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Originally Posted On: Does Your Marketing Agency Speak Netsuite? – LeapGo

If your business is running on NetSuite, you understand what a large portion of work gets done there.  You know the value of NetSuite increases with the more data that’s flowing.  Whether you’re new to NetSuite or have been using it for years, I’ll guarantee you’ve made customizations, have some favorite saved searches you’ve crafted, and are working in the system daily.  So why, then, do marketing agencies get a pass when it comes to your ERP software?  Especially one that’s so ingrained (or should be) in all aspects of your business and helps drive key decisions on a daily basis. Today, I’m talking about the importance of having your marketing agency partner understand NetSuite.

Why is it important to have a marketing agency that understands Netsuite?

First, let me make a clarification. I’m not saying your agency needs to have a NetSuite admin on staff.  I’m also not saying they need to be diving into your tax setup or ship junction integration.  But I’m saying they need to be aware that these things exist and understand how it’s all connected.  No matter how new your may be to NetSuite, chances are you’ve already done something that seemed minimal or innocent, just to find out something “broke” inside NetSuite.  And, depending on how deep into NetSuite you are, things like campaigns, customer data and campaign spend should all flow into NetSuite.  Again, not saying your marketing agency needs to facilitate this functionality but the understanding must be there.  Calculating KPI’s such as customer lifetime value and even true margins can only be done with clear visibility of all costs, metrics and data. Having an agency that understands the connections and can speak to you about SuiteApps, saved searches and other NetSuite’isms will save you loads of time and money. Skip the repetitive “I know that’s how you normally do it but in NetSuite…” comments!

What if I just need Suitecommerce SEO & Marketing?

“It’s just another ecommerce platform, they’re all the same to me”. That’s what a fellow marketer said to me once over coffee, before I shrieked and ran out of the coffee shop. Ok, I didn’t do that, but I wanted to.  I spent 3 years on the “client side”, owning over a dozen SuiteCommerce sites. (A few SCA sites and 8 SuiteCommerce Standard sites).  It was so interesting to me being on the agency side for 17 years, then being on the client side. I also made a similar comment before being pulled into the depths of Netsuite and SuiteCommerce. “Oh, this will be easy”, I said. “I’ve developed hundreds of ecommerce sites and done marketing for about every platform out there”.  And while it’s true that the fundamentals were there, I was surprised at how different everything in the Netsuite ecosystem was.  Just simple things like understand what you can and can’t do in Website Setup and Configuration. Beyond that, all the little intricacies in the various version like Elbrus, Mont Blanc, Elbrus, etc.  These things really matter because at least have of your SEO is going to take place on your website.  If you agency doesn’t know what can and can’t be implemented, how to work with a Single Page Application, and how even small changes can have ripple effects all the way to the back office, you’re not going to have a very positive experience.

What to ask your marketing agency to ensure success

Ha! Trick question!  Sure, you can ask “have you ever worked with a SuiteCommerce site before?”.  But really, making sure an agency asks you the right questions is the critical piece.  Again, I’m not saying your agency or freelancer needs to be a “SuiteCommerce expert”.  But having exposure to the platform, and ideally, NetSuite as a whole is critical to success. That said, a few questions you can ask to vet the agency are:

• Can you tell me about the members of your team that have SuiteCommerce experience and their roles on my account.
• Which release(s) of SuiteCommerce have you worked with?
• When website updates need to be made, who will be responsible?

I would certainly never claim to be a NetSuite expert, but I know enough to assure you that direct experience with the platform has given me a huge advantage over any marketer that’s never used it.  Avoid the headaches, downtime and wasted money that comes with someone learning the platform on the fly.

If you’re in need of SuiteCommerce SEO, (light) development & customization work or any digital marketing tactic that involves an SCA or SC site, please contact me today. Let’s chat about your goals, your tech stack and whether or not I can help.