The professional profile in e-commerce is increasingly in the focus of professional opportunities. Many jobs are created in this area. To give you an overview of what it is all about, explanations are given in the article.
E-Commerce – What you need to know about the new job description!
When looking for a new apprenticeship or degree with a focus on sales, those interested will certainly come across e-commerce more often than a possibility. It looks interesting at first sight. It is too. Above all, the profession is modern and perfectly reflects the area that is now on the rise: online trading. It is therefore worth taking a look at the job description, which is explained in more detail below.
The tasks in e-commerce
In principle, the main task in e-commerce can be compared to a physical shop. For example, the trained e-commerce manager works like a shop manager. The basis is different, however, because it is oriented online. In principle, as an e-commerce manager, for example, you have to pursue the following goals:
- Increase customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty,
- Increase existing market shares and develop new markets.
- Increase company image and improve trustworthiness on the Internet.
- Open up new business areas and develop and offer new services as far as possible.
- Make marketing and sales measures more efficient and reduce the associated costs.
These are exemplary rough goals that the activity pursues and, depending on the shop, could also be expanded. If your task is lined with a management function, the responsibilities in this regard naturally increase and you have to keep an eye on all of them. If it is a little further down on the career level, you should at least contribute to the stated goal achievement. Overall, the following activities can be broken down from this:
- Carry out assortment and catalog management.
- Determine the range and product selection: A central task here is to monitor and influence the number of products in the online shop, the product conversion rate and the range of products and to initiate measures.
- Operate price optimization: This includes that you determine the optimal price for the individual products. That in turn affects internal regulations as well as those that competition impose.
- Check delivery quality: You have to guarantee that delivered products are consistent and fit together in terms of customer, time, content, costs and location. This also includes monitoring the returns processes that may occur.
- Monitoring of sales processes.
- Creating, initiating and monitoring advertising and marketing measures: The most important tool is of course online marketing.
- Manage a comprehensive warehouse, customer and financial management.
- Accounting tasks: If an external accounting office is commissioned, this usually includes pre-accounting.
- In a managerial role: This includes the management of business partners and existing employees.
It should be noted that not all activities have to be carried out alone, even if you are alone in the online shop management. In the event of overload, a lot of individual tasks can be outsourced, because the focus is on the management of the online shop itself. For example, an external tax office can be used for accounting, agencies for advertising, writing agencies for product texts and programs for checking content that check for possible plagiarism, be consulted. That depends on the overload and the budget that you have available for external outsourcing.
E-Commerce presented as a course of study
Now that it is clear in which field of activity the graduates will later work, the course and its content can be explained more easily. As with all other degree programs, there are roughly two categories that can be taken:
- Bachelor
- Master
Here, for example, the basics of e-commerce, the handling techniques especially in e-commerce and tools are focused. With a bachelor’s degree, the following basics are taught during the course:
- Media and Communication management
- Basics of e-business and e-commerce
- Focus on online management: online marketing, electronic commerce and social media
2. Business Administration
- Basics of e-business and e-commerce
- Focus on online management: electronic commerce, online marketing, social media
3.Trade and logistics
- Online trading basics
- Logistics basics
- Innovative distribution systems
In the master’s course, topics such as digital management (based on electronic commerce and online marketing) and corporate communication (digital media & online marketing) are added in-depth.
In addition to these very specific topics, a great deal of content on marketing and sales in general is also conveyed. Because it is important to get a basis about market and product behavior, which also apply in internet business and show its effects. With the content you will be prepared for what will later be necessary for an entire online shop.
Conclusion on the profession of e-commerce
The market situation for trained e-commerce employees or managers has grown. This was not only due to the crisis in 2020, which favoured online trading. The general trend was already there before that online shops were getting more traffic. Even more conservative companies have now opened up to online business and are also offering this kind of service. This in turn increases the need for qualified employees. It is therefore to be expected that the market situation will improve even further and that you will have even more choices.