I work at an agency, so you can discount what follows by however much you like. But I'd rather you ask good questions of every agency on your list, us included, than pick one on a nice deck and a confident first call.
Hiring an ecommerce agency is a weird purchase. You're buying months of work you can't see yet, from people you've met twice, and the scope, timelines and budgets can shift as requirements become clearer. The pitch process is designed to make everybody look good. Here are questions that cut through it.
How will you staff my project?
The people pitching your project aren't necessarily the ones who will build it, and that's not automatically a red flag. Staffing depends on timing, availability and the skills the project requires. What matters is how the agency assembles its team. Ask which roles your project needs, how specialists are selected, who will be accountable for delivery and when you'll meet the people doing the work. A good agency should be able to explain its staffing process, even if it can't give you every name before you sign.
Have you handled a project with similar complexity?
Ask for examples of projects similar to yours in size, platform and technical complexity. Don't worry too much about whether they're in your industry. An agency that's handled complex integrations for a fashion retailer may be better suited to your needs than one that's built a basic storefront for a competitor. Ask what challenges came up and how they dealt with them.
What do you recommend I not do?
A good agency says no sometimes. They'll tell you the feature you're excited about isn't worth the cost, or that you don't need a full replatform, or that your current platform is fine and the problem is somewhere else. If every answer is "yes, we can do that," be careful.
What happens after launch?
Launch day is the start of a long list of small fixes. Ask what support looks like, how fast they respond, who you call, and what it costs. Find out whether the team that built it stays on it or whether you get handed to someone new.
How do you handle changes?
Scope shifts on nearly every project. A stakeholder remembers a requirement, a vendor changes an API, a priority moves. Ask how that gets handled, in practice. Who decides whether a change is in scope? How do you find out what it costs, and when? Fixed-fee and hourly work both can be fine. What matters is that you know the rules before the first disagreement.
How will we know it's working?
If the answer is "the site will look great," push further. You want to hear about conversion, order value, speed, search traffic, support tickets, whatever fits your goal. Agree on a few numbers up front, and ask how they'll be measured and by whom.
Where do you use AI, and where DON’T you?
Everyone is using AI to build faster now. That's fine and often good. Ask where, and who reviews it. A team that can explain its process in plain terms is more trustworthy than one that waves the question away.
What do you need from us?
Projects stall when the client can't get content, approvals or access to systems on time. Ask what the agency needs from you and when. A realistic answer here usually means a realistic timeline.
Can I talk to a client who had a problem?
Anyone can supply a happy reference. Ask for one where something went sideways and see how the agency responds. A good one will pick someone willing to say the team stayed calm, owned the issue and fixed it.
How I'd use this
Put these questions in front of every agency you're considering, in writing, and compare the answers side by side. Notice who's specific and who's smooth. Notice who tells you something you didn't want to hear, because that person is often the one you want building your site.
We'd welcome the same test. If you're looking at agencies for a Shopify Plus or Salesforce Commerce Cloud project, send us your list and see how we answer.