Skip to main content

E-Commerce Seller

Business

Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

BusinessMarketing

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
  2. 2Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.
  3. 3Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services.
  4. 4Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.
  5. 5Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.
  6. 6Design customer interface of online storefront, using web programming or e-commerce software.
  7. 7Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.
  8. 8Determine and set product prices.
  9. 9Calculate purchase subtotals, taxes, and shipping costs for submission to customers.
  10. 10Compose descriptions of merchandise for posting to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.
  11. 11Compose images of products, using video or still cameras, lighting equipment, props, or photo or video editing software.
  12. 12Upload digital media, such as photos, video, or scanned images to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.
  13. 13Calculate revenue, sales, and expenses, using financial accounting or spreadsheet software.
  14. 14Cancel orders based on customer requests or inventory or delivery problems.
  15. 15Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels.
  16. 16Prepare or organize online storefront marketing material, including product descriptions or subject lines, optimizing content to search engine criteria.
  17. 17Select and purchase technical web services, such as web hosting services, online merchant accounts, shopping cart software, payment gateway software, or spyware.
  18. 18Transfer digital media, such as music, video, or software, to customers via the Internet.
  19. 19Determine location for product listings to maximize exposure to online traffic.
  20. 20Create or maintain database of customer accounts.
  21. 21Promote products in online communities through weblog or discussion-forum postings, e-mail marketing programs, or online advertising.
  22. 22Collaborate with search engine shopping specialists to place marketing content in desired online locations.
  23. 23Investigate products or markets to determine areas for opportunity or viability for merchandising specific products, using online or offline sources.
  24. 24Devise, select, or purchase domain name and web address.
  25. 25Initiate online auctions through auction hosting sites or auction management software.
  26. 26Maintain inventory of shipping supplies, such as boxes, labels, tape, bubble wrap, loose packing materials, or tape guns.
  27. 27Measure and analyze Web site usage data to maximize search engine returns or refine customer interfaces.
  28. 28Develop or revise business plans for online business, emphasizing factors such as product line, pricing, inventory, or marketing strategy.
  29. 29Investigate sources, such as auctions, estate sales, liquidators, wholesalers, or trade shows for new items, used items, or collectibles.
  30. 30Implement security practices to preserve assets, minimize liabilities, or ensure customer privacy, using parallel servers, hardware redundancy, fail-safe technology, information encryption, or firewalls.
  31. 31Participate in online forums or conferences to stay abreast of online retailing trends, techniques, or security threats.
  32. 32Integrate online retailing strategy with physical or catalogue retailing operations.
  33. 33Disclose merchant information and terms and policies of transactions in online or offline materials.
  34. 34Create or distribute offline promotional material, such as brochures, pamphlets, business cards, stationary, or signage.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • E-tailer
  • E-Merchant
  • Merchandiser
  • Web Merchant
  • Web Retailer
  • Online Merchant
  • Online Retailer
  • Sales Associate
  • E-Commerce Clerk
  • Online Merchants

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Bahasa MelayuDraws directly on Communications and Media — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • English Language84%

    English

  • Sales and Marketing80%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Customer and Personal Service78%
  • Communications and Media72%

    EnglishBahasa Melayu

  • Administration and Management72%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Computers and Electronics71%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsOften
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingAlmost all the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Deliver sustainability training to employees.
  • Prepare written reports or presentations on findings and recommendations.
  • Train personnel and vendors in security procedures or use of security equipment.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

31%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.56%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Digital Marketing Executive

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Online Merchants

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org