You've had an idea for an e-commerce that seems to work great and all you need now is a good team of trustworthy and professional people to entrust with the different tasks to get the machine running at full capacity. In this article we will discuss some of the basic elements that are essential and difficult to do without in order to set up a good online shop.
However, not all the elements are absolutely necessary, some are interchangeable, others can be used establish occasional collaborative relationships, and some you will need to keep in place permanently. In short, as everything is up to you and your needs to understand how best to structure the staff we are going to talk about.
When talking about e-commerce, one often makes the mistake of thinking that everything that makes e-commerce work is exclusively online. Actually, if we want to analyse all the professional elements that are needed to set up an e-commerce in detail, those who deal with offline issues are almost equal in number to those who deal with online jobs.
So let's divide the article into two main chapters: online and offline.
Online
One of the greatest advantages of an e-commerce is certainly that it can potentially welcome and manage numbers that are not at all comparable to those of a physical retailer. The only condition, however, is that your e-commerce can be easily found in the vast digital environment.. To do this, intensive online marketing, communication and technical solutions are essential.
Communication department
The communication team requires at least an artist and a copywriter in order to function at its best. A copywriter who takes care of static and dynamic textual content, ideas and helps the design of the strategy in tune with the art director who will take care of all the graphic and visual realization, down to the smallest details. Both copywriters and artists collaborate closely with technicians that we will see later as SEO and SEM specialist, UX Designer, Web designer.
The creative director is responsible not only for the Artistry and Copywriting, but also for the other creative personnel involved in content creation, such as Photographers and Video Makers. Another very important figure who refers to the creative director is the Social Media Manager. They are in charge of brand management in the various social channels and they will be responsible for appropriately choosing and setting, up and can also cover aspects related to Customer Care through social messaging channels, email or telephone.
Marketing department
The marketing department deals with the strategic choices to be made within the reference market in order to achieve certain objectives. Data experts communicate with strategists to figure out the best moves to make. Planning competitions, special offers, award systems with reward points, expanding into other market sectors, designing new products, etc. Actions that the marketing department is able to carry out thanks to the close contact with the communication team. These two teams not only work in a parallel and complementary way but there are some activities, such as product design, that see both teams working on the same task at the same time.
Technical department
While remaining in the online sector, there are a number of professionals that you will certainly not be able to do without in order to set up a respectable e-commerce. They are the Web Designers and Programmers who deal with the creation of the site, its architecture, structure and user experience. These too, of course, work closely with both the marketing department and the communications team. Their work does not consist of a one-off operation, but of continuous systematic operations, such as installing a new module like this one, improving responsiveness, search engine optimization (SEO) and much more. All of these operations mean that your e-commerce remains fully reliable and enjoyable.
Offline
As we have anticipated, the team behind good e-commerce is not only made up of professionals who work online. There are in fact other figures who deal with the whole issue offline, without which it would be almost impossible to get your online store up and running at all.
Logistics
One of the fundamental and less obvious aspects from the end user's point of view is certainly logistics. Having a person or team dedicated to logistics management can save you a lot of time and money. This team deals with issues ranging from packaging, material storage and preservation, to shipping, returns and much more.
Commercial and legal
As simple as it may seem, opening up your online business may be slowed down by permit issues (especially if you're dealing with healthcare or food-related materials) and paperwork can vary. Having a team that deals with archives, receipts, contracts, permits and paperwork in general will free up your time and resources to fully take care of developing your e-commerce.
Another key figure in this sense is the account manager, a commercial figure who deals with relationships with particular customers (b2b), with suppliers, with couriers to improve both sales and customer satisfaction. A real bridge between the market and your project.
Distribution
In recent years, it has been found that one of the digital market's weak points is its widespread presence in the reference territory. That's why, with the necessary precautions and evaluations, you may not wish to outsource your delivery service, but focus on using internal drivers. A system like this, mainly in small and small contexts, can significantly improve brand perception in the target market and can save you money and time.
