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- Remember, You're Not a Technician
Remember, You're Not a Technician
As I said in part 1 of this series, different companies have different ideas of what an eCommerce manager is and his or her role in the company. The biggest mistake that most companies make is seeing the eCommerce initiative as a technology and design function. It's not. It's a business function. As an eCommerce manager, you need to keep these tips in mind when working with the necessary technical departments or personnel in your company:
- eCommerce needs technology, but technology is not the solution. The solution comes from applying the technology from a business perspective.
- Does the technology solve a problem or create one? Remember that your online customers are human beings and your technological solutions should be user-friendly. The easiest solutions for the IT or web development departments are not always the best solutions for site visitors.
- Learn to speak their language. In many email discussion groups, you can sign up, "lurk," and learn something about eCommerce technology solutions. In fact, encourage company staff to subscribe to a discussion list that matches their part of the business, so everyone can learn more about eCommerce and the different technical and business strategies being applied today.
Finally, remember that an eCommerce manager is just that. A manager. He or she is involved in launching and running an eCommerce web site from a management perspective. The eCommerce manager is not a programmer, a marketer, or a web developer, but someone who is familiar with each of those functions and how to manage the personnel who provide those functions to bring about a successful company eCommerce initiative.
In my next article, I'll discuss the essential elements of the digital design of an eCommerce web site.