What Does An E-Commerce Executive Do? (A How-To Guide)

Updated 24 February 2023

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E-commerce executives or managers are professionals who oversee the online sales and presence of a retail company. They are responsible for developing strategies to ensure the practicality and proper design of a company's online marketing platforms. In this role, you may work to grow an e-commerce business by making improvements to customer experiences, fulfilling orders and maintaining the digital well-being of a company account. In this article, we discuss what does an e-commerce executive do, their roles and responsibilities, examine their skills and salary, review their work environment and provide steps to become one.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

What Does An E-Commerce Executive Do?

If you are considering a career in the e-commerce sector, you may wonder, "What does an e-commerce executive do?". E-commerce executives often handle the sale of products in different online stores and shopping outlets and ensure that these platforms are user-friendly and easy to access. They evaluate the purchase decisions and specific needs of customers to make informed decisions regarding promotional strategies, pricing and product lines. E-commerce executives also review the company's technological and sales strategies to ensure that they align with overall revenue targets and organisational goals. Common duties for an e-commerce executive include:

Overseeing the overall development of an organisation's retail and income-generating sites
Conducting research on user-friendly features and layouts that appeal the most to customers
Testing changes to platforms and monitoring the results
Applying platform updates that attract and keep new customers
Reviewing sales insights and using them to develop informed sales strategies
Leading teams of copywriters, graphic designers and software developers in creating attractive, user-friendly and engaging e-commerce websites
Making promotional offers and displaying them appropriately on the website
Evaluating legal disclaimers and website content to ensure that they are compliant, error-free and on-brand
Managing the smooth functioning of different online e-commerce platforms of an online retail company
Ensuring that the company achieves its targeted annual revenue and within prescribed operating expenses
Managing and executing promotional campaigns, providing insights on customer shopping trends, ensuring excellent customer service and timely resolution of customer complaints and feedback
Working closely with demand planning, merchandising and warehouse teams to ensure the fulfilment of orders on time
Analysing and providing reports on a weekly or monthly basis for each department, product or offer
Reviewing customers' concerns, needs and preferences to create a smooth and seamless transactional process for buying products online
Reviewing stock levels and sales data to maintain a stable supply and demand status

Skills For An E-Commerce Executive

E-commerce executives usually work in fast-paced environments and may have excellent time-management skills. They typically showcase great attention to detail and a proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. In addition, they also possess excellent team and relationship-building skills to manage other professionals and build relationships with existing and new stakeholders.

Effective e-commerce executives typically have exceptional web design and development capabilities and understand how to create and manage user-friendly websites to access easily. In addition, since they regularly review data, e-commerce executives possess strong analytical abilities to interpret and apply the data to build results-driven platforms. Other skills required to be an e-commerce executive or manager include:

Creative thinking abilities
Strategic thinking abilities
Verbal communication skills
Knowledge of e-commerce platforms
Marketing skills
Analytical skills
Content strategy knowledge
Advertising skills
Team management skills
Project management skills
Interpersonal skills
Search engine optimisation (SEO) knowledge

How To Become An E-Commerce Executive?

Successful e-commerce executives usually have extensive experience using basic SEO, sales and marketing tools. They also have the basic management experience required to effectively lead several departments. To become an e-commerce executive, candidates typically undergo training, pursue relevant education and earn certification programmes to perform effectively in the role. You can take the following steps to become an e-commerce executive:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree

Most employers require e-commerce executives to have a bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, information technology, communications or a related field like sales. Consider taking several technical courses, like web design, web development or content marketing and advertising, to ensure that you have an advanced understanding of building user-friendly platforms and creating effective sales campaigns. These programmes may also offer courses to help you excel in your role, including data management, online communication, search engine optimisation and online transactions. In addition, these courses can help e-commerce executives to get a strong understanding of e-commerce and retail frameworks.

2. Get work experience

Before you can work as an e-commerce executive, you may try to gain work experience in a marketing, sales or information technology (IT) role. Spend some time to understand how different marketing and sales platforms work and get experience updating the business' website to understand how to optimise it. Working in sales and marketing also helps you learn more about brand development as you set and reinforce your company's brand standards to ensure that all marketing and sales materials accurately reflect its image.

Different marketing roles also teach you how to analyse customer data to learn more about their purchasing behaviours and buying habits to interpret them in a useful manner. Spending years serving in these roles often gives you the experience required to lead your own team of marketing and sales professionals. Once you are in charge of your own team, you can provide them with advice and guidance based on the knowledge and experience you gain from the role.

3. Pursue online certifications

As you serve in sales and marketing positions, find new ways to advance your skill set on your own. An effective way to do this is through online courses and tutorials to gain knowledge and learn more about the best practices in search engine optimisation, content management and marketing. In addition, earning certifications in different subject matters and listing them on your resume can help you differentiate from other candidates.

Relevant certifications can also impress your current supervisor, who may promote you to an e-commerce executive or manager role, to apply your newly acquired skills to higher-level tasks and teach them to employees under you. It can also be helpful to pick up skills such as photography and videography, learn new languages, improve your social media knowledge across various platforms and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in this domain.

4. Continue your education

Though most employers require candidates to hold bachelor's degrees, some may prefer candidates with master's degrees in business, marketing, communications or a related field. Even if employers do not mandate a higher academic qualification, consider including them on your resume to increase your chances of being hired. You can continue your education after earning your undergraduate degree or pursue it while still working in your current role during evenings or weekends. You may also consider developing online promotional strategies, websites, web pages and content for clients on a freelance or part-time basis to gain experience and expand your resume's content.

E-commerce Executive Work Environment

An e-commerce executive typically works in an office setting. Due to the widespread use of computer applications to design and develop web pages and content strategies, these professionals may spend long hours in front of a computer screen. They may also work unconventional hours into the night or on weekends to meet deadlines or complete work on project deliverables. In addition, some e-commerce executives may travel to meet with clients, customers and stakeholders as and when the need arises. It is often the most suitable career option for individuals who enjoy challenges, are creative and are comfortable working under pressure.

Average Salary And Job Outlook For An E-Commerce Executive

The average base salary for an e-commerce executive is ₹39,840 per month. If you decide to advance your education, enhance your skill set or work for large corporations, you can earn a higher income in this role.

The demand for e-commerce executives and managers is generally increasing as more brands and companies go online with sales. Companies are constantly digitising and using the latest platforms and technological applications to sell their products and services. They may, in turn, hire more e-commerce executives to effectively display and sell their products online. An e-commerce executive who can work in a fast-paced digital environment, conduct data analysis and execute customer order fulfilment can grow with the growing e-commerce sector.