Home featured Expert Featured Let's Talk Expert Let’s Talk: Ecommerce James Harkness February 21, 2018 As consumers increasingly opt for online shopping experiences over in-store, businesses of all sizes can ill afford having a lacklustre ecommerce presence – or worse, none at all. In the Amazon era , that means obscurity, even oblivion. But how can small businesses with limited resources go about establishing an effective ecommerce presence that captivates new and existing shoppers? That’s the question we put to a dozen thought leaders, this week, for our exclusive “Let’s Talk…” feature examining ecommerce. As one commentator assured budding e-tailers, “the proliferation of digital e-commerce tools, platforms and services has brought down the cost of entry, making it possible for almost anyone to set up an online trading presence”. Read on for further insights from this week’s line-up: Mick Spencer, CEO, ONTHEGO: “ The trick for resource-poor businesses is creativity. You need to assess what roles staff can play, what additional skills they have and what can be outsourced. Think scalability. Why hire someone in house who is a jack-of-all trades when you can draw on a network of specialist freelancers? By tapping into on-demand talent you can better service your team and clients, without the fixed cost of a salary. Also, not all jobs require people. In the age of the internet, technology and systems can aid your online presence – think engagement through automation i.e. scheduling EDMs, harnessing sharing platforms and leveraging off other people’s audiences to grow