Organizing eCommerce Team Structure, Roles, & Departments 

In this era of digitalization, If you are not selling online, you have already fallen behind. A report shows that the eCommerce industry is growing 23% year-over-year. You need to step your game up immediately. 

Whom to Turn- Your E-commerce Team, who will be monitoring and completing the entire e-commerce operation so that you can sell your product online. So a great eCommerce team structure is something you need to become successful.  

We all know Amazon is the global leader in online e-commerce businesses. Amazon has a huge and diverse e-commerce team that includes thousands of professionals from a wide range of backgrounds. 

However, if you are a startup or SMB founder, your eCommerce Team Structure will be different. To understand this whole equation of the eCommerce organization chart, keep reading our blog. You will get an overview from the basic responsibilities to pro tips on eCommerce structure strategy for your team. 

Responsibilities of an E-commerce Team

The first step is learning the basic responsibilities of your e-commerce team. Honestly, you don’t even need thousands of staff to run a successful eCommerce business. All you need is a team that never settles, is eager to learn and grow, and works hard to fulfill responsibilities to include in your eCommerce org chart. The responsibilities –

• Maintaining the eCommerce website to ensure its functionality, security, and integration with other systems.

• Creating and managing the online store content, such as product descriptions, images, videos, etc.

• Planning and executing digital marketing campaigns to drive traffic by using various channels.

• Analyzing and reporting on the performance of the eCommerce website using web analytics, customer feedback, market research, etc.

• Setting and achieving online sales goals and budget targets in alignment with the overall business strategy and vision.

• Monitoring and managing product inventory, ensuring timely order processing, shipping, and delivery.

• Staying informed about industry trends, consumer behavior, and emerging technologies to remain competitive and adapt strategies accordingly.

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Key eCommerce Roles Required for Success

To fulfill the responsibilities above, you need the right persons/roles for your team. So the 2nd stop is the eCommerce roles required. You need to adjust the roles of your team according to your project. Here, I have discussed some common roles for your understanding. 

Director of E-commerce/eCommerce Manager:

Your Director of E-commerce is the leader of your e-commerce team. He/she oversees the strategy, planning, development, and implementation of e-commerce solutions. He/she is also responsible for coordinating with other departments. 

Digital Marketing Manager:

The person who handles your online marketing aspects (such as SEO, SEM, email marketing, social media marketing, analytics, etc.) is your Digital Marketing Manager. Creating and executing campaigns that drive traffic, conversions, and revenue to the website is his/her responsibility.

IT specialists/ E-commerce Developer:

Your IT specialist’s responsibility is to ensure that the technical aspects of the e-commerce website are functioning properly and securely. He/she is also responsible for maintaining the site, software, and processes that support the online business.

Copywriter:

The person who is responsible for writing the text content of the e-commerce website, such as headlines, product descriptions, slogans, newsletters, and blog posts, is your Copywriter. He/She also works to incorporate keywords.

E-commerce Business Analyst:

Your E-commerce Business Analyst is the person who analyzes the data and trends of the e-commerce business, such as customer behavior, sales performance, market research, and competitor analysis for your business. 

Logistics and Inventory Manager

The person who oversees the logistics needs, storage, and distribution of the products sold online is your Logistics and Inventory Manager. He/she also ensures that orders are packed, shipped, and delivered accurately and on time.

Public And Client Relations Coordinator

Your Public And Client Relations Coordinator is the spokesperson for the e-commerce business. He/she is responsible for positive publicity and increasing brand awareness. Maintaining good relationships with your clients, the public, and the media is also his /her responsibility. 

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Different Departments of Your eCommerce Business:

Just like different roles, your e-commerce business is a combination of different eCommerce departments. And each department performs a specific function that contributes to the success of your business. The e-commerce departments may vary depending on the size and type of your business. Here are some common ones with the roles you might need according to the departments to structure your e-commerce team- 

Department Name	Responsibility	Roles
Marketing	Developing and executing marketing strategies	Marketing Manager/Director, Content Creator/Copywriter, Social Media Manager, SEO Specialist, Email Marketing Specialist, Graphic Designer, Data Analyst,
IT	Ensuring online platforms are functional, well-maintained, secure, and user-friendly	IT Manager/Director, Systems Administrator, Network Administrator, Web Developer, Database Administrator, Help Desk Support/Technician, Cybersecurity Specialist
Inventory Management	Overseeing and controlling the company’s inventory of products	Inventory Manager, Stock Clerk, Inventory Analyst, Purchasing Agent, Warehouse Manager (if applicable)
Sales	Generating revenue, driving growth, maximizing sales opportunities	Sales Manager, Sales Representatives/Account Executives, Customer Service Representative, Sales Analyst, Lead Generation Specialist
Fulfillment	Order processing, packaging, and shipping	Fulfillment Manager, Warehouse Staff/Associates, Order Picker/Packer, Shipping Coordinator, Inventory Control Specialist
Accounting	Managing the money flow and ensuring financial stability	Accounting Manager/Controller, Accountant, Accounts Payable Clerk, Accounts Receivable Clerk, Bookkeeper
Customer Service and Support	Building and maintaining customer loyalty, trust, and satisfaction.	Customer Service Manager, Customer Service Representative, Technical Support Specialist (if applicable), Customer Experience Specialist, Quality Assurance Specialist

Marketing Department
Your marketing department is responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies to promote your products. They may use different marketing strategies such as digital marketing, email marketing, content marketing, social media management, etc. They are also responsible for analyzing data and measuring the effectiveness of their campaigns. 

The common roles of the eCommerce marketing team structure include- Marketing Manager/Director, Content Creator/Copywriter, Social Media Manager, SEO Specialist, Email Marketing Specialist, Graphic Designer, Data Analyst, 

IT Department
Your IT department is responsible for ensuring that the website and other online platforms are functional, well-maintained, user-friendly, and secure. Additional responsibilities like database management, technical support, network infrastructure, analytics and reporting, IT training, etc., are also fulfilled by your It department. 

Just like your eCommerce marketing team structure, you might need these roles for your eCommerce IT team structure are- IT Manager/Director, Systems Administrator, Network Administrator, Web Developer, Database Administrator, Help Desk Support/Technician, Cybersecurity Specialist, etc. 

Inventory Management Department
The Inventory Management Department in your eCommerce business is responsible for efficiently overseeing and controlling the company’s inventory of products. For ensuring your product availability, avoiding stockouts or overstock situations, and reducing expenses, proper inventory management is critical. 

The people who will help you do so are your inventory manager, stock clerk, inventory analyst, purchasing agent, and warehouse manager (if applicable). You can include these roles in your eCommerce inventory management team structure as per the size and need of your e-commerce business. 

Sales Department
The Sales Department in your e-commerce business plays an essential role in generating revenue, driving growth, maximizing sales opportunities, etc. They divide the customer base into distinct groups based on demographics, behavior, preferences, and purchase history to develop the sales strategy.

The common roles of the eCommerce sales team structure include roles- Sales Manager, Sales Representative/Account Executive, Customer Service Representative, Sales Analyst, Lead Generation Specialist, etc. 

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Fulfillment Department
The Fulfillment Department in an e-commerce business is responsible for order processing, packaging, and shipping. In other words, this department is responsible for the process that starts when the customer makes the order and ends when your product is delivered to the customer.

For the roles you might need for your eCommerce fulfillment team structure are- Fulfillment Manager, Warehouse Staff/Associates, Order Picker/Packer, Shipping Coordinator, Inventory Control Specialist

Accounting Department
The department that manages the money flow and ensures the financial stability of your eCommerce business is the accounting department. They also provide insights to make informed decisions and manage cash flow. Maintaining the trust of investors, stakeholders, and creditors is also a big part of their responsibility.

The people who will help you do so are your Accounting Manager/Controller, Accountant, Accounts Payable Clerk, Accounts Receivable Clerk, and Bookkeeper. You can include these roles in your eCommerce organization chart according to the size and requirements of your e-commerce business.

Customer Service and Support
The main responsibility of your customer service and support is building and maintaining customer loyalty, trust, and satisfaction. This team needs to have strong skills in communication, problem-solving, empathy, patience, etc., as they are responsible for addressing customer inquiries and resolving issues throughout the buying journey.

Customer Service Manager, Customer Service Representative, Technical Support Specialist (if applicable), Customer Experience Specialist, Quality Assurance Specialist, etc. are the roles you can have in your eCommerce customer service team structure. 

Extra Tip: Depending on your e-commerce need, you can have other departments like Merchandising, Legel, Payment and Fraud Prevention, Marketplace Management and Research, etc. You can also outsource some departments if needed. Technext has a 12 Years of experience. Whether you’re looking to develop a custom web or mobile app or looking to build an offshore team, they have it all. You can hire directly from Technext.

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How Can You Organize Your eCommerce Team Structure?

From the way I have discussed the departments, you probably already guessed the involvement of functional structure. Most e-commerce businesses have functional structures for their team, as the whole business is divided into different departments. So you can say that functional structures is the best eCommerce team structure.

From the eCommerce org chart above, you can see that the employees report to their respective departmental heads. In this way, the leadership team can distribute their work while keeping the controls in their hand. As your eCommerce business grows, you can add different employee and management roles into this basic eCommerce business structure.

However, the upper management follows a flat structure where every departmental head reports to the CEO. This way, the management team in eCommerce business can keep the process simple yet effective.

Real-life Example
Let’s look at an example for your better understanding of e-commerce org chat, Here we will discuss a luxury women’s ready-to-wear and accessories brand “Altuzarra.” This eCommerce business was founded by a gifted designer, Joseph Altuzarra. 

This can be a great real-life example of how you can structure your own eCommerce team. They have 14 employees. As you can see, in ALTUZARRA’s eCommerce team structure, there is a departmental head (Head Of Marketing And E-commerce, Design Director, Knitwear Design Director, Head Of Retail ) for each eCommerce department. They overview the work of other employees of the department, and the CEO of ALTUZARRA overviews the work of departmental heads.

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Tips for Building the Most Performing eCommerce Team

All the best for building a high-performing e-commerce team that can help you grow. And here are some extra tips from me.

• Invest in training and development so that you can keep your e-commerce team updated and skilled.

• Determine your staffing needs first, the way you can scale in the future. You will know which roles to hire and when.

• Hire employees with the right skill set(web development, marketing, customer service, etc.) and mindset (passion, creativity, adaptability, collaboration, etc.)

• Establish clear expectations and goals for your team. Also, define the vision, mission, values, and objectives of your e-commerce business.

• Set performance metrics and KPIs that align with these goals, which will allow you to track the progress and success of your team.

• Ensure that your team collects and analyzes relevant data so that you can update the strategies and tactics for your business.

• Encourage your team to use the right tools and technology to streamline their tasks and boost productivity.