Running an eCommerce business can be challenging, especially with all the eCommerce tasks. As you already know, this is more so when it is a small or mid-size business. It gets worse if you own a physical and online store. You must ensure that your inventory is current, check whether your prices are correct, manage your shipping, deal with promotions, and always be available to your customers. The tasks can seem never-ending.
The worst is spending time on all these must-do tasks for your eCommerce site, yet you want to grow your business. You would also much prefer to do the work you love doing. You may suffer from a lack of time to spend with your family. It can just feel too much – you start to question whether your business is worth it, although you are at a place where you are making profits.
Outsourcing your admin tasks
Outsourcing your admin tasks is a solution for many established eCommerce businesses. Also, outsourcing can save you money: you can find an assistant to do the work for less than it costs you for your time.
However, if you are new to this, you might be hesitant. Many times, hesitancy is related to the fear of letting go – having to delegate. Nevertheless, this fear amounts to a misunderstanding of the notion of delegation.
Delegation does not mean liberation from tasks you are not enthusiastic about. You are not simply seeking to fill someone’s time; you want to keep them busy. Delegation is a positive action that gives someone else the authority to do tasks to save time and complete such functions to your satisfaction.
A virtual assistant for an eCommerce business
A virtual assistant for an eCommerce business might be just what you need. These assistants can help run the website, which means more time for you to spend on more strategic aspects of your eCommerce business, which can dramatically increase your income. There are many types of virtual assistants.
Nevertheless, they have one thing in common – they all work remotely. On average, an employer can save on salaries; a virtual assistant makes fewer demands and works more effectively. Virtual assistants that would be used for an eCommerce business include an eCommerce virtual assistant, an SEO virtual assistant, a leads virtual generator assistant, and a web dev virtual assistant.
However, when it comes to an eCommerce business, there are seven tasks that you can delegate to an eCommerce virtual assistant. These are:
Customer service
Customer service ensures proper communication with your clients and a mechanism to address complaints speedily, thus impressing them. Such an attitude avoids a hostile client review or word-of-mouth disparagement.
Research has shown that receiving one lousy review can scare away 22% of prospective new clients. Worse, as the negative reviews increase, more possible clients are turned away. For instance, if you receive three bad reviews, 59.2% of potential clients will be lost. You could lose 70% of your customers if you receive four bad reviews.
However, a virtual assistant can respond promptly to client queries, thereby reducing damage to your brand. This can be done via email, live chat, phone, or social media.
In addition, the virtual assistant can help the client during the purchase process, dealing with demanding clients and their complaints. Also, which can’t be said enough, your assistant can up-sell and cross-sell products, thereby increasing your profits.
Exchanges and returns
Exchanges and returns are a central part of eCommerce businesses. Your assistant can help with these. The assistant can communicate with the customer via email or phone, informing the client of the process and how the company’s refund policy works.
Order processing
An order must be sent to the client as soon as possible when an order is placed. Besides adding the order, the product must be shipped, and an invoice must be sent. Your assistant can help drop-ship vendors and shipping businesses with the invoices.
Inventory management
you need to ensure that your stock levels are adequate; otherwise, when a client wants to purchase but the product is out of stock, you will lose that sale. The client will go to your competitor. However, an assistant can ensure that the levels on your website are correct, ordering more stock to store in your warehouse.
Website management
Your website will need ongoing maintenance, called website management, to optimize the site and keep up with your competitors regarding ranking. The higher your ranking, the better your chance of making more money. For instance, if you rank number one on Google, you will gain 33% of search traffic.
If you drop to pages two, three, and four, your traffic will decrease by 27% to just 11.3%, falling to 5.4%. In addition, your assistant can correct broken links, optimize images, correct information, load new products online, and add the latest news.
Content marketing
An assistant with the right skills can help with your website’s content, promote your products, and connect with your customers. The assistant can also draft press releases posted on your site and send them to the media.
Deal with your eCommerce tasks while you grow your eCommerce business
If you want to grow your eCommerce business, free up your time and focus on the strategy, such as getting your products on critical sites, while your assistant manages the arduous admin tasks.
Contact us
We can help you source the right virtual assistant to grow your eCommerce business successfully. Book your free consultation today.
Aristo Sourcing is a business process outsourcing (BPO) company that focuses on clients’ bespoke needs and matches the best candidates for positions.
3 Key Takeaways
The article outlines three challenges faced by e-commerce business owners and proposes a solution:
- Time Management: Running an e-commerce business involves numerous tasks that can be overwhelming, leaving the owner with no time to focus on growth strategies.
- Delegation Fear: Owners might hesitate to delegate tasks due to a fear of letting go of control.
- Customer Service: Responding promptly to customer inquiries and complaints is crucial to avoid negative reviews and lost sales.
The solution is to outsource administrative tasks to a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant can handle customer service, exchanges and returns, order processing, inventory management, website management, and content marketing, freeing up the owner’s time to focus on business growth.
What are the eight elements of e-commerce?
The eight elements of e-commerce are:
- Product or service
- Payment
- Promotion
- Place
- People
- Process
- Physical evidence
- Performance
What are the five essential requirements for e-commerce?
Five essential requirements for e-commerce are:
- A reliable and secure website ensures customers’ personal and financial information safety and privacy.
- A user-friendly and easy-to-navigate website makes it easy for customers to find and purchase products or services.
- A fast and efficient checkout process helps minimize shopping cart abandonment and increase conversions.
- Various payment options include credit and debit cards, e-wallets, and other electronic payment methods.
- Responsive customer service includes providing quick and helpful responses to customer inquiries and promptly addressing any issues or concerns.
What do customers want from eCommerce?
Customers have various wants from eCommerce, but some of the most common include:
- Convenience: Customers want to shop from the comfort of their homes any time of the day or night.
- Variety: Customers want a wide range of products or services.
- Competitive pricing: Customers want to find the best deals and lowest prices.
- Fast and reliable delivery: Customers want to receive their purchases as soon as possible and in good condition.
- A seamless and easy-to-use website: Customers want an intuitive and easy-to-navigate website that makes it simple to find what they’re looking for and complete transactions.
- Safe and secure transactions: Customers want to keep their personal and financial information safe.
- Good customer service: Customers want to be able to contact the company quickly in case of any issues or queries.
- Personalization: Customers want to see products or services relevant to them and their interests.
- Mobile optimization: Customers want a seamless shopping experience on their mobile devices.
- Reviews and ratings: Customers want to see other customers’ experiences to help them decide.