An ecommerce business is a company that sells goods and/or services online. The ultimate goal of an ecommerce business is to generate profit by reaching customers beyond physical locations using websites, apps, and digital marketplaces.
Beyond marketing, operations, and customer service, a clear organizational structure is a key ingredient to a thriving ecommerce business. It defines roles, improves efficiency, enhances customer experience, and drives faster business growth.
What Is an Ecommerce Business Organizational Structure?
An ecommerce business organizational structure is a visual outline of how the company organizes its roles and teams to achieve its business goals.
Having a clear organizational structure in place helps the business improve the decision-making process and enable smoother operations. It also helps businesses scale efficiently and create better customer experiences — all of which are important factors for staying competitive in the fast-paced ecommerce market.
The Main Components of an Ecommerce Business Organizational Structure
A successful ecommerce business consists of specialized roles that work together to make sure the business is running smoothly and generating revenue. Here are the different components that usually make up the business:
Director of ecommerce — They’re in charge of the overall business strategy and make sure that sales, marketing, technology, and operations align with company goals. All other roles in the company report to them.
Digital Marketing Manager — They are responsible for crafting marketing strategies that drive traffic, increase conversions, and grow brand awareness. They oversee marketing campaigns such as SEO, paid ads, social media, and email marketing to attract and retain customers. Reports to the Director of ecommerce while working closely with creative teams.
Web Developer — They make sure the website or online ecommerce platform runs smoothly, loads quickly, and provides a seamless shopping experience. Their tasks include updating the website, handling security, integrating payment methods, and optimizing website performance for better customer experience.
Creative Marketing Team — This team includes copywriters and graphic designers who create compelling content and visuals for the brand. Copywriters write product descriptions, ad copy, and blog content, while graphic designers create website visuals, social media graphics, and ad creatives.
Customer Service Representatives — They are responsible for handling inquiries, complaints, and support requests through channels like chat, email, or phone. They’re in charge of interacting with the customer to provide a positive customer experience.
The Different Types of ecommerce Business Organizational Structures
The organizational structure used by an ecommerce business should be based on the company size, objectives, and target market. Here are the common organizational structures in the ecommerce space:
Functional Structure — This structure organizes teams based on job functions (marketing, logistics, shipping, customer service, etc.), where each team or department reports to a department head or leader, who then reports to the Director of ecommerce.
Flat Structure — A flat structure has a few to no management layers, allowing employees to report directly to a leadership role. This setup encourages quick decision-making and flexibility and is commonly used by small ecommerce startups.
Geographical Structure — A flat structure has few to no management layers, allowing employees to report directly to a leadership role. This setup encourages quick decision-making and flexibility and is commonly used by small ecommerce startups.
Product-based Structure — It’s used by companies offering different products or services. Each product division has its own marketing, sales, and development team, all working towards creating marketing strategies tailored to their offering and target audience.
Market-based Structure — A market-based structure organizes teams around different customer segments, such as B2B, B2C, or specific audiences. This structure allows businesses to tailor marketing and sales efforts to different audiences for better results.
Steps on How to Create Your ecommerce Business Organizational Structure
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create an ecommerce org chart that supports growth, improves teamwork, and helps your business scale effectively:
Identify the Core Aspects of Your Business — Before making your chart, understand your business model, operational needs, and target audience. Understanding these core aspects helps determine which teams you need, how they interact, and what structure best supports your goals.
List Down Key Roles and Responsibilities — Next, identify the important roles and functions your business needs to operate efficiently. Clearly outline each role’s responsibilities to prevent overlap and ensure accountability.
Determine Which Organizational Structure to Use — Consider your company size, goals, and industry needs when choosing the right structure for your business. Choosing the right structure helps streamline communication and decision-making.
Start Making Your Organizational Chart — With your structure in mind, start creating your org chart to define reporting relationships and team hierarchy. Using clear lines and uniform formatting to maximize readability and make it easy to follow.
Consider using org chart maker tools like Organimi to make this process easier. It has features like editable templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and customization options to help you build a professional, scalable chart.
In Summary
An ecommerce business sells products or services online with the goal of driving sales, growing brand awareness, and providing a seamless online customer experience. Having a well-defined organizational structure in place keeps operations running efficiently by clearly defining responsibilities and streamlining decision-making.
Whether you’re creating an org chart for the first time or updating your existing one, consider using Organimi. It’s a powerful org chart-making tool that helps businesses create professional, customized organizational charts within minutes. With cloud-based functionality and a wide range of customization options, Organimi helps simplify the entire org chart creation process.
Sign up for a free trial of Organimi today to start organizing your business more effectively!