Partner Article

My Role as a Non-Executive Director

I’ve worked in the online arena for more years than I care to remember. My first digital job came complete with a 14k modem and a connection to the Internet that would be pushing it if I described it as flakey. Since then I’ve worked in online news production and distribution, affiliate marketing, paid search, “traditional” ecommerce, email and social media marketing (where I am still gainfully employed), content marketing and, of course online marketplaces.

The world of eBay and Amazon has always fascinated me. This is why, when I was invited to join SellerExpress (a Software as a Service company helping online retailers sell across multiple channels including eBay and Amazon) as a non-executive director at the start of the year, I jumped at the opportunity.

The thing I love most about the online marketplace sector is the people. I have yet to meet a successful eBay or Amazon seller who has not inspired me. As an industry, you could not meet a more diverse range of people. If you spend any time with a group of online marketplace sellers you will soon have a enough inspirational stories (involving topics as diverse as redundancy, illness, garden sheds, stock-filled back bedrooms and front rooms and sheer determination) describing how they set-up in business. There are of course many retailers who have discovered eBay and Amazon in a more traditional manner. But we all learn from each other and more often than not the bigger guys learn more from the smaller, more agile businesses.

As a non-executive, it is my role to offer support and advice from the point of view of an outsider. The great thing about SellerExpress is the fact that they just get it. They understand that software can only be truly great if it is supported by amazing people. In my opinion, too many Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies try too hard to cut people out of the equation and risk being seen as complicated, exclusive and cold.

Online marketplace retailers know to succeed they must combine great products at great prices with awesome customer care that builds a solid reputation. They are business that put people to the front because they understand that people buy from people they like. Of course, they couldn’t provide this service with any scale without some powerful software to help drive efficiencies and make sure they don’t drop the ball.

I believe online marketplaces will play a significant role in the future of ecommerce. This is great news for entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes as they create opportunities for anyone willing to put some skin in the game and start selling.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John W. Hayes .