When looking at partners, it’s important to first determine how you want to work with your agency partner. Are you looking for a systems integrator (SI) to direct and augment your team? Or are you looking for an experienced team to provide recommendations, best practice, and be a long-term guide on your commerce journey in building out your roadmap?
As someone that’s been on the client side and at multiple agencies, I want a partner that stands behind their work and can be a strategic consultant in an ever-changing industry. There is more value in mutually beneficial relationships vs. having an SI to build a site or project and be done.
If you do prefer an SI that specializes in building sites and leaving, ask yourself why. Would it concern you that they aren’t willing to support you or the code or integrations built? How do you know the quality of work that you’re receiving, especially if they won’t be around to maintain what was built?
There should be a trusting relationship with your agency partner. At CQL, we want you to be successful and work with us for years to come. We want to help you grow your business, support big ideas, and collaborate with your company long term. CQL spends days in discovery with each new client, discussing big ideas that can grow in multiple phases and span multiple years to deliver new business growth and unparalleled customer experiences.
Be sure to do your due diligence when looking for a new partner and check their references check references. It’s best to contact 2-4 references and ask about the type of work they do with the partner. Don’t hesitate to ask about things the reference likes and doesn’t like about the partner, from company turnover and processes to quality of work. If you want to talk to a specific reference, ask. It could be a red flag is an potential partner will not let you speak to a specific client.
A great strategic partnership holds both teams accountable, retains knowledge and history of decisions made, and creates efficiency gains in delivery. The vast majority of our clients have ongoing long-term support agreements, where we provide them with support across multiple disciplines including UX, design, development, and strategy. The longer we work together, the more cohesiveness there is between each team, reducing costs and timelines.
Ultimately, your vision and roadmap will take years; find a partner that cares about your business to learn, grow, and achieve together.
Are you ready for a strategic partnership with CQL? We’d love to hear from you!
