A Guide to eCommerce Consultants in the UK

The mass adaptation to eCommerce has significantly changed the working principles of businesses, not just in the UK but globally. As eCommerce continuously becomes normalised, it has become an integral part of commerce, especially with projected sales expected to reach £106.6 billion in 2023, according to Statista. 

There’s no doubt that eCommerce is viable and profitable, but as the market grows, so does the competition. The eCommerce market, regardless of niche, is so fierce that only about 10 to 20 per cent of online businesses succeed on average. Studies show that most fail within the first 120 days. With these numbers, there’s great demand for professional guidance and expertise in navigating the ever-dynamic eCommerce landscape. This is where eCommerce consultants come in. 

Ecommerce consultants are skilled professionals or third-party experts that online businesses can hire to improve their eCommerce performance. As more businesses experience losses or growth plateaus, largely attributed to supply chain issues, having a team of experienced consultants in your specific niche and field is necessary. 

However, with several hundred eCommerce consultants in the UK – or individuals masquerading as eCommerce consultants – finding legitimate professionals to help your business overcome its growth challenges can be challenging, especially when you don’t know what pointers to look out for. With Bezos’s guide to eCommerce consultants in the UK, you will know the identifiable traits of the best eCommerce consultants in the UK. 

But first, let’s glance at Bezos’ offerings

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Partnering with Bezos for eCommerce fulfilment

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If an eCommerce consultant is the gun, then a fulfilment provider is the bullet. Both work together to reach the business’ target. 

Bezos ensures prompt and accurate order fulfilment each time. We’re AI-enabled, growth centred, and dedicated. Bezos has an extensive fulfilment network spanning 17 countries, which makes global fulfilment possible for your eCommerce business. We handle everything from inventory reception to returns solutions, and with our Seller Portal, businesses can have full visibility and remote control of every logistics stage. 

Now you have a quick look at Bezos’ offerings, we can discuss pointers for choosing an eCommerce consultant. 

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Choosing an eCommerce Consultant

A 2021 Statista study revealed that eCommerce accounted for about 19% of retail sales worldwide. While incredibly viable, the competition and rapid advancement of eCommerce technologies, not to mention the growing demand for excellent customer experience, bottlenecks certain eCommerce companies from riding this growth wave. So, who do such businesses turn to? An eCommerce consultant.

What does an eCommerce consultant do?

An eCommerce consultant, as the name implies, could be an individual, team or company highly skilled in eCommerce’s intricacies and its online selling experience. Such a person is referred to as a specialist and has a demonstrated portfolio of building an online business that sells physical products from the ground up. 

Why you need an eCommerce consultant

Hiring an eCommerce consultant may sound like a great investment in the long run, but how do you know you need their services? How do you know your eCommerce business could greatly benefit from an eCommerce consultant? Well, you should hire an eCommerce consultant in the UK if your business needs the following:

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1. An unbiased assessment

Business owners are so engrossed with their daily operations that they don’t typically look inward or outside the box. This tunnel-vision approach can instigate a domino effect of missed opportunities and financial losses. In this case, eCommerce consultants come with fresh perspectives and give you unbiased insights into the opportunities you were previously oblivious to. These specialists assess and audit your business’ infrastructure and find the low-hanging fruits that will generate profit while solving existing problems. 

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2. More free time

In business, delegating or outsourcing responsibilities helps you focus on more important activities for core business growth. In the same vein, recruiting an eCommerce specialist to optimise your conversion rates and perform other tasks will free up valuable time you can devote to other tasks within your speciality. 

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3. More savings

Hiring an eCommerce consultant will keep your business afloat and help you earn and save more money. This is because everything involved with recruiting an eCommerce specialist to consult for your business costs relatively less and takes up fewer resources than hiring, onboarding, training, and paying a full-time employee, which isn’t the sustainable route for a short-term project. Such consultants also don’t have the overhead and can perform several jobs for your business. 

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4. New customers

Growing a customer base is one significant reason brands hire UK eCommerce consultants. Exploring new markets can be difficult, especially with the uniqueness of each market. With a fresh perspective, the eCommerce consultant can churn out new ideas and appropriate strategies to make your brand appealing to the intended audience. To determine the best approach, the consultant will audit your marketing channels and offer tailored solutions to achieve the intended goals. 

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5. Conversion rate optimisation

As an eCommerce business, the goal is to get customers to purchase from your online store, and optimising said store’s conversion rate is one way to do that. The eCommerce consultant performs conversion rate optimisation, which involves optimising your store’s or website’s user experience (UX). 

No one wants to deal with friction, faulty cursors or sites that aren’t easily navigable. These qualities tank one’s user experience rating, increase bounce rate and cart abandonment, and flatline purchases. Your recruited UK eCommerce consultant can review your online store’s UX, identify areas that need conversion optimisation, and offer sustainable solutions like 1-click checkouts or live chat. 

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6. Product optimisation

Your online business needs an eCommerce consultant if you need help with your product. From identifying new opportunities for your product to its development and strategy, an eCommerce specialist can help analyse your product ideas, conduct market research and give you unbiased feedback on which product’s development to pursue and which to leave in the bin. Product optimisation for these consultants also includes a deep dive into your store’s pricing strategies to determine if your products are too high or low. Thus, they’ll help you find the sweet spot between profitability and affordability with your pricing. 

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7. Ecommerce search optimisation

Any eCommerce consultant worth his penny can help your online store rank on search engines like Google. Ecommerce SEO involves everything from using keyword-optimised descriptions on product pages to obtaining backlinks from relevant websites. The goal is to get more eyes on your business, website and products organically. Ecommerce SEO is very important because while marketing strategies like paid ads can get you the traffic your online store needs, the results aren’t sustainable – as opposed to SEO which continuously yields passive leads and traffic. 

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The UK’s best eCommerce consultants

Now you know the impact a great eCommerce consulting firm can create for your online business, we can help you choose the best ones on the market. These consulting firms have satisfied all the necessary criteria, like niche experience, and have been deemed the UK’s best. Also, choosing a consultant whose business model is more tailored to your business’s unique needs is important. 

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the UK’s finest eCommerce consulting companies; 

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1. Pulse Commerce

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Pulse Commerce is an order and inventory management company specialising in transforming traditional businesses into successful online enterprises. This company’s eCommerce offering includes eCommerce strategy development, customer experience improvement, SEO and data analytics. They operate on a project-based model, providing customised solutions for each client. Although a little pricey, their insightful approach helps businesses grow organically. 

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2. Red Ant

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Red Ant is an omnichannel clienteling platform that helps online retailers engage, transact and elevate. As an eCommerce consultant, Red Ant offers comprehensive services on smart retail solutions. They also specialise in UI/UX optimisation and AI-driven predictive analytics. Red Ant operates on a retainer-based model, which assures continued support and services for your online store. However, their technology-oriented approach may not suit businesses looking for more traditional, hands-on consultancy.

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3. Wunderman Thompson Commerce

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Wunderman Thompson, previously called Salmon, is an eCommerce consulting agency. This consultancy offers a unique blend of technology and strategy as it helps brands improve their commerce capabilities across diverse digital channels. Wunderman Thompson is known for its comprehensive service portfolio, including eCommerce strategy, platform implementation, customer journey analysis and digital marketing. These specialists are also experienced in implementing and optimising large-scale eCommerce platforms like Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Hybris. 

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4. Practicology

Practicology is a strategic eCommerce and multichannel consultancy that stands out for its international services. Founded in 2009, this eCommerce consultancy offers comprehensive strategies for online growth, including market research, customer insight, digital marketing and eCommerce technology solutions. With an extensive client base featuring multinational companies like Nike, Pandora, Skechers, etc., Practicology offers eCommerce retailers strategic advice and practical support through digital development. This consultancy uses a project-based model, giving clients a clear roadmap. However, online SMEs might find the company’s broad approach overwhelming and expensive. 

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5. Tryzens

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As one of the UK’s leading international digital commerce consultancies, Tryzens has made a name for itself as a specialist in eCommerce trading enhancement. This company deploys a customer-centric, holistic approach to understanding and growing businesses while offering solutions like predictive analytics, personalisation, customer journey optimisation and cross-channel commerce strategy. Tryzens’ consultancy is based on a retainer model, and while Tryzens excels in trading optimisation, the company might not be ideal for eCommerce brands seeking extensive technological implementation.

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6. Genie and the Geek

Incorporated in 2012, this eCommerce management consultancy focuses on online marketplace mastery, especially on platforms like Amazon and eBay. Their services include product listing, inventory management, SEO and PPC. Genie and the Geek deploys a success-based model that can entice businesses looking for result-oriented consultants. However, they are not as versatile as other consultancies on the list. This lack of versatility stems from the platforms they don’t serve. Genie and the Geek primarily cater to businesses on platforms like Amazon and eBay, which might not appeal to businesses seeking a broader eCommerce strategy.

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7. Space 48

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Space 48 is a leading eCommerce consultancy that creates high-performing, customer-centric experiences. With an international presence, this consultancy offers services like customer experience strategy, performance marketing and eCommerce platforming. With a client base featuring brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Menkind, etc., Space 48 employs a retainer model that ensures ongoing support and relationship building. However, because this eCommerce consultancy brand primarily focuses on customer experience (CX), the scope of its offerings is somewhat limited, especially for businesses needing comprehensive technical solutions.

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8. A Group Consulting

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A Group Consulting is an eCommerce consulting firm that specialises in the operational performance enhancement of online businesses. This firm has expertise across many areas of eCommerce consulting, including customer service processes, HR, growth marketing and operational efficiency. A Group Consulting provides a holistic approach to eCommerce growth hacking, and it’s best for brands that want robust consulting across diverse business aspects. Hence, brands that want consulting on a specific area might not benefit as much from A Group Consulting. From eCommerce SEO to legal consulting and much more, A Group Consulting has it covered. 

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Before hiring an eCommerce consultant

Conducting organisational introspection before signing the dotted line is necessary to get the most out of your chosen UK eCommerce consultant. This involves: 

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• Understanding your company’s goals and identifying its needs.
• Setting out the potential consultant’s workload and role.
• Allocating a budget for the consultant.

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Because an eCommerce consultant aims to help your business succeed, you’ll also need to narrow your search to consultants that work with your specific business type and niche. This way, you can get services and solutions tailored to your company’s dynamic. Also, to ensure you hire the best eCommerce consultant, you’ll need to vet and evaluate their experience, review their portfolio, study their testimonials and ultimately, get to know them and, by so doing, determine if they’ll be a good fit for your eCommerce business. 

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The way forward

Ecommerce consultants and consulting firms create significant impact for online businesses in the form of leads, profit and, ultimately, success. The United Kingdom is filled with reputable, high-performing eCommerce consultants and consulting agencies, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Hence, choosing a consultant can be difficult. 

While we’ve highlighted eight of the UK’s best eCommerce consultants, digital businesses must evaluate their corporate goals and budget while considering their desired platform if they hope to find the best fit. This is because only with the right consulting partnership will eCommerce businesses successfully navigate the intricate tapestries of eCommerce. 

However, even the best eCommerce consultants in the UK can’t help a business that’s falling short in its logistics operations. This is where a seasoned fulfilment provider like Bezos comes in. We’re AI-enabled, resilient, and have the resources to scale your eCommerce business in multiple countries. 

‍Speak to our experts to get started!