Written by Raúl Carrión
When choosing the theme of an article, I try to take the opportunity to answer one of the most common questions asked by our clients. In this way I achieve two things: to organize my arguments as logically as possible and on the other hand to be able to send the link to the article when I receive the query by email. I hate to write the same thing twice.
Well, one of the most frequently asked questions lately is the following: I already have an online store, I sell and the business growth is positive. The time has come to hire a person to take care of everything that surrounds the online store to bring it back to life, what is the profile I should look for to manage my online store?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to describe in a few lines all the skills and attitudes desirable in an e-commerce manager. I will now list the characteristics that in my opinion are the most important:
Knowledge of online marketing
An online store manager must be fluent in the main online marketing disciplines. It is not mandatory that he/she be an expert in each of them, but he/she must have sufficient knowledge to effectively supervise the outsourcing of these services.
Use of CMS
It is essential that you have the ability to learn how to use content management systems. That is why we should value experience with any type of CMS such as WordPress, Prestashop, Drupal, Magento, etc.
Copywriting
Write well and with hooks. It is essential that our online store manager knows how to write fast and creatively. It must be able to reach our customers.
Search Engine Optimization
You don’t need to be an expert but you do need to know the basics so that all the tasks you perform in the store are aligned with an SEO strategy to increase organic traffic. A good online store manager should know at least those actions that can be penalized by Google and should be interested in knowing the updates made periodically by the famous sorting algorithm.
PPC
Depending on the type of product and the profit margin, it can be very interesting to run Google AdWords campaigns on specific dates – peak season – or even continuously.
Therefore, the online store manager must be able to analyze the viability of the operation and if the result is satisfactory, control the advertising costs and the profits generated to discover the optimal point of investment. The day-to-day management of the campaign can be outsourced, but it will be the e-commerce manager who will set the guidelines for the campaign.
Social network management
This will depend to a large extent on the profile of our clients. If you are a B2B e-commerce company, managing LinkedIn may be enough. At the other extreme would be the management of a store with highly viral and visual products, where the e-commerce manager must be able to create community on networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.
Email marketing
A well-targeted email campaign with a refined database can give excellent results in an online store. It will be the job of the e-commerce manager to attract new subscribers through the store itself or with promotional campaigns and to design attractive promotions.
Mailchimp is one of the most used tools, if the candidate has experience in its management, he/she will have a point in favor.
Knowledge of the trade
An e-commerce is still a commerce. Therefore, we can never leave aside the pillars of traditional commerce.
Knowing the merchandise
The person in charge of the online store must be able to provide answers – or know where to get them – to any doubts about the nature of the product.
Familiar with logistics
Delivery notes, delivery sheets, carrier schedules and incident resolution should be no mystery to our online store manager.
Order processing
From stock control to selecting the best packaging in terms of price, image and product preservation. Finalizing in the correct elaboration of the order and shipping management with the transport company.
Supplier management
The Internet has democratized sales and allows potential customers to compare in a very simple way. It is therefore essential that our online store manager is able to negotiate with suppliers to improve prices and quality. Above all, we must be competitive.
Analyze opportunities
Keeping abreast of market demands, new trends, etc. and making the right decisions to reorient the product portfolio to maximize profitability is a strategic task that requires day-to-day management skills.
And much more
And as if this were not already a very complete profile, if your manager has some of these characteristics it will be a real jewel of e-commerce and therefore you should take care of it as it deserves.
Languages
For every language you know , your potential customers will multiply, don’t forget it!
Photography
Product images are very important in online stores. If our store manager has knowledge of product photography, with an inexpensive SLR camera and the right lighting he can get great quality images.
Proactivity
And I leave for the end the most important quality for me, proactivity. A proactive and motivated manager will bring e-commerce to life. It will enable the platform, marketing and product evolution necessary to increase our sales on a daily basis.
A proactive, motivated manager will bring e-commerce to life
Where to start looking?
As you can see, finding a good e-commerce manager is not a trivial matter.
I recommend two options, hire a person with previous experience or look for candidates in specific courses and Masters in online marketing and e-commerce.
Good luck with your search!
