Our Ecommerce Cost Structure: Simple and Transparent

As a self-proclaimed “un-agency,” we take a very un-agency approach to our ecommerce cost structure: straightforward, upfront pricing. Our prices are based on the time and resources required to complete the task at hand.

Pure and simple. That’s it.

Typically, we find that most agencies will charge a flat rate for projects, which often leads to friction with clients because those clients don’t understand where the price comes from. And how could they?

It’s as though the agency waves their magic wand, says “abracadabra,” and pulls a price out of a hat. It’s magic!

While agencies certainly put a significant amount of effort into defining their pricing, clients are completely blind to the system.

In this article, we’ll go over the importance of upfront cost structures in ecommerce and pull back the veil to give you an unobstructed view of our practices at Metacake.

 

Upfront Cost Structure

We believe an upfront cost structure is crucial when hiring an ecommerce growth team. Let’s take a look at some reasons behind this belief:

• Transparency and Trust: By clearly defining costs, we help build trust with our clients. If you know exactly what you’re paying for, it reduces the risk of hidden fees or unexpected charges.
• Budget Management: This allows you to manage your budget more effectively. By understanding our costs upfront, you can allocate resources appropriately and avoid overspending.
• Value Assessment: Our upfront cost structure helps you assess the value of the services we provide. You can compare us to different agencies based on the pricing models and the services offered, ensuring you get the best value for your investment.
• Expectation Setting: This sets clear expectations for both parties. You know what services we provide and at what cost, which helps in measuring our performance against the agreed terms.
• Long-Term Planning: With our clear cost structure, you can plan for long-term marketing strategies and investments. This is particularly important in ecommerce, where ongoing marketing efforts are essential for sustained growth.
• Risk Mitigation: This reduces financial risks by preventing cost overruns and ensuring that all expenses are accounted for from the beginning.

Pulling Back the Veil

At Metacake, we structure our costs based on the resources required to complete your specific project. To accomplish this, we spend a great deal of time and effort accurately tracking our internal resources and project data.

We run analyses on past projects and use that data to create a pricing estimate for your project.

Whether it’s branding, web design, development, ecommerce, or a conversion-oriented marketing project, we can forecast what work is required and how long it’ll take.

We lay out exactly what’s included. We don’t just give you a figure based on our analysis; we outline exactly what you get, including:

• How many hours of work are required
• How many rounds of design feedback are needed
• How many unique layouts are included

For example, suppose you need a marketing website with three custom templates developed from scratch on WordPress. We know how many hours of design, project management, and development are required. We know how many weeks each phase will take.

This enables us to be upfront with our clients, set reasonable expectations from the start, and stay within the timeline we promised.

As a result, we can accurately project a price for you. No abracadabra. No magic tricks or pulling rabbits out of hats. Just a simple cost structure.

But don’t just take our word for it; see what some of our clients have to say.

Client Control

What if the price is out of your budget? No problem. You have complete control.

We disclose all the levers you can pull to alter the price and meet your specifications. Change the number of design cycles, custom templates, marketing budget, or channels, and the budget will adjust accordingly.

There is, however, one caveat: We understand our area of expertise, which is why brands prefer to partner with us over others. Therefore, we’ll continue to push hard for the path that we feel will provide the results you need.

We shoot straight. There’s no secret shroud covering our pricing.

In our experience, without transparency, clients and vendors always feel like they’re getting a bad deal — it’s a lose-lose situation. That’s not the case with us. Each element in our cost structure is clearly laid out, and if the price is too high, we simply ask, “What do you want to take out?” The client is always in control.

 

Simple Payment Terms

We provide simple, convenient payment terms. There are a majority of agencies that fail due to cash flow issues. So, we expect all payments to be made electronically at the beginning of each month of work.

We’re strict about this. If we’re to deliver on time, our clients must also deliver on time. We work hard to scope out the entire project accurately and deliver within the estimated timeline and budgeted hours, so we expect our clients to deliver as well, providing feedback, approval, and payments within the pre-agreed timeframes.

Ecommerce Cost Structure: Final Thoughts

The old adage “you get what you pay for” holds true in many parts of life, including hiring an ecommerce growth team. But with Metacake, you can view our cost structure up front!

We have an excellent team of specialists ready to work with you and take your ecommerce business to the next level. Reach out to us today to see what we can do!