eCommerce Redesign Series: Part 2 – Developing a Winning Relationship with your Agency of Choice
Thursday, April 7, 2016Kelly Nelson
So you now know what trends to think about and probably already have a design idea in mind for your new eCommerce website. If not, take a look at
part one of our redesign series.
What’s next you ask?
If you don’t have the in-house capabilities to design and build your own website, chances are you are looking at hiring an external vendor or agency to do the work for you. This means you’ll be working closely with a team of experts to get the website that could change the face of your business (no pressure!).
Below we’ve outlined some of the key things to remember when working with a web agency. You want the relationship to be mutually beneficial, and these are the ingredients to a winning relationship!
Communication
This is number one on our list for obvious reasons. It’s crucial that you communicate throughout the process. A discovery meeting is a big part of this process and where you will be able to communicate your needs to the agency. Make sure you have information ready and you’re able to clearly identify your 4 P’s and any other marketing basics that would be crucial to your website. From there, it would be wise to set up regular meetings to discuss progress. This way, you are not caught last minute with a website that you aren’t happy with. It is also very important to review the contract with both parties carefully so there are no surprises along the way.
Honesty
This goes hand in hand with communication. It’s important clearly and honestly communicate when there is a problem. Don’t hide information, or “leave out” information during the discovery phase in hopes that you can share it later. Be honest and open at the beginning to avoid a major headache at the end.
Respect
This one is crucial for both sides of the relationship. As an eCommerce professional, the agency should respect that you know your business best! Having said that, as the company who hired them, you need to respect and trust that they know what they’re doing. Going into the relationship with a respectful attitude prevents arguments with poor attitudes.
Planning
We saved the best and most important for last! Being proactive and planning the entire process from start to finish can help. A good way to assist in this process is to create a
Gantt chart. This is a great project management tool for small and large scale eCommerce web projects.
What are some key things to remember that you’ve learned through past projects? Let us know in the comments below!