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Key skills you need to pursue a career in e-commerce

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If you happen to be pretty savvy when it comes to the web and have an interest in marketing, then you may be thinking about pursuing a career in the world of e-commerce. The good news is that e-commerce is hot on the market making it a great industry to venture into. However, beyond being good at commenting on posts via social media and knowing how to do research online, there’s so much more that goes into e-commerce. You may be reading this because you want more insight before pursuing it as a career. If that’s the case, you read on to find the key skills you need to pursue a career in e-commerce.

Marketing

One of the core skills you’re going to need if you want to work in e-commerce is that of marketing. Whether you’ll be pushing your own e-commerce business or someone else’s, you need to help create visibility for your employer’s business. More specifically, you need knowledge regarding digital marketing and SEO as that’s one of the fastest ways to ensure any e-commerce site ranks well.

Some key abilities employers will likely want you to demonstrate include an ability to get people to visit websites, convince people to buy things, as well as attract returning customers. It’s also important that you’re able to promote online brands offline, track user behaviour as well as effectively use Google Analytics if you want to qualify for a good job in this area.

Design

In addition to knowing how to market online, another core skill you need if you want to work in e-commerce is that of design. It is good news if you happen to be a design guru and like to spend your days and nights playing around with websites and recreating them! However, you should note that when it comes to design websites, often, creativity comes second. This is because online shops tend to focus first on user experience, so too much creativity can be off-putting as well as distracting while trying to shop. You could start by looking at some of your favourite retail websites and practicing redesigning them if you want a little experience.

Numerical Skills

When working in e-commerce, another kind of skill you may need are numerical or finance-related skills. These can be useful if you decide to be the bookkeeper for the business or want to work in UX, buying, merchandising and logistics. You need to be able to make key calculations as well as deal with any queries if you accept payments online on any e-commerce site.

Content Writing

Seeing as e-commerce is based online, another skill you’re going to need if you want to work in that industry is content writing. You have likely repeatedly heard the saying that content is king, and it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. If you happen to be a skilled writer, this can prove to be an interesting as well as creative way to put your skills to work. The content you create will need to encourage customers to buy services or products as well as keep them engaged. It could mean writing clever product descriptions, email newsletters, as well as blog posts. Overall, you’d need to demonstrate your ability to write in different forms as well as engage an audience.

Data Analysis

If you want to pursue a career in e-commerce, you’ll also need data gathering and analytical skills. This is important because a lot of what you do in the world of e-commerce will be driven by the data that you find. For instance, any products or services you sell will likely be based on findings of your target audience’s consumption habits. In the same respect, you will need to see the spending habits of the people visiting your site and how this information can be used to drive sales, improve the user experience or create better interactions. On those premises, it may be a good idea to have basic research skills as well because you’re most likely going to need those at some point.

When choosing a career path, it’s important that beyond choosing something you find you’re passionate about, you also choose a career that you can see your skills grow in. Working in e-commerce requires a mix of skills which can be learned if you’re ready to give it the time and dedication that it needs. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’re able to decide whether it’s truly a field you want to break into.

Have you already done an internship or work experience with an e-commerce company? Share your experience with other readers in the comments below.

Career CamelKey skills you need to pursue a career in e-commerce

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