Magento Web Development Company: What To Consider

By: Nigel Ewart|LinkedIn Profile

Did you know that Australia’s eCommerce market value is currently valued at over $33 billion?

If you manage a small business that sells physical products, you know you can’t afford to work solely offline. And if you’ve spent any time researching eCommerce platforms, you know Magento is one of the strongest systems out there for online sales.

However, Magento is also incredibly complicated. You need an experienced web development professional to set up your store correctly. If you aren’t particularly tech-savvy or don’t have a lot of time, that means you need a development company.

But how can you recognise the right Magento web development company for your business?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, there are a few qualities you should look for in a development partner. In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to find in a great eCommerce development company.

From reputation to location, keep reading to learn everything you need to know.

Experience

When evaluating a Magento development company, a good place to start is the length of their Magento partnership and track record. If you can get a list of past or current clients from the company, that’s even better.

The longer a development company has been around, the more web development projects and challenges they’ll have experienced. While the length of time is not a perfect indicator of effectiveness, it’s at least a positive indication of quality. This is especially the case if their past clients have been extremely positive in their feedback.

Specialisation

It’s great to find a web partner that can do it all: website development, email marketing, content creation, etc.

But when you need an agency to build your store and keep it running, specialisation can be more valuable than generalisation.

Before you start looking for a development partner, you should make a list of all the individual services you need. Your Magento development partner doesn’t need to provide all of them, but it’s good to know what you need anyway.

When you begin your search, don’t be put off by companies that only offer a handful of services. This could be a good sign that they’re especially good at what they do. Remember that you need a partner that specialises in the eCommerce industry.

Reputation

If you find the best Magento company, you’ll know it because of what others say about them. It’s not enough just to find a company that’s been in business for a long time or even one that seems experienced in eCommerce. To be sure you can trust them, their past and current clients must have good things to say about them.

Besides looking over their list of references and clients, research online reviews and testimonials about them. If the feedback is positive, you’ll feel that much more confident about working with them.

SEO Proficiency

As we mentioned, it’s best if you can find a development company that specialises in web development for eCommerce businesses. General service companies are fine, but for optimal performance, specialisation is ideal.

One absolutely crucial part of web development is search engine optimisation. Although many business owners associate SEO with content creation, it plays a major role in website building as well.

As you research and interview your potential partners, pay special attention to their experience and knowledge with SEO. A well-optimised site can save you thousands of dollars in marketing over time.

Location

At first, it might seem like the geographic location of your development partner isn’t relevant. After all, with all collaboration taking place online, it’s not as if you’ll ever be working in the same room with them.

But you should choose an agency that shares your time zone, or one near it. This way you can contact them at a moment’s notice whenever necessary, without waiting hours for a reply.

Reliability

Good communication is key whenever you partner with another company or service. Hiring a development company isn’t like hiring a freelance writer or ad agency. They’re responsible for your entire online store, so having a reliable partner is necessary.

Make sure the company you partner with has a good track record of responding to messages from their clients. You can get a feel for how they work with people just by interacting with their sales representatives before signing up.

Support and Transparency

Transparency is important in any business relationship—it demonstrates that all partners involved are trustworthy. In addition to transparency, it’s integral that your development partner is there for you when you need technical support. They might be present and helpful during the sales phase, but a good company will be there for you after you’ve struck a deal together.

While you can get a feel for this, while you’re learning about their services and negotiating a deal, the best way to gauge their reliability is through testimonials. Find out from others whether they offer outstanding support or not.

Choosing a Magento Development Company

By now, you understand the critical role your development company will play in your business. You also know what elements to look for in a potential Magento development partner. But where should you go from here?

We suggest you start by considering our comprehensive development services here at Digital Outlook.

Our Magento eCommerce specialists will take your business far beyond the development stage, to profitability and beyond. Whether you’re a brand-new business or an established store looking for a new partner, check out our services page to learn more.