Hiring an internal team or an external partner?

Hiring—let alone finding—experienced digital people is a challenge. Is it better to hire an internal digital expert or hire an external partner?

There is no one right way to approach E-Commerce because each company will have different objectives, budgets and expertise on staff. Some choose to have a key marketing person coordinate external activities with various partners, while others hire a small team but keep their focus to a minimum number of tactics. There is just too much for one, two or even a few people to know. The disciplines required to guide user experience, product taxonomy, data structure, data integration, programming, responsive design, SEO, ADA compliance, hosting and analytics are vast and ever-changing.

E-Commerce requires broad capabilities and specific industry knowledge.
Developing a large-scale E-Commerce website or strategic digital marketing campaign will require broader capabilities. Unless you have a large marketing and IT staff, you’ll want to partner with a firm that has a proven track record in your industry. For example, if you’re a B2B manufacturer or distributor, work with someone who knows how to manage thousands of SKUs across multiple locations.

Building and growing E-Commerce is not a one-person job.
If you’re looking to hire an individual to help manage your company’s E-Commerce efforts, we recommend finding someone that has experience with developing comprehensive E-Commerce sites—not just a marketer. The knowledge required to design, build, populate and market a world-class E-Commerce site is difficult (actually it's nearly impossible) to come by in one individual. Even an expert will need help in different areas. 

Our most important recommendation
Regardless of how you choose to move your company’s E-Commerce efforts forward, pick people who understand business. The great majority of digital experts don’t understand how business really works. They make mistakes because they don’t realize how the various facets of E-Commerce come together and connect to the business. Don’t make the costly mistake of hiring someone who just knows a few digital tools. Take the time to hire someone (or better yet a team) that has genuine business acumen.
 

This is just one example of the practical advice you’ll find in our free guidebook:

Getting E-Commerce Right

By Spindustry founders, Stephen Fry and Michael Bird

Getting E-Commerce Right is an easy-to-follow guide to finding digital commerce success. Written specifically for manufacturing, distribution and retail business owners and leaders, this practical guide will help you plan, build and grow your online sales. A must-read before starting a new E-Commerce initiative or upgrading an existing one.
 

Download or Order your free copy of Getting E-Commerce Right today!

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