Building Digital Teams & Skills

Ecommerce growth is powered by people as much as platforms. For manufacturers used to traditional wholesale, the move to D2C often reveals a gap in digital skills. The good news is that you don’t need a huge team to start. What you do need is clarity on roles, a plan for skills development, and a smart approach to partnering with external experts.

Starting Small

At the “Getting Inspired” stage, ecommerce is usually handled alongside day jobs. Leadership may take responsibility for vision, while a marketing manager dabbles with a website or campaigns. This can work to test demand, but it rarely scales.

By the time you’re “Getting Started”, it helps to nominate a clear ecommerce lead. This person owns performance, keeps projects moving, and ensures the basics — website, analytics, content, and customer service – are covered. Without a named lead, responsibility gets blurred and progress stalls.

Scaling Up

As sales grow, responsibilities naturally split. Ecommerce managers need support with marketing, operations, and customer service. A typical next step is to create a small digital team with skills in three areas:

• Marketing and content: running campaigns, managing SEO, creating product content.

• Customer service: responding quickly and consistently to queries, reviews, and returns.

• Data and optimisation: tracking results, analysing performance, and spotting opportunities.

Some of these roles can be part-time or outsourced at first. For example, you might keep strategy in-house but work with an agency for paid media or content creation.

Training and Upskilling

Building digital capability isn’t just about new hires. It’s also about investing in the people you already have. Many manufacturers find staff are eager to learn, but simply haven’t had the opportunity.

Practical training in areas like ecommerce platforms, digital marketing, and analytics can lift confidence quickly. Internal workshops, external courses, and peer learning all help. Regular refreshers keep skills current and stop bad habits creeping in.

Upskilling has another benefit: it reduces resistance to change. When people feel equipped, they are less likely to see ecommerce as a threat and more likely to embrace it as an opportunity.

Working with Agencies

Agencies can play an important role in bridging skills gaps, especially in the early stages. They bring specialist knowledge, give you access to proven methods, and let you flex resources up or down as needed.

The best model is usually a partnership. You keep ownership of strategy and brand direction, while the agency supports execution in specialist areas like SEO, paid ads, or CRO. Over time, as your confidence and resources grow, you can decide which skills to bring in-house and which to continue outsourcing.

Key Takeaway

Building digital teams and skills is a journey. Start with a clear ecommerce lead, layer in support as sales grow, and invest in training your people. Blend internal ownership with agency support to avoid over-stretching.

With the right skills in place, your digital operation becomes more than just a website. It becomes a confident, capable team that can drive growth, adapt to change, and deliver on your D2C ambitions.