E-commerce consultant - Is it worth hiring and when?

   In my previous article, I explained how to choose an e-commerce agency, implement, and help grow your online shop. You’ve probably received a few offers, and now:

• you don’t know what differentiates the agencies,
• you feel that you don’t have enough knowledge to check their competencies,
• as an owner of a large company, you don’t have time to join  the negotiations.

An e-commerce consultant can help with all of the above.

 

Who is an implementation consultant? 

   A consultant is a specialist who has extensive knowledge and many years of experience in the e-commerce industry. Someone who once created, administered, and developed online stores and now uses their expertise to help clients. An implementation consultant will help you plan, implement, develop, and optimize your online store to achieve your business goals. 

   They have extensive interdisciplinary knowledge and will be able to choose the right e-commerce agency to implement your store. At a later stage, they will also help you establish a marketing strategy and choose a marketing agency to promote your store.

What is the difference between an e-commerce consultant and a manager?

   A consultant is usually a freelancer but can also work for a large consulting firm. Consultants have extensive experience and help to create and implement strategies, processes, and procedures in your company. Due to their competencies, their hourly fees are high. There is no need for you to hire them full-time. 

   Therefore, the team will be responsible for implementing activities agreed upon with the consultant. Managing the team from day to day should be done by you or your manager. The consultant can also help recruit and train a person for the e-commerce manager position in your online store. 

What areas should an implementation consultant know?

   Consultants know many fields, such as technology, marketing, and sales in the e-commerce industry. They understand how stores work, what mechanisms operate on the internet, and what solutions are available on the market. Consultants know the advantages and disadvantages of platforms such as SAAS, open source, or dedicated solutions. They tell you what key aspects you should pay attention to while creating and running your store.

   Consultants supervise contractors and help verify the competencies of freelancers or agencies working on the project. They plan and direct tasks while taking trends into account and using the correct tools. 

   An e-commerce consultant is an experienced person who understands the language of specialists in areas like:

• programming,
• UX / UI Design,
• SEO / SEM,
• social media marketing (paid and organic),
• influencer marketing,
• store analyst.

At which stage of implementation should you start cooperating with a consultant?

   Ideally, your consultant should participate in planning the project, then in discussions and negotiations with potential contractors. From the start, your consultant will help you determine what your business needs because unfortunately, you can still come across people who take advantage of the customer’s ignorance. Your consultant will also help you choose the best platform for your store’s development. 

   In addition to that, the consultant will accurately verify what potential contractors present to you. They will pick up issues from the conversation. They will ask the right questions and assess the contractor’s workflow, the implementation of projects and changes, and their human resources management skills.

Why is an e-commerce consultant worth hiring?

Having a consultant is actually very common. While implementing e-commerce, you should avoid making mistakes, even if you learn from them. You should approach the implementation process in an entrepreneurial manner to save time, money, and nerves. Hired subcontractors also find it easier to talk to someone who knows their stuff.

   Thanks to working with a consultant, the meetings will focus on important topics instead of explaining simple terms and convincing you why it is worth paying for certain solutions.

Is counseling worth the cost?

  Of course, hiring a consultant will generate additional costs. However, thanks to their experience, you will avoid many costly corrections and misunderstandings. So in most cases, this will be an investment that pays for itself quickly. The bigger the project, the better to hire a consultant.