What's e-commerce and where can it take me?

If you've ever bought anything online, chances are you've had experience with e-commerce. Read on to find out what it is and how it could help you into a career.

What is e-commerce?

E-commerce has two separate definitions:

buying and selling goods and services over the internet. This can be via individual websites and online catalogues.
the daily exchange of information for business, using email, fax and other digital systems.

You will find that most administrative jobs involve using email and the internet so this article will focus on jobs that involve buying or selling online.

Who can work in e-commerce?

Anyone can work in this field provided they have the skills for the job they are applying to. However, it also helps to have knowledge about and an interest in online communities and to be able to use things like the internet and email.

What jobs can you do in e-commerce?

Web Designer

Web developer/designer
Web editor
Online sales/e-commerce
IT support
Graphic designer
Search engine optimiser

Why should I work in e-commerce?

Depending on the type of job you are applying for, e-commerce gives employees more flexibility than if you were selling things out of a physical shop.

For a start, because a lot of e-commerce is done via the internet, staff have some flexibility as to where they work. For example, some small e-commerce businesses can be run from a bedroom.

Similarly, staff such as developers, editors, designers and search engine optimisers may be able to work as freelancers from their own homes to a schedule that fits around other commitments such as family.

E-commerce is a rapidly growing industry. This means that once you have experience in e-commerce, mobility within the industry should be fairly easy.

Lastly, there are few overheads so potentially jobs in e-commerce may be better paid. For example, it costs more money to rent a shop than it does to set up a website. Assuming the business is successful; this means higher profits and potentially greater bonuses and salaries.