E-commerce jobs are on the rise

In the past two years, e-commerce jobs have enjoyed an increase across various industries. The trend shows that people are growing increasingly comfortable with purchasing products and services over the internet. Retailers are not the only businesses benefiting from the consumer trend, however. In fact, service-based companies have also noted an increase in sales through their internet marketing.

U.S. e-commerce retail sales jumped 9.8 percent in 2010, totaling $142.491 billion worth of merchandise, according to comScore. In 2011, the trends have sustained a steady double-digit increase, and the number of individuals researching or shopping online is expected to surpass 200 million by 2015, reports eMarketer.

The promising numbers present freelancers and companies with opportunities to expand and improve sales through an established, or new e-commerce portal.

The job market has evolved - businesses are looking for new employees, but on a temporary or remote work basis in order to keep overhead costs down. There are plenty of individuals who would embrace the chance to work from home for a legitimate company, and e-commerce trends have improved the possibility of more companies turning to alternative work policies for success.

In 2011, most website jobs in the e-commerce jobs sector involved projects for small to midsized businesses, according to a Donanza study. Furthermore, the data shows that there was an overall 27 percent increase in the total number of e-commerce website jobs in the past year. The information is particularly revealing for individuals who plan to enter the freelance world.

Today, there are about 36 million home offices, according to ECA E-Commerce Associates. Freelance opportunities are abound and are expected to increase. However, for an individual looking to enter the industry, expertise in specific programs is vital for success, reports Donanza. The top 10 skills that employers look for fall into the categories of PHP, graphic design, translation, WordPress, HTML, website design, MySQL, SEO, CSS and Photoshop.

Massive adoption of e-commerce components to established websites are expected to take place. Individuals who want to enter an exciting, evolving and innovative field have bountiful opportunities in the coming years to enter the e-commerce industry. However, in order to land any desired job, it's important to be well-versed in the language and industry beforehand. Taking the time to understand how e-commerce components positively affect businesses can help an employee become more attractive in the eyes of employers.