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Whether you're the only one in your company responsible for online sales, or part of a team of people which manages multiple sales channels, it’s important to understand all the roles and activities that make for a successful Amazon strategy.
1. The Project Manager
This person is 'accountable' for results in this sales channel. They may be testing the effectiveness of some new campaign or tactic, but the overall revenue results are their main KPI. Be sure to accommodate for seasonality when assessing monthly channel growth - it’s not unusual to see an almost inevitable revenue dip in the summer months for most brands.
2. The Operations Manager
Running out of stock, mis-labeling units, shipping the wrong item to a customer, and delays with returns & exchanges are all things which can destroy a brand's reputation on Amazon. Whether you have your own factory & warehouse facilities, using a 3PL, or drop-shipping from manufacturers, there must be someone accountable for operational activities. This becomes even more necessary when/if you start selling on Amazon's international marketplaces.
3. Customer Service
Unless your brand is on the Vendor Central or Vendor Express platform, there will be some customer service involved with running your Amazon channel. Customers ask questions about product functionality, how to return or exchange merchant-fulfilled items, and all sorts of random queries. This person needs to be responsible for responding to all customer inquiries within a 24-hour period.
4. PPC Specialist
This person has a head for keyword research, tracking performance reports, and endlessly tweaking & creating campaigns to refine results. PPC (paid advertising) on Amazon Seller Central is fairly basic, while Vendor Central offers more ad types & placement options. Keeping up to date with the constant changes to the Amazon PPC algorithm, and reviewing and tweaking campaigns at least twice-weekly should be part of this job description.
RELATED: Read 6 Mistakes Brands Make with Amazon
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5. The Creatives
Talented copywriters and designers are often brought in on a project or freelance basis, and their value in helping sales conversion cannot be understated. Effectively communicating the features and benefits of a product, while staying 'on-brand' is a critical piece of on-page optimization.
In theory, a single person could handle all of these responsibilities, or some (or all) of the roles can be outsourced. Whatever model you have, make sure there is someone who's accountable for each of these activities on Amazon, just like any other sales & distribution channel.
Who do you have on your team right now, and who are you missing?
Bobsled Marketing is a full service agency which helps brands to grow and launch on Amazon. Our team of Amazon experts play all of these roles so you can get back to doing what your brand does best. Learn about our services here.
