hire me to lead the strategies that deliver next-stage ecommerce growth

FRACTIONAL HEAD OF ECOMMERCE - IAN RHODES

How I Work Alongside You and Your In‑House Team as a Fractional Head of Ecommerce

Senior ecommerce leadership. Real accountability. None of the full-time overhead.

Your team can run the day-to-day. Campaigns go out. The site stays live. But you're missing what sits above all of that, someone who owns the whole system, sets the direction, and makes sure every part of your ecommerce operation is pulling in the same direction.

Hiring a full-time Ecommerce Director feels premature, expensive, or risky.  Agencies are good at running channels, not at owning outcomes.  And you've probably already learned the hard way that a monthly report from someone who isn't really 'in the room' doesn't move the needle.

This is the gap I fill.


This is my job and what I've done for 15 years now. I work with a maximum of 3-4 businesses at any one time as their Fractional Head of Ecommerce / CMO. Not just somebody that tells you what needs doing, somebody that actually gets their fingers dirty and is fully accountable for delivering real ecommerce growth. This isn't outsourcing. This is a true partnership.

I've 25 years experience building and growing ecommerce brands (including my own).
Experience that you simply can't buy.
And because I work across a few brands, you're not burdening your business with a 6-figure salary or with agencies that simply don't deliver on their promises.

Let me explain below a little more about how this role will work within your business.

Hire a Fractional CMO or Head of Ecommerce

IAN RHODES
Fractional Head of Ecommerce

Fractional Ecommerce Director

“Working with Ian is probably the best thing that has happened to us in the last 6 years.
Ian has managed to help us turn a corner by training up our team immensely."
Rivki @ Private White VC

Who I Work With as an Ecommerce Growth Partner

Are We A Good Match?

Not a consultant. Not an agency. A director... fractionally.

I work as a genuine part of your team. That means weekly rhythm, Slack access, a seat at the table for the decisions that matter, and full accountability for ecommerce growth. I'm not there to tell you what to do, I'm there to lead the work alongside you and your team.

I work with a maximum of four businesses at any one time. That constraint isn't a limitation; it's what makes this work. You get focused, senior attention, not a diluted retainer.

The question I'd be asking in your shoes...

'Can someone who's not here full-time really be accountable for my results?'

It's a fair concern. Here's my answer: accountability isn't about hours in a seat. It's about owning outcomes. I track the numbers. I own the strategy. When something isn't working, I'm the one who changes it, not a project manager escalating to an account director you've never met.

I've built and run my own ecommerce business from zero to £2m. I've been a European Marketing Director at what became the world's largest travel company. I know what it looks like when ecommerce works and I know the specific points where it breaks down. That experience doesn't come from a playbook. It comes from having been in the room when the hard calls were made.

So... we're a good match if...

  • You're a 7-figure brand (across all channels) with real ambition for ecommerce growth
  • You have an internal team, but nobody at director level setting the strategic direction
  • You're spending on agencies and are not confident you're getting the right return
  • You want to bring more capability in-house but don't know how to structure it
  • You need someone who can lead — not just advise — and will be genuinely accountable

“He truly has become an essential part of the business and continues to exceed my high expectations in every way.
Ian's also very fun to work with which is an added bonus!"
Keri-Ann :: Founder ::  Women's Luxury Fashion Retailer

Who This Ecommerce Growth Partnership Is Not Right For

Who won't this suit?

Dropshippers, general retailers, Amazon sellers, eBay stores or those with the desire to get rich quick. If you’re looking for the easy route?

a) it doesn’t exist
b) we’re not a good match

This process will not suit startups either. It's best to have an established business, whether that be in b2b, retail or already selling direct-to-consumer through your ecommerce store.

How Our Ecommerce Growth Fractional Partnership Starts and What We Do First

Day to day, how will this work?

The structure of our partnership

We start with a full workshop: your numbers, your team, your current operations, your growth ambitions. From there we build a prioritised plan and establish the rhythm of how we'll work together.

Weekly calls. Slack access. Full involvement in the decisions that affect your ecommerce performance. Over time, I'll work to bring more capability in-house so you're building an asset rather than a dependency.

For the first three months, we work on a rolling monthly basis while I prove the value. After that, 90-day terms. No agency-style lock-ins.

Performance and Financial Questions I Help You Answer

Common questions I know have circled around your boardroom...

  • The financials... how do I know which numbers matter? How do I track those numbers?
  • Do I focus on customer acquisition or retention?
  • Do I hire? Do I outsource? What numbers do we need to be hitting to recruit? And what role?
  • Data. How do I make best use of all this data?
  • ... same question for technology! What tech should you be using? How do you justify new tech? Will it scale?
  • What channels (should) work best for us? Do I focus on paid search? can I really grow organically?
  • How do we get more customers to shop again? I need even need to focus on repeat business right now?
  • What do we do about social media? Affiliate marketing? Partnerships? I need somebody to lead that too.
  • What pricing strategy suits us? 2x, 3x, 5x my cost of goods? What about shipping costs? Do I discount?
  • How can I improve inventory management, order processing and dispatch?
  • How can we launch new products with impact?
  • What strategies am I missing? Where do I need to invest our time?
  • I love the idea of building community. What are the steps to take?
  • What does data tell me I don't already know? What actions do I now need to take?

Brand Positioning, Differentiation and Marketing Strategy Questions

  • I know people will love my products, how do I get them to buy into what my brand is all about?
  • We're building on sustainable foundations, but how can I prove that we're genuinely a planet-first brand
  • There are a few players in my market with similar products, how do I differentiate my brand from the rest?
  • How quickly should we start with FB ads and how much budget should I be allocating?
  • Do I even need to be running FB ads?
  • I really want to build my business organically, is this even possible?
  • Brand work doesn't seem to move the needle, should I just focus on ads?
  • What's my approach to video? I'm uncomfortable talking to camera, what else could I be doing?
  • I really want to build a storytelling brand - is this the right approach?
  • What about YouTube? Should I be creating shorts? How do I make sure it doesn't get too monotonous?

Practical Tactics: Data, Email Flows, Copy, Reviews and Retention

  • How do we understand and measure our customer lifetime value?
  • What Klaviyo email flows should we build? what segments should we focus on?
  • How do I know what content I need to be creating?
  • How do we capture more relevant customer data as we grow our list?
  • I need more data.... I think. What data do I need?
  • Copywriting is a struggle, what tone best suits our brand?
  • How do we get more customer reviews? Quality as well as quantity?
  • How can we develop our loyalty programme?
  • How do we make the most of the post-purchase experience?
  • What apps should we be looking to use? What budget works for our tech stack?
  • I love the idea of creating articles and new landing pages, but what should we be writing about?

What You Get from an Ecommerce Growth Fractional Partnership (Scope and Rhythm)

What will the schedule look like?

AKA What do you get for your money?

We kick off our work together with a Zoom workshop where we scope out current performance, operations and structure. We make sure that if you have an internal team they're fully onboarded with my role and how I'm there to help and advise them in their work so that they have full confidence working alongside somebody who has been there and done that. It's key to our success working together.

Following that workshop we'll then prioritise our work for the next few months. We'll know what needs doing, what changes need to be made and to ensure that we're working to both short and long term objectives. Naturally, you'll be wary of anyone new promising the earth. That's not my way of working. I'll just promise you that we'll do all we can to drive real growth through the ecommerce channel, deliver your customers a new level shopping experience and bring confidence, across the business, to what direction ecommerce is now heading in for your business.

We have weekly calls, a slack channel and continual conversations to make sure we're continually progressing and improving upon results month after month. I take full accountability for ecommerce growth. That's my job. And by 'growth' I mean real growth... the kind that grows the business bank account, not just Google's or Facebook's.

We'll begin to 'in-source' the work. That way you're saving on agency bills, but also building in-house expertise in ecommerce. My job is to lead that process. Teaching the latest technology, leading ideation around marketing strategies and giving you full support to ensure the ecommerce side of your business is fuelled by the right processes to drive real growth.

Is a Fractional Head of Ecommerce Right for Your Brand?

Your initial questions answered

Next Steps: Get in Touch to Discuss Your Ecommerce Growth

Tell me where you're at, where you want to get to, and we'll work out quickly whether this is the right fit. If it's not, I'll tell you honestly and point you in the right direction. Use the form below (or email me at ian@ecommercegrowth.com) and I'll be in touch to answer your questions, learn more about your brand and to discuss how I may help grow your ecommerce business.

"Within the first year, we were consistently delivering sales results in significant double-digit growth, whilst at the same time seeing an improvement in the investment ROI"
- Wayne Robinson - Founder of SowSeeds