Running a business today has become much simpler and more streamlined thanks to technological innovation, continuous market growth, and ongoing development in each individual industry. Add to that, the world’s borders have been rendered virtually useless, since we can now operate on a global scale with little effort and retailers successfully sell to international markets all the time.
That said, the need for qualified, experienced, and eager-to-learn employees is on the rise together with all of these innovative practices. Although some level of automation is always an advantage, people are still the greatest asset of any e-commerce business that wants to grow.
In recent years, one of the most in-demand positions has become that of a project manager in e-commerce. Since the e-commerce cycle involves so many different moving parts, companies have become dependent on experts who can handle such versatile positions and who know how to work with software tools that enable easier communication and collaboration across the board.
If you would like to work in that role, some qualities are a must, and you should strive to develop your skills in a few specific directions. Here are a few suggestions to help you become a successful e-commerce manager and thrive in this competitive, hectic environment.
Perfect Your Communication Skills
Negotiating more time for your projects, more budget for each campaign, and working with demanding clients and stakeholders can be exhausting. Still, you need to remain professional and find a way to fight for what you need for your projects to come to fruition.
This is why project managers need to be excellent communicators, in-person and online. Keep refining how you talk to people, your body language, and make sure that you know how to interact, ascertain your authority, but still empower collaboration in your team.
Embrace the Continuous Learning Curve
Getting a formal education is only part of the puzzle, to which we’ll get into in a moment. Yes, it does make a difference if you can present a formal certificate to confirm your education, but more than anything else, modern companies need employees who are eager to learn on their own, aren’t afraid of taking initiative, and happily expand their knowledge to keep up with the pace of the e-commerce arena.
- Find educational project management websites to follow and keep an eye on them so as to read the latest articles and learn about the latest tools. This means learning about industry-specific best practices as soon as they arrive, to improve your role in your company and the entire operation.
- Attend conferences, seminars, and similar networking events dedicated to your industry. This is one of the best ways to hear directly from the experts as to how your role may be changing and the kind of skills you should develop in time.
Develop a Wide Array of Skills
Being a project manager sounds simple enough, right? Well, it’s actually a multifaceted role that requires you to develop different skills, learn about different project management tools, and perfect your ability to work under pressure.
Some of the most appreciated qualities and abilities of any project manager include your ability to work in different databases, experience with various PM software tools, leadership qualities that help you truly manage teams, and some basic knowledge of finances, marketing, social media, and web development to allow you to handle different teams and different workloads.
Certification Still Matters
Although many modern-day companies don’t really strive to hire people with formal education just for the sake of the diploma, obtaining such education means that you can claim a certain number of years in the industry, knowledge that’s been tested and accredited, and above all, that you have a way to prove your worth even if you don’t have any project management experience just yet.
- Consider enrolling in a marketing, management, or business program that will give you access to classes covering a wide variety of relevant topics.
- A finance course is helpful when it comes to determining each project’s budget scope, which is also a part of your job.
- Obtain certification that is relevant in e-commerce and that helps you learn about industry-specific best practices.
Master the Art of Risk Management
Education helps you incorporate many different skills to handle tasks, time, and schedules, and to keep all stakeholders and clients happy. Alas, managing projects means that you’ll need to handle various levels of decision-making, take risks, and avoid issues – which will sometimes inevitably ensue nonetheless. As a result, a great project manager needs to be able to keep risk in mind at all times.
- Start assessing risk for each project in your business. This will help you prepare should a crisis occur.
- Anticipation is only part of your job, so make sure that all the stakeholders understand their role in the process of managing risks.
- Make sure that you have a strategy in place should something go awry, because your e-commerce business shouldn’t come to a grinding halt because of a blip on the road.
Final Thoughts
From obtaining proper education, all the way to not shying away from new learning opportunities, project managers actually wear many different hats under a unified role. To become a project manager, make sure that you’ve considered these aspects of the position and its numerous responsibilities, and then brace yourself for the fast-paced world of e-commerce.
Featured image credit: freepik.com
My name is Raul, editor in chief at Technivorz blog. I have a lot to say about innovations in all aspects of digital technology and online marketing. You can reach me out on Twitter.
