Building an ecommerce agency has never been easier or more economical, so you might think that development agencies would have less work, but you would be wrong. As a result of the low barrier to entry, there is now much more competition, so ambitious retail businesses need to spend more on features and UX components to remain competitive.

As such, this is a great time to start an eCommerce agency. Let’s say you succeed in establishing your reputation as a reliable developer. If that’s the case, you won’t need to work very hard to prove your costs were justified because e-commerce results are so easy to track and graph because sales analytics data is so thorough.

Even though many of us have ambitious plans for our e-commerce endeavors, starting an online store can initially seem daunting due to its realities. Creating an online store is straightforward, even if you have yet to gain technical experience. 

A platform, a domain name, and a trustworthy eCommerce hosting solution are all you need. But don’t worry. This article is perfect for beginners and will guide you through every step of starting an online store, including when to expect a profit.

6 Crucial Steps On How To Build a Successful eCommerce agency

Starting with the basics, an eCommerce store is essentially a website, just a different kind! Some of the initial steps in setting it up coincide with the setup process of a standard website.

Get a Reliable Hosting Plan and a Domain Name

One of the few prerequisites for getting a business online is web hosting. It saves the files from the eCommerce store and makes them accessible to users. However, finding a trustworthy hosting company could be challenging, given their abundance.

Although less expensive options could be tempting, remember that these suppliers might restrict the whole functionality of an eCommerce website. I highly recommend starting with a paid hosting plan, as it will save you a lot of headaches later on.

You might like: Free Vs. Paid Hosting: Exploring 7 Key Differences

One good news is that unique eCommerce hosting solutions are made specifically for your virtual store. For example, Nestify offers “Managed WooCommerce Hosting” and “High Traffic WooCommerce Hosting” solutions for those who use the WooCommerce plugin to set up and run their eCommerce website(s).

Here are some factors to consider when selecting a web hosting provider like the two that we just saw:

• Uptime guarantee
• Scalability
• Optimization
• Low-latency CDN
• Prime security tailored to your e-commerce store
• Robust 24/7 support, as even the slightest inconveniences can cause losses in the eCommerce context.

A money-back guarantee is best when you’re just starting and testing the waters, and with Nestify, you get it, too, with everything else mentioned above.

The domain name, another essential for an eCommerce website, is the other side of the same coin. It describes the URL visitors enter into their browsers to visit a website. It distinguishes it from the competition and aids in establishing credibility. The following advice can help you choose a catchy domain name for your e-commerce website:

• As they say, “Less is more”. A short domain name is easier to remember and more catchy. A domain name should ideally consist of no more than 15 characters.
• Avoid using hyphens and numbers. By doing this, spelling mistakes and confusion will be averted, and potential clients will only be on the right website.
• Choose “.com” if at all possible. Because it is the most widely used domain extension, customers may be typing yourbrandname.com to find your store. Additionally, this extension improves the professionalism of your eCommerce website.
• Think of the long term. To ensure it doesn’t hamper the expansion of your eCommerce store, avoid incorporating local information into your domain name, such as mybrandinohio.com.
• Verify the trademark’s details. You can’t use a domain name associated with other businesses or brands to avoid possible trademark litigation.

Also Read: Domain Squatting And How To Protect Your Website In 2024

Tip: If you feel rusty, always use a domain name generator. It facilitates the generation of domain name concepts, which can quicken the brainstorming process.

Choose a Platform for your eCommerce agency

Easy-to-use eCommerce website builders and platforms make it simple to create an online store. These tools can aid you in creating a beautiful website design, enhance the purchasing experience for customers, and simplify your daily tasks.

When selecting a platform, consider an eCommerce site’s cost, features, and usability. Take your time weighing your options to determine what fits your business model best and can scale with it.

Key features to keep your eyes open for include:

Usability: The usability of your e-commerce software should be high. To quickly create your online store, look for a user-friendly tool that incorporates a drag-and-drop online store builder.

Customer service that is easily accessible: Choose a platform that provides help all the way through. 

Checkout without friction: A smooth checkout process is essential to generating revenue. Choose an online storefront that facilitates customers purchasing your goods.

Web hosting: You must have web hosting to allow customers to access your online store. While some e-commerce software comes with web hosting included, others demand that you use an external solution.

Think about both your present and future needs when selecting your e-commerce software. A robust platform like Shopify can help you get started quickly and support your future growth, but some platforms might be the best option for you right now. 

Setting up your Ecommerce agency brand

Think about branding before you start building your e-commerce website. Establish a brand identity and create brand assets in your online store and other channels. Ensure you’ve made the following components to incorporate into the design of your store.

Verve carefully considered fonts, colors, logo design, tone of voice, and other aesthetic components before designing its online store to guarantee branding consistency throughout all of its properties:

Brand values and mission

Decide your brand’s mission, values, USP, and customer promise before creating brand assets, such as a logo or color scheme. These choices will influence how your brand appears and feels visually.

Company name

Pick a business name that embodies your brand, whether it’s a word you invented, your name, or a clear description of what you sell. If you need help with ideas, try Shopify’s free domain name generator and check if your potential business name is already taken on social media and as a domain by using a tool like Namechk. 

Logo

It is an asset representing your brand across several surfaces, from your online store to your packaging, whether you work with a designer or create it yourself. To ensure that a designer gets the exact look you want, be clear about the mission, values, and tone you want your brand to represent.

Product photos

Presenting your best side allows you to do so with clean product photography. If money is tight, you can use your smartphone’s camera to take your product photos and use free stock images until you have enough to take your unique lifestyle shots.

Set Up Payment and Shipping Methods for your Ecommerce Agency

Establishing a safe method of accepting payments should be considered, whether through offline or online payment gateway integration. Payment integrations are built into many eCommerce platforms; WooCommerce, for instance, has WooCommerce Payments. Additionally, they typically support various third-party payment processing services, such as Stripe and PayPal.

Next, you can use sales tax software, like Quaderno and Avalara, to calculate taxes on your transactions automatically. Furthermore, prospective buyers will be curious about your eCommerce store’s shipping and fulfillment choices. In addition to incorporating shipping services, entrepreneurs may consider curbside pickups.

Establish shipping settings

Shipping is one of the trickiest things to manage when managing an online store. There are many factors to consider, including product weights, packaging expenses, shipping locations, carrier rates, and your possible profit per order. Select a shipping strategy (or combine a few) that works for you based on your company’s particular requirements. Among them are a few of these:

Supplying free shipping: Whether it applies to specific products, order minimums, or geographical areas, this can motivate customers to purchase from you. 

Charging carrier rates in real-time: Numerous platforms integrate with postal services like USPS and Canada Post to provide shipping options and real-time pricing. 

Assessing a fixed fee: When your products are similar in size and weight, flat-rate shipping works best and makes estimating your actual shipping costs easier.

Offering delivery and pickup locally: Additionally, you can allow local clients to pick up their online orders at one of your locations; you can customize each location’s notification preferences, pickup guidelines, and other details. 

You can also set conditional shipping rates (e.g., for shipping overweight items or bundling multiple items) and shipping zones (where you send and what delivery methods are available) within the shipping settings of your e-commerce platform.

Also Read: How To Add Shipping Charges In WooCommerce

Create Product Listings For Your Ecommerce Agency

Customers can quickly find information about products or services for sale on the product listing page. Usually, product listings consist of:

Product names and prices.

• The item should be evident from the product title. When customers browse your store, they will see this, and it will assist them in finding what they’re looking for in your catalog. Try to keep it brief and highlight additional specific details or product options, like colors or sizes, using the product description or its variations.
• How much you charge for your products can depend on several factors, including the cost of shipping, raw materials, overhead (such as rent or staff), your time, and—perhaps most importantly—the perceived value of your offerings.
• Once you begin marketing, you can always review and modify your prices in light of new information. You may find buyers willing to pay more for your goods, or you might devise inventive ways to reduce expenses while raising the average order value you receive. 
• Businesses that sell goods and services are legally required to collect taxes from each order placed, with a few notable exceptions, so set up your tax settings. 

Product images or videos

• Make use of excellent images. Steer clear of low-resolution, dimly lit, or fuzzy photos.
• Keep the aspect ratio constant. Your photos will appear the same size if you maintain a consistent aspect ratio. When you create your online store, it looks cleaner and more polished.
• Make use of your available tools. Many smartphones can take excellent product photos if you’re on a tight budget. Touch them up with free photo editing software.
• Include any pertinent information. Modify the alt text to make your photo more readable for screen readers by providing a visual description.

Product descriptions

• Understand to whom you are speaking: Try to convey in your description the information your customer needs to know to feel comfortable purchasing your product.
• Highlight rewards: Cut the filler and consider the features, benefits, and offers. Many retailers combine text and icons on their product pages to convey these selling points quickly.
• Be prepared for typical queries or criticisms: What could prevent a buyer from purchasing? Do they want to avoid buying the incorrect size? Do they require information on allergens? 
• Make it simple to scan your text: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, subheadings, bolded text, etc., to make your descriptions more manageable. Alternatively, you can use nested navigation to tabulate information.
• Assist buyers in visualizing how to use your product: Your products cannot be tasted, felt, touched, or tried on by customers. Provide a size chart, a list of your materials, etc.

Customer reviews

• Establishes Trust with Customers: By offering genuine comments from real customers, product reviews assist in establishing trust with prospective customers. Good reviews serve as testimonials for your goods.
• Boosts Credibility: A product’s quality gains credibility when it receives many positive reviews. Consumers are more likely to believe what other customers say, which helps them see your brand favorably.
• Influences Purchasing Decisions: Customer reviews provide insightful information about their actual experiences. Read reviews from previous customers to help prospective buyers make better decisions.
• Boosts Conversion Rates: Good reviews are social proof, persuading prospective buyers to buy. Positive product reviews are frequently linked to higher conversion rates.

Shopping cart functionality

• While browsing other products, customers prefer to be aware of the items they have added to their shopping carts.
• Place everything in a tidy order, and remember to include crucial information such as product descriptions and costs. The breakdown of costs and the projected delivery time should be visible to demonstrate transparency.
• To make future purchases more accessible for customers, remember to ensure that forms are simple to fill out. Since guest checkout allows users to make purchases without registering, it’s a great feature to increase conversions.

FAQ section

• Consumers typically worry a great deal about the shopping experience. Consider clients’ most typical issues or queries, such as delivery choices, order tracking, and the nations they can reach.
• In addition to thorough and beneficial answers, you can share knowledge about the company’s goods and services. The FAQ page should also have a search bar to aid customers in finding information.

Tips to Promote Your eCommerce Agency

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Whether they are doing some comparison shopping or looking for a product they saw or heard about from a friend, many consumers use Google and other search engines when making purchases. Increasing the visibility of your products and online store pages in these search results can boost organic traffic.

You can use SEO strategies to accomplish this. When you configured your website’s product descriptions and search engine listing details, you considered SEO already. However, there are other sections of your store, such as blog pages, where SEO should be considered.

Some SEO tips to drive traffic:

Prioritize keywords directly related to your business by using a free keyword research tool such as Keyword Surfer to identify keywords with high search volume. To make your content rank in search results for those keywords, write content addressing frequently asked questions about your product.

Social media marketing (SMM)

In social media marketing, paid social advertisements are run alongside social media platforms for content sharing and organic audience growth. The following advice will help you leverage the benefits of social media marketing for your ecommerce agency:

There’s no need to be available on every channel. Choose the channels where most of your target audience is already present. For instance, TikTok is an essential marketing channel if Gen Z is your target market.

Add value instead of selling. Branded and sponsored content should blend perfectly with the natural content in users’ feeds. Provide value by including timely, relevant, beneficial, and platform-appropriate content. Maintain consistency.

Ensure your ecommerce agency’s brand colors, imagery, and voice are consistent across social media and your online store. Apply social media marketing strategies. To reduce friction, turn on shopping features on each platform. You can also use the link in your bio to direct followers to specific content, landing pages, products, or deals.

Conclusion: Build your ecommerce agency for scratch

Managing an online store can be challenging, especially for an ecommerce agency, whether it’s a massive Amazon-style powerhouse or a tiny dropshipping shop. Regardless of your service, remember that your job as an eCommerce agency is to streamline that process. You can effectively shape your business by concentrating on that.

If you follow the steps we’ve covered, getting your site up and running should take you only a little bit of time. If you lay the groundwork correctly, you’ll be in an excellent position to succeed. Just remember to seek advice from an expert if you have any questions about any aspect of the process, including hosting. I wish you luck!

FAQs: Build your ecommerce agency for scratch

Which services should my ecommerce agency provide?

While services vary, they frequently include social media management, SEO, online marketing, website development, and e-commerce platform customization. Determine your target clients’ needs, then design your services to meet those needs.

How do I choose a niche for my ecommerce agency?

Consider market demand, your areas of expertise, and your interests. Select a niche that fits your knowledge and has customers who could use your help. Technology, fashion, and health and wellness are popular niches towards starting an ecommerce agency.

What are the necessary first steps for launching an ecommerce agency?

Start by conducting market research, writing a business plan, registering your ecommerce agency/company, establishing a credible online presence, hiring qualified staff members or acquiring the necessary skills, and developing a pricing strategy. Marketing and networking are also essential for success.

What typical difficulties does an ecommerce agency face?

Some common challenges that an ecommerce agency faces are keeping up with technological advancements and industry trends, controlling client expectations, resolving technical problems, and competing. Overcoming these obstacles requires constant learning and effective communication.