Finding an agency that you mesh well with, and that also understands your business and stack, might be more complicated than you think. Agencies are a dime a dozen, and not every one of them has the right skill set and development experience to build the online shopping experiences and system integrations you need. Plus, on the flip side, working with the wrong agency can cost you more than the hourly rate you paid them to work on your ecommerce store. 

In this article, we’ll break down what exactly ecommerce agencies do and answer the top five questions you should be asking potential ecommerce design and development agencies to ensure that their stack, skills, and experience align with your business goals to help drive sales and provide an exceptional customer experience. 

What Ecommerce Agencies Do

Ecommerce agencies act as end-to-end partners for building and growing online stores. Generally speaking, when it comes to ecommerce, agencies will offer a mix of marketing, store UX/design, and development services, or all three. 

Choosing an ecommerce agency can be tricky, as each one may specialize in a variety of tools, integrations, and services, making it challenging to find one that knows your ecommerce tech stack and industry/market, and that meshes well with your team. 

Why Choosing the Right Agency Matters

When picking an ecommerce agency, you’re (hopefully) selecting a long-term partner who will be responsible for a lot of your business’s success and ROI. A great fit can accelerate your growth, while the wrong choice can severely set you back. 

The right agency will deliver a high-performing site and an effective strategy that drives sales, resulting in a strong return on investment. They help avoid costly mistakes and focus on features that genuinely boost revenue. Conversely, a poorly chosen agency might produce a subpar site that fails to convert visitors, wasting your budget.

A good agency will be deeply familiar with your tech stack or recommend one that fits your needs. For example, if you operate on Shopify Plus, partnering with a certified Shopify Plus partner agency ensures they know the platform’s ins and outs.

Finally, experienced ecommerce agencies have refined processes and knowledge that enable them to get the job done efficiently. They can anticipate challenges and handle them before they become big issues. This efficiency means faster time-to-market for your new site, features, or integrations.

How to Tell if an Ecommerce Agency is Good

Not all agencies are created equal. When you’ve begun your search for agencies that may fit your needs, here are some things to look for as you evaluate candidates:

• Client Portfolios: A good agency will proudly showcase and disclose websites and brands they’ve worked with. Ask them who they’ve worked with and what they’ve accomplished for those ecommerce businesses. If they’ve delivered results for recognizable or similar companies to yours, it’s a good sign they can handle your project, too.

• Certifications and Partnerships: Reputable agencies often have official certifications or partner status with ecommerce platforms and tools. For example, being a Shopify Plus Partner or an Adobe Solution Partner indicates that they have been vetted and recognized by those platform providers for their expertise. Similarly, partnerships with technology providers/SaaS services, like Klaviyo, Noibu, Akeneo, or Gorgias, indicate specialized skills.

• Technical Expertise and Capabilities: A good ecommerce agency has a technically skilled team that can handle the features you need. This means proficiency in front-end and back-end development, familiarity with your chosen platform’s coding framework, and the ability to build or integrate custom functionalities. You want to be confident that they can tackle complex integrations (such as integrating with your ERP or building a custom app) and that they have developers who write clean, scalable code.

• Transparency and Communication: Pay attention to how the agency communicates. Good agencies are transparent about their processes, timelines, and pricing. They’ll set clear expectations and won’t over-promise just to win your business. During initial calls, they should be willing to discuss how they work, who will work on your project, and be honest about what’s achievable.

• Strategic Input and Creativity: The best agencies contribute ideas, not just work. If during discussions they offer thoughtful suggestions to improve your plan or point out things you hadn’t considered, it shows they’re invested in your success and know what they’re talking about. 

• Responsiveness and Support: How quickly do they respond to your emails or calls? A good agency values your time and communicates promptly and professionally. This responsiveness usually carries into project work and ongoing support. You want an agency to be there when something is urgent or you have questions.

Do your homework on each agency’s track record and credentials. The right agency should have proven experience, recognized expertise, and a communication style that makes you confident in their ability to deliver on the services and support you’re hiring them for.

Questions to Ask Potential Agencies

Once you feel you’ve done enough browsing and have a short list of agencies you believe might be the right fit, the next step is to contact them to learn more about them. Here are a few questions you should ask in those initial conversations to get a better idea of whether or not you should hire them. 

1. What Ecommerce Platforms and Technologies Do You Specialize In?

Above all else, when selecting an ecommerce development agency, the most important thing to align on is their expertise and your tech stack. There is an almost infinite amount of ecommerce-related platforms, tools, solutions, and apps for a store to choose from, and agencies don’t always have the right platform knowledge and expertise to match your choices. 

Ecommerce agencies claiming to be Jacks of all trades often lack the deep understanding needed to handle anything beyond simple, surface-level integrations and development tasks. Instead, look for agencies that have official certifications and partner status with the tools you work with – or are looking to integrate with. 

For example, if your store runs on Shopify, working with a certified Shopify Plus Partner can be a huge advantage. These agencies meet rigorous criteria set by Shopify, a true mark of quality and specialization. Likewise, if you’re looking for Adobe Commerce/Magento ecommerce development, check if the agency is an Adobe Solution Partner, which confirms their qualifications and experience with that platform. 

In addition to having a deep understanding of how these platforms operate, partner agencies often have access to better support and dedicated reps at those companies, so they can escalate and resolve any issues you may have much faster than the average user. 

Beyond the main platform(s), ask about other technologies they have experience with or excel in, such as headless commerce frameworks, integrations (ERP, PIM, CRM, OMS, EMS, etc.), or performance optimization/monitoring tools. 

You should also double-check that they offer the services that you are looking for. Some agencies might focus purely on design or marketing, while others are more technical, focusing on development or maintenance. 

Some common ecommerce agency services include:

1. Design and UX

2. Web Development and Integrations

3. Support and Maintenance

4. Platform Migrations (Replatforming Services)

5. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

7. Digital Marketing (Email, Paid Advertising, Automation) 

2. What Is Your Track Record and Experience in Ecommerce?

Experience matters when it comes to ecommerce development. You’ll want to know how long the agency has been in business and what kinds of projects and clients they’ve handled. Don’t hesitate to ask for case studies, success stories, or client references. A reputable agency should be proud to share examples of ecommerce sites it's built and the results achieved (e.g., increased conversion rates, higher revenue, etc).

Consider asking potential agencies whether they’ve worked on projects similar to yours, in terms of industry, size, or technical complexity. The ideal agency will have relevant experience, whether it’s building a fashion retail Shopify Plus store or migrating a large catalogue from Magento to Shopify. Also, ask whether they have experience with your target market (familiarity with local consumer behaviour, currencies, and regulations can be helpful). 

Look for signs of a strong track record, such as awards, long-term client relationships, or official case studies with data. On the flip side, if an agency can’t provide any references or concrete results, that’s a warning sign. It’s not just about how many websites they’ve built, but how well those sites are performing and whether past clients are happy. 

Reviews and testimonials (on platforms like Clutch or Google, for example) can also shed light on their reputation and give you an idea as to what your partnership might look like. 

3. How Do You Manage Projects and Who Will We Be Working With?

The working relationship you have with your agency is almost as important as their output and your results. This question uncovers their approach to project management and team structure. 

Ask them to describe their process for taking a project from kickoff to launch. Do they follow an Agile methodology with sprints and frequent check-ins, or a more traditional waterfall approach with big deliverables? 

An agency’s delivery model and process can predict your project’s success. Knowing how they run projects (and how they handle changes) is critical. For example, a good agency will have a clear timeline, set milestones, and a change management process to handle new requests without derailing the project. 

Ask how they handle changes or unforeseen issues. Ecommerce projects evolve, and a good agency will have a process to accommodate changes – planned or not. 

Find out how the agency will communicate with you throughout the project. Will there be weekly meetings or status calls? Will you get a dedicated project manager as your point of contact? Some agencies might send only a monthly progress report, while others provide daily or weekly updates via email or phone on progress and issues. 

You should decide what level of communication you’re comfortable with, but generally, greater transparency and more regular contact are better for keeping the project on track. 

It’s also perfectly reasonable to ask who will be working on your project(s). You’ll want to know whether the agency has in-house developers and designers or relies on subcontractors for specific tasks. Ideally, you’ll meet your project manager, lead developer, designer, etc., during the proposal stage. 

This gives you a feel for their expertise and whether you’ll work well with them. Remember, while skill and expertise are important, you also don’t want to dread having to hop on a call with a project manager you have a hard time communicating with, for example. 

4. How Do You Handle Post-Launch Support And Maintenance?

If you’re on the hunt for an agency because you’re planning on a fresh store build, integration with a platform, or a complete replatforming project, you’ll want to verify that the level of support you’ll receive after your project is finished meets your expectations. 

An experienced agency should have a plan to keep your site secure and up to date. Some even offer maintenance packages or retainers that allocate a set number of hours per month for support tasks, bug fixes, and minor enhancements. 

When choosing an ecommerce agency, find out about their support's availability and responsiveness. Do they offer 24/7 support in case your website has an issue in the middle of the night? Is support handled by the same development team or a dedicated support team? You’ll want to understand how to get support before you actually need it. 

Remember, ecommerce website development isn’t a one-and-done activity. You’ll likely need help down the road, and it’s best to ensure you’ll be supported throughout the agency/brand relationship. 

There are also other services that ecommerce businesses need beyond online store development. Ask about what they offer in terms of continual improvement, as the best agencies will see a launch as phase one of a long-term partnership. 

They might offer services like conversion rate optimization (CRO), A/B testing new features/store configurations, adding integrations as your business grows, or even digital marketing and SEO support. One clue is if their current clients stick with them for additional projects or support years down the line (testimonials often highlight this).

5. What Is Your Pricing Structure and Contract Terms?

Finally, let’s talk about the money and paperwork. It’s essential to understand how an agency prices its services and what the contract entails before you hire them. Different agencies have different pricing models. Some charge a fixed project fee, others work on a time-and-materials (hourly billing) basis, and some offer monthly retainers for ongoing work. 

A good agency will be able to send you a full breakdown of all tasks related to your project, including a clear timeline and hourly breakdown, to give you the best idea of how long your project will last and what the cost will be. 

If it’s not immediately clear, ask them to break down how pricing works for your project: “Is this a flat fee for the defined scope, or will we be billed hourly? How do you handle change requests or additional features that come up?” You need clarity on what’s included in the price and what might incur extra costs. 

Be wary of quotes that seem too good to be true. While it’s tempting to go with the lowest bid, an unrealistically low estimate can be a red flag. Some agencies might deliberately underquote hours or cost to win your business, only to later bill additional hours once the project is underway.

Look at the fine print regarding payment terms, timelines, and what happens if either party needs to terminate the agreement. For example, is there an initial deposit and then milestone payments? What are the payment schedules? 

Also, ask about warranties or post-launch support. Some agencies include a 30-90-day post-launch support period for bug fixes in the contract. 

Clarify ownership of the work: you should own the code and design produced for you unless explicitly stated. Additionally, discuss any ongoing fees (such as licensing costs for premium plugins or retainers if you choose to keep them on for support). If you’re engaging in a long-term retainer, what is the notice period to cancel? Knowing the answers will prevent surprises.

The goal is to enter the partnership with both sides having a shared understanding of expectations, deliverables, and costs.

Bonus: Red Flags To Look Out For When Considering Ecommerce Agencies

While plenty of ecommerce agencies do great work, it’s worth keeping an eye out for behaviours that hint the partnership might not be the right fit.

Be wary of proposals that feel vague or fluffy. If an agency can’t explain exactly how they’ll measure success (traffic, conversions, revenue lift, etc.), you’ll have a hard time holding them accountable later.

Communication issues are another major warning sign. Slow replies, skipped meetings, or vague updates can quickly derail a project. A solid agency should operate like an extension of your own team.

Finally, watch out for upsells that don’t serve your goals. If you’re being nudged toward add-ons or expanded scope without a strategic justification, it’s a good moment to take a moment and reassess.

Factors to Consider When Making Your Choice

So, you’ve researched and met with a few agencies, and now it’s time to choose. First, you’ll want to consider your budget. Be upfront about it and see which agency can deliver the best value. Remember that the lowest quote isn’t always the best choice – a higher fee agency might deliver a better product and save you money long-term by doing it right the first time. 

Consider how the agency prices projects (e.g., fixed fee vs. hourly) and whether changes are flexible, and ensure you’re comfortable with the investment. It’s about getting the best ROI, rather than just the lowest overall cost. 

Next, you don’t want to discount the culture fit. If your company values a collaborative, flexible approach, a very rigid or formal agency might frustrate you (and vice versa). Think about the vibe you got from your meetings: Are they enthusiastic about your project? Do they communicate clearly? 

You’ll be working closely together, so a match in personality and values will make the process more enjoyable and productive. The work is important, of course, but enjoying the time spent with the team should also be pleasant. 

Check if the agency has experience in your specific industry or niche. An agency that has built sites for fashion stores will understand lookbooks and size charts, whereas one experienced with B2B wholesale knows about complex pricing and account-based purchasing, for example. Industry experience means they’ll already be familiar with your challenges and customer expectations.

Finally, think beyond the immediate project. If you know you’ll need ongoing help for new features, marketing campaigns, holiday support, etc., prioritize an agency that offers long-term support plans or retainers. Some agencies excel in one-off builds but aren’t interested in ongoing maintenance, which could leave you searching for help later.

Why Blue Badger

If you’re here, you’re likely considering hiring an ecommerce agency for your own project, so it’s only fair that we use this space to pitch ourselves as your final choice. Blue Badger is an ecommerce design and development agency specializing in Shopify Plus and Adobe Commerce/Magento. 

As Klayvio, Noibu, Gorgias, and Akeneo partners, we have extensive experience with these tools, as well as a variety of other ERPs, CRMs, PIMs, CMSs, etc., such as Ogasys, Chaindrive, Yotpo, GA4, and more. 

Our experience spans multiple industries, and we offer true end-to-end services for the brands we work with, from implementation, custom design, and development to replatforming and ongoing support and maintenance for as long as you need.  

Whether you need custom Shopify functionality or are simply looking to start with automated customer service or email marketing, our team of web developers and designers would love to discuss your project!

Conclusion

Hiring an ecommerce agency can be stressful, especially considering how much of your online business’s success lies in their hands. The strongest partners are transparent, technically solid, easy to communicate with, and committed to long-term growth rather than one-off launches. 

If an agency can confidently walk you through their platform expertise, past results, project process, support model, and pricing structure, they’re likely a solid partner. Take your time, ask tough questions, and above all, choose a team that feels like an extension of your own.

With the right agency partner, you can confidently tackle whatever ecommerce projects you need completed and look forward to sustainable, long-term growth for your online store. At Blue Badger, we understand how important it is to find the right fit, and we would love to discuss your project to see if we might be the right agency for you. Want to get to know us better and hear more about what a partnership with Blue Badger looks like? Contact us today!