Diploma in E-Commerce - 23rd January 2024 * subject to change

Course Dates
Next Course Commencing:
January 2024

Duration:
10 weeks, 1 evening per week from 6.30 to 9.30pm

Course Award
Award: Diploma
City Colleges Diploma
Course Fee
Classroom:
€895
Live – Online:
€795
International/Non-EU:
Call +353 1 4160034

“E-Commerce allows all sellers to be a part of a global marketplace.”

Course Overview
This 10-week live-online / classroom course provides attendees with essential knowledge and skills across key areas of e-commerce. It equips attendees with up to date real time skills and information required to succeed in this fast paced dynamic marketplace. Students are introduced to e-commerce & digital business with definitions and concepts explored before moving onto essentials to include e-commerce business models, e-commerce sales channel options, social commerce, content management for e-commerce success, e-commerce website – design, functionality & security;
Other important aspects examined include managing and improving the buyer journey online, customer expectations for online shopping, e-commerce and the service industry, with each lecture delivered incorporating a combination of slide presentation & case studies with a practical e-commerce final project assignment.

Why Study E-Commerce?
E-Commerce represents a massive opportunity for sole traders, start-ups, and established businesses to grow rapidly and be successful in gaining new customers locally, nationally, and globally. No retail business is too small or too well established not to consider e-commerce as part of their strategy going forward.

The e-commerce marketplace is experiencing major growth fuelled by growing consumer demand for fast, easy, convenient, and friendly online shopping experiences. Knowledge, understanding, and skills in e-commerce are currently in very high demand, which is probably essential for anyone involved in online retail, sales, marketing, business development, as well as graduates, entrepreneurs, and business owners.
Global retail e-commerce sales were over $4 trillion in 2020 with predictions for further growth (+17%), enhanced technological advancements, improvements in customer experiences online and exciting trends and developments going forward.

Course Modules

Introduction to Electronic Commerce
Definitions, Concepts, Objectives & Principles of e-commerce are examined with a look back to how it all started, how it looks now in 2021 & a glimpse of what the future holds.
E-commerce: Big Business Big Opportunities
Significant opportunities exist in the e-commerce marketplace, irrespective of size or scope all businesses have a chance to grasp e-commerce opportunities ensuring their business survives & succeeds in this dynamic fast paced landscape. Opportunities are analysed & reviewed.

E-commerce Business Models
E-commerce business models are presented, then explored & analysed:
 Business To Business B2B,
 Business To Consumer B2C
 Consumer To Consumer C2C
 Consumer To Business C2B
 Direct To Consumer DTC

Sales Channels
 Online marketplaces
 Search engines,
 Social media channels
 E-commerce –
 Website-design
 Functionality & security
 Email marketing,
 Comparison Shopping Sites,
 Affiliate Marketing,
 Bloggers, Podcasts & Influencers

E-commerce Marketing Strategy
 Channel Diversification
 Content Management
 Increase and improve engagement
 Communications
 Brand visibility online
 Traditional marketing principles & practices impacting e-commerce,
 Role of the e-commerce marketing manager
 Efficient customer acquisition.

Strategies for Success
 Examining e-commerce goals
 Investment
 Supports available
 Customer centric approaches
 UVP Unique value proposition
 Sales channel selection

Consumer Behaviour in 2021 & Beyond
 Traditional consumer behaviour
 Changing consumer behaviour post pandemic
 The impact of covid on consumers
 Belief led buying
 Managing customer experiences & expectations online
 Best practice in online reviews management

Building A Successful Ecommerce Business
 Investments
 Tools
 Technology
 Supports
 E-commerce marketing
 Growing brand awareness and reputation online
 Selection of most suitable industry specific sales channels
 E-commerce success stories – local, national & global

E-commerce Website
 Design
 Functionality & Security Issues examined
 Domain name registration
 Content
 Search Engine Optimisation
 Payment Options, Inventory
 Shipping & Delivery
 Cart Abandonment Solutions
 Data & e-commerce analytics

E-commerce Trends
 Direct To Consumer
 DTC e-commerce
 Sustainability & Belief Led buying
 Online Consumer Priorities
 The Social Commerce Market
 OMNI Channel & MULTI Channel approaches

E-commerce In the Future
 What the future holds for e-commerce
 Technological advancements
 Key opportunities going forward
 Augmented Reality
 Mobile Commerce

Learning Outcomes

You will develop much in demand knowledge, skills and understanding of e-commerce. You will also gain understanding of the key factors required to develop a successful e-commerce business. You will learn about the importance of a fast, functional & secure e-commerce website, the importance of SEO, payment & software options to enhance and develop the buyers journey online, brand visibility and reputation online.
After this course you should have a much-improved understanding of consumers expectations in 2021, best practices in relation to the buyer’s journey & e-commerce marketing. You will hear relevant real time case studies of both large and small businesses who have developed winning e-commerce solutions for their businesses, and you will have an opportunity to participate in course lectures and case study discussion groups.

Course Lecturer–Mary Morgan MMII MBS

Mary Morgan worked for over 12 years in senior sales, marketing & business development roles in the pharmaceutical & healthcare sector with United Drug Plc, Baxter Healthcare & JanssenCilag. Following on from this she established her own company morganMPR providing marketing services, e-marketing services & business consulting to microbusinesses and SME’s in retail, hospitality, health-wellness & service industries.
As a Master Business Studies Graduate Mary completed a thesis on “Online Share Trading – The Impact of the Internet” which examined the impact of the internet on established giants within the trading sector who failed to recognise a significant opportunity. Business and market share was lost to small start-ups who proved much more flexible, adaptable & agile. There are many parallels here with e-commerce and Mary has a continued special interest in ongoing research and lecture delivery on this topic. She has previously delivered marketing & business courses at Waterford Institute Technology, Griffith College Dublin and is currently a Part Time Business Studies Lecturer for International Foundation Year Students in DCU. Mary also offers marketing consulting services at www.marymorganmarketing.ie