one?
There is little point in a gorgeous interface if your customers are restricted to a desktop experience to enjoy the experience. Statistics have shown that mobile purchasing is on the rise and is becoming less and less an “extra” and more and more a necessity. Does your potential partner know how to cover all of your needs with the tech they’re using to support the ecommerce experience?
What does the post-launch support look like?
If you will have the staff, availability and skills necessary to maintain your ecommerce site post-launch — and more importantly, will your partner be able to hand it off in a way that will make sense for your systems and processes? Or will there be a large learning curve, resulting in delays or glitches that could upset potential customers?
Understanding who will be supporting the product once it's up and running is essential—and if you know you won’t be able to do it internally, how long can you keep up the relationship with your partner? Considering costs is important, but equally so: thinking about how your companies get along and communicate will be essential for long-term success.
What questions are they asking you?
Ideally, you’ll have considered all the reasons why you need to update or create your ecommerce platform, asking questions about costs and intentions. But have you thought about licensing fees, the development, testing, staging and production environments that would be required for smooth rollouts?
Your potential partner should be digging, asking you the right questions and demonstrating their expertise by asking about things you may not even have considered. This isn’t to find your weak points to exploit—it’s to figure out what skill gaps they can fill in as you work in tandem to create a great ecommerce experience. The right partner will propose a solution that fits your needs after determining exactly what they are.
Finding the right partner is so worth the time it takes to ensure that the partnership is the right fit. By committing to your business’s ecommerce experience, you are demonstrating a level of care and attention that your customers will notice and appreciate.
Looking to partner with an experienced and excited group of digital product and design developers? Ask them your questions and see what Zemoga can do for you.