FOCUS : E-COMMERCE Roles in e-commerce Not surprisingly, the stratospheric rise of e-commerce means there are a whole new range of job opportunities not available a decade ago. The industry is so vast that there are many roles out there. Jobs range from people adept at converting casual clickers into buying customers, and encouraging them to return to make repeat purchases, to buyers and merchandisers. And of course a whole range of technical and creative bods: front end developers, programmers, data analysts and designers to keep things running smoothly and maximise E-COMMERCE sales. The list goes on... Mobile shopping is another area to look out for. The rise of smartphones and tablets means more of us than ever are shopping on the go, and demanding speed and convenience for every purchase. Digital skills shortage Although the digital economy is booming, there is concern we're not equipping ourselves with the right skills for the long-term. A recent survey showed 55% of employers (from sectors including digital and technology) were anxious about Good customer experience is vital to make it easy for clickers to buy SKILLS E-COMMERCE NEEDS: Depending on the area of e-commerce you get into, you'll need a variety of these skillsets: * People skills if you're working in a client-facing role. * Excellent copywriting skills if your job involves persuading people to buy. * A focus on customer experience to ensure the casual clicker has the easiest route to buying. * Analytical skills and ability to sort numbers and data to show results and spot patterns. * Ability to spot trends and innovate as e-commerce is a fast-moving sector. * Good knowledge of key e-commerce platforms, even if you're not in a technical role. 1 9 0 /// J O B S & C A R E E R S