Hall - E-Commerce Management : A Simplified Guide to Manage Your Online Store Successfully

MonicaFaye Hall

E-Commerce Management

A Simplified Guide to Manage Your Online Store Successfully

Copyright 2021 by MonicaFaye Hall

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

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Contents

E-Commerce Management

E-Commerce or Online Retail has become the emerging answer for many businesses who have struggled with the brick and mortar infrastructure as people become more in tune with the concept of online shopping. Not to mention the effect the 2020 COVID-19 virus has had on our in-store retail sales. There was a substantial shift in the economy as some businesses thrived because their infrastructure was online only. They provided products and services consumers needed even during the pandemic, such as PPE supplies, food, telehealth services, and other essentials. The US as a whole saw many brick and mortar close their doors permanently with no end in sight for the pandemic that rage against the nation and world. E-Commerce was the answer for many businesses and entrepreneurs who found an avenue to get their product moving again.

Before the pandemic, some brick and mortars were already exploring the idea to shift or combine in-store and online efforts to keep up with the competition. E-Commerce has been around since 1978 when Michael Aldrich, inventor of Videotex , introduced the idea (retrieved from www.aldrecharchive.com , January 21, 2020). He is called by some, the father of online shopping. He was way ahead of his time in that the World Wide Web had not been invented, and to top that, his invention used television as the tool to sell services. Can you imagine hearing his concept in 1978? Since the idea was introduced, e-commerce has become a well-oiled machine and continues to evolve.

With the evolution of e-commerce came the development of careers in the online industryalso emerging entrepreneurs selling their products and a wide range of brands and services. With the emergence of the e-commerce industry came many new concepts. With each new idea came unique niche expertise that has become necessary to run a successful online store.

The players in e-commerce continue to expand with each new innovative idea, technology, or niche service. Each giving way for employment advances and careers we had never heard of 20 years ago. Not long ago, I was involved in a conversation with an online group of marketing geniuses when one asked, What are all these new careers?. We all paused, and then he started spewing off position titles with the words, SEO this, Web this, and on and on. We got a good laugh, but these are legit positions that didnt exist 20 years ago. The possibilities have skyrocketed all because of e-commerce growth and innovation. The necessity of these positions is impossible to ignore and will not be. This trend should paint a clear picture for those who would like a career or own in the e-commerce space; youre on the right track. Can you imagine how many new e-commerce titles will emerge in another 20 years?

The world is your oyster in e-commerce if you have the right tools, drive, and stamina. Stamina because e-commerce requires keeping your finger on the pulse. It is a field that is ever-evolving. Online retail is great for those who like to see results with substantial revenue and open to constant change but a good change. For the leader in this industry, the e-commerce manager, director, or entrepreneur, you have to be an octopus and have an extension on every channel.

The E-Commerce Manager

E-Commerce managers usually find their way to the industry via skill set, education, and training or both that set them apart. In contrast, entrepreneurs find themselves looking for solutions to sell their products or services online. Either way, both will need to have skills and resources to be successful in the space. It doesnt matter which product or service industry you chose; the e-commerce skills and resources will not vary much. I had a background in IT and healthcare; I happened to work in healthcare when I started back down the path of IT. When I finished training, I stayed in healthcare as an e-commerce manager for a Global Fortune 500 healthcare company.

I learned relatively quickly that there was so much I didnt know but needed to know. E-Commerce management is such a new concept; there arent any educational resources that are compiled together in one place. I found myself searching and studying from several different sources to get information. From marketing, SEO, SEM to analytics, and much more, I filled in the blanks while building a new team and an e-commerce department. A challenging task for anyone, but it can be done. I can only assume most e-commerce managers who started their careers more than 15 years ago experienced the same shortage of resources.

E-Commerce managers, in most cases, emerge from a position of website management in some capacity, such as content writers, developers (that was me), brand managers, SEM managers, etc., and the list could go on and on. Whatever road was taken to the e-commerce field, this positions need has increased in numbers over the years. The job openings are vast and ready for the taking, but what determines your qualifications?

For instance, you see a position that seems to fit your skillset: E-Commerce Manager. You read the requirements and think maybe this could be a fit. You decide to do some research because it looks like you have what it takes to get the job. But what will you need to do and know to get the position and be successful at it? Or you want to know more about colleagues in your field. You go to Google, search for E-commerce Management education and find there isnt too much there. A few blogs or articles with bullets, but where are the resources. Nothing but topics all around who you are and what you do or more jobs for E-Commerce Marketers, Website Managers, E-Commerce Managers, etc. The job descriptions provide a glimpse into who you should be and the skills that the company would like you to possess. In my opinion, most companies are winging the job description, as the position for E-commerce Managers is relatively new, and some of these businesses are just getting into the online retail game. But what should you know, what education should you have, and where are your resources to assist you in being successful? You need to gather the information from everywhere to complete what an E-Commerce Manager does or should be doing.

Side note: How do you spell E-Commerce, anyway? I was asked this question once, and I have seen it spelled eCommerce, E-Commerce, and Ecommerce (really). I when they dont know, I see ecomm. I laugh, but the Mirriam-Webster spelling is e-commerce, so we are going with that (Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). E-commerce. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/e-commerce ). I just thought I add that bit of information so we can all get on the same page.