With the Internet surpassing the 4 billion user mark, online shopping has grown; statistics suggest Global e-commerce sales are expected to top $4.2 trillion USD in 2020 and reach more than $6.5 trillion by 2023. If you’ve chosen Magento as your e-commerce platform, you’ve just joined an enormous community of merchants in a bid to accomplish your online goals. Magento’s range of themes and customization options are ideal for building highly-capable and fully-functional online stores that meet the diverse needs of your business and your customers.
Why Do You Need a Magento Implementation Partner?
In order to remain competitive, businesses – no matter how small or big – must maximize current technologies and be ready to embrace upcoming trends. And they must do this cost effectively. One way to ensure this is by choosing a Magento implementation partner that has a dedicated, full-time team with the required experience and expertise. An implementation partner can offer:
Quality Solutions:
Since implementation partners have the required skill set, they are always in a position to provide instant assistance – in person, or through telephone conversations. This way you can quickly gain valuable information about options and solutions.
Quick Delivery:
An implementation partner is generally focused, and has a clear goal in mind which enables them to deliver results with speed. Since they have experience with similar implementations, they do not have a learning curve, and therefore are quick in their work and results.
Knowledge Base:
The number one reason an implementation partner is hired is because of the knowledge they possess. Get the help you need, ask questions, discuss strategies, and get all the assistance you need to achieve milestones. Leverage time-tested best practices, and improve the effectiveness of various efforts.
Skilled Labor:
In a competitive world, access to skilled labor is not only difficult, but also very expensive. Depending on your requirements, an implementation partner can offer the right set of skills to achieve your goals within the specified timeframe.
Change Control:
An implementation partner makes change management a breeze. By providing the right assistance at the right time, partners tend to be much more objective, adding value through expertise.
Choosing the Right Partner
Once you understand the importance of having an implementation partner, the next step is to find one that is right for your business. Here are some tips to get you started:
Have a Checklist in Place:
When you choose to have an implementation partner help build your Magento e-commerce store, it may be difficult to know which services to expect. Start by having a plan or wish list in place, and then set out to find a partner who can deliver it. Determine your needs, see what features you would want your online store to have, and then evaluate partners to see who can best help you implement them.
Identify and Choose the Right Type of Partner:
Choosing the right type of partner is key to getting the most of your Magento investment:
- If you want the partner to build and design your online store from scratch, go for a Magento solution partner that includes system integrators, web designers and e-commerce experts,
- If you’re looking at a lot of customizations of your online store, a Magento industry partner can help create the right store to meet your specific business objectives, and
- If you’re only looking to host your e-commerce store, a Magento hosted partner can do that for you on their dedicated or cloud servers.
Ask the Right Questions:
The best way to select the right Magento implementation partner is by asking the right questions. Uncover who the partner is, what kind of services they offer, and what is their standing in the industry. While it might be tempting to base your selection solely on the investment and pricing section of a proposal, make sure you are considering other important factors. Here are some questions you should ask:
- What is a typical timeline for a Magento Enterprise website design and development?
- How complex are your engagements?
- Do you have any references or success stories?
- What is your experience in providing similar services?
- What are your typical SLAs?
- Where is your development center located and how often can you provide resources for onsite visits?
- What types of quality assurance and testing do you perform?
Understand Their Business Process:
Developing a Magento e-commerce website is not just the job of a Magento programmer, but of an entire team with the right technical skills and knowledge of multi-channel business processes. Look for a design savvy implementation partner with deep business process knowledge across the length and breadth of your industry, and with experience of similar implementations.
Be future ready:
One common mistake companies make while implementing a Magento e-commerce website is to look at the immediate needs. Success of your online store is not just limited to having a functional website, but also to have back-end applications integrated in order to operate your multi-channel environment efficiently. Choose a partner who understands that your online store is only a component of your overall selling strategy; how well it fits into your environment is more important.
Hit the Jackpot
Choosing to implement a Magento e-commerce store is one of the best decisions you can ever make for your online business. Having said that, what’s crucial is selecting the right Magento implementation partner. The right Magento partner will not only customize the online store according to your needs, but also provide support, design, hosting, system integration, and more. Do your due diligence, have a plan in place, ask the right questions, and always look at the bigger picture – understand your drivers for your e-commerce store, and see how the right Magento implementation partner helps you hit the jackpot!
Learn more about the benefits your business receives by working with a skilled Magento implementation partner.
