We all know that having smart people working for you is crucial, but who should these people be? What should they be good at? What company positions are “crucial” for a successful Internet business?

In my “years” of business life I had to hire, as well as fire employees. I’ve learned that there are 4 job positions every online business needs to fill carefully without cutting on the cost and going with the “cheap”.

They are (in no particular order);

1. Web designer

My friend. Your website is your face. Why would anyone let their nephew design their corporate site? I learned this the hard way. What I did years ago is, I outsourced this project to an India based company using Elance to find them. Big mistake! Yes, outsourcing web design and development will save you a huge chunk of money but what it will cost you is your time, aggravation and most likely poor value.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many good web design companies in India … I just haven’t found one.

2. Web Tech / Programmer

You will need a customer management system, you will need a data base management program … you’ll need technology to make your company run better. Depending on the person you hire technology will either help you or make you nuts. You want your organization to run a smooth line? Hire a qualified programmer.

3. Copywriter

This is not an easy one, yet one of the most important positions to fill. People buy what they hear (or see). For those who say that Internet shoppers don’t ready copy, I’ll say … “yes… on a porn site they probably don’t read”, but for majority of websites that are trying to sell something, words you type are crucial.

When I worked for a linen company I studied over 20 of our online competitors. I knew approximately the volume of sales they did and one company stood out. They were not the largest one but there was something about their site and the way they presented a product. What was it?

The copy they wrote.

The way they described the comfortable comforter or the quality 1,200 Thread Count sheets (see … I know this stuff… thread count, heh). Words matter and you SHOULD NOT approach this as a simple writing task. A copywriter should not necessarily be an English major. I’d be more keen on hiring a salesperson who can put his/her words on paper and make it sound appealing.

4. Customer support person

Ladies and Gentlemen this is where so many companies go wrong. They spend thousands of dollars on creative, brochures, business cards, website, ads… and then they hire a $7.50/hour person, with little or no experience to speak to the potential customer.

Your sales/customer support people will be THE most important part of your business. They can either sell and make callers feel good about your business OR they can kill your marketing efforts within seconds. Train your people, make them enthusiastic about the product or service, listen in on the calls to point out the good and the bad. Your brochure / advertising will make your prospect call (hopefully) … your phone people will ultimately be the conversion point or lack off it.

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When looking for an employee in-house or outsourcing to a company have some common sense. Look at where you’re finding them. 4 Years ago I used places like Elance to find workers for design, development and copy. I will never do it again (my opinion).
It’s like picking your heart surgeon from a classified ad. Imagine this.

“Heart surgeon with 15 years of experience looking for patients around New York City. Mention this ad and get a 20% discount. Refer a friend and get an extra 10% off. …….. while supplies last”

Ok … exaturating here but just to make a point. I’ve learned my lesson long time ago. Always look at where you find your people. What would make him/her advertise the service resume in a certain media, be it a classified ad or a PPC on Google.

The 4 jobs I mentioned above I find to be crucial for a quality worker to fill.

P.S. I am not mentioning Marketing (SEO, PPC, etc), Advertising, Management, etc. These are a must and let’s not beat the dead horse. Also, for many online businesses these 3 tasks are done by the owner, hence the reason for not stressing on them.