If you’re new to eCommerce or just getting started, you probably know there’s a lot to consider when designing a team. To be successful, you’ll need experts who understand the nuances of eCommerce marketing, technology, and fulfillment.
After all, an online marketplace is very different from brick and mortar retail, whether you’re selling on Amazon, Walmart.com, or through your own DTC store. To help set you up for success, this is your anatomy lesson on what makes a successful eCommerce team.
In this blog, we’ll help you understand the five areas of talent you need and why you need them to win in the eCommerce space.
1. Marketing and Creative
When it comes to eCommerce, your products will be competing in the endless aisle. You’ll need experts who can deliver strategic creative concepts that align with the retailer and drive sales.
A truly effective marketing and creative team will use data to assess the competitive landscape and adapt your marketing strategy in real time. They’ll know exactly how and when to optimize your marketing and creative efforts for success.
2. Design
Hand in hand with your marketing and creative will be your design team. You’ll need compelling visuals that communicate the benefits of your product and your brand. But there are definitely unique considerations when it comes to eCommerce.
Look for designers who understand the nuances, best practices, and constraints of each type of eCommerce project. For example, ensuring your product pages are displaying the appropriate imagery in the right places is essential. Your design playbook will ultimately affect searchability and sales.
3. Merchandising and Promotion
Merchandising and promotion come with a never-ending list of complex questions. You’ll need experts to help provide informed, data-driven answers and tailor solutions. Without this expertise, you’ll miss opportunities to drive visibility—or worse, you’ll risk investing in opportunities that don’t move the needle for your brand.
On Amazon, for example, you can leverage lightning deals and accelerated reviews. But for Walmart.com, it’s more about ensuring that your price, promotion, and packaging align with the Walmart EDLP strategy (Everyday Low Price strategy).
4. IT
The strategy and creative can be spot on, but if the user experience is broken, disjointed, or tedious, you’ve lost your customer. You need technology experts who understand the eCommerce space and how to build infrastructure with the customer-user flow in mind. An expert understands how to get an item into the cart and convert a customer as quickly as possible.
You’ll also need IT professionals who can help you on the backend. Having efficient dashboards, analytics, payment systems, accounting, and so on is essential to running an online business.
5. Supply Chain
Depending on your approach, eCommerce fulfillment may require a whole new set of supply chain capabilities. If you’re only shipping truckloads to distributors and online retailers today, figuring out how to fulfill individual orders will be quite the challenge.
In addition to designing new processes, you may also need to make fundamental changes to your packaging. And as your business scales, how you address your supply chain will change. Ensuring you have an appropriate protocol in place for when an item is out of stock will also be key to success.
Final Thoughts
Running a successful eCommerce business calls for a team with specific skill sets and expertise. Covering these five areas of talent is a great way to get started, whether you’re building a team internally or hiring an external eCommerce partner.
If you found this blog helpful, download our guide – 8 Tips for Selecting the Best eCommerce Partner. You’ll get:
- A quick review of what makes a successful eCommerce team.
- 8 questions to help you find the eCommerce partner of your dreams.
- Expert insights into understanding your needs.
