Why It May Be Time To Rethink Your Ecommerce Marketing Team’s Structure
A successful ecommerce marketing team needs to be many things: holistic, multi-disciplinary, multi-channel, strategic, talented, cohesive, and highly experienced.
The team should include experts in business strategy, branding, technology, user experience, design, communication, analytics, and marketing across various channels.
On top of that, the team needs to be capable of seeing the big picture — how all the different marketing channels connect.
Building an in-house marketing team at this level isn’t easy. In fact, it’s practically impossible. Let’s talk about why, and what to do about it.
Ecommerce Marketing Team Structure: In-House vs. Outsourced
Building and maintaining an entirely in-house ecommerce marketing team structure is difficult in part because of all the prerequisites listed above. It’s tough to find and attract this level of talent, and it’s tough to find a qualified person to lead that talent.
But it’s also very expensive.
Why? Aside from the necessary expertise, experience is key for a successful team. You can teach many skills, but only experience produces a high level of understanding and expertise in applying those skills.
And you have to pay (a lot) for experience.
So, should you consider an alternative ecommerce marketing team structure? Let’s discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing this crucial department.
Should You Outsource Your Ecommerce Marketing Team? Pros & Cons
Pros
Cost Savings
You can choose an outsourced, or external, ecommerce marketing team structure at only a fraction of the expense of building your own team. Typically, it amounts to the cost of one to two full-time employees.
Diversity of Talent
An external ecommerce marketing team structure means you expand your team’s size and makeup immediately, without the challenges (or expense) involved with finding, vetting, and hiring full-time experts.
A great outside team includes a broad range of talent and several years of experience. For example, at Metacake, we built our team as a growth team. Our range of experts take execution well beyond marketing, including brand development, in-depth analytics, and technology development (e.g., the business’s website, ecommerce store, app, and/or physical channels).
Our entrepreneurial culture and dedicated marketing focus mean we stay up to date with the latest trends and tools, quickly adapting as necessary.
Cons
Communication
One major concern when working with outside teams is difficulty in communication. Outside teams aren’t in your office day in and day out, so you can’t just shout across the hall or walk up to a desk when you have a question.
The good news: The explosion of online and remote work has triggered a corresponding boom in improved communication tools and strategies. Today, you can expect quick responses and easy exchanges with outside and/or remote teams. Simply make sure smooth communication is a priority for any outside team you consider working with.
Passion
Passion can be difficult to find, even within an in-house team. And, of course, the concern increases regarding outside teams. You want a team that cares about your business, wants to see you grow, and will be a true partner.
It is possible to find an external team that’s excited about your brand. When considering your options, look for this passion during your interactions. Also, be sure to align your incentives with theirs.
At Metacake, we’re passionate about helping great brands succeed. When you’re passionate about your product and brand, that makes us passionate. as well. It’s thrilling for us to see brands we care about grow and exceed expectations.
Best Ecommerce Marketing Team Structure: The Verdict
Outsourcing provides many advantages with minimal drawbacks, which recent technology and careful vetting mitigate. When you find the right fit, working with an outside team can lead to greatly accelerated growth at a fraction of the cost of building out your own team.
So, if you’re interested in saving on overhead and accessing a broader range of experience and expertise, we recommend going with an external ecommerce marketing team structure. It’s a great way to free up internal resources to focus more on your product or service and make your customers happy!
