A Research Checklist for Qualifying E-commerce Brands
Qualifying e-commerce brands takes more than checking company size or revenue.
The real qualification comes from understanding their visual workload, production bottlenecks, and content complexity.
If you can spot these in under two minutes, you can decide whether the brand is worth contacting — and how to position the message.
Here is a streamlined checklist used by high performing outbound teams.
1. How many SKUs does the brand manage
SKU count reveals workload, cost, and visual demand.
High intent signals
• many colour or material variants
• configurable products
• seasonal rotations
• category pages with endless scroll
Why it matters
High SKU brands struggle the most with consistent, fast asset creation.
2. How frequently do they update visuals
Look at how often pages, banners, and collections change.
Signs of rapid refresh
• weekly homepage updates
• frequent “new arrivals”
• active promotional campaigns
• seasonal reorganisations
Outbound insight
Frequent change = high production pressure.
3. Are visuals consistent across pages
This is one of the most reliable qualification signals.
Check for
• mismatched shadows
• inconsistent backgrounds
• different lighting styles
• alternate cropping
Why it matters
Inconsistency often means they rely on multiple vendors or outdated workflows.
4. How complex are the products visually
Different categories require different production capabilities.
Low complexity
• clothing basics
• small accessories
Medium complexity
• cosmetics
• lifestyle items
High complexity
• furniture
• electronics
• tools
• decor
• luxury goods
Why it matters
The more complex the product, the harder and costlier the visuals — and the more they benefit from better workflows.
5. Do they rely heavily on lifestyle shoots
Lifestyle content is expensive and slow to update.
Look for
• styled room scenes
• model based photography
• studio sets
• location shoots
Outbound angle
Brands with heavy lifestyle content often overspend on production — and are the easiest to help.
6. Are their product pages missing angles or variants
This is a direct indicator of production bottlenecks.
Signs
• only 1 to 3 images per product
• no 360 view
• missing variants
• inconsistent angles across similar SKUs
This always points to workflow inefficiency.
7. Do they launch frequent collections
Common in fashion, decor, and lifestyle.
Signals
• weekly collections
• capsule drops
• micro seasons
• themed releases
Why it matters
Fast drop cycles crush traditional production workflows.
8. Are there customer complaints about visuals
Customers reveal visual quality issues better than any research tool.
Look for
• colour mismatch reviews
• “not as pictured” comments
• dimension confusion
• unclear material representation
If buyers are confused, the brand is losing money.
9. Can you identify decision making influence
Before contacting a brand, check whether they have clear roles such as:
• Head of Visual Production
• Creative Director
• E-commerce Lead
• Studio Manager
• Brand Manager
If these roles exist, outbound becomes easier and more predictable.
The fast qualification score
Give 1 point per signal you find.
1 to 3 points
Low priority lead
4 to 6 points
Moderate potential
7 to 9 points
High intent brand — message them immediately
