Every ecommerce team knows the industry has its fair share of developments and challenges. From edging out competitors to keeping the ecommerce team engaged, there is plenty for ecommerce team leaders to tackle throughout the year.
We first asked this question last year, so we’re keen to find out what has changed over the last 12 months. Using responses from the 2019 ecommerce salary survey & insights report, let’s find out what hurdles ecommerce professionals have to jump over to attain ecommerce glory!
Here is a breakdown of the challenges ecommerce teams are facing, or expect to face, this year. There have been some changes from 2018, and the number of respondents selecting different challenges is more evenly spread. Here are a few highlights from these figures…
(Note: respondents were invited to select more than one team challenge, so figures will not equal 100%)
While recognising the challenges your ecommerce team faces is a good start, how do you address them? We thought we would focus on the top 3 listed above and discuss how management can ensure they are tackled accordingly!
When an ecommerce team works, it really works! Staff retention is therefore one of the most important things management should focus on when it comes to ecommerce. The last thing you want is a direct competitor attracting your talent, especially when it’s something easily fixable.
Is overtime prioritised over work-life balance? Are the company benefits not doing enough to keep employees happy? Does the team overall enjoy the environment? Simply put, employees will leave if the company isn’t enjoyable enough to make them want to commute every day. Of course, you must do what is within the company’s limits but it’s worth management having a brainstorm about how to keep the team happy.
For the fifth year running, feeling valued and respected is the top essential in a role for our survey respondents. Start with this – give regular feedback, reward your team and show them you really admire what they do for the business. Company culture and management are also essential points, so it’s down to you to build a culture that works and that people respect.
When it comes to hiring ecommerce talent, it does tie in closely with the challenge above. Once you have a culture and a team that work, you should hire against this and ensure potential employees are the right fit.
When it comes to the skills for the role itself, the industry is seriously competitive when it comes to talent. You need to know the places where ecommerce professionals will see your roles, or find a recruitment agency with access to a wider network of candidates. Look at your current recruitment process right now, and evaluate the successes and failures – this should be a good start.
You can also download a free copy of ‘Ecommerce Hiring Guide 1: Starting your search’ to get you off to a good start in the ecommerce hiring challenge!
What’s an ecommerce company without customers, right? You know your team targets and growth plans, but once again it really does come down to management and how you inspire the team to achieve great things.
The best way to start planning for a customer acquisition strategy is to make it fun. Get the team excited about what they’ll be doing and give them something to work towards when the targets are met. Not only should you do this as a team, but also speak to each team member individually. Find out how they’re feeling about the challenges, determine how you can support them and show them you’re there to lead by example!
We hope you’ve enjoyed the latest #PandaPounds 2019 exclusive! We will soon be looking at ecommerce team goals and plenty more insights not found in the full report! Have you read the full report yet? If not, click below and download a free copy to enjoy right now.