The pandemic has been disastrous for many industries, but it has been a boon for eCommerce. The global eCommerce market is now valued at more than $26.7 trillion and gained 3% of the market shares of total retail sales. This is one of the reasons why now could be a great time to position yourself to work in the field. There are plenty of other reasons, however. Let’s take a look at why a career in eCommerce is such a great idea right now, how you can get there, and a few career options you could consider.
Why Does a Career in eCommerce Make Sense?
First of all, the salaries and stability make a career in ecommerce a good choice. The average eCommerce manager can expect to make well over $45,000 straight out of the gate. The prospects for the future are also great. The sector is exploding in the US but there are areas of the world where there’s even more room for growth, such as Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. Someone who has the experience could either work for a foreign firm or offer their expertise as a consultant.
Another reason why working in eCommerce is so great is that you’ll get the chance to touch virtually every aspect of the business. You’ll be involved with sales, supply chain management, customer support, product development, customer acquisition, and more.
Few jobs will allow you to touch virtually every aspect of the business as eCommerce does. You’ll be able to think like a general manager, which will be valuable to you no matter what direction you wish to take with your career.
When you know eCommerce, you also have a much deeper knowledge of how the mind of a customer works. You start to value things like storytelling and brand experience more. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to instantly spot sticking points with a site’s design or checkout process. If there are drops in sales, you’ll be able to tell if external factors are the cause or if you can do something to correct it.
This is the kind of expertise that will be extremely valuable whether you decide to work for an employer or start your business. eCommerce forces you to view the world from the eyes of the customer. You also know the difference between what you think they’ll do, what they say they’ll do, and what they actually do.
Last, but not least, eCommerce might not only change your professional life but your personal life as well. Maybe you want to help raise money for a charity in the future, or promote your garage band? These are all areas where you could use your eCommerce and analytics skills. If you decide to launch a brand, you will not need a social media manager. You’ll also be able to compile and analyze data on your own.
eCommerce is bar-none of the most promising fields for tomorrow, and eCommerce skills will stand out on any resume. It could also pave the way to financial independence by allowing you to start your own business.
How Can You Get a Career in eCommerce?
If you want to start a career in eCommerce, know that there are many ways that you can get there. If you want to go the traditional route, then you should consider getting a formation in eCommerce right now.
Whether you’re already working in a related field or are starting fresh, online classes are a great option. eCommerce is a perfect fit for online classes, and you could get a world-class education from one of the best eCommerce programs in the country without having to leave your home.
If you have a bachelor’s degree, then you should consider looking at Emerson College’s masters in digital marketing online. These courses have not only a heavy marketing component, but a focus on data analytics as well. You can also get an online bachelor’s degree that will give you the basic set of skills needed for entry-level positions.
What Kind of Skills are Needed in eCommerce?
eCommerce jobs demand that candidates have a wide array of skills. At the advanced levels, you may need to know about things such as brand storytelling, advanced analytics and customer insights, and technical web design.
No matter what position you take, one thing you’ll have to understand is content, especially written content. It is the backbone of eCommerce, and having great communication and writing skills will be important at many levels. This is what will allow you to create compelling web copy and enticing product descriptions. It also plays an important part in marketing and SEO.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is another thing you’ll need to understand if you want to be successful in eCommerce. It is one of the most efficient long-term strategies to attract clients and build brand awareness. It is the tool many companies use to build authority in their niche. Any eCommerce professional who can consistently generate more organic traffic through search engine exposure will always have a job in this business.
All eCommerce professionals will also need to be great marketers. Even when using online formats, you still have to understand what fundamentally attracts a customer and what makes them tick. Development, planning, and execution are all part of a successful eCommerce marketing campaign. In addition, eCommerce students learn about things such as marketing automation, and how to use tools like CRMs to nurture relationships with clients.
Email marketing is another skill you’ll learn in your path to becoming an eCommerce professional. It is one of the most efficient ways for businesses to stay in touch with their client base. It’s also one of the most cost-effective.
Now that we know a bit more about what skills and aptitudes are expected to work in eCommerce, here are some of the best careers in the field.
Entry Level Jobs
If you don’t have the credentials or simply want to get your feet wet, there are plenty of level entry positions that you can apply for in eCommerce. At the most basic level, you could work as a customer service representative. All companies need these, and they need to have a deep understanding of every part of the customer experience. Working in customer service could give you a solid foundation and allow you to look at eCommerce from another perspective.
You can also land a job as an SEO content writer. You don’t need to have special credentials to do this, though it may help. No eCommerce business can survive without a steady flow of traffic, and SEO allows them to do that without having to constantly pump money into campaigns.
Getting a job at an eCommerce warehouse could also be a great idea if you want to get inside information on the logistics. This would be great if you are thinking of getting the technical knowledge or already have it. You might learn a thing or two about fulfillment, supply chain management, and inventory management, among others.
Advanced Jobs
Those with higher credentials can choose from pretty much any job they want in eCommerce. One of the most coveted ones is UX manager. It’s also one of the most interesting as you’ll have a direct impact on how people interact with the site and your brand.
A UX manager will be there to make sure that the site offers the best experience possible to clients. You might not design the website yourself, but you will play an integral role in it. The company will also have to consult you every time they are thinking of implementing new elements. This is one of the most involved jobs in eCommerce.
Community builder is another interesting position that you could look at. The goal of any business, may it be online or otherwise, is to keep a solid and loyal customer base. One of the best ways to build loyalty is to create a community surrounding your brand. This is something that is usually done through social media.
As someone with advanced knowledge of analytics, you’ll be able to not only create effective social media campaigns but gauge the results through cold hard data as well. There will be no guesswork for you and you’ll be able to explain to higher-ups and stakeholders how much value they’re extracting from your efforts.
If you want to work on the technical side of things, you can also work as a developer or IT technician. Developers fall into two categories: software developers and website developers. The role of website developers does not need to be explained. Software developers, on the other hand, might be asked to work on specialist applications and software for eCommerce businesses.
These are extremely sought-after, and major companies will be ready to pay top dollar for people who have the skills and expertise needed.
Starting Your Own eCommerce Business
Also know that you can always start your own eCommerce business as well. You have to be careful, however. Starting a business can be extremely simple, but succeeding can be much tougher, so expect to fail many times before you find something that works.
Here, you can decide to go the simple route and open a Shopify store. You can also build one from scratch using a CMS like WordPress along with eCommerce platforms like Magento. These will have a steeper learning curve than Shopify, but you’ll have much more control over things like design and migration, among others.
Either way, you must start with a thorough market analysis. Finding a profitable niche that is not overcrowded is one of the toughest challenges for budding eCommerce businesses. You can go for either an evergreen niche with lots of competition or an underserved niche with potential.
If you decide to get into a hot niche, you will need to find a way to differentiate yourself, and original ways to get traffic. Since things like SEO might be out of your reach, you may have to get creative and use a combination of online and offline marketing methods while leveraging the power of social media. Understanding how to nurture leads and customers will also be very important there, and this is also why it’s still recommended that you get a formation before you start.
You also have to pick which business model you’re going to go for. You have to know some of the common issues with each, and how to prepare for them. Many people decide to start with dropshipping through their website. This can be a good option and a great way to get in with limited capital, but it’s not perfect. For one, you may never be able to see your supplier’s installations. Or you might be dealing with a middleman the whole time. That’s a major problem right there. Second, your fate will forever be tied to the suppliers you work with. One of your suppliers for one of your tops selling products may vanish overnight. This could turn into a disaster fast.
You also have to think about things like returns and fraud. If you’re the victim of a large-scale credit card fraud, you might have to foot the bill for the merchandise the fraudsters bought. This is another thing that could end up running you. Manufacturing your products and managing your inventory come with issues as well. The logistics part can be tough for someone who’s just getting started and doesn’t have experience. Getting stuck with inventory can also be a big problem.
Dropshipping is usually the best option for those who are just starting out, but you have to be careful. Only go for proven suppliers, and consider joining a network like Oberlo that pre-screens sellers. Learn how to protect yourself from fraudulent activity, and how to pick products that will not only be profitable but give you the least problems.
eCommerce is one of the brightest fields to get into at the moment, and if you are thinking of it, we strongly suggest you give it a second look. The demand isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon, and this could be your chance to work in one of the world’s most innovative sectors.
