8 Ways Virtual E-Commerce...

8 Ways Virtual E-Commerce Assistant Can Help Grow Your Business - Parcel Monitor

Mar 04, 2022
8 Ways Virtual E-Commerce Assistant Can Help Grow Your Business - Parcel Monitor

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There comes a point in the life of your small business when you want to focus on expanding and growing your business. However, in the field of e-commerce businesses, it’s often hard for just one person to stay on top of so many tasks daily, especially as your company grows. In addition, dealing with vendors, online sellers, and various other marketplaces can be a hassle and overwhelming for one person. While you may want to hire additional help, you may not have the means to hire a full-time employee to assist you.

The solution? Hire a virtual assistant to help you manage daily operations while you focus on expanding and growing your business. 

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So, how exactly are virtual assistants helpful to your company? In this article, we’ll explore in detail the benefits of having a remote assistant in your e-commerce business.

Who Is An E-Commerce Virtual Assistant?

remote assistant, or virtual assistant, is an individual you hire on a contract basis to help you run various business departments. Many small business owners these days are opting for virtual assistants instead of full-time employees because they are more efficient and affordable. For example, you pay them by the hour, making them more accountable than an in-office employee. 

In addition, you don’t have to incur additional expenses like bonuses with remote assistants. Many popular publications like Forbes have praised the efficiency of virtual assistants for small businesses.

However, one of the best benefits of hiring a virtual assistant for your e-commerce business is that they come with experience and are trained for the job. As a result, you don’t have to spend additional time, money, or other resources to prepare them for the job, and onboarding is much smoother than with traditional employees.

Tasks You Can Outsource To a Virtual E-Commerce Assistant

Virtual assistants are usually experienced in e-commerce and can bring a lot to the table. Here are some of the tasks you can outsource to a remote assistant.

Customer Service

Client servicing and customer care are vital parts of running an e-commerce business. However, managing customer service leaves little room for doing anything else. Additionally, as a new business owner, you may now have the required skill or experience to handle customer service with care.

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An e-commerce virtual assistant can handle customer queries and requests while you focus on the big-picture operations of your business. That frees up a lot of time in your day, and having a designated customer service representative makes your business look more professional.

Inventory Management

Virtual assistants have excellent administrative skills, so they are highly qualified to handle business administrative and backend tasks, such as managing inventory.

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Inventory is the foundation of any e-commerce business, without which they can’t function properly. Therefore, it’s crucial to track and monitor inventory stock regularly. Usually, virtual assistants have their own proven inventory management systems that they’ve perfected over the years, making them an invaluable asset to your company.

Manage Returns And Exchanges

Hiring an e-commerce virtual assistant can help you ensure that your customers have a smooth and seamless experience with exchanges and returns.

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From customer service to tracking logistics, there are numerous factors that you have to consider to make sure your clients get their products on time. With logistics partners like Parcel Monitor, who enable easy package tracking, keeping a tab on your products becomes even more accessible.

Website Management

Your website is the face of your business. It sometimes can be the deciding factor for potential customers to make a purchase. Conversely, a dull, outdated website makes your business look shabby and unprofessional.

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Therefore, it’s essential to keep your website regularly updated with relevant information and content. Blogs and pictures of new products are an excellent way to make your website stand out, and a virtual assistant can help you with all of these aspects of maintaining a website.

Blogs and SEO Content 

As we mentioned in the previous point, it’s essential to keep your website regularly updated. Blogs are a great way to go about it.

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Creating content relevant to your business gives your business a sense of credibility and establishes you as an industry expert. This, in turn, makes potential customers more likely to shop from your business.

Additionally, strategically placing SEO-targeted keywords in your blogs can help increase your search engine rankings organically and get you new clients. A virtual assistant with relevant marketing experience can help your blog stand out on the internet.

Logistics Management

As a small e-commerce company selling products online, there must be a lot of logistics involved with your business. It can be a time-consuming process, from ensuring problem-free delivery to effortless tracking of your packages.

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An e-commerce remote assistant who has experience working in the e-commerce industry will be able to ensure your logistics are taken care of. With trusted logistical partners like Parcel Monitor, taking care of logistics becomes the easiest of your concerns while running your business.

Social Media Management

Being a small business in the e-commerce space, it’s hard to ignore that most online stores now operate on social media – such as Instagram and Facebook Marketplace. It’s a great way to showcase your products, connect and engage with your audience and attract new clients organically.

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However, it needs to be noted that every social media platform works differently, with its own algorithm and content style. Therefore, you need to hire a social media assistant who knows the ins and outs of social media. They must understand what content works best for which platform and the best timings to post to garner the most reach on social media. They will also take care of community engagement and help you connect with your customers authentically.

Email Marketing 

While social media is a great way to expand your reach and connect to new clientele, email marketing is an old and proven way to ensure your old, loyal customers keep coming back to your business.

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Regularly sending our email marketing campaigns with new product launches, seasonal discounts, and other promotional offers is a guaranteed way to keep existing customers hungry for more.

A virtual social media assistant who can put together crafty emails with catchy calls to action can help you keep your existing customers engaged.

Benefits of an E-Commerce Virtual Assistant

Now that we’ve spoken about the various areas of your business in which your remote assistant can help you out, let’s look at why virtual assistants are a better choice than traditional, full-time employees.

Affordability

There’s no tiptoeing around the fact that small businesses are still in their starting stages and are tight on money. Therefore, it might not be possible for you to hire a full-time staff, yet.

Though the capital is small, there is no way to grow the company if you will be held back by secondary office tasks. This is why a virtual assistant is an excellent choice for small businesses. They are paid by the hour and don’t incur additional expenses that regular office staff do, such as insurances, holidays, bonuses, etc.

Efficiency

As we mentioned earlier, most virtual assistants already have the relevant skills and experience required to work in the e-commerce industry. That makes them more efficient and makes the onboarding process more manageable.

Additionally, with virtual assistant outsourcing agencies like Wishup, which vet, screen, and train their remote assistants, you’re guaranteed to get the top talent in the market in your team.

Accountability

Since most virtual assistants work by the hour, it creates a lot more accountability from their end. So they need to make sure they have the work to show for every hour they’re getting paid.

Studies have shown that employees who work a 9-5 in an office environment are only productive for 3-4 hours of the day. In contrast, virtual assistants who get to pick their own working hours perform with peak productivity.

Have Access To Global Talent

If there has been one positive takeaway from the pandemic, it’s that it’s opened the possibilities for remote work, which means companies now have the opportunity to transcend geographical barriers and work with global talent.

This is especially beneficial if you work with international clients and need local expertise on your e-commerce team. Having local talent specific to your area of business helps improve your marketing and content quality. In addition, it will make you more relatable to your audience.

Scale Your Business To Bigger Heights

Running a business takes a lot of effort, dedication, and hard work, but who says you have to do it all alone? We hope you enjoyed this list of ways a virtual assistant can help grow your small business and consider expanding your team with remote global talent.

Author bio: 

Swapna is a content writer for Wishup based out of Chennai, India, with a background in Media and  Mass Communication. 

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