Technology

5 Factors To Look Out For Before Hiring a BigCommerce Agency

 

The dynamics of BigCommerce’s popularity in the eCommerce industry is well rooted in its code-free store-building capacities, API-led extensibility, effective tools/plugins, intelligent data analytics, etc. All of these reasons are why businesses across all scales rely on BigCommerce. However, it’s one thing to have accessibility to a range of features; and another to manage the entire store effectively using its capabilities. This is where a BigCommerce agency comes in. A reliable and experienced BigCommerce agency can not only help you in designing, developing, and managing your eCommerce store, but it can also provide the right groundwork in terms of competitor analysis and field research – to set the tone of your brand and how it meets the pain point differently than others.

Furthermore, such agencies also provide full-scale marketing and optimization services for clients that can evolve and grow with your business. But with so many agencies, how do you choose the right one? In this blog, we discuss a few tips on choosing the right BigCommerce agency to work with and how to go about it:

Look at their portfolio

First thing first, you can start by carefully analyzing their portfolio. Sometimes, some development firms are also BigCommerce certified. It means they’re trained by BigCommerce Partners to leverage the best of the platform and specialize in BigCommerce features, tools, and even plugins to drive conversions, build unique customer experiences, and so much more. And if the agency you’re looking at has such certifications, it’ll be reflected on their portfolio. For example, if you peer into the works of Matter Design, a certified BigCommerce development firm   from Australia, have mentioned clearly the verticals of BigCommerce, Headless, UI/UX designing, etc. This gives you an idea of their style and the types of projects they have worked on, you can also learn a fair deal about the size, scope, details of their deliverables, how it has helped the business in the long term, etc. While this could be time-taking in itself, eventually, by the end of the day, it will give you an idea of whether or not they have the expertise to handle your project.

Check their credentials 

As a follow-up from the above step, you can connect to their past clients, asking about their agency experience, deliverables, budget and time deadlines, support quality, turnaround times, and more. These are all important questions to ask and have foresight about. You can cross-check the following aspects too: 

  • Case studies, previous work samples on reliable third-party partner websites like Clutch.
  • Client reviews, testimonials on the official websites/social media of the client
  • What the agency’s technical and social media presence across mainstream channels.
  • Thought leadership articles, verticals expertise on the agency’s official LinkedIn page, individual leadership profiles, and their skillset, received endorsements, etc.

Deep dive into their expertise and your business requirements

If you want to develop a website that will stand through the test of time while having an edge in terms of innovation, you need to first fully understand your exact requirements and then be familiar with the firm’s breadth when it comes to designing and developing capabilities in BigCommerce. If your business vision aligns with their potential and bandwidth, you know you’ve found the match; or else you can always use these insights to compare with other vendors. Additionally, when companies use ‘customized website development’ in their portfolio, it can mean two things: either they engineer your entire website from the ground up, and taking care of your entire store; or else they tweak and customize the pre-existing themes to match it with your eCommerce needs. This is why, many BigCommerce development agencies like CodeClouds provide an estimate time of project, price projections, technologies involved, based on the scope of your requirements, budget range, projected launch date as submitted by you. And since they are also BigCommerce partners, they even let you hire their experts for preferred time periods per say, to get a headstart in your online store.

Pricing and budget

Another followup step to the previous one, this is where your features specification should serve the purpose for the agency to provide a free quote on the project’s cost. Many business owners often rush this process, and end up making decisions that could cost them dearly. Sticking to your budget range while getting your requirements met with industry-best standards is possible, since the cost of developing a BigCommerce store can vary greatly depending on the agency you choose. It’s important to have a clear understanding of their pricing structure, payment terms, and overall project budget before hiring an agency. A reliable agency should be transparent about their pricing and work with you to develop a budget that meets your needs.

Communication & Post-Delivery Support

Effective communication is key to the success of any project. When selecting a BigCommerce development agency, look for one that values communication and provides regular updates throughout development. A responsive agency will also quickly address any concerns or issues arising during the development process. Such agencies also offer ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure your store stays up-to-date and performs optimally, even after the delivery and completion of your project. Look for an agency that offers post-development support and maintenance plans to ensure your store is always running smoothly.

Key Takeaway

In conclusion, the success of a BigCommerce development project relies heavily on effective project management. While searching for the right agency, you will find that many development firms meet all the above factors, but only a few make it through in this aspect. Since you’ll be in the loop with the project manager overseeing all stages of your business development process and accomplishing milestones, you need to choose an agency that can assign you an experienced and dedicated project manager. Do your research and consider overall factors to ensure you partner with a reliable, professional, and responsive agency to get your digital business designed, developed, and managed to the highest standards.

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