Ecommerce Website - Generating Growth Analytically

[Displaycentreuk]

I am really struggling to fnd someone skilled in analysing the holistic persormance of an ecommerce website and advising/guiding our approach to increasing its profitability. I have spoken to a huge number of web designers/developers, SEO experts, PPC experts, analytics experts, backend/frontend devlopers etc etc and, of course, they are all focussed on a relatively narrow niche. I have also researched CRO experts, UX experts and Growth Hackers but have yet to find the sort of analytical approach that I am looking for.

As I have said to all of these people, if I were to employ you as my Ecommerce Manager and incentivised you very generously on the Gross Profit that the website secured for my business, what would you concentrate on. The answers have always been, of course, dependent on the 'silo' that the individual is most comfortable working on. Whereas I am looking for someone who is able to focus upon the whole picture. An Eccomerce Manager who JUST focussed on PPC without exploiting SEO, UX, CRO etc disciplines would be only doing a fraction of their job.

Am I fooling myself that people able (and willing!) to take such a holistic view are like 'unicorns'? Or perhaps there are so few and they are in such demand that they dont need to advertise.

Any recommendations/introductions would be gratefully accepted.

 

[fisicx]

There are very few individuals who have the range of skills you may require. Marketing covers such a wide range of activities that an agency is often a better option.

For example an SEO expert may only have a basic knowledge of PPC principles an no idea how to do SMM. Or you could have someone who can get you thousands of leads but not know how to convert.

Maybe it’s time to step back and get someone to analyse your business to determine what you need in order to grow.

Is this for your software?

 

[japancool]

As I have said to all of these people, if I were to employ you as my Ecommerce Manager and incentivised you very generously on the Gross Profit that the website secured for my business, what would you concentrate on.

That suggests a low or no basic, and a profit share. Perhaps the offer isn't attracting the kind of individual you are looking for.

 

[Fagin2021]

I am really struggling to fnd someone skilled in analysing the holistic persormance of an ecommerce website and advising/guiding our approach to increasing its profitability. I have spoken to a huge number of web designers/developers, SEO experts, PPC experts, analytics experts, backend/frontend devlopers etc etc and, of course, they are all focussed on a relatively narrow niche. I have also researched CRO experts, UX experts and Growth Hackers but have yet to find the sort of analytical approach that I am looking for.

As I have said to all of these people, if I were to employ you as my Ecommerce Manager and incentivised you very generously on the Gross Profit that the website secured for my business, what would you concentrate on. The answers have always been, of course, dependent on the 'silo' that the individual is most comfortable working on. Whereas I am looking for someone who is able to focus upon the whole picture. An Eccomerce Manager who JUST focussed on PPC without exploiting SEO, UX, CRO etc disciplines would be only doing a fraction of their job.

Am I fooling myself that people able (and willing!) to take such a holistic view are like 'unicorns'? Or perhaps there are so few and they are in such demand that they dont need to advertise.

Any recommendations/introductions would be gratefully accepted.

You've explained your problem well. What you are seeking is a polymath and what you're getting are specialists. To some extent you are inviting 'silo' responses by asking what they would 'concentrate' on. Specialist will inevitably default to their own speciality.

A decade or so ago it was possible to be a 'jack-of-all-trades'. Now, it's not - at least, not a good one. I'd agree with @fisicx that an agency is probably your best option. One with an experienced person who can take a holistic view of your business/marketing/website, identify the good and the not-so-good, then delegate work on each area to a specialist whilst maintaining overall project control.

A credible agency will perform the holistic analysis you seek, put together a project plan, set metrics for success and obtain your agreement to it before starting work on the detail.

Sounds like a job for @Paul Carmen.

 

[AlanJ1]

if I were to employ you as my Ecommerce Manager

This is what I am employed as in a large Ecommerce business and I am not a specialty in any of the fields you have mentioned. My role is to understand all of the above and to manage my in-house and external agencies that are doing these roles for us (as well as giving a hand where necessary).

As mentioned above, it is pretty much impossible to be a jack of all trades in this world now. It's just too advanced.

 

[Displaycentreuk]

That suggests a low or no basic, and a profit share. Perhaps the offer isn't attracting the kind of individual you are looking for.

Not offering a profit share - I am prepared to pay what it costs. I was just trying to illustrate the point that if I were an Ecomerce Manager with the chance to earn an unlimited bonus (which, as the business owner I guess I am!) then I would want to find the 'levers' that would make the biggest difference rather than jumping-on particular band-wagons.

 

[Displaycentreuk]

This is what I am employed as in a large Ecommerce business and I am not a specialty in any of the fields you have mentioned. My role is to understand all of the above and to manage my in-house and external agencies that are doing these roles for us (as well as giving a hand where necessary).

As mentioned above, it is pretty much impossible to be a jack of all trades in this world now. It's just too advanced.

I guess that someone able to do what you do must have the holistic (albeit top level) understanding that I am looking for in order to understand and implement the advice that the 'deeper elev' experts are giving you. So perhaps I need a 'switched-on' Ecommerce Manager rather than a less holistic, freelance, technical expert.

 

[AlanJ1]

I guess that someone able to do what you do must have the holistic (albeit top level) understanding that I am looking for in order to understand and implement the advice that the 'deeper elev' experts are giving you. So perhaps I need a 'switched-on' Ecommerce Manager rather than a less holistic, freelance, technical expert.

Yes & no.

I wouldn't have the time to implement SEO, PPC, Facebook Ads, Site Speed etc etc.

What I do want to know is exactly what is being done for each campaign and when it is going in and then we can monitor results.

 

[fisicx]

I guess that someone able to do what you do must have the holistic (albeit top level) understanding that I am looking for in order to understand and implement the advice that the 'deeper elev' experts are giving you. So perhaps I need a 'switched-on' Ecommerce Manager rather than a less holistic, freelance, technical expert.

No. What you need is to pay someone to analyse your business to come up with a marketing plan to identify who you need to employ to deliver on that plan.

Right now you don’t know what you need to do in order to sell your product. One you know which channels to focus on you can go find the right people.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

What @fisicx said.

you are on a journey and you do not know the best way o go. Get someone to give you an independent overview where you can decide on the route to take.

 

[antropy]

Am I fooling myself that people able (and willing!) to take such a holistic view are like 'unicorns'? Or perhaps there are so few and they are in such demand that they dont need to advertise.

Sounds to me like you need to find an agency who employs specialists in all the different areas. That's really one of the reasons companies exist - because one person can't do it all.

Paul.

 

[MRQ]

Marketing covers such a wide range of activities that an agency is often a better option.

This is something I've argued for a very long time. - The difficulty is finding an agency that is actually an agency... Which to be honest is a similar problem to the one you're already facing in finding an Ecommerce Manager.

Sounds to me like you need to find an agency who employs specialists in all the different areas.

...Or at least an agent/agency that can source and bring in (coordinate) appropriate specialists as and when they are required; keeping control and oversight of the wider operation. - What that agency will 'look like' is another matter... It may be a huge operation actually employing and equipping many specialists; or it may be a solitary expert who provides a very bespoke service through a network of independents.

What it's unlikely to be is one thing pretending to be the other or worse; one of those 'Martini' creatives who will pretend to be anything, anytime, anyplace for anybody; and promise they love you long time!

What you need is to pay someone to analyse your business to come up with a marketing plan to identify who you need to employ to deliver on that plan.

Quite so...

 

[Paul Carmen]

As has been articulated in the thread, that person is unlikely to exist with a deep knowledge of the broad set of skills you want. Even if they do, they are likely to run a business, or work for a company and command a very high salary, plus be almost impossible to recruit.

It also sounds like you don't know exactly what areas need to be focused on yet, or where best to spend your time/budget to get the most from it.

My background comes from retail and commercial roles, moving into data analysis/science and SEO/PPC/ecommerce for a large UK retailer. I had a team of people and 3rd party companies involved to do what you want (albeit on £100 million plus p.a. website turnover).

Most of the work was still based on research, analysis, data insights and testing, as even when using experienced experts, guesswork and gut hunch was wrong as often as it was right.

Since leaving that role over 10 years ago, I started my own agency. Whilst we are relatively small and focused on long term relationships and projects with loyal clients, the research/insights work and testing is the core of how we drive leads, sales and performance. We have web design, analysis, SEO, PPC and marketing/copywriting talent in house, but regularly use trusted 3rd party companies and freelancers on projects.

Many clients still cut corners or ignore data and advice to speed up projects, or go their own way on elements against the data science or market analysis. These projects or elements of projects often fail, as the HIPPO effect is a terrible way to run anything.

We'd not want to run your full ecommerce programme or entire website business, but we can carry out customer, market, SEO, PPC and usability/conversion analysis research. We can also run high ROI PPC programmes, website builds or conversion rate optimisation work, plus research and drive organic rankings and leads vis SEO programmes. We've even helped some clients with recruitment to fill key roles too.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in then please drop me a PM.

 

[AlanJ1]

This is something I've argued for a very long time. - The difficulty is finding an agency that is actually an agency... Which to be honest is a similar problem to the one you're already facing in finding an Ecommerce Manager.

This in a nutshell.

Which is why we have different agencies (and different in house staff) which have a specialized role.