5 Critical AI Questions Every eCommerce CEO Should Ask Their Agency in 2025

If your eCommerce agency talks about AI without answering these five questions, you might be paying for hype instead of results.

Artificial Intelligence has quickly moved from “an interesting experiment” to a critical advantage for online retailers. But with every software company adding “AI-powered” to their pitch, it’s harder than ever to separate the agencies that can actually implement AI from those simply riding the wave.

In this guide, we share the top five questions that eCommerce executives can ask their agencies to cut through the noise, spot real AI expertise, and ensure every investment drives measurable value.

Why This Matters for eCommerce CEOs

In 2025, AI is shaping every part of online commerce: from personalized search to automated merchandising to predictive inventory planning.

But here’s the challenge:

Most “AI strategies” are built on trendy tools rather than business outcomes.
Many agencies lack a clear plan for securing client data when using AI.
Without the right data collection now, your business won’t be ready for AI-driven opportunities later.

By asking the right questions, you can reveal whether your agency understands AI deeply enough to protect your investment, accelerate your growth, and keep you competitive.

The 5 AI Questions to Ask Your Agency

1. What are the immediate opportunities to implement AI on our website?

2. How will we measure the value of AI compared with its costs?

3. What data are we collecting to prepare for future AI investments?

4. How is your team leveraging AI to give us more value?

5. What are your policies for using AI on our data and code base?

Question 1: What are the immediate opportunities to implement AI on our website?

Your agency should be able to point to specific, high-impact opportunities relevant to your platform (Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce).

If their list only includes low-value items like basic product description generation, dig deeper. Ask them to identify AI uses that:

Improve personalization
Streamline operations
Directly influence conversion rates

Follow-up to ask: Is AI the most efficient solution for this, or would a traditional software approach be better? This helps you avoid wasting time and money when a simpler method could achieve the same result faster.

Question 2: How will we measure the value of AI compared with its costs?

AI adoption is not “free” — even subsidized tools have development, integration, and maintenance costs.

Your agency should help you:

Define clear ROI metrics (conversion lift, revenue per visitor, time saved)
Calculate total cost of ownership
Prioritize initiatives that deliver measurable, sustained benefits

If they cannot show you how AI will pay for itself, you are likely funding experiments rather than results.

Question 3: What data are we collecting to prepare for future AI investments?

Without the right data today, your most valuable AI opportunities tomorrow will be impossible to execute.

Too often, companies rely on Google Analytics or Hotjar alone. While useful, these tools do not capture the granular customer behavior and interaction data AI models need to be effective.

Start implementing data capture systems now that:

Ethically collect actionable customer information
Provide long-term strategic value
Integrate cleanly with future AI applications

At SwiftOtter, we help clients deploy these systems early so they’re ready to capitalize when the right AI opportunity arrives.

Question 4: How is your team leveraging AI to give us more value?

AI should not be reserved for client projects — your agency should be using it internally to deliver work faster and more efficiently.

Look for answers like:

“Our developers use AI-assisted coding tools to reduce build time by 20%”
“We use AI-based QA to catch more errors before launch”
“Our designers leverage AI to rapidly generate and test creative variations”

If your agency’s team isn’t using AI in their own work, they may not have the depth of experience needed to deliver AI solutions for you.

Question 5: What are your policies for using AI on our data and code base?

This is a security and compliance issue, not just a technical one.

You need to know:

Which AI tools they use, and whether those tools retain or reuse your data
How they prevent sensitive data from being exposed to public AI models
Whether they have formal policies in place

SwiftOtter, for example, achieved SOC 2 Type 1 certification and built a formal AI Acceptable Use Policy to ensure all AI work meets strict security and compliance standards.

If their answer is simply “We’re careful,” that’s a red flag.

When you put all five of these questions together, you create a simple but powerful framework for evaluating any agency’s true AI capabilities.

The answers will reveal whether they see AI as a shiny object or as a practical tool for improving your store’s performance. You’ll learn if they can spot quick wins, prove long-term value, prepare you for the next wave of innovation, work smarter with AI in their own processes, and protect the data and code your business depends on. The agencies that can answer with clarity and real examples are the ones that will help you navigate this rapidly changing space and turn AI from an industry buzzword into a driver of growth for your eCommerce business.

For a deeper dive into each of these questions, watch the full video here.

You can tell by asking for specific, recent examples of AI they’ve implemented — both for clients and internally. A capable agency should be able to explain what the AI does, how it improved results, and why it was chosen over other solutions. Look for measurable outcomes like increased conversion rates, faster site updates, or improved personalization.

Ready to use AI to grow your eCommerce store?

Let’s talk about how to turn these five questions into a practical, revenue-focused AI plan that boosts revenue, streamlines operations, and keeps your data secure.