Running an ecommerce business might sound like an easy way to make money, but the most successful online stores are organised and focused, with all the admin taken care of and clear processes for sourcing, listing, selling and keeping customers happy. It’s a competitive sector, and there’s always pressure on price, so why not up your game by outsourcing some of your key tasks to a virtual assistant?
How can it help?
There are a number of ways that using a virtual assistant can help. Whether you are just starting an ecommerce business, or you’ve been selling for a while and you’re starting to grow, getting in some extra help can save time, money and stress – and it can make all your processes much more streamlined. And more streamlined processes means a better sales funnel, faster fulfilment and happier customers. And that, in turn, means more positive reviews and more return business.
Here are just some of the tasks you spend your life doing that you could hand over to an affordable assistant:
Product research – good online retailers understand exactly what products customers are looking for and how much they are prepared to pay for them. You will already know what you’re selling – but how about expanding certain product lines or diversifying into other areas? Use a virtual assistant to research both products and competition, so that you can work out a successful strategy.
Product listing – this is time-consuming, but it must be done properly, or your ecommerce website will look a mess, and people won’t buy. Listings need to have good images, and compelling content that turns a browser into a buyer. Outsourcing to a data entry manager can take this important job off your hands.
Social media and email marketing – you need to get the word out about your products and how people can get hold of them. That means using the right social media channels to reach your target audience. There’s plenty of social media help for small business owners, and outsourcing this task means you can keep your profile active and useful. Alongside that, your assistant can act as your email campaign manager, writing and preparing e-shots to send to customers to upsell or cross-sell once they have bought from you.
Ecommerce software and website management – there are a large range of ecommerce platforms to build your store on. Whilst most of these are designed to be easy to use, it can take a while to understand how they work, and it can be frustrating and time-consuming to refresh, add content and keep things working smoothly. That’s why many ecommerce businesses outsource this part of the business.
Customer service – online customers expect great customer service. They benchmark your business against ecommerce giants like Amazon – so you need to have the people and processes in place to keep customers happy. Whether that’s answering queries, chasing orders, organising quick fulfilment, handing special requests, or just keeping customers in the loop, good service means positive reviews and repeat business. This is a great task to outsource, because you know it is being done to your standards, but you don’t have to get involved yourself.
Invoicing and bookkeeping – whilst your B2C or B2B ecommerce platform will have a built-in payments system that can integrate with your current accounting software, you’ll still need someone to do the books. And for a fast-paced business like online retail, it’s really important to keep on top of things. An experienced virtual bookkeeper can make sure your accounts are up to date, liaise with your accountant and other advisers, prepare VAT returns and more. This takes what is often a scary task off your hands, leaving you to get on with sourcing your products and marketing your business.
All this help – from a single supplier
What if you could have access to all this and more through a single virtual assistant service? We can help you with all these tasks, plus helping you with diary management, general marketing, website updates, store management, competitor analysis and more. If you’re short on time and need help with any of your ecommerce store tasks, feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.