When you build your Ecommerce website it’s like building a house. Only this is the house where your business is going to live online.

Not only does your website represent your brand, it also affects the way you do business. A well-designed, well-built Ecommerce website is a functioning sales tool that should direct your customers from search engine to checkout in an easy, fluid motion.

But not all websites are created equal.

If your website is not up to scratch it could do your business irreparable damage.

That’s why you need to be really careful in choosing a Magento Agency to build your website.

DIY Websites

There may be a lot of “free” and “low cost” DIY platforms out there, but the chances are high that they won’t perform as well as they should, and you may quickly find yourself unable to create the website you want.

Cheap Agencies

There are also a lot of agencies who will promise you a fully functioning site for a low rate. Be wary of these. They often take you only so far before you start racking up unexpected costs. You don’t want to be left with your budget spent and no website to show for it.

However, just because a company offers good rates, doesn’t mean they’re bad. At the same time just because a company is expensive doesn’t make them any good.

There is a lot more to look at when choosing a Magento Agency than just the price.

It’s important to remember that this is not just a quick project. Your Magento Agency is a long term business relationship, so take your time and choose carefully.

5 things to look for in a Magento Agency

Are they a Magento Partner?

And what level of partner are they?

Magento offers various levels of partnership to credible agencies, namely, Gold, Silver, and Magento Associate. For an agency to be eligible for Magento partnership they have to fulfill certain criteria. What’s great about this is that you know Magento want to protect their own reputation, and they will only allow themselves to be associated with companies who are good enough to represent them.

If the Magento agency you’re looking at using is a Magento Partner you’re likely to receive good service from them.

What kind of questions do they ask you?

You can often tell more about a person by the questions they ask than by the answers they give. The same rule applies to agencies.

If an agency knows what they’re doing they will ask you for relevant information about your business model, your expectations, your clients, regions, and your product. They will ask you about your budget and they will need to know your time line expectation, as well as what kind of functionality you are looking for on your site.

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers at first. A good agency should be able to guide you and help you to provide them with the information they need.

If you don’t have a discussion with them that covers these points after the first few contacts, then the chances are they haven’t been doing this long enough (or well enough) to know what to ask you.

Look for an agency that’s not advertising aggressively

Most reputable agencies are busy enough not to have to work too hard to find clients. If a company is sending out spammy messaging and pop-ups they probably aren’t one of the good ones. The best agencies reputations precede them. On that note, you should also be able to find plenty of reputable references for the company you’re looking at using.

References should be real, contactable people.

While you’re taking a look at credentials, you should also take look at their own website! A web company should have an impressive website themselves.

Will you have a dedicated Project Manager?

Good Communication is never more essential than when you are building a website for Ecommerce. Make sure that you will have a single, primary point of contact within the agency. You should have a dedicated account manager who acts as the liaison between your development team and you. They should also be backed up by a reputable agency management system, which helps to streamline projects, track time, and prioritize tickets or jobs for those doing the actual development.

After Development Support

How much support does the company offer you after they have finished building your site? Another related question is what systems are they using? Will the automatically update to the latest version, or will you have to rebuild your website every year when the tech changes?

Ideally, the company you choose should offer you plenty of after-sales support and they should be using technology and software that automates updates, is secure, and doesn’t develop bugs as soon as a newer version comes out.

Bonus Tips: Some Additional Questions to ask

• How long have they been around?
• Who are there clients?
• How many websites do they manage, and how many have they built?
• What is their speciality?
• What do they charge for ongoing support?
• Where are they situated? You want an agency who you can call during (your) business hours.