Smart phones have completely revolutionized ecommerce. Due to the changes that have been brought by the gadgets, many people and organizations have come up to research and determine how impactful the gadgets are IMRG research which is one of the research organizations indicates that mobile commerce grew by over 254% between 2010 and 2011. IMRG also states that the mobile commerce grew a further 300% between 2011 and 2012.Another organization, Business insider intelligence, did it research and found that total e-commerce grew by 24% on cyber Monday, thanksgiving and black Friday.Famous shopping stores have also indicated that mobile commerce has greatly grown. For example Tesco indicated that more than a third of its online grocery orders were made using mobile phones.John Lewis, a daily mail retailer also said that three quarters of the site’s traffic came from mobile devices. Marks and Spencer also observed that sales via mobile phones had increased by up to 80%. Shop direct also reported an increase in mobile sales from 28% last year to 43% this year.Looking at the data, it’s evident that many people are using their phones for ecommerce. One of the reasons why many people are using the gadgets is because they are always with them. It’s common to find almost everyone with a mobile phone; however, it’s rare to find someone with a PC or a tablet.Another reason why mobile commerce has greatly increased is due to the fact that shopping on a mobile phone is more convenient than shopping on PC or tablet.Great mobile applications have also contributed to the rise in mobile commerce. For example, Tesco indicated that over 70% of its online orders for fashion and houseware were made using the click and collect application.Such applications have made it easy for the mobile users to access the sites that they are interested in and easily make purchases.Looking at the trend, it’s no doubt that mobile commerce will continue growing and as a result agencies and their clients need to device ways to cater for the fast growing number of mobile users.Of major importance, online store owners need to come up with easy to navigate websites that will make it easy for the mobile online shoppers to make their purchases.There is also great challenge for application makers to come up with powerful and easy to use applications that will make it easy for the online shopper to shop.

The uprise of e-commerce industry dates back to the year of 2004 when Amazon.com acquired Indian e-commerce website bazee.com. This acquisition, did attract attention and the potential that this industry has, led to the emergence of several e-commerce platforms, in their own niche categories, with a uniform trend in its market worth, the industry reached USD 2.5 Billion in 2009 to USD 6.3 Billion in 2011 to USD 16 Billion in 2013.The above mentioned figures in Billions of Dollar are a testimony, of its unprecedented growth and the untapped potential this sector holds within itself, which is projected to reach USD 20 Billion in 2015 and USD 23 Billion by 2023.The growth of this sector could be credited to; the developments in technology which made it the easiest mediums to shop, unlimited products with wide range to choose from, the discounts and offers that are available throughout the year, are the factors that have contributed for the growth and development of this sector.The upward growth of the industry did create an ongoing demand for professionals from several domains to take up challenging roles, and steer the industry forward. There is a concoction of professionals from several domains that this industry demands.Engineering and management graduates are the pillars of e-commerce industry, being a technology driven industry, the skills, expertise and creativity of a technical professional is one of the primary constituents of the success of an e-commerce organization.As far as your career goals and aspirations are concerned, e-commerce companies offer experiences and a career path that will accelerate your career growth, leading you to the top of your career ladder.Employee stock options, fat pay checks, flexible working hours and paid holidays, are the added advantages that are showered upon you with e-commerce jobs. Employers in this industry are building a work culture that allows an individual to explore their potential to its fullest, stay skewed from stress and any other hindrances that dampen their productivity.The final verdict, would be that this industry is in its nascent stage taking, and professionals with 4-5 years in this industry are highly valued as their experience and thought processes are in alignment with the business objectives, that is, to solve real-world problems with the application of concepts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and if you have these skills on your tips, then these jobs and you, both are a perfect cut out for each other.

The idea of building an e-commerce store is now inevitable as competition in the market today is becoming more aggressive and the once blue ocean turning red through globalization. Although maintaining a traditional brick and mortar store can be successful, it is only a matter of time when high operational costs, tougher competition and lack of fresh demand can lead a business to its doom. This is where the concept of virtual store or an e-commerce comes into mind. Thanks to the internet, one’s market scope is no longer limited to the local area as one can also target other geographical locations that used to be restricted. Aside from this, there are other benefits that building a virtual store can contribute to the business’ longevity.Benefits of E-Commerce StoreMultinational companies have known a long time ago the benefit of campaigns and have the financial ability to promote their brands in such a way that smaller companies don’t. With e-Commerce stores, companies can reduce their overhead cost as online stores do not require the same manpower that conventional stores need to function. Although the start-up can be a bit expensive and would require one to shell out some capital, it is not as expensive as physically building a new store in a new location.Many online providers also offer targeted market promotion so companies are assured that their campaigns or ads are delivered to the intended audience. One no longer needs to send out thousands of flyers or expensive brochures without foreseeable return of investment. Another thing is that e-commerce is eco-friendly as one no longer needs to cut down trees to produce paper or use vehicles to deliver these to the drop points.The most beneficial thing about having an e-commerce site is the fact that it is always open for business 24/7 so potential clients can browse the store and order what they want without having to wait for the physical store to open. In addition, electronic payment gateways would also ensure that all payments are made secure on the part of the client and merchant as well.E-Commerce PlatformFor those who are interested in opening up their own e-commerce store, there are different sites that do offer services such as an online store creator, making it easier for one to do it themselves or have one made for them for a price. Some sites also offer a free plan so that clients can check out the interface and decide if the platform suits their needs without committing themselves or having to pay and find out later on that it is not what their company needs. Some plans would also include custom domains and analytics so you get to check the site’s performance and determine the ROI.