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10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Your Next Ecommerce Partner

Written by Victoria Vansevicius | Jun 19, 2025 1:00:00 PM

Choosing an ecommerce partner isn’t just about capabilities. It’s about chemistry, clarity, and alignment. The wrong partner adds friction. The right one helps you move faster, grow smarter, and scale with confidence. 

Whether you’re expanding on Amazon, improving your DTC experience, or unlocking performance through content and data, these 10 questions will help you choose a partner who delivers real results—not just promises. 

 

  1. Do they understand your category?

Ecommerce moves differently in every vertical. Beauty, Sports, Food & Beverage—each category comes with its own set of strategic demands, from compliance and customer psychology to platform optimization and content structure. At HatchEcom, we’ve built deep expertise across Health & Wellness, Toys & Outdoors, Beauty, and more. Our cross-category perspective lets us adapt quickly and deliver results tailored to your industry. 

  1. Can they show you real results?

If there are no metrics, there’s no strategy. Look for tangible proof: revenue growth, CTR improvements, Amazon rank changes, and retention uplift. Ask to see what changed and why it worked. We don’t talk in hypotheticals. One client in Europe scaled their Amazon business from $150,000 to $1,000,000 in just six months—driven by a comprehensive, high-performance growth strategy designed and executed by our team at HatchEcom. 

  1. How do they work with your team—not just for it?

Agility comes from alignment. Do they integrate into your workflows? Collaborate in your tools? Speak your team’s language? Our team embeds fully—we operate inside your Slack, ClickUp, or Notion, and adopt your cadence from Day 1. 

  1. Do they use AI to accelerate (not replace) strategy?

AI is a tool, not a strategy. Ask how they’re using it to reduce time-to-launch, scale creative, and extract insights—without losing brand voice or nuance. HatchEcom develops custom AI solutions tailored to your business needs. We build systems that boost speed and performance while preserving the strategy and brand voice that sets you apart. 

  1. How do they prioritize testing and learning?

A/B testing isn’t optional—it’s foundational. You want a partner who doesn’t “set and forget,” but continually improves based on real data. Every creative or listing optimization at HatchEcom includes a test hypothesis, tracked performance, and clear next steps. 

  1. What happens in the first 30 days?

The first month should feel like acceleration, not onboarding fatigue. You deserve a structured plan. We begin with a deep onboarding process designed to fully integrate with your workflows, products, and internal dynamics. Our 30-60-90 roadmap outlines KPIs and ownership—but even in the first month, we’re already executing and delivering insights from day one. 

  1. Are they thinking beyond your current channel?

Growth rarely happens in silos. Even if your focus is Amazon, your partner should be mapping how performance connects across email, DTC, retail, and paid. At HatchEcom, we’re not just Amazon-first—we’re strategy-first. We connect Amazon growth to the health of your online store, your retention funnels, and your brand performance across every customer touchpoint. 

  1. Can they speak to your internal stakeholders?

You need a team that can align with founders and earn the trust of ops, brand, and marketing teams alike. But more importantly, one that integrates across your company—not as an external agent, but as an embedded partner. At HatchEcom, our way of working is fully integrated. We become part of your team, and that includes fluid, agreed-upon communication with all relevant stakeholders. Whether it’s the CEO or a supply chain analyst, we adapt to your structure and make sure strategy is clearly understood across the organization. 

  1. What happens when something goes wrong?

Every strategy has a learning curve. The difference is how your partner learns with you. We treat every project as a collaboration. We listen to your internal knowledge, integrate feedback loops, and ensure every adjustment is grounded in mutual understanding. You’re not left reacting—you’re involved, informed, and supported. 

  1. Do they care about your growth like it’s their own?

You’ll feel it in the language they use. In the speed they move. In the way they push you—and listen. We don’t operate on autopilot. Our model is designed to integrate deeply, challenge constructively, and build with the same care and urgency as your internal team. 

 

At HatchEcom, we believe choosing the right partner is about more than the process. It’s about shared ambition, real commitment, and willingness to grow together. 

Ask the hard questions. Your ecommerce business deserves a team that’s as invested in your future as you are. 

Let’s grow together – your vision, our expertise.