What comes to mind when you think "marketing consultant"?
Here at The Digital Perch ecommerce estate marketing agency, being a marketing consultant is another way of saying a "partner in business success" with a focus in marketing-related strategies.
If you're not ready to hire a ecommerce marketing agency on a monthly basis to take care of your marketing efforts, a ecommerce marketing consultant gives you the option to hire based on an hourly or project-based need.
But choosing a marketing consultant can be a daunting task — how do you choose?
Check out this list of things you should know and ask before hiring one.
Things to Determine Before Hiring an Ecommerce Marketing Consultant
Budget
The cost of hiring a marketing consultant can range greatly — from $75 per hour to $900 per hour. It depends on their level of experience, industry, and credentials (i.e. MBA).
So if you have a tighter budget, you may not want to aim for the top marketing consultants in the ecommerce industry or you'll be paying a pretty penny for every minute you chat.
But just because someone is offering a $75-150 hourly rate doesn't mean they aren't experienced. In fact, The Digital Perch offers ecommerce marketing consulting at $75 per hour and we have over 10 years of marketing experience.
While rates inevitably change over time for any consultant or agency, we are starting out on the lower end to be more accessible to the average ecommerce business who needs help with their marketing. Some consultants and agencies are only interested in catering to top clients with high budgets.
Needs
Before you chat with a consultant, you should probably figure out what it is exactly you need from a marketing consultant.
Do you just need someone to talk you through marketing decisions and give feedback on your existing marketing strategy? Do you need someone to work on specific marketing projects or tasks on an as-needed basis?
How many hours of work and/or strategy sessions do you anticipate needing help with according to your budget for each month?
Laying out your expectations for their services will also help them properly provide an accurate quote that you can consider.
Timeframe
Depending on your needs, this may not apply. However, if you plan on getting help on a specific project or task, it's important that the consultant knows the deadline so they can properly provide an accurate quote or expectations to complete it on time.
Communication
It's important to know your preferred style of communication in order to help you narrow down consultants that are the best fit for you.
For example, if you're constantly on the go and never have time to sit at a computer to get on a long Zoom meeting, you want to make sure the consultant has the flexibility to chat over the phone or FaceTime, and/or can schedule shorter meetings throughout the month to accommodate your busy schedule.
Letting them know your preferred method of meetings and general communication (i.e. text, email, phone, etc.) will help your consultant be the best partner they can be.
Specialty
Is it important to you that the marketing consultant specializes in ecommerce?
Specialized consultants tend to be the best route to go because they not only have the most relevant experience with your industry, but they also can more accurately guide you towards effective, strategic pathways to meet your goals.
Options
In your search for ecommerce marketing consultants, it's always best practice to contact around 3-5 different consultants to get quotes from and learn more about.
Sometimes you can gather all the info you need upfront from their website, which will help you narrow down your results to get quotes from. Other times, multiple options may appear the same at first glance, so you'll want to reach out to gather more info to help you make your decision.
The most important thing is to not just select one consultant based on a Google search or even a referral, but to always do your due diligence and reach out to at least a few options to ensure you choose the best fit for you.
Questions to Ask a Ecommerce Marketing Consultant Before Hiring
Marketing Experience
The more experience a marketing consultant has, the higher hourly cost they will usually be.
However, as mentioned previously, a marketing consultant with lower rates also doesn't mean they aren't experienced — i.e. The Digital Perch offers ecommerce marketing consulting at $75 per hour and we have over 10 years of marketing experience.
But it's always good practice to ask your marketing consultant about their background, experience, and specialty in the ecommerce industry.
Cost
As mentioned before, you'll want to give them all the accurate information and needs to your consultant so they can provide you with an appropriate quote.
Some consultants are a flat hourly rate, while some offer rates depending on the need — i.e. if it's a more difficult or even high-converting task, they may be more inclined to charge a higher price to accommodate the risk or reward for their services.
At The Digital Perch, we currently offer a flat $75 per hour fee, regardless which task or how many hours we offer ecommerce marketing consulting services.
USP
USP, or unique selling proposition, is a marketing term that means something that makes you stand out against the rest. So in terms of a ecommerce marketing consultant, it's always a good idea to ask them what makes them different than the rest.
In some cases, especially when you find multiple similar consultants that are in the same price rage, this could be the key factor that helps you choose one consultant over all the other prospects you have.
Resources
Another item that would be helpful to receive from a marketing consultant is to ask them if they have any materials about their business, their process, and their services. This will help you gather more information about who they are and what they do so you can make an informed decision.
If they don't have materials, simply asking them about these things should do the trick.
Process & Next Steps
Even though these may seem like tasks to discuss after you hire a consultant, asking about these two things is important to know before you hire someone on.
You'll want to understand the typically process of what it would look like to work with them, what you can expect with communication and meetings, and what some of the immediate next steps would be if you chose to move forward with them.
The more transparent your consultant is about what you can expect working with them the better.
Looking for an ecommerce consultant?
From strategic brainstorming to efficient work flow processes and everything in between to help your business grow to the next level, we're here to help.
We not only have over 10 years of digital marketing experience, but we also have 10 years of tangible, effective expertise helping brands improve their operations inside-out.
We're a detail-oriented idea machine, ready to help you grind out the nitty gritty details of your real estate business so you can become a marketing mastermind, top-producer or even real estate powerhouse.