A Complete Guide to eCommerce Project Management

Published in

ProofHub Blog

12 min readNov 22, 2023

Ecommerce project management entails the systematic strategy of planning, organizing, coordinating, and regulating the numerous activities involved in building and running a store online. It includes various tasks, from early idea and planning to creating UX/UI design, development, launch, search for a good Magento support service, and other ongoing optimization. Basically, project management in eCommerce is the foundation that ensures an online store not only launches but also succeeds in the cutthroat digital industry. The article explains the key stages of eCommerce project management and provides tips on implementing it in the best possible way.

Key Stages of an eCommerce Project

Ecommerce project management is not just about setting up a digital shop. It’s like piecing together a puzzle, where every stage plays a crucial part in the bigger picture. The block below will guide you through the essential stages of eCommerce project management and explain what they entail.

Planning and Research

First and foremost, you need to pinpoint what you’re aiming for. Are you looking to break into a new market, ramp up sales, or perhaps carve out a niche? Scope out the market to gauge potential demand. Find out what makes your target audience tick, and you’ll be one step closer to winning them over. Size up your competition, get the lowdown on their strengths and weak spots to figure out where you can get the upper hand.

Design and Prototyping

The user experience can make or break your eCommerce venture. Focus on a seamless, intuitive design that doesn’t leave customers scratching their heads. With shoppers increasingly turning to their phones, you can’t afford to drop the ball on mobile design. Ensure your store looks spick and span on all devices. You may need to go through multiple drafts, tweak things, and refine until everything falls into place.

Development

Every great building starts with a foundation. Similarly, the cornerstone of a successful eCommerce site is selecting the right platform. Opt for platforms that won’t leave you pulling your hair out. Pay attention to scalability, customization, and integrations. Among the popular eCommerce platforms are Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Wix eCommerce.

Integrate the chosen platform with third-party tools, be it for email marketing, inventory management, or CRM. These integrations can turbocharge your operations, ensuring manual tasks do not bog you down.

Quality Assurance and Testing

This step can’t be stressed enough. It’s the final guardrail ensuring everything works properly. Check everything, from product searches to checkouts, to ensure each functionality is up to snuff and performing without a hitch. Test your site’s load times and responsiveness, especially during potential traffic surges. The last thing you want is for your site to go down during a big sale.

Given today’s mobile-heavy user base, your site should shine on every device. Run tests on various screen sizes and devices to ensure the user experience doesn’t falter, whether on a smartphone or a tablet.

Before the grand reveal, gather a group for beta testing. Whether it’s friends, family, or a selected group of potential customers, their fresh eyes can catch glitches or usability issues you might have glossed over.

Launch

Before blasting off, carry out a full systems test, ensuring that hosting is robust, payment gateways are functioning flawlessly, and that there’s a backup system in place. Double-check product descriptions, images, and all site content. Look out for typos, broken links, or low-resolution images that could tarnish the customer experience.

Once you’re confident everything’s in order, it’s time to make some noise. Drum up anticipation by posting teasers, countdowns, or behind-the-scenes content. Engage with your audience and think about using paid ads for broader reach. Consider hosting an email campaign and publishing press releases.

Post-Launch and Maintenance

To ensure long-term success and growth, the post-launch and maintenance phase is paramount. Turn to instruments like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and heat mapping software to keep tabs on user behavior, sources of traffic, and conversion patterns. Regularly check on site speed, uptime, and server response times. Slow load times or site downtimes can be a deal-breaker for potential customers.

Since the digital landscape is always evolving, you need to periodically review and refine your site’s design, ensuring it remains fresh, user-friendly, and in line with current trends. As you gather more data on user behavior, consider adding new features or tools that enhance the shopping experience.

Don’t forget to regularly update your eCommerce platform, plugins, and third-party tools to benefit from the latest security patches. Schedule periodic security checks to identify potential vulnerabilities and address them proactively.

Best Practices in eCommerce Project Management

Following the set process may not be enough. There are certain pitfalls and hidden challenges that should be resolved individually. Here are some practices that may be really helpful in preventing and solving these issues:

Clear Communication among Stakeholders

When setting out on an eCommerce project, laying down open communication channels is pivotal. This ensures everyone is in the loop and on the same page. Regular check-ins with stakeholders — from team members to investors — ensure that expectations are met and any concerns are promptly addressed. Whether it’s project goals, deadlines, or potential hiccups, it’s always better to spell things out clearly rather than leave room for misunderstandings.

CTA- Easily communicate and collaborate with your team, clients, and stakeholders in real-time with ProofHub’s Chat.

Regular Project Reviews and Updates

We’ve already mentioned it and are going to repeat some more times within the article, but to remain relevant and competitive in eCommerce, brands must stay attuned to the changes. This is where the power of regular project reviews and updates truly shines. Project reviews allow teams to gauge how closely they stick to their predetermined course. Apart from that, this is a great opportunity for team members to voice out concerns, share triumphs, and flag potential issues.

Keep in mind that what resonated with customers a month ago might not necessarily hit the mark today. By constantly updating, brands can stay in tune with their target audience’s ever-changing desires and needs.

Risk Assessment and Mitigation

At the heart of risk assessment lies the task of digging deep to uncover potential pitfalls. This means playing the ‘what if’ game, thinking several steps ahead, and asking the tough questions. Once you’ve mapped out potential threats, it’s crucial to rank them based on their likelihood and potential impact. This way, you’ll know where to put your efforts first.

Once you’ve identified and prioritized risks, it’s essential to line up the resources, be it manpower, tech solutions, or funds. Instead of viewing risks purely as threats, turn them on their head. Could a potential risk signal a broader industry shift? Might it hint at a new customer need?

Budgeting and Cost Control

Before diving headfirst into your project, take the time to map out a detailed budget. Know where your funds are going, and ensure they’re being put to good use. It’s easy for expenses to spiral out of control if you’re not watching closely. Regularly keep tabs on where the money’s flowing to avoid financial surprises down the line.

Continuous Training and Upskilling

The online store trends change all the time. Encourage your team to plug into webinars, workshops, and courses to stay in the know and remain competitive. As new tools and techniques crop up, make sure your team ramps up their skill set. This not only boosts productivity but also ensures you’re offering the best to your customers.

The Role of Agile in Ecommerce Projects

Agile project management is a non-linear iteration of project management. It implies breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks that are completed in a limited number of iterations during the project life cycle. The process of work on any project in Agile looks like this:

Project planning;
Product roadmap creation;
Release planning;
Sprint planning;
Sprint review and retrospective.

An Agile team is frequently made up of a small group, with a product owner taking the initiative and working with the team to understand the customers’ demands. In Agile, the project manager is in charge of making sure that the team members effectively carry out their responsibilities.

Benefits of Agile

The main components of the approach are adaptability, productivity, and orientation on customers. Here’s how exactly it works:

Less time for development: As the projects are divided into smaller, manageable sprints or iterations, teams can then focus on completing these bite-sized chunks efficiently. They can move more rapidly, adapt to changing project requirements, and streamline processes.
Flexibility: Agile teams do better when it comes to swiftly changing their emphasis and direction. To guarantee that the team’s main focus changes as the work and client landscape shift, the teams evaluate their existing work and make improvements in specific increments. It’s particularly good for projects compiled of multiple elements, like online store development.
Customer-focused approach: Agile, as opposed to traditional project management methods, allows changes and works with user stories, which are succinct, direct explanations of what your client wants and the goals they have in mind.

CTA: Ready to boost your project management game? Explore the best agile tools today and master your projects!

Agile Frameworks in Ecommerce

Here are some of the most commonly used Agile frameworks that can be applied to eCommerce:

Scrum: It divides work into a series of fixed-length iterations known as sprints, usually lasting 2–4 weeks. At the end of each sprint, teams produce a potentially shippable product increment. Scrum roles include the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team.
Kanban: Kanban focuses on visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and maximizing flow. eCommerce teams can use Kanban boards to track the status of tasks, such as website updates, promotional campaigns, or product listings.
Lean: In the context of eCommerce, Lean can help streamline processes like order fulfillment, inventory management, and customer service.
Extreme Programming (XP): Although it’s primarily a software development framework, some of its practices, like continuous integration, test-driven development, and pair programming, can be adapted for eCommerce, especially for businesses that rely heavily on bespoke software solutions.
Feature-Driven Development (FDD): This framework breaks projects down into discrete features that can be developed in parallel. It can be useful for large eCommerce platforms where different features (like search functionality, checkout process, or recommendation systems) need development.

Common Metrics to Track in Ecommerce Project Management

To truly thrive, it’s paramount to delve into the nitty-gritty and keep your finger on the pulse of essential metrics. Here’s an expanded look at these crucial numbers, equipping you with the know-how to make informed, game-changing decisions:

Traffic to the website. In other words, it represents all of the site’s visitors within a particular period. Marketers may monitor how traffic changes over the course of a week, month, or year. If your site’s a ghost town, it’s high time to sound the alarm. Drawing in the crowds means your outreach efforts, be it SEO, advertising, or content marketing, are hitting the mark. Monitoring ebbs and flows here can tip you off about what’s working and what’s falling flat.
Conversion rate. Pulling in crowds is one thing, but if they’re just window shopping without buying, you’re caught in a bind. The conversion rate serves as a barometer for the effectiveness of your site in turning visitors into customers. The metric compares the overall number of website visitors or impressions within the same time period to the number of users who took a useful action. It is an indicator of the effectiveness and profitability of your store. A sudden dip might flag up issues like stock shortages or payment glitches.

Bounce rate. This one indicates the percentage of visitors that arrived at a page and left without taking any action. A sky-high bounce rate often sounds the alarm bells about site performance issues or content that isn’t resonating. Perhaps your site’s navigation is making heads spin, or load times are grinding visitors’ patience down.

Return on investment (ROI). ROI isn’t just a number; it’s a storyteller. It dishes the dirt on whether your investment hit the mark or went off the deep end. A positive ROI is a cause for celebration (and perhaps a reason to double down on what’s working). On the other hand, a break-even or negative ROI is a heads-up that it might be time to rethink strategy or cut one’s losses. To work out ROI, you subtract the initial investment from the final return, divide that by the initial investment, and multiply by 100.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC). Every customer has a price. From peppering social media with ads to blasting out emails, every tactic eats into your budget. Knowing your CAC helps in ensuring you’re not burning more cash than you’re raking in. If the costs are spiraling out of control, it might be time to go back to the drawing board and hash out a new strategy. It can be calculated by dividing the cost of the customer acquisition campaign by the number of new clients.

Cart abandonment rate. This metric shows the number of clients who abandoned the shopping cart or a checkout page without making a purchase. Whether it’s unexpected shipping costs, a tedious checkout process, or cold feet, addressing these hitches can stop sales from slipping through your fingers.
Average order value (AOV). The average order value reflects the clients’ typical cost of goods. Beyond mere transaction counts, the AOV offers a glimpse into shopping behavior. Are customers splashing out or being penny pinchers? Strategies like bundling, loyalty rewards, or limited-time offers can give this metric a nifty little boost.

Customer lifetime value (CLTV). Customer Lifetime Value is the amount of money you make from a client over the course of your business relationship. In eCommerce, it’s crucial to make sure that the revenue from the customer’s whole cycle of engagement doesn’t outweigh the expense of obtaining him. The metric is not just about the now; it’s about cultivating a lasting bond. Offering post-purchase support, loyalty programs, or personalized recommendations can pump up this figure.
Click-through rate (CTR). The click-through rate measures the ratio of ad clicks to impressions or how frequently users click on a link or banner relative to how frequently they see it. Whether it’s an email campaign, a newsletter, or an ad, it might be worth rethinking your bait if your CTR is in the doldrums.
Cost per click (CPC). CPC is the fee an advertiser pays search engines when someone clicks on the advertisement. Monitoring CPC ensures your ad campaigns don’t end up costing you the earth. If the clicks are costing more than they’re earning, perhaps it’s time to overhaul your advertising strategy or zone in on a different audience segment.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, starting an eCommerce project isn’t easy. But by dissecting it step-by-step and paying close attention to every aspect, you’re positioning yourself for success. Don’t hesitate to turn to the tools that can make the process easier. Consider such project management tools as ProofHub, Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or Jira.

They assist in dealing with complex work easily, monitoring teamwork, automating workflow, and more. There are also helpful platforms with more concrete tasks. For instance, you may benefit from analytics tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar or tools for testing like Optimizely or VWO.

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About the Author

Art Malkovich

Art Malkovich is CEO and co-founder of Onilab, an eCommerce development company. He has about 10 years of experience in team management and web development for eCommerce. He is passionate about keeping up with the recent technologies and working on innovative projects like headless commerce solutions and PWAs in particular.