You’re an E-Commerce professional. What are the most important skills you need to develop?

As an E-commerce Professional must skills should be - 1. Digital Marketing: Expertise in online advertising and SEO. 2. Analytics: Proficiency in data interpretation for informed decisions. 3. Customer Service: Ability to enhance satisfaction and loyalty. 4. Technology Fluency: Stay updated with digital tools and platforms. last but not the least- 5. Adaptability: Embrace industry changes and innovate effectively.

As marketplaces expand and new ones crop up, e-com expands to digital commerce, we need to understand the basics of digital shelf analytics. As your org grows and distribution expands, make sure you or your org is able to understand your Shares. Share of Shelf, Share of Voice & Share of top 5(search rankings). This applies to both paid and organic placement/discoverability rankings.

Every store, even in the same industry and with the same ICP witnesses a totally different customer behavior. It might be because of product, UX, fulfillment, content, or the ads. Hence, studying the data is crucial for an ecomm professional.

Google sheets/excel will never go out of fashion. When you can’t get a report out of Google Anslytics and the like Sheets is your friend. Learn vlookups and pivots (some great YouTube videos out there).

So, though there are many aspects of e-commerce, I truly feel that mastering digital marketing is the cornerstone of success. It's like the beating heart of your online business. Think about it: with digital marketing savvy, you're not just selling products; you're crafting experiences, weaving stories, and connecting with customers in a way that makes them not just buy, but keep coming back for more. It's the art of turning clicks into conversions and browsers into loyal fans. Trust me, once you've got digital marketing down, everything else falls into place.

With E-Commerce becoming such a competitive space, the key ways to stand out are marketing communications and product. Marketing of all sorts, be it acquisition, retention or SEO is important, as multiple brands are competing for the attention of the same consumer.

Digital marketing is must for an online store. Many people focus on creating the best e-commerce website and think that customers will flock to them just by having a shiny site. This is not the case. We need to think about marketing even before creating the site. You need to identify where would you get the customers. You can use SEO, Ads or SMM. One or two channels will work best, not all. It's better to start with many and narrow down to the most successful ones.

Develop a test > learn > scale mindset. Speed trumps perfectiong 10/10 times. So start fast, learn, iterate and improve. You will outpace the majority of your competition.

Effective digital marketing isn't a one-size-fits-all approach; it's about crafting strategies tailored to your unique audience and goals. This means knowing the ins and outs of various channels—from email and social media to search engines and content marketing. But it's not just about being present; it's about standing out. That's where SEO, PPC, copywriting, landing pages, and email marketing come into play.

The key to success is to be on top of your data and to be able to make quick decisions based on your findings. Test adverts, audiences and channels to the max. Understanding your ROI in all of these areas allows you to ramp up activity and scale much faster. There are so many ways to growth hack with good products and the best way for new businesses is to get involved with affiliate programmes that promote your product along with "piggy backing" on an influencers audience through their recommendations. Youtube reviews are great as are podcast sponsorships.

I began my career working agency-side in AM/Producer roles in ecommerce & development agencies which I have found have transferred really well into my client side role. Particularly when it comes to project managing large scale projects requiring integration or any kind of development work, such as new site builds etc. Having that baseline level of experience & understanding of how best to create a scope of work for development projects, different approaches to web dev methodologies, how to best execute UAT etc. has enabled me to have a much more trusting & reliable relationship with eternal development agencies.

It's better to use the readymade platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento etc. This will save your time and money. You can customize some of these platforms once your site is successful. You can either outsource the development to a competent agency or learn it as well.

Providing exceptional customer service is critical for building trust and loyalty with your audience. This skill involves effective communication, problem-solving, and empathy to address customer inquiries, resolve issues, and ensure a positive shopping experience.

A huge chunk of the repeat revenue is dependent on the customer service. Poor customer service with even a good product cannot survive in today's date. Skills required for this are communication, empathy, problem-solving, and database & workforce management (to make sure no query is left unattended for long)

Ultimately, exceptional customer service isn't just a skill; it's a mindset—one that puts your customers at the heart of everything you do. By prioritizing their needs and exceeding their expectations, you not only foster loyalty but also lay the foundation for long-term success in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

I firmly believe in going above and beyond in customer service. Demonstrating genuine appreciation for your customers fosters stronger support from them.With the best Customer Service it becomes easy for a brand to build trust, fosters customer loyalty, differentiates businesses from competitors, and maintains a positive brand image in this competitive era. Businesses that prioritize customer satisfaction are more likely to stand out from the competition and attract new customers through positive word-of-mouth and more positive reviews.

An Ecommerce Professional is expected to wear many hats, given that they work at the intersection of retail, UX design, marketing, product development, customer service, sales and data analytics. The ability to manage multiple projects at once whilst prioritising key aspects and delivering results on-time and in-budget is critical. Project management is an invaluable and transferrable skill that enables ecom professionals to not only manage their tasks and roles, but collaborate with others in the business, to be a well-oiled machine that hits goals.

E-commerce is a company area that touches all departments and processes of a company. And needs another approach than traditional retail sales. So project management is key to make ecommerce a succes

There is a bit of a paradox around eComm: it is both a very technical realm but it is also a business like any other. I mean yes, of course you need to be digital savvy and understand certain technical aspects around data, tech, UX, performance marketing, etc. But, you also have to solve fundamental business management issues common to every sector, like supply chain, customer engagement, marketing, revenue management, etc. So I guess what I am saying is every eComm professional would benefit from a generalist mindset and learn more about how the full business creates and captures value.

Analytical Skills, Digital Marketing Expertise, adaptability and Customer Relationship Management are the most important skills for an eCommerce professional.

Know your Gross Margin each week. If you don’t know what that is time to start Googling.

Adaptability: The E-Commerce landscape is constantly evolving, so being adaptable and willing to learn new technologies and strategies is crucial for staying competitive. Analytical Thinking: Developing strong analytical thinking skills can help you identify opportunities for optimization and improvement within your e-commerce operations.

As an e-commerce expert, while mastering the fundamental skills is essential, there are also unique skills that can set you apart in the competitive e-commerce landscape: Crisis Management: Navigate disruptions and threats to minimize impact on operations. Influencer Marketing: Partner with influencers to enhance brand visibility. Emerging Technologies: Stay updated on new tech for innovative shopping experiences. Visual Merchandising: Create engaging product displays for increased sales. E-commerce Analytics: Utilize advanced techniques for optimizing marketing strategies. Cross-Border E-commerce: Master global logistics and cultural nuances for expansion. Boost sales by analyzing user behavior and optimizing conversion rates.