Ecommerce Intelligence

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and co-founder of an e-commerce startup. It's an online and e-commerce business specializing in firewood, barbecue charcoals, and accessories.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ecommerce Intelligence?

We had our own online shop, but we wanted to extend our business on Amazon. We recognized that we needed professional assistance in developing that space — I tried doing it myself and it was totally out of my depth, so we called in Ecommerce Intelligence.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Together with their team, we identify and list various products and see how the business expands. We keep the best-selling products every month and list new products to try to increase the average spend over time. We're constantly working on identifying products to sell, as well as making bundles and mixes.

I then leave them to decide how best to gain traction — they run some ads in the background and participate in Amazon’s Early Reviewer Program. We started from scratch, so we needed to do all that to break into it, especially because we’re in a very niche sector.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with Chris (Managing Director) and he oversees everything. I’ve also worked with some of the specialists on his team, namely Samantha (E-Commerce Executive) and Scott (Client Performance Lead).

How did you come to work with Ecommerce Intelligence?

I found them through a Google search. I was looking up Amazon consultants in my area and they were the first result, so I gave Chris a call.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend an average of £500 (approximately $700 USD) every month. It ranges from £200–£800 (approximately $300–$1,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and it’s ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Once we gained traction, it became easier to grow the business and I believe the outcome speaks for itself. Looking at the numbers, I’ve seen quite a significant change — since we started working with them, we've had an increase of £500,000 (approximately $695,000 USD) which is absolutely incredible.  

Being a seasonal business, we had an overwhelming amount of sales last winter and things went off the scales — we couldn't take any more orders because the courier for Amazon Prime physically couldn't collect any more sales. 

How did Ecommerce Intelligence perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management has been good. Ecommerce Intelligence’s professionalism, ability to get results, and consistency make them great to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by how they assist us in meeting our targets and our growth plans. We have big ambitions for Amazon and they’re exactly who we need to help us achieve those goals. We established the business just over 12 months ago, so we’re only starting — we want to double our Amazon sales in the next year, and I believe we can succeed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The whole experience has been just so positive that I can’t think of anything they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to understand the potential and the competition in the market that you’re entering. Some sectors are very competitive, but if you could leverage your position in your chosen sector and have somebody like Ecommerce Intelligence helping you, then you have this huge opportunity to grow beyond your knowledge.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Nature Kitchen Spice Merchant, and we sell spices, blends, and seasonings to the general public.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ecommerce Intelligence?

We hired Ecommerce Intelligence to help me with the Amazon side of the business, improve sales, and make my advertising space get the value for the money I'm spending.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are assisting me enormously in improving my sales and improving my credibility as a business on using their advanced knowledge of advertising and the Amazon platform. They build new pages to sell my products in a variety of ways to increase sales volume and average user spend.

What is the team composition?

I work with three different people and each of them has expertise in different aspects of the Amazon platform. One works with customer feedback and engagement, another works with new product and sales innovation, and the other works with localization to different countries.

How did you come to work with Ecommerce Intelligence?

I tried reaching out to other companies before, but they wanted a retainer so I had very little help. I actually plucked them off the internet through a Google advertisement. It seemed like the right day to give somebody a call and see if they can help. I spoke to the director and found him to be very modest, honorable, and polite — I felt that he was a good person to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested roughly around ￡2,500 ($3,400USD). Their expertise saved me money, so instead of asking me how much I spend, you should be asking how much I’ve been saving with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I approached them in October 2020 thinking I might just try it once before Christmas. However, I decided to carry on working with them throughout this year.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Before, I was spending way too much on advertising costs due to my lack of knowledge. However, since partnering with Chris (Managing Director), he managed to save me ￡20,000 in advertising costs. He really puts a lot of time and thought into what I’m doing, and he can clearly see that I'm not knowledgeable enough to take that role on.

The investment that I make in this company has given me far bigger rewards than I anticipated. I’m happy to keep working with them throughout the year on projects to expand my offers, and my ability to sell in different countries as well. Nobody had looked into the details behind negative keywords, the process of improving click rates, and the add-to-basket rates the way Ecommerce Intelligence has. 

How did Ecommerce Intelligence perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great with deadlines and whenever I have any questions, no matter how simple they may be, they’re really good at giving me a clear and precise answer. Their communication skills are positive, polite, and dynamic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their integrity. I’m happy I’m working with someone who is not just pressing buttons and processing a job. They listen, they understand my lack of knowledge, they work with me, and they bring me forward. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the moment, I couldn’t say that there is. My concern for them is that they’re so good at what they’re doing, that they’re likely to grow exponentially. My advice is for them to retain their integrity with their customers, because I’m absolutely sold on their services and abilities.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice to any customer going with them is they should be completely honest with their situation, and accept that they're talking to somebody who has the ability to make the changes required to hugely improve their sales. Give them the time, grace, and respect to get on and do that job. Remember to be patient because it’s a process that needs a little time to fall into place. It’s well worth the money and they will take your job to where it needs to be without creating too many complications.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a soft drinks startup based in London, with a small staff of three employees. We make four drinks designed to be mixed with alcohol.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ecommerce Intelligence?

We were initially going to sell to bars, restaurants, and clubs but the COVID-19 pandemic hit when we launched in March 2020. We had to pivot very quickly and sell directly to customers throughout 2020. 

I was aware that we should be visible on Amazon and I had a few tries to get it up and running but it was very frustrating, tricky, and time-consuming. I got in touch with Chris (Managing Director) from Ecommerce Intelligence to help us out.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ecommerce Intelligence has helped us sell on Amazon, setting up all our products, arranging FBA shipments, and constantly monitoring stock levels. Chris taught me how to do these things, which I’m now almost able to do myself. He puts out ads and conducts SEO, making sure that these efforts are performing well and that we’re not spending too much money. 

He also keeps an eye on product reviews, what is happening in the market, and what our competitors are doing. If there are new Amazon features that are worth our participation, he quickly lets me know. He also regularly tweaks our copy according to who we’re targeting. Overall, Ecommerce Intelligence has been helping our business grow by increasing our views organically.

What is the team composition?

I am working with Chris.

How did you come to work with Ecommerce Intelligence?

I found them through a web search. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £2,500–£3,000 (approximately $3,500–$4,200 USD) with them. There’s a lot more I could have saved because of my way of working, but I was very happy to give it to them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I got in touch with Chris around December 2019 and he still manages our ads and SEO efforts to this day.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our sales on Amazon went from zero to £5,000 (approximately $7,000 USD) in a month, which speaks for itself. We were very fortunate that our Amazon Store was selling very well and that we were able to keep ourselves growing throughout the pandemic. 

I thought we had to be on Amazon just for presence; I didn’t see us selling a great deal since I myself wouldn't buy tonic water or soft drinks on there. I was about to pack it up because it was so hard to do and seemed expensive to get up and running. Thanks to Chris, though, the process was made very easy and inexpensive.

How did Ecommerce Intelligence perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has always been incredibly easy with Ecommerce Intelligence. We never speak too much at the wrong time. We don’t have any scheduled meetings but Chris is always on the other end of the phone if I need help or if something comes up. We talk on an as-needed basis. 

They were involved in every aspect of the project from the very beginning, even now. Throughout the pandemic, he would work weekends if I needed him to. He’s been great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The highlight of the project is us being able to trust Ecommerce Intelligence to fully list all of our products on Amazon. They are also very nimble in making changes to our copy, really understanding the vibe that we want to portray without us having to spell it out. 

There are many times when it seems like a company understands us, but then, down the line, we realize that they actually don’t. It’s frustrating and time-consuming but Chris knows exactly what we're looking for. I’ve heard the same from people that he’s worked with in different fields.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s never been an issue or anything which I would criticize at all. If there is I will happily tell him and I think he would be very pleased to hear it. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should 100% go for it.