We’ve all been there before.

Growth figures are strong, customers are happy, and it seems like your business can’t get any better. Then you’re blindsided by a problem that threatens to wipe away everything you’ve worked for.

Whether it’s a marketing platform suspension, costly stockouts, or a new sales platform you can’t understand, the outlook isn’t inspiring. Suddenly, all of your attention turns to firefighting. You only have to look at the brands on the other side of the 2 billion out-of-stock messages in 2021 and 66% of surveyed companies anticipating delays from Chinese New Year for recent examples.

Before long, crucial tasks like marketing and sales get tossed by the wayside. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can keep your marketing on track by outsourcing to an eCommerce marketing agency.

What is an eCommerce marketing agency? And what do they do?

An eCommerce marketing agency is a business designed to help online stores create and execute effective customer acquisition strategies to scale effectively and sustainably. Some of these agencies offer include:

• eCommerce website audits
• Pay-per-click advertising
• Ad optimization
• SEO
• Social media advertising
• Launch marketing
• Product listing optimization
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
• Checkout optimization
• User experience optimization

5 Signs you need an eCommerce marketing agency

The right eCommerce marketing agency can help get your brand noticed and unlock new levels of success without doubling your team’s task load. To set the stage up for success, it’s important to know whether partnering with an eCommerce agency is right for your business. Let’s run through some ways to know:

1) The workload seems endless

If your team is swamped with growth-focused tasks like product launches and portfolio development, working with an eCommerce marketing agency can help you get ahead. The agency can handle the marketing tasks to release your time and energy for other essential tasks.

2) Marketing skills don’t match your store’s development

Perhaps your store’s social media pages have gone viral, and it’s challenging to keep up with audience comments. Alternatively, maybe you’ve got multiple PPC ads that need a more trained eye to optimize them. If marketing isn’t your strong point or your store’s marketing needs exceed your skillset, it’s holding your business back. So, it could be time to hand over the reins.

3) Product portfolio growth is outpacing your marketing capacity

Your product portfolio is growing rapidly, and you can’t keep up with the marketing demands for items, it could be a sign to hand over some responsibility to an eCommerce marketing agency. This way, you can scale more products without compromising the work you’ve already put in.

4) Your intuition says it’s to test new marketing styles and channels

So you’ve built a strong social media following and have profitable PPC campaigns. Now you’ve got an inkling that your store could benefit from another type of marketing you don’t specialize in, like influencer marketing, TV ads, and transport commercials, calling in the experts could be a good shout.

5) You’re going cross-border

Thinking about cross-border expansion? Partnering with an agency for your chosen region could be a wise move. Especially if you don’t have an in-depth understanding of the language, culture, marketing rules, and consumers’ expectations in that location. Working with an agency can help you overcome the hurdles to selling profitably and building an audience.

5 Essentials for a successful agency partnership

Whether you’re a new eCommerce brand or established enterprise, there are some vital characteristics and resources to have in place to boost your partnership’s odds of success. Before working together, let’s explore some traits you and your agency partner should have:

1) A healthy budget

Even in business, it can be a little awkward to talk money. But you’ll need a solid budget to ensure you can pass over the most important tasks to the pros. If you’re tempted to cut corners for lower fees, keep in mind the saying “you get what you pay for” and the fact that rookie mistakes can hold back your business.

There are many payment options available if you don’t have all the cash upfront. For example, you can save up profits over time, work out a payment plan with the agency, or negotiate an upfront fee and performance-based commission.

2) Products that sell

It’s vital you have products with strong sales history for your eCommerce marketing to optimize. You can also choose to launch new products but double-check the numbers to ensure they have winning potential. When selling on marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart, tools like Helium 10 and Jungle Scout can help you calculate product ROI more accurately.

 3) Well-rounded expertise

Your chosen agency should not only have expertise in your sales channels, but the social channels you use and the growth stage you’re in. A breadth of knowledge is essential since the best marketing strategies are diversified.

For example, if you use google ads, you can seek out a Google Partner. Extra points if they specialize in your product category or niche. If you operate on a subscription model, the agency you work with should know how to generate conversions for this sales strategy.

4) A track record of success

Set your store up for major wins by working with an agency that has been to battle and won trophies. They should have thoroughly tested strategies, know the pitfalls and roadblocks you may encounter in your next growth stage, and documented ways around them.

5) Management and communication skills

You should be willing to share details necessary for an agency partnership, like access to analytics, sales figures, and marketing channel logins. You should also communicate any changes that may impact your sales or brand, like a public relations faux pau or shift in branding, packaging, or materials used in your items.

In the same light, it’s essential that the agency you pick has an organized way of managing projects, whether its key deliverables are outlined and tracked in a spreadsheet or project management tool. They should also be able to share things like:

• Current case studies
• How they monitor progress
• Strategies they intend to use
• Profitability of your campaigns

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5 Awesome eCommerce marketing agencies

One of the easiest ways to secure a profit-driving agency partnership is to choose the right one for your current growth stage and long-term goals. To help your search, we’ve compiled some of the top performing eCommerce marketing agencies on the market:

1) Stryde

Best known for: AI-backed analytics, SEO, CRO, Paid ads, creative

Need help with a few marketing avenues? Stryde has got you covered. Its expansive service list to its experience in 4+ industries allow you to pick solutions for a winning strategy. Stryde’s analytical approach to eCommerce marketing ensures its clients’ brands level up continually. With glowing testimonials and returns on ad spend as high as 6.6, Stryde results speak for themselves.

2) Shopping Signals

Best known for: eCommerce SEO, creative, content marketing

Armed with a knack for content marketing and SEO expertise, Shopping Signals knows how to drive traffic and sales with optimized creatives. Shopping Signals also offers services like CRO and strategy to keep your brand profitable throughout the twists and turns in the eCommerce journey. Plus, you can join Shopping Signals’ growing community of online sellers on Facebook to share tips and ask questions on all things eCommerce.

3) 1Digital Agency

Best known for: SEO, PPC, Social media eCommerce audits, content marketing

1Digital sees eCommerce as an art. Combining skills in PPC, SEO, social media, and more, this agency knows how to get results around the clock. As a client, you can also access eCommerce audits, ongoing support, and consultations to boost your online leads and sales while your business matures. 1Digital is also a partner with brands like Shopify, BigCommerce, CallRail, and Bing and was named of the Top eCommerce agencies by Neil Patel.

4) Trellis

Best known for: Full-scale eCommerce marketing, Data-focused approach

On a mission to simplify eCommerce, Trellis combines data-driven strategies with marketing, design, integrations, and store development to drive conversions for its clients. With skills in B2B and B2C eCommerce marketing, Trellis provides brands with the ultimate flexibility in marketing whichever route they take in business.

This digital agency believes in constant improvement, so you can count on them to tweak your strategy, website, and marketing for more revenue, ROI, and customer satisfaction.

5) WebFX

Best known for: PPC, Amazon, B2B eCommerce, Design, SEO, lead generation

With over $3.2 billion in revenue generated for clients and counting, it’s safe to say WebFX knows how to get cash flowing in eCommerce businesses.

Whether you need help with an Amazon listing, want to launch a B2B eCommerce store, or improve the customer experience on your website, WebFX will make it happen.

Choose WebFX as your eCommerce marketing agency, and you’ll be in great company. Some of its clients include Cleveland Brothers, Bar’s Leaks, and Net Friends.

Usher in a new era with eCommerce marketing

Working with a reputable eCommerce marketing agency is a sure-fire way to improve your store’s conversion rates, customer experiences, and profitability.

It’s essential to vet potential agency partners vigorously, keeping your eyes peeled for those with a stellar track record of success, excellent communication, solid eCommerce experience, and fair rates.

Be prepared to stick through the initial bumps you may encounter as the optimizations get underway, and it won’t be long before your leads and sales take off.

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