E-Commerce Accelerator

Business Mentoring Service

The E-Commerce Accelerator (ECA) is a technical assistance and business mentoring program that helps small businesses in rural Utah grow through online sales. The program supports agricultural and rural businesses as they strengthen their e-commerce strategies and navigate a changing digital economy through guided support focused on long-term growth.

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The ECA is a program of the Center for Rural Economic Development & Emerging Technologies (CREDET). Learn more about CREDET and its work supporting rural communities at extension.usu.edu/credet.

What is the ECA?

The ECA Mentoring Service is a comprehensive six-week technical assistance program that includes individual meetings with business consultants and tailored support to help small businesses build, improve, or expand their e-commerce presence.

Technical assistance may include guidance on website development, online marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and performance monitoring. Participants are actively involved in the process, work alongside consultants, and apply what they learn throughout the program.

This six-week technical assistance program gives you access to professional business consultants and milestone-based guidance to help you prepare for and launch you business into e-commerce.

Participation in the ECA is based on business readiness, timing, and alignment with program goals. The program works best for businesses that are ready to engage, make decisions, and apply guidance during the program period.

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E-Commerce Accelerator Impact

Completed Websites

$1.18M

New Revenue Generated

Websites in Progress

12+

Website Consults

Success Stories

Businesses that participated in the E-Commerce Accelerator represent a range of industries and rural communities across Utah, including agricultural producers, makers, retailers, and service-based businesses. These examples reflect the variety of businesses ECA has supported through technical assistance.

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Service Information

This service has been fully funded by the Utah Legislature as a three-year pilot beginning July 1, 2023. The E-Commerce Accelerator technical assistance and mentoring services are provided at no cost to selected rural Utah businesses.

Additional Costs to Consider
While the E-Commerce Accelerator technical assistance and mentoring services are provided at no cost, operating an e-commerce business does involve ongoing expenses.

Participants should expect costs such as website hosting, domain registration, payment processing fees, and optional tools and serviced used to support online sales. These costs vary depending on the platform and tools selected.

The E-Commerce Accelerator is a guided technical assistance program designed to support rural and agricultural businesses that are ready to actively engage in building or improving their e-commerce presence. Participation timing varies based on readiness and program scheduling.

Businesses interested in participating can begin by completing an application to determine readiness and next steps. This program accepts two to three new businesses per month. Complete an application to get started!

To participate successfully in the E-Commerce Accelerator, businesses should be prepared to:

Commit time each week to meetings and preparation (approximately 3 hours per week).
Participate in virtual sessions using Zoom.
Gather business information and basic content.
Make decisions about products, prices, and goals.

Businesses at earlier stages may be encouraged to prepare materials or apply when timing is a better fit.

Week 1: Business Assessment

Initial consultation to understand business goals, products or services, target audience, and resources.
Evaluation of the business's current online presence, including websites, social media profiles, and online listings.
Research on competitors and market trends to identify opportunities and challenges.
Development of a customized roadmap with recommendations for establishing or improving an online presence.

Milestone 1: Custom roadmap completed, including recommended digital tools and next steps.

Week 2: Website Development

Review and prioritization of recommendations from the customized roadmap.
Market analysis to identify effective online marketing channels.
Guidance on selecting an appropriate website platform.
Development of a website plan, including content strategy and design considerations.
Optimization of website content to improve usability and visibility.

Milestone 2: Progress toward a functional sales website, based on business readiness and scope.

Week 3: Application Integration

Guidance on integrating cross-platform selling where applicable.
Introduction to tools and APIs that may support business growth and online sales.
Overview of e-commerce tracking and reporting to monitor performance.
Guidance on setting up automated email marketing tools, such as abandoned cart recovery or post-
purchase follow-ups.

Milestone 3: Applicable tools and integrations identified and implemented, as appropriate. API's are set up and cross platform selling is functional.

Week 4: Online Marketing

Development of an online marketing strategy tailored to the business's audience, budget, and goals.
Guidance on setting up or improving social media profiles and email marketing campaigns.
Development of content marketing plan.
Examples and instruction for creating content that resonates with customers.

Milestone 4: Online marketing strategy and content marketing plan delivered.

Week 5: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Keyword research relevant to products or services.
Optimization of website content and metadata based on identified keywords.
Implementation of technical SEO best practices.
Optimization of Google Business profile for local search, when applicable.
Instruction on creating content to support ongoing SEO efforts.

Milestone 5: SEO improvements implemented to support search visibility.

Week 6: Performance Monitoring and Optimization

Review of website and online marketing performance data.
Analysis of sales data and customer feedback for optimization.
Guidance on interpreting performance metrics or ongoing improvement.
Final consultation to review progress and outline next steps.
Recommendations for external web development or marketing support, if needed.

Milestone 6: Final consultation and recommendations provided.

By the end of the six-week mentoring experience, participants will have gained the knowledge, digital tools, and skills to effectively manage online sales and customer relationships.

The program is designed to support long-term growth bu helping business owners build confidence and capacity in the digital space.

Please note that the E0Commerce Accelerator Mentoring Service does not provide physical website hosting, custom logos, or legal or financial advice. The program offers examples and guidance on these topics to help businesses move forward independently.

Participation in the E-Commerce Accelerator Mentoring Service is supported by two business consultants who work with participants throughout the program. The consultants guide participants through the process of expanding their business online by providing technical assistance, feedback, and support as they work toward their e-commerce goals.

FAQ

The E-Commerce Accelerator works best for Utah-based rural and agricultural businesses that are ready to actively engage in building or improving their e-commerce presence. A good fit for the program includes businesses that have an existing product or service, are ready to make decisions, and can dedicate time each week to implement what they learn.

For this program, "rural" generally refers to businesses located outside of Utah's major metropolitan counties. Agricultural business may qualify regardless of location.
Eligibility is based on business location and is reviewed as part of the application process. If you are unsure whether you business qualifies, you are encouraged to apply.

The E-Commerce Accelerator is a six-week program that includes weekly virtual meetings, along with preparation and follow-through work between sessions. While time commitments vary by business, participants should expect to dedicate several hours each week to meetings, preparation, and applying what they learn. We recommend setting aside 8 to 12 hours per week dedicated to building or strengthening your e-commerce systems.

Participation in the E-Commerce Accelerator is provided at no cost to selected rural and agricultural Utah businesses. Businesses of any size may apply.

Participants should plan for standard e-commerce expenses such as website hosting, domain registration, payment processing fees, marketing, and optional software tools. Costs vary depending on the platform and services selected.

Yes. We offer Website Audits to help you understand how your site is performing and where it can improve. A website audit is like a health check-up for your website, reviewing areas such as search engine optimization (SEO), user experience, and technical performance. You’ll receive clear insights and recommendations to help strengthen your online presence and keep your site working effectively for your business.

Not every business is ready for e-commerce immediately, and that’s okay. You may benefit from first clarifying your products or services, gathering content, and strengthening core business practices. When you’re ready, we welcome your application.

In the meantime, consider working with your nearest Utah Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance in the areas where your business may need improvement.

The E-Commerce Accelerator is funded by the Utah Legislature and is intended to support rural Utah and agricultural businesses. As a result, we are unable to provide services to businesses located outside of Utah.

Businesses outside of Utah are encouraged to explore resources available through their state’s land-grant university or local economic development organizations.