What is an eCommerce Agency?

Running an eCommerce business can be fraught with challenges, especially when website development and optimisation are not in your wheelhouse. When you find your website underperforming and that you cannot keep up with the changes you know it needs, it can be difficult to know where to turn? eCommerce agencies are here to help.

We at blubolt are primed to answer your many questions about eCommerce agencies. What exactly is an eCommerce agency? How can an eCommerce agency improve your website, and what factors should you consider before hiring one?

Why should you hire an eCommerce agency?

Outsourcing work for our business can feel like a leap into the unknown. We at blubolt know with certainty the many benefits of collaborating with eCommerce agencies. From expansive experience to access to digital tools, eCommerce agencies can be the answer.

1. Expertise & experience.

As an eCommerce business owner, your expertise will be in the product or service you provide. Finding the time to learn the ever-changing landscape of website development or search engine algorithms may simply not be within your budget despite how crucial it can be for your business. eCommerce agencies have expertise and experience that you can take full advantage of to consult and implement effective change for your website.

Agencies have accelerated experience within their fields through working with diverse clients. As professionals working across a range of industries, they may have insight into the impact of your service or product outside of its traditional commercial bounds, giving you invaluable new insights and perspectives.

You can also expect to learn through working with agencies. Your collaborators should make the effort to explain their work to you, and many agencies offer integrated eCommerce development programmes and masterclasses on their specialism.

2. Time & resource efficiency.

Employing an eCommerce agency can save businesses vital time and resources. By turning to specialists to work on search optimisation, web design or PPC, you can focus more on the other quality aspects of your company.

If your passion is for your product and ensuring it is the best on the market, then allow others to step in, consult and find solutions to your eCommerce problems. The time it takes to learn the skills and specialise in these professions can be saved by hiring an agency.

3. Access to advanced tools & technologies.

Agencies commonly have access to cutting-edge digital tools and technologies to optimise eCommerce performance. Outsourcing work to an agency can be far more financially efficient than paying for memberships or subscriptions to these services individually.

Tools such as Semrush help with keyword research for effective marketing campaigns that keep SEO at the forefront. Revenue optimisation testing can be conducted through tools such as Shoplift. When working with an eCommerce agency, you are investing not only in access to high-quality field experts but also in having access to these tools for your business!

What's more, many agencies have long working relationships or partnerships with the platforms that keep your eCommerce site up and running, meaning that should you encounter difficulties, they likely have the contacts and the influence to find quick solutions.

4. Enhanced marketing strategies.

eCommerce agencies can help roll out effective marketing strategies working with your business. With developed networks across their industry, eCommerce marketing agencies can pull together ambitious marketing campaigns for your business.

Types of eCommerce agencies.

Now we know the valuable insights and toolkits available to eCommerce agencies, let's discuss the types of agencies out there. In some cases, agencies may cover a combination of services to eCommerce businesses.

eCommerce web design agency.

Hiring eCommerce web design agencies can exponentially improve the look and usability of your website. Finding the combination of beauty and usability that will delight your customers and optimise your platform for search engines can make a huge difference to your outreach and ROIs.

For example, blubolt’s design work is award-winning and effective in driving conversions. Our designers and developers are experts in working with Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms, enabling clients to strengthen their brand and seamlessly migrate from their old platform to Shopify Plus.

eCommerce development agency.

Agencies can be a part of your eCommerce journey from the very beginning. eCommerce development services will build and maintain the technical infrastructure of your eCommerce websites. From platform integration to custom developments of your online presence, agency experts can quickly adapt your platform, providing future templates and solutions should your business expand its offerings.

eCommerce SEO agency.

Collaborating with eCommerce SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) agencies can significantly boost your rankings on search engines, increasing your online visibility and conversions on your website. Using data-driven strategies through keyword research, SEO agencies can ensure that when potential customers are searching, they will find you.

Through integrated strategies of content creation as well as technical developments through on-page optimisation and link-building strategy, SEO agencies and their work can make a world of difference to your eCommerce business.

eCommerce PPC agency.

Working with a PPC (Pay Per Click) agency can help you hone and strategise your sponsored content online. With their expertise across internet advertising, PPC agencies will ensure that your advertising budget is used effectively and doesn’t clash with your other search optimisation strategies to maximise ROI.

eCommerce CRO agency.

Higher conversion rates are at the heart of an effective online presence. There is little point in your website being highly visible and visited if users don't make the crucial jump to investing in your products.

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) agencies provide crucial specialist insight into making your website easy to buy from. Creating content that directs motivated user traffic to your services and ensuring that user experience is sleek, Shopify optimisation services can be transformative for your eCommerce business.

What services do eCommerce agencies provide?

Now that we are familiar with the range of eCommerce agencies out there, it is time to discover the variety of services they provide!

Website design & development.

Ensuring your website continues to develop along with updates to user experience and expectations is crucial in maintaining a strong eCommerce business. Engaging an agency for website support services can help you marry your brand vision and visuals to your online platform, creating beautiful, sleek, easy-to-use websites.

eCommerce strategy.

Agencies can help you to develop tailored eCommerce strategies, including market analysis, competitor benchmarking, and performance optimisation. If your website has seen a lull in traffic, developing a specific and targeted strategy can be the fix to give your brand the online drive it needs.

Integration services.

Expanding your website's capabilities from payment gateways to bundle buying facilities can be made effortless by hiring an agency. Specialists offering eCommerce integration services can fulfil your website’s full potential and exponentially improve user experience.

How do you choose the right eCommerce agency?

Choosing the right eCommerce agency for your business can be a personal journey. Many agencies have very different approaches to the work they do, can vary in team size and may be local or far from your place of business. Here are some key considerations when you are in the market for an eCommerce agency.

• Cost. Consider your budget and consult with prospect agencies to evaluate the estimated ROI from their services.

• Relationship. Will the agency provide a one-off project-based service, ongoing support and services, or a combination of both?

• Case Studies. Research the agency’s track record through its online portfolio. Have they worked with a business like yours before, and what were their achievements?

• Networks. Explore the agency’s ongoing partnerships with tool and technology providers. This factor will enhance their services and show you how connected they are within the industry, offering a more holistic and trusted service.

• Research. Explore their free content either through a newsletter or blog posts. This content can offer insights into the agency’s processes and ethos as well as offer advice and training in their area of expertise.

blubolt success stories.

With a wealth of case studies under our belt, it is difficult to choose just one instance in which blubolt has seen exciting outcomes from our work with clients. Some highlights include:

• WatchHouse. A recent launch for premium coffee brand WatchHouse showcases our design credentials with unique layouts and strong use of typography, photography, video, and space to create a clean and high-end feel while still adhering to best practices. It also used progressive loading states and animations, horizontally scrolling parallax coffee profiles on the homepage, and parallax banners and storytelling to create a sense of movement and depth across various pages.

• RIXO. For this contemporary and premium fashion brand, we delivered an award-winning flexible, modular site with a sophisticated theme design. We also integrated Harper Concierge to bring the in-store experience to customers at home, which delivered a 78% increase in ATV on Shopify Plus.

• ZyroFisher. In this trailblazing project, we migrated eight ZyroFisher brands to Shopify by creating one “parent” theme so each brand could be “children” of that parent theme. We created an identical backend setup for each site to enable seamless management across the +60 sporting brands ZyroFisher distributed while ensuring each brand had a personality-packed design and the best tech stack to power multiple sites effectively.

• Teapigs. In migrating to Shopify Plus, teapigs wanted a friendly and approachable site to inform customers without overwhelming them, plus a more intuitive and fun way to browse their extensive range. We delivered a personality-filled smart subscription service, a bespoke pick-n-mix bundle builder, and greater in-house control and flexibility to deliver stability and support long-term growth. The new site delivered a 350% cyber weekend revenue increase!

Why choose blubolt as your eCommerce agency?

At blubolt, we are dedicated to elevating eCommerce brands through our expert eCommerce services. With consistent successes and awards won, we provide website development and optimisation services for a range of eCommerce businesses.

As a Shopify Plus partner since 2018, our expertise in Shopify website design and integration makes us the perfect choice to migrate your site to Shopify or to better curate and optimise your existing Shopify platform.

Choose blubolt for expert strategies, innovative solutions, and uniquely tailored support to enhance your business’s online success. Get in touch today to discuss your requirements.