Online Merchants
Business Management & Administration > Operations ManagementProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Considerable Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.
Common job titles of Online Merchants include:
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Experience and Education
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this occupation. For example, a person in this occupation must complete four years of college and work for several years in industry to be considered qualified.
41.29% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
32.67% said they needed a High School Diploma.
Tasks
Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.
Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.
Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services.
Determine and set product prices.
Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.
Upload digital media, such as photos, video, or scanned images to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.
Calculate purchase subtotals, taxes, and shipping costs for submission to customers.
Create or maintain database of customer accounts.
Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels.
Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.
Promote products in online communities through weblog or discussion-forum postings, e-mail marketing programs, or online advertising.
Transfer digital media, such as music, video, or software, to customers via the Internet.
Cancel orders based on customer requests or inventory or delivery problems.
Calculate revenue, sales, and expenses, using financial accounting or spreadsheet software.
Compose descriptions of merchandise for posting to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.
Prepare or organize online storefront marketing material, including product descriptions or subject lines, optimizing content to search engine criteria.
Initiate online auctions through auction hosting sites or auction management software.
Investigate products or markets to determine areas for opportunity or viability for merchandising specific products, using online or offline sources.
Measure and analyze Web site usage data to maximize search engine returns or refine customer interfaces.
Integrate online retailing strategy with physical or catalogue retailing operations.
Maintain inventory of shipping supplies, such as boxes, labels, tape, bubble wrap, loose packing materials, or tape guns.
Participate in online forums or conferences to stay abreast of online retailing trends, techniques, or security threats.
Compose images of products, using video or still cameras, lighting equipment, props, or photo or video editing software.
Design customer interface of online storefront, using web programming or e-commerce software.
Determine location for product listings to maximize exposure to online traffic.
Develop or revise business plans for online business, emphasizing factors such as product line, pricing, inventory, or marketing strategy.
Implement security practices to preserve assets, minimize liabilities, or ensure customer privacy, using parallel servers, hardware redundancy, fail-safe technology, information encryption, or firewalls.
Investigate sources, such as auctions, estate sales, liquidators, wholesalers, or trade shows for new items, used items, or collectibles.
Collaborate with search engine shopping specialists to place marketing content in desired online locations.
Create or distribute offline promotional material, such as brochures, pamphlets, business cards, stationary, or signage.
Disclose merchant information and terms and policies of transactions in online or offline materials.
Devise, select, or purchase domain name and web address.
Select and purchase technical web services, such as web hosting services, online merchant accounts, shopping cart software, payment gateway software, or spyware.
Tools
Thumb drives
Tablet computers
Personal computers
Laser facsimile machines
Label printers
External hard drives
Dot matrix printers
All ToolsDesktop computers
Credit card machines
Technologies
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
AJAX
Apache Solr
Apache Struts
Apple macOS
C#
Drupal
All TechnologiesExtensible markup language XML
Google AdWords
Google Analytics
Hypertext markup language HTML
IBM WebSphere
Intuit QuickBooks
JavaScript
jQuery
Linux
Microsoft .NET Framework
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Visual Studio
MySQL
NetSuite ERP
Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP
Relational database management software
YouTube
Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Systems Adobe Fireworks
Bing Ads
Bing for Power BI
Blogging software
CCBill
Content management systems CMS
Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
e-check software
Enterprise JavaBeans
Extensible HyperText Markup Language XHTML
Financial accounting software
Google Checkout
IBM Digital Analytics
IBM InfoSphere DataStage
Intuit QuickBoooks Payments
Inventory tracking software
LAMP Stack
Magento Analytics
Mobile application software
MyCommerce RegNow
PayPal
PayPal Here
ProPay
Search engine marketing SEM software
Search engine optimization SEO software
Search engine results pages SERP software
Shipment processing software
Snorasson Holdings CCNow
Square
Webtrends software
WordPress
Skills
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.