A Magento agency is one of the best choices for eCommerce development, as it provides users with high customization abilities. Magento is a highly flexible and robust CMS preferred by huge brands like Macy’s, Levi’s, and Pepsi.
The platform offers a plethora of features, unparalleled store customizations, themes and extensions, data and order management, and many other incredible capabilities that eCommerce giants require to enhance and sustain their business in 2023.
However, to get the best out of the platform’s capabilities, you need a dedicated team of experts. You can hire a Magento agency to ensure your website utilizes the platform’s features and is void of any issues. This article will list some key characteristics to look for while hiring a Magento agency.
Key points to consider before you hire a Magento agency
Hiring a Magento agency can be a tough task. Several agencies provide Magento development services. The various options available make it difficult for brands to choose one. Here are 5 key elements to look for when choosing a Magento agency.
1. Experience and Skills
Experience is a crucial factor when looking for any service provider. Looking for a Magento agency is no different. You would ideally want an experienced team of developers handling your website. Experienced Magento agencies are familiar with the platform’s intricacies, making them experts in Magento 2 development. They are also always updated on new developments, news, and upgrades.
So, how do you know if an agency has the skills and experience to handle your Magento project?
It’s quite easy. Look for the number of certified developers an agency has. Usually, a top agency should have certified Magento developers. Agencies prioritize getting their top developers certified to stay updated with the latest platform updates and changes.
You should also look into the agency’s portfolio to determine its skills and experience. An experienced Magento agency generally has a diversified portfolio and has worked with clients from different industries. Check if they have worked on different types of projects rather than sticking to one type. Ideally, choose an agency that has a minimum experience of 5 years.
Before hiring an agency, you should check client reviews and testimonials. Apart from checking the agency’s website, go through reviews posted in various review forums like Clutch, g2, etc.
Look at some of the pain points customers faced while working with the agency. These reviews will give you an overall idea of how the agency handles its projects and whether its service is up to the mark or not.
2. Analyze your Requirements
The first step of any process is to determine your requirements. You can’t possibly find the right agency if you don’t know what your business needs are. If you are unaware of your business requirements, you may leave a lot of space for confusion during the Magento development process because the developers may not fully comprehend your goals.
Analyze your business on the basis of several factors like your competitors, product range, scalability, market insights, customer demands, etc.
3. Budget
After determining your business requirements, you can decide on a budget for your development process. Creating/ Customizing a Magento Store involves a variety of costs, including hosting, themes, extensions, store customization, resources, and many more. Furthermore, these fees may vary among Magento Agencies based on their skill, experience, job quality, and working procedure.
So, there is no doubt that you cannot compromise the website’s quality simply because it is inexpensive. There is so much competition in today’s market that creating a high-quality internet store will not be simple or inexpensive. So, look for an agency that can satisfy your needs at an affordable price.
Furthermore, many agencies have hidden prices and additional fees for services. Ensure you know the entire project cost before finalizing an agency for your store. After you’ve completed your initial scouting, send your needs to the agencies/developers you’ve shortlisted and request a quote.
4. Tech Stack, Data Integrity, and Security
Before finalizing an agency, ask them about the different technologies they will use in the development process. You can research the latest tools, extensions, themes, etc., and compare them to what your agency provides. This is especially important if you have a Magento store and want to revamp it. In this instance, you’ll need a firm with experience with cutting-edge technologies that can provide immaculate support, seamless transitioning, and effective monitoring.
Trust is the core of any eCommerce business. Trusting an unknown agency to handle your eCommerce store can surely backfire. If you want to outsource your development activities to an agency, you should keep a few things in mind.
- Don’t provide access to everyone! Providing access to your store to everyone involved may create confusion, and ultimately, your store’s data might be misused. Use access restrictions to provide access to relevant personnel.
- You should ensure your intellectual property over your code gets transferred to you after the agency completes the project. It protects your code/technology from getting copied or stolen.
Some agencies may not include these clauses in their contract. Make sure you sign a Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with your agency before confirming the project.
5. Customer Support
Magento sites usually require constant monitoring and support. You need quality support from your agency to ensure your Magento store is in peak condition. An ideal agency should provide 24/7 customer support to its clients, especially post-deployment or during downtimes. Before finalizing an agency, ask them these questions:
- Do they provide 24/7 support?
- What is the medium of communication? Is it through video, text, email, or call?
- Do they have any limitations in their support process?
- Are they transparent in their communication?
6. Testing and Deployment Process
Let’s be honest. Your eCommerce success depends on these two processes. Testing and Deployment are the processes for which you pay the big bucks. So, you should ask your agency to walk you through the development process.
Apart from choosing certified developers for your deployment process, you should also ensure your preferred agency has quality testers. The testing process identifies bugs and issues in the development process so they’re fixed prior to the live website launch.
Agencies nowadays prefer to use Agile or Scrum methodology to execute their development processes. Avoid agencies that use outdated processes like the waterfall model. Before finalizing, inquire about the agency’s quality assurance processes.
During the deployment process, an agency’s responsibility is to keep the downtime to a minimum and ensure your customers aren’t affected by it. Maintenance and post-deployment ensure the flawless functioning of your Magento store. Pre-deployment and post-deployment support are equally important for improving your Magento store’s overall user experience and performance.
Final Thoughts
There we have it! These are the six critical points for evaluating a Magento agency. Keep these points in mind while selecting an agency for your development process. A great Magento agency will assist you in scaling your online business. It will provide you with functionalities tailored to your business goals. Aside from that, the Magento agency you select should assist you in improving user experience and, as a result, increasing sales.
Ideally, an agency should be asking you a lot of questions. This can be about your requirements, technologies to be used, budget, etc. Remember that you can’t enhance your store without determining your own business requirements. The key to a successful partnership with an agency is effective communication. The more you communicate with your agency, the better it is.
Agencies generally provide additional services along with development services. Apart from leveraging the development services of an agency, you can also utilize their additional services. This can include eCommerce optimization, consulting, or UX/UI operations. Working with the same agency in multiple departments ultimately increases efficiency and reduces costs.
You can contact our team if you are looking to hire a Magento agency. Humcommerce has 11 years of experience in handling various eCommerce projects from a diverse clientele. Take a look at our work through our case studies for various companies such as Bannershop, Batra Novelties, and many more. Are you ready to take your eCommerce game to the next level? Let’s talk.
