In today’s ecommerce landscape, agencies are under more pressure than ever to deliver fast, flexible, and high-performing online stores that meet the evolving needs of their retail clients. Falling behind on technology, delivery, or performance doesn’t just cost projects. It can cost your reputation.
Ecommerce now accounts for over 22% of total global retail sales, a figure projected to exceed 25% by 2028 (Statista, 2025). The online store is no longer just a channel. It’s the business. For agencies, that means your ability to plan, deliver, and maintain ecommerce stores efficiently is what sets you apart.
Here’s a four-step framework to help your agency lead in 2026.
Step 1: Choose the right platform
Getting the platform choice right is the single most important decision in any ecommerce project. It determines performance, flexibility, scalability, and ultimately, the client’s long-term satisfaction.
To aid you in this process, you can follow this four-stage approach: Ask, Assess, Advise, Execute.
Ask — Start with discovery. Identify what your client sells, who their customers are, their growth goals, pain points, and competitive advantages.
Assess — Audit their current setup, including platform limitations, SEO performance, and hosting infrastructure. Compare platforms not just on features but on total cost of ownership, licensing model, and scalability.
Advise — Use data to recommend solutions that fit both short-term goals and long-term growth. Avoid over-engineering; focus on ROI and agility.
Execute — Use repeatable frameworks and technical checklists to ensure builds are consistent and efficient across projects. Document every step. This will save time on future launches and maintenance.
Pro tip: Choose a platform that gives your agency creative control without restricting functionality or margin. With Aero, you own the relationship, the design, and the code, while we provide the speed and infrastructure.
Step 2: Deliver on time, and on budget
Agencies live and die by delivery. Late launches, overspending, and scope creep are still the top reasons ecommerce projects fail.
Here’s how to stay on track:
Define scope clearly. Before kick-off, agree on deliverables, integrations, and KPIs. Lock these into your project contract and use phased sign-offs to control changes.
Plan for dependencies. Content, photography, product data, and third-party integrations are the biggest bottlenecks. Flag them early and build realistic timelines.
Adopt agile frameworks. Break large builds into sprints with demo checkpoints. This keeps the client engaged and prevents surprises late in the process.
Communicate constantly. Weekly progress updates and milestone recaps maintain trust and reduce anxiety on both sides.
Pro tip: Use Aero’s rapid setup, lean architecture, and reusable components to shorten development cycles and protect your profit margins without compromising quality.
Step 3: Minimise maintenance and downtime
Once the site is live, your role shifts from builder to long-term partner. How you manage uptime, security, and updates will define your ongoing value.
To keep downtime to a minimum:
Choose modern infrastructure. Legacy systems often need frequent patches and manual updates. Platforms like Aero are built with a lean core, modular architecture, and minimal technical debt, reducing maintenance load.
Implement proactive monitoring. Use automated uptime tracking and performance alerts to catch issues before customers do.
Plan scheduled maintenance windows. Always communicate these in advance and schedule outside of trading peaks.
Document everything. Keep a shared changelog of site updates, integrations, and performance benchmarks.
Pro tip: Select platforms that provide your developers with direct access to documentation, source code, and expert support. Aero agencies receive one-to-one help from the engineers who built the platform. No ticket queues, no bottlenecks.
Step 4: Identify and implement improvements
Ongoing optimisation is where you turn a project into a partnership. Continuous improvements not only increase client ROI. They increase your recurring revenue.
Here’s how to approach it strategically:
Monitor key metrics monthly. Track conversion rates, site speed, abandoned carts, and top-selling categories. Use this data to propose measurable improvements.
Be proactive. Don’t wait for clients to request changes. Recommend new features, integrations, or design enhancements that drive performance.
Educate your clients. Help them understand how small improvements (e.g., performance optimisation or UX updates) can lead to measurable gains.
Stay current. Keep your agency ahead of ecommerce trends like AI-driven personalisation, composable commerce, and omnichannel selling.
Pro tip: Aero’s modular system and open codebase make it easy to add new features or integrations without disrupting existing performance, keeping stores agile and competitive.
The Aero approach: built for agencies
At Aero, we designed our platform to help agencies deliver ecommerce projects faster, more profitably, and with less friction.
We support our partner agencies through:
Dedicated training and documentation to shorten onboarding and upskill developers.
Direct technical support from the Aero team. No ticketing systems, no delays.
Transparent, fair licensing, payable only when a site goes live.
Agency enablement, from introductions and joint pitches to co-marketing opportunities.
With Aero, you can build fast, flexible, high-performing stores that grow with your clients, and your agency.
Ready to elevate your ecommerce projects?
Join a growing community of agencies building better online stores with Aero.
Book a demo today and see how Aero can help your agency deliver faster, smarter, and at scale.
