Cetiera Carmona is the Manager of Customer Growth (also known as Customer Marketing) at BigCommerce. She leads a team that is truly customer obsessed, focusing on providing content and guidance at every stage of the merchant journey, helping merchants grow and innovating and optimizing how, when and where BigCommerce communicates with customers.
After working in and with customer-facing departments, she has ultimately discovered that retention marketing takes the cake.
“It is so rewarding to take insights and feedback from customers, create a personalized program that proactively addresses their needs and see the positive customer and business impact it drives,” Carmona said.
BIGTeam Spotlight: Cetiera Carmona
From data insights to customer feedback, it is evident that Cetiera Carmona and her team are creating a BIG impact through a customer-centric approach, but she also juggles more than a team.
How did you get into the ecommerce industry?
Cetiera Carmona: “I got into the ecommerce industry when I joined the BigCommerce team at the beginning of 2021. Before that, I was working in the cybersecurity and project management industries. It’s been wonderful learning about the ecommerce industry and applying them to our customer marketing strategy.
“I pride myself on being a lifelong learner and with new trends being established in both the industry and in customer marketing in general, I’m always learning new things.”
What makes BigCommerce a great place to work?
CC: “There are a lot of things but the team and culture really make BigCommerce a great place to work. The organization is made up of so many talented and intelligent people, that it makes cross-functional initiatives so enjoyable.”
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your role?
CC: “The most fulfilling aspect is knowing customers are receiving educational and helpful content on how to best leverage the BigCommerce platform which is helping them grow their business. Being able to help customers of all sizes succeed in their business through customer marketing programs is so rewarding.”
What are your passions outside of work?
CC: “My first passion is acting and modeling. Anytime I’m in front of a camera, I feel like it’s where I’m meant to be. I started at a young age and continued throughout college but once I graduated, I decided to focus on my corporate career. A few years ago, I jumped back into performing and have enjoyed it ever since.
“Secondly, I love to travel. My husband and I have traveled all over the world; some of my favorite destinations are Tokyo, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver. And finally, I enjoy event planning. I was a wedding planner for many years and am always looking for a reason to throw a party so I can decorate, plan games and create a menu.”
What do you shop for most online?
CC: “I love interior design so when I’m shopping online, it’s usually for home decor. Every now and then I get the urge to change the look of my house and my husband and I enjoy DIY projects, so I’m always looking for design inspiration and then imitating them in my spaces.”
If you had an online store, what would you sell?
CC: “If I had an online store, I would sell physical and digital products related to event planning. For physical, it would be things like travel items and kits, event decor and planner books. The digital items would include trip or event planning consultations and downloadable planning checklists.”
What’s your favorite BigCommerce store?
CC: “This is a tough one since I have so many favorites; it’s really hard to choose just one so here are a couple:
“The Fifth Design is an Australian-based housewares company specializing in high-quality, sustainable, handmade products such as cheese boards, serving trays, coasters, etc. Their items are so gorgeous and I love their storefront design.
“One Kings Lane is a U.S.-based home furnishings company offering products, expertise, and inspiration for styling a home. I love that they offer interior design consultations and have a beautiful site filled with images that inspire.”
What do you find most fascinating about ecommerce?
CC: “There are two things that fascinate me the most about ecommerce. The first is the use of data to optimize and grow a business. I love analyzing data and there are so many insights you can glean from store and customer data that can help make better business decisions. Data like ad spend ROI, store visits, omnichannel performance, customer attributes and checkout conversion is so powerful.
“The second is omnichannel strategy or selling everywhere. Being able to purchase anything you want from your phone while browsing social media is incredible. Coupling that with data insights to know what a consumer most likely wants to buy is a recipe for success.”
Where do you see the future of ecommerce?
CC: “I see the future of ecommerce continuing to optimize for the digital experience. There are so many new technologies that will open the door for how businesses sell their products including virtual reality and artificial intelligence. I also don’t think social media is going away any time soon so enhancing the buying experience over social channels is going to be important.
“Finally, I think with how quickly trends move and change, being able to innovate and adapt quickly to what new consumers require will also be vital to long-term success.”
