Rubix StudiosRubix Studios
Vincent is the founder and director of Rubix Studios, with over 20 years of experience in branding, marketing, film, photography, and web development. He is a certified partner with industry leaders including Google, Microsoft, AWS, and HubSpot. Vincent also serves as a member of the Maribyrnong City Council Business and Innovation Board and is undertaking an Executive MBA at RMIT University.
Determining whether to manage product listings internally or through external providers is a key operational decision. Accurate, scalable product listings are essential for search visibility, user experience, and operational efficiency. The best model depends on business size, available staff, budget, and long-term plans.
Managing product listings in-house allows for full control over content quality and immediate updates. Internal teams can maintain consistency and apply product knowledge to ensure accurate descriptions. This approach suits businesses with smaller catalogues and available personnel.
However, internal management requires staff time and may result in quality issues if employees lack expertise in content management systems (CMS) or search engine optimisation (SEO). Training and upskilling are often needed.
Using a web development agency ensures professional-grade listings. Agencies bring experience in SEO, content structure, user experience, and integrations. This is suitable for businesses requiring advanced functionality or large-scale listing updates.
The primary drawback is cost. External agencies also introduce a level of dependency and slower turnaround for time-sensitive changes.
Outsourcing overseas offers a lower-cost alternative. These providers can scale quickly and handle high-volume data efficiently. When supported by onboarding and quality assurance protocols, this model can deliver reliable results.
Challenges include communication gaps, time zone differences, and inconsistent quality. These issues can be reduced by setting clear service-level agreements (SLAs) and using structured workflows.
Web developers are responsible for building and maintaining platform functionality. Product listing and data entry are not typically within scope. Assigning routine listing tasks to developers may result in inefficient resource allocation and reduced focus on technical priorities.
Developers are most effective when used for CMS configuration, automation, and integrations. However, a small number of specialised developers offer full-service product listing support. These individuals combine technical implementation with structured content, metadata, and SEO optimisation. This capability is not standard and is reflected in a higher service cost.
Full-service developers who manage listing automation, content formatting, and SEO can outperform agencies and internal teams in speed and consistency. While hourly rates are higher, overall delivery time is often shorter, reducing the total cost per listing in high-volume scenarios.
External developers may offer retainers ranging from AUD 4,000 to 25,000 per month, depending on availability, deliverables, and support level. Full-service developers typically operate at a premium rate and should be engaged when both technical and content standards are required from a single provider.
A hybrid strategy uses internal resources for routine tasks and external support for specialised or large-scale projects. This allows teams to focus on priorities while ensuring technical requirements are met.
Before selecting a model, businesses should assess:
| Model | Control | Speed | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal | High | High | 70K–100K/year |
| Agency | Medium | Medium | 5K–20K/project |
| Offshore | Low | High | 15–50/hour |
| Model | Skills Needed | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | Moderate | Your internal team needs moderate expertise in CMS platforms, SEO, and product data handling. |
| Agency | High | Little in-house expertise is needed, but understanding how to brief and review agency work is still important. |
| Offshore | Low–Moderate | Your team needs enough knowledge to provide clear instructions, monitor quality, and manage remote workflows. |
A structured evaluation of business needs, technical capacity, and cost tolerance will support a sustainable and effective approach to e-commerce product management.
Selecting the right product listing model depends on operational capacity, technical expertise, and growth plans. Businesses should document internal processes, invest in core staff training, and engage external providers selectively to maintain quality and efficiency.
For long-term scalability, combine structured product content standards with a sustainable resourcing model. This ensures consistency across platforms, supports performance in search rankings, and improves the end-user experience.
Vincent is the founder and director of Rubix Studios, with over 20 years of experience in branding, marketing, film, photography, and web development. He is a certified partner with industry leaders including Google, Microsoft, AWS, and HubSpot. Vincent also serves as a member of the Maribyrnong City Council Business and Innovation Board and is undertaking an Executive MBA at RMIT University.