The towering e-commerce 3.0 wave

Today, some of the biggest brand names in storefront shopping are suddenly investing heavily in their once-neglected dot-com units. Other businesses that previously leveraged websites exclusively for branding are now embracing the opportunity to sell online (be it on a website, mobile phone or tablet). Not to be left out, even consumer-product makers are beginning to use the Web to sell directly to consumers.

The secret about e-commerce is out. The Web holds the promise of higher growth rates compared with strictly brick-and-mortar operations. Online profit margins are typically higher than storefront, and independent research suggests that multichannel customers - those who shop online and in the store - are more valuable than pure store-only or Web-only buyers.

Indeed, the days of store vs. Web are quickly dissolving in favor of a multiplatform ethic: Merchandising, operations and marketing are becoming integrated and "channel agnostic". Some retailers, for example, are using their online platforms to drive people into the stores to finalize the actual purchase.

This inexorable and expanding trend has created a heavy demand for seasoned e-commerce leaders, but there are pitfalls for companies along the way. Before launching - or relaunching - an e-commerce initiative, businesses would be well advised to grapple with several issues, including whether or not an e-commerce unit should be housed at headquarters along with everyone else or at a dot-com talent center that's two, three (or even more) time zones away.

Additionally, will the e-commerce unit command its own tech resources, or will IT be shared by many departments? Finally, finding a so-called right-size leader for a rapidly growing business is a particularly challenging task.

Read the full article on E-CommerceTimes.com