Friday, May 16, 2014

Three Ways to Build Your In-House Ecommerce Team Structure by Emily Pfeiffer

via Ecommerce Consulting http://ift.tt/1mA3JQr


There was a time when e-commerce and digital marketing tasks were so baffling to “regular” business management types, it was automatically lumped in with IT. Because it was somewhat technical it seemed only the most geeky could handle it (as my Grandma says, “you must understand this – you do computers”).
Not to insult my technically inclined brethren (no, really – I was once an IT Director!) but your average IT professional, however talented and truly indispensable, is probably not the ideal person to manage your digital marketing efforts. Would you put a developer at the helm of your trade show booth? Almost certainly not. It’s just not that role’s skillset. Similarly, your most visible marketing channel should only be owned by someone with a strong handle on customer experience, marketing, and brand positioning.
Maybe this is old news for you. You could be way ahead of the curve on these expectations. If so, good for you! But do you know what it is that makes this particular marketing channel so difficult to staff with just a few heads?
E-commerce is still the love child of Marketing and IT. So much of the work involved is technical. More than that, data and statistics become even more prominent in digital marketing than in more traditional media for two reasons:
  1. Availability – the internet has simply made it possible for us to access deep levels of data like we’ve never been able to easily capture and review before.
  2. Immediacy – for the first time, we have an instant view of what’s happening. We can literally launch a campaign today and gauge its (initial) success tomorrow.
Subsequently, the digital marketer has to be even more on top of data and analysis than marketing professionals have previously been. This hybrid field requires a balanced staffing solution.

Evolution of the e-commerce professional

Over time, there have been trends in hiring to meet the e-commerce needs of organizations. What started out as an indistinct, mysterious, IT-managed project, became an outsourced service, often provided by a single consultant. Managing the digital channel was one of the newest, and still very ambiguous, job duties in many organizations. As the economy tightened, it was therefore one of the easiest to hire out rather than supporting dedicated staff.
As the role evolved and swelled with responsibilities, it became necessary to hire more than just one handy geek to keep things moving smoothly. Many companies began to bring it back in-house, but this process has been rocky for many. It’s very challenging for managers to define the necessary roles, figure out how to delegate responsibilities, and understand when to bring in additional help for what is still a very new specialty and largely unknown to many hiring managers.
For small to medium sized business, this model has prevailed:
An in-house core team is responsible for overall strategy and direction, under either sales or marketing. That team is owns whatever the company views as either the most crucial, or the easiest to manage, areas of the e-commerce need. For instance, a brand that has strong design skills in-house may keep much of that oversight while hiring out for website management. On the flip side, if technical skills are well developed, coding and development might be maintained alongside some marketing and analytics, while the creative bits are outsourced.

A word about marketing in the digital age

Marketing is creative, nuanced, artistic and intuitive. Digital marketing is technical, agile, and in many ways, worlds apart from traditional marketing roles.
There is nothing else like the roles in a small e-commerce team structure. I’ve found that the larger a company is, the more their e-commerce positions look like traditional marketing. They morph into things that sound much less digital, and much more specific (like Customer Acquisition Manager) and relegate the more technical stuff out separately. They may also just fold all digital marketing in with the traditional side, treating it as a small off-shoot.
While larger teams have the luxury of getting granular with their needs, in-house digital departments in smaller businesses need to be lean and flexible. More than that, I see a deep benefit to keeping the specifically digital perspectives embedded in the business roles.
These are new rules we’re playing by. The “old” approach to business growth, brand building, and marketing just doesn’t work anymore. Unless the digital is built into the marketing, the e-commerce and mobile inherent to the business, we’re likely missing a large and crucial piece of the big picture. Roles become siloed and the digital side – the people who maintain the channel that interacts with consumers directly, every day – is overshadowed by the traditional (and potentially inappropriate) methods.

Start with your department head

Whether you’re hiring a digital marketing manager, e-commerce director, or VP of digital, you must start with this pivotal position. Responsible for oversight of your website(s), digital sales channels, online branding, and all related areas, your one key player must have two vital characteristics:
  1. Broad e-commerce experience with at least one specialty (digital marketing, website management, etc.)
  2. Management skills (proven experience fostering teams)
Depending on the size of your company, the other resources you have available, and the sophistication of your digital channel, you’ll need to first identify the experience level required. You might be able to get by with a lower level manager who has some digital marketing experience and can keep projects on track because they’d report to a deeply engaged and savvy Sales/Marketing professional… or you might need someone who single handedly spearheads the digital channel for a company that is competent with internal supporting roles like Finance and IT, but does not otherwise have a strong handle on online business.
If you’re lucky, you might stumble onto one of those few e-commerce professionals who got into the industry early enough to have seen it evolve over the past 15-20 years. They’re a rare breed, and because that moment has passed, there are no new inductees. But those of us who have been steeped in the culture of e-commerce since the ground floor have a big-picture understanding that is hard to come by in those newer to the field.
With your e-commerce leader at the helm, and the full buy-in of senior leaders, begin to develop the team around that key player.

Three ways to form small, in-house e-commerce departments

Be proactive as you establish your in-house e-commerce team. Building these groups with a clear philosophy will help managers slide talent in where they fit well, make sure all bases are covered, and feel empowered to motivate and inspire.
As you’re building your small internal team or bringing it back in-house, choose one of the methodologies below as your starting point for the department. Each one lends itself to expansion over time, so you can logically break apart each position and make the roles more granular as the workload increases.

Option 1: Establish roles by general function

This methodology is common. There are traditional ways of classifying job functions, and we can apply those groupings here as well.
Start by mapping out the broad collections of responsibilities:
  • Marketing (analytics, promotions)
  • Data (product, reporting)
  • Creative (graphics, html)
  • Content (product descriptions, blog, emails)
  • Social media (may be absorbed by marketing or content)
While this seems logical, these days there is so much cross-over. In this industry, it’s unusual to find someone who has focused specifically in just one narrow path. Remember that if your online presence is new, you may be able to group some of these together if you can find a good fit for the combined role. Understanding the differentiators between them, though, will allow you to logically split them when the need arises, as your channel becomes more demanding.
As you grow and find that it is time to split a position into two, please stay closely in touch with the employee whose role is about to shift. Ensure that the conversations flow both ways. Ask which responsibilities they feel most competent at, which they think could be most easily handed over, and in which areas they feel the deepest sense of ownership. Support the dedicated staff you have to avoid  alienating them or causing feelings of relegation.

Option 2: Hire a left brain and a right brain

Not everyone subscribes to the theory that each side of the brain controls certain types of thinking and that people are generally left or right brain dominant… but the science aside, this is a valid approach to hiring a small starter team to help get you off the ground.
Consider your personality types. A “left brain” person is analytical, preferring logic and data, while a “right brain” person is creative, intuitive, and thoughtful.
Now, find someone who has some experience with inventory management, analytics and reporting, and who enjoys geeking out on numbers and statistics, and you’ve got a left brain rock star!
Next, look for a creative type who has some experience with content and writing – that’s crucial here, as those communication skills are not optional in the department. Marketing experience is helpful as well as the ability to keep a promotional schedule on track – and boom! Right brain perfection!
Your tasks will generally categorize themselves into one bin or the other. When there is crossover, I find it best to let the two roles duke it out (or preferably, work together). For instance, SEO research is data for sure, but it’s also about content and presentation. If you allow your left brain to own it alone, you’ll wind up with word choices that may not be compelling to the consumer. Whereas if your right brain is in charge, your product names might sound fabulous, but miss major opportunities for traffic building.
I find that these gray-area tasks are most common shared or doled out according to the specific personalities of each employee (or managed by the department head, perhaps with input from the two brains):
  • Search engine optimization and research
  • Merchandising on site
  • Search term monitoring and opportunity identification
  • Outreach (bloggers, larger customers, partners, etc.)
  • Other areas that require analytical reviews and adjustments
Get to you know your employees, figure out who would shine in those gray-area tasks, or encourage collaboration for a balanced approach.
You’ll need to have your manager in place to keep the two brains on track and take ownership of the larger, strategic management of the channel, including:
  • Selecting, budgeting and managing third party partners
  • Strategic initiatives and overall management
  • Product selection and merchandising strategy
This plan leaves plenty of room to expand over time as workloads fill up. There are bits you could peel out of both to form a new role. In the meantime, share the burden and run a lean department as you ramp up.

Option 3: The fill-in-the-gaps approach

Beginning with your e-commerce team leader may put you in a strong position to have a number of duties already covered. If you promoted someone internally, or found a diamond in the rough without very deep experience but with glowing recommendations, a solid foundation, and a major drive to grow, let your leader own some pieces initially.
They might be experienced or particularly adept at specific areas. If so, let the manager keep some bits within their job description. It often makes the most sense to start with marketing tasks, as these feed most directly into high level strategy.
Next, tap your other internal teams. Have a strong data person in Finance who’s chomping at the bit for increased responsibilities? Maybe they could pitch in on some data management. Is there a creative type who’s well versed in print collateral but inexperienced at digital design, invest in an online course and give it a whirl! Pull resources from IT for integrations and inventory management, or from just about anywhere for the administrative or logistic needs such as organizing physical samples or managing communications with bloggers.
Obviously, capacity must be considered, but those who are looking to bring more value to their positions should welcome the opportunity to contribute to this exciting initiative and a strong manager will understand how to inspire and solicit help without sapping too much time and souring relationships with other managers. Make sure basic business etiquette practices are maintained, such as keeping managers in the loop when requesting help from their employees, and respecting busy times in those departments by submitting requests well in advance and pulling back when things are heavier.
Then you can identify, with your manager’s guidance, the other functional areas that require new hires. Fill in the blanks. Over time, as the team grows, you can either move some of those pinch hitters from other departments into e-commerce full time, or release them back to their original positions and hire a full time replacement.
By evaluating the personalities, interests, skills and experience of your internal staff first, you create the opportunity for advancement which is great for morale, and move proven performers into positions they might find newly engaging and energizing. Let those “blanks” between your talent translate into a need you’ll fill with hires.

Keep anything that’s not e-commerce specific outside of the department

Finally, identify the bits that you do not have to take on as e-commerce functions specifically. These areas can be covered by the business services managed elsewhere in the company. You’ll need to come to terms with the fact that the business needs of this technical department will differ from others. But establish the expectation that the digital channel is highly valued and that these other players help to enable its success.
Some areas that can be successfully handled outside of the e-commerce department:
  • Finance and budgeting
  • Administrative, Data entry
  • IT, Anything you can automate
  • Strategically selected out-sourcing, Strike mission consultants
  • Third party partners that do some of the work for you (some providers are more hands-on than others)

The E-Commerce team structure in the long term

Over time, you have the opportunity to empower a strong digital team to carry your company through these changing times. Make sure not to treat this as an after-thought. Mark my words, this is the direction everything is moving.
By owning these processes in-house, you are embracing the current state of business and fostering the support your digital team needs to carry your brand through with its unique voice and message, whether you ultimately keep your e-commerce team embedded under a larger umbrella or allow it to stand alone as a digital department.

4 Ways Visual Content Can Enhance Your Ecommerce User Experience

via Content Marketing Institute http://ift.tt/1n0uHDx

By DEVIKA GIRISH published MAY 16, 2014
runner-shoes-nike sales imageIn today’s ever-connected, increasingly social world, images and videos are fast becoming crucial elements of digital marketing. According to a recentForbes report, brand engagement on Instagram, a social network that relies purely on visual content, has grown by an astounding 350 percent, year over year.
With the rise of social sharing, more and more brands are looking for ways to leverage visual imagery to enhance the value of the content they create and grab a greater share of audience attention. An ROI research report found that 44 percent of people are more likely to engage with brands that post pictures than any other media. Additionally, a Pew Internet study in the U.S. even suggested that the online content consumption has consequently reduced the attention spans of consumers. 
Here are a few smart ways to start capitalizing on the rising popularity and power of visual content:

1. Adopt a mobile-first approach

According to a recent Forrester Research report, 21 percent of retailers’ online revenue last year came from consumers who used a smartphone or tablet to make a purchase. And, by nature, many mobile consumers are likely accessing content while they are on the go.
Catering to their particular needs means highlighting the key features they are most likely to access from a mobile device and optimizing your content and layout to provide a seamless user experience — regardless of their choice of device. You want your consumers to be able to scan through the visual content and get the key message quickly, before you lose their attention.
shopping site-women dresses-small images
The view of MichaelKors.com on mobile
In the image above, you’ll see that Michael Kors, a fashion retailer, does not have a website that has been optimized for mobile. For example, the print stays small, and users have to do a lot of clicking and scrolling to view the different merchandise available and the detailed descriptions. Though the visual content itself is quite appealing, the page forces consumers to zoom in and out to maneuver around the site and get a clear view on something they might want to purchase.
Because of the small screen real estate afforded to most mobile devices, viewing mobile content just as it would display on a desktop not only makes interaction difficult for your consumers, but also reduces conversions. In fact, 40 percent of consumers are reported to have turned to a competitor’s website after a bad mobile web experience.
You can avoid this by either opting for a responsive design — where a single code base is used to serve both mobile and desktop users — or adaptive delivery, where the server hosting the website detects the device making requests and uses this information to deliver different batches of HTML and CSS code. However, most responsive websites take a lot of time to load on mobile devices, as smartphones would typically need to download and sift through all the same information it would for the desktop version (but with less processing power). Adaptive delivery on the other hand, enables the server to choose to optimally render pages by enhancing or removing certain functionalities on the fly, based on the capabilities of the device detected.
black high-heeled shoe-sales site
Jimmy Choo mobile website
shoes-purses images
Jimmy Choo desktop website
Jimmy Choo, the luxury bags and shoes brand, uses an adaptive design scheme to deliver a highly differentiated experience for its mobile customers. The mobile website, for example, employs a simple layout that displays one central image followed by a list of categories below it, making it easier for consumers to scan through the offerings on the home page. In contrast, the home page of its desktop website features a number of images, depicting different categories within.

2. Make images and videos “shoppable”

Though visually compelling images can have a huge impact on the user experience of your ecommerce site visitors, the images alone can do little to help you convert those visitors into customers. For example, there are times when consumers may come across a fashion trend or exciting look shared by a friend through Facebook or Pinterest, but those shared images do not allow a consumer to purchase that product directly just by clicking on it. These are lost opportunities for a retail marketer.
By making your images or videos shoppable, you can now make it easier for someone who likes your products to become a customer without having to take extra steps — steps that can lead to frustration or abandoning their interest altogether.
woman jogger-jogging items for sale
For example, Kiosked is a platform that creates embeddable “smart” content that turns visual content into a consumer shopping service. In 2013, Nike used Kiosked for its signature Nike x Undercover Gyakusou collection, a line that caters to the high demands of running enthusiasts. By making the images shoppable, the brand was able to connect better with its consumers in places where they were more likely to interact, and increase its point of sale.
male runer-running shoe for sale
Image via Antti Pasila
Online shoppers could just hover over the image, and glance through the Nike merchandise showcased in it. They could even purchase it from an ecommerce website by clicking on the “Buy Now” option.
male tennis player-image
A recent Gartner study states that 74 percent of consumers rely on social media to guide their purchases. Recognizing the huge potential of discovery-led shopping, Kiosked offers a “share and earn” functionality that enables distributed ecommerce through social media. Employing a similar feature for your shoppable visual content could help boost sales through your loyal fan base.

3. Incorporate user-generated content

One of the most rewarding ways to enhance the consumer experience with visual content is to allow those consumers themselves to play a role in creating the content you publish on social media. With 4 in 10 social media users reported to have purchased an item in-store or online after sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, there is no denying that social media has a huge impact on consumer purchase decisions, and who isn’t more likely to be loyal to a brand that recognizes them for their interest and support.
A lot of brands these days gather content by collecting images shared by their customers on their websites or social media networks. While these images may not be as good as the ones taken by a professional, their authenticity will strike a positive note with your customers. Making user-generated visual content a part of your website by linking it to respective products makes the consumer shopping experience even more relatable.
blond woman modeling high-heeled shoes
selection-black shoes
Nasty Gal is just one of the brands using consumer-sourced images to drive engagement among its shoppers. The retail brand encouraged its customers to upload pictures of themselves wearing merchandise bought from Nasty Gal and tag them using #nastygal. These images were then showcased on its “The Click” gallery and linked back to the product catalog.

4. Create a content hub that resonates with your shoppers’ interests

One of the best ways of cultivating valuable relationships with your consumers is by offering them something unique and appealing that also showcases your products.
REI, a national outdoor retailer does this by creating content that inspires, educates, and equips their shoppers with outdoor-enthusiast lifestyle information that the brand stands for. Rather than merely creating a single blog, REI maintains various content hubs of information, such as videos and details on upcoming events and in-store educational classes.
men-stand-up paddleboards
images-video choices
basic bike maintenance-video image
The company also provides its shoppers with quick access to expert tips and tricks on how to find the right adventure gear. Offering such product demonstrations and promotions rather than plain text helps engage users. With a recent eMarketer report stating that 51.9 percent of marketing professionals consider video to be the content format with the best ROI, this is undoubtedly a safe bet.
Going by the latest trends, content on ecommerce sites is trending toward fewer words and more visuals. As shown in the above examples, visual content will help you to engage in meaningful interactions with your consumers. Thus, when it comes to optimizing your ROI, the best way forward is to strategically incorporate visuals into your ecommerce experience.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

10 Tools to Create Social Media Graphics

via Practical Ecommerce http://ift.tt/1iLCJrB


With millions of images uploaded each day, social media is now a visual medium. Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Flickr, and Vine make sharing photos and videos much easier than in the past.
Because they convey emotion and add a human touch, images enable businesses to create a closer connection to their fans and followers, which can result in a higher conversion rate.
Here are 10 tools to help you enter the visual social web quickly and easily.

1. PicMonkey

PicMonkey
PicMonkey was the company that created Picnik, acquired by Google in 2010.
PicMonkey, the company that made Picnik, a photo-editing tool that was acquired by Google in 2010, offers its own photo editor that works in your browser. There is nothing to download or install. Apps are available for use with Facebook and Google Chrome, as well.
With PicMonkey, you can edit photos, make photo collages, and add filters and text. The free option comes with a wide variety of photo frames, special effects, and font types. You cancrop and resize photos, and add text to images. You can select photos from your computer, Dropbox, Facebook, and Flickr.
PicMonkey is free to use. Premium plans (available from $33 per year) offer more tools and editing options.

2. Canva

Canva
Currently available by invitation only, Canva is an editing and design platform built with social media in mind.
Canva was developed for those of us who have difficulty using more sophisticated photo editing and design tools such as Photoshop. It offers many design options expressly for use with social media.
You can create images for use on Pinterest boards, Facebook covers and ads, Twitter headers, blog graphics, and a variety of other images. Canva offers preconfigured image sizes, or you can select custom dimension options.
Canva is free to use, but currently only available via invitation. The site also offers stock photo images, which are available for purchase at a nominal fee.

3. Pixlr

Pixlr
Pixlr offers three options: Editor, Express, and Pixlr-O-Matic.
Photo editor Pixlr is built for non-professionals and professionals who need Photoshop-style editing tools. It comes in three versions: Pixlr Editor, Pixlr Express, and Pixlr-O-Matic.
  • Pixlr Editor. This is a full-featured photo editing and design platform, not unlike Photoshop.
  • Pixlr Express. Similar, to PicMonkey, the express version offers a number of preconfigured editing options, filters, photo frames, and text overlays.
  • Pixlr-O-Matic. Even easier to use than the express version, Pixlr-O-Matic lets you add effects, overlays, and borders to photos.
Pixlr is built in Flash; you will need to have the Flash plugin to use it.

4. PicCollage

PicCollage
PicCollage is an easy-to-use tool for making photo collages.
PicCollage is an app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices that allows you to use photos from your Facebook account or camera to create collages.
Users can select a background, add photos and text, as well as crop, resize and edit photos.

5. Quozio

Quozio
Quozio turns quotes into images.
Quozio is a simple-to-use tool that allows users to type a quote, select a background, and share to your social network.

6. Social Image Resizer

Social Media Resizer
Social Media Resizer crops and resizes images for use on social networks.
Social Image Resizer is a simple utility designed to resize photos for use as Facebook covers, Twitter header images, Google+ cover photos, profile images, and more.
You can save photos in JPEG, PNG, and GIF formats, and create favicons from any photo, as well.

7. Photovisi

Photovisi
Photovisi is another tool for making photo collages.
Photovisi is a free, easy-to-use photo collage maker. You simply choose a design template (many are available), add photos, and either save the finished product to your computer or share it on social networks.

8. Piktochart

Piktochart
Piktochart makes creating infographics easier to do.
Built for the non-designer, Piktochart is web-based tool for creating infographics and visualizations. Free and paid versions are available that offer design templates on which you drag and drop different shapes and images. You can also add line, bar, and pie charts using data from CSV files, and then export images to PNG and JPG formats in either print or web quality.

9. Easel.ly

Easelly
Easel.ly uses a drag-and-drop interface to create infographics and visualizations.
Easel.ly features free infographic templates and design objects that you can use create and share visual ideas online. Similar to Piktochart, you create infographics and visuals by dragging and dropping design elements onto templates. You can also upload your own background image and start from scratch.

10. Paint.net

Paintnet
Paint.net is a free, downloadable image editor that offers features similar to Photoshop.
If you would like to use some of Photoshop’s features, but either can’t afford Photoshop or don’t care to go to the trouble of learning it, give Paint.net a try.
It is a free download for PCs and offers many of the same features available in Photoshop. It supports layers, has unlimited undo capability, and offers special photo effects, including red-eye removal. You can also draw shapes, add text, and recolor images.