Last Updated on June 29, 2024
Entrepreneurship does not require money, business experience, or luck – it demands drive. One platform many eCommerce entrepreneurs love to use is Shopify.
Shopify is one of the most accessible eCommerce sites for new entrepreneurs or small business owners to deploy. This platform is user-friendly even for those without any understanding of coding or eCommerce because an online store can be created quickly and swiftly.
Moreover, running your online business is easier with a virtual assistant for Shopify dropshipping. But how do you hire a Shopify virtual assistant, and why?
Where does a virtual assistant fit in?
Well, you might be asking that question—since many might say that they can do everything themselves, why the need to hire someone else?
The fact is that when you come to a particular stage, you will note that the tasks become unmanageable, and some jobs will not be prioritized. In most cases, your customer service is the first aspect of losing control. Your profits then start either to decrease or to plateau. Now, you want to drive more sales so that you can increase your business and, so too, your revenue.
This is where a virtual assistant comes in to help you with your Shopify business.
What is a Shopify virtual assistant?
A Shopify virtual assistant (VA) is a remote worker who specializes in helping eCommerce businesses with tasks related to their Shopify store. Shopify VAs can help with various tasks, including product listing and management, order fulfillment, customer support, marketing and SEO, PPC management, website design and development, and bookkeeping and accounting.
The benefits of hiring a Shopify VA include saving time and money, gaining access to expertise, improving efficiency and productivity, focusing on core competencies, and scaling your business.
Shopify VAs are a good fit for eCommerce businesses of all sizes, from startups to established companies. If you want help managing your Shopify store, a Shopify VA can be a valuable asset to your team.
Here are some examples of specific tasks that a Shopify VA can do:
- List and optimize products on Shopify
- Process orders and fulfill them
- Provide customer support via email, chat, and phone
- Manage social media accounts and create marketing content
- Run SEO campaigns to improve website traffic
- Manage PPC campaigns to drive sales
- Design and develop Shopify websites
- Keep track of finances and do bookkeeping
If you are considering hiring a Shopify VA, it is essential to identify your specific needs and budget. And once you have selected a VA, be sure to onboard and train them properly so they can succeed in their role.
What are the benefits of hiring a Shopify virtual assistant?
There are some unique advantages to hiring a Shopify virtual assistant. You can cost-effectively drive your business growth. As you upscale, you will have more tasks that need to be accomplished – and your assistant will be available to help lessen the burden. Also, the assistant will come with skills perfect for your particular industry.
By hiring a VA, you also bring in much-needed skills, which can put you ahead of your competitors. In addition, your virtual assistant can engage with your clients. An eCommerce business can feel cold and lacking a human touch, something you would experience at a physical store.
However, your virtual support can engage with the consumers quickly. Shrug off the most unexciting tasks while focusing on your business’s foremost strategic aspects. This is the key to any successful entrepreneur.
Such successful people know how to delegate. They know that if you can hire someone who can do the same work at a lower fee, you can save money. You need the right skills to succeed with a site such as Shopify. But hiring a VA means that you add these skills to your business, more importantly, cost-effectively. Your VA works remotely, so you do not spend money on a workstation, office space, or other operating costs.
Lastly, hiring a VA means flexibility. If your situation changes, you can move faster and make changes, including offboarding staff. Conversely, when you hire talent for your physical office, you are bound by many restrictions, making it difficult to let go of an employee.
Who should consider hiring a Shopify VA?
Any eCommerce business owner looking to save time, improve efficiency, and focus on core competencies should consider hiring a Shopify VA. Shopify VAs can be a valuable asset to businesses of all sizes, from startups to established companies.
Here are some specific scenarios where hiring a Shopify VA can be beneficial:
- You are overwhelmed with managing your Shopify store. If you are struggling to keep up with all of the tasks involved in managing your Shopify store, such as product listing, order fulfillment, and customer support, hiring a Shopify VA can help you free up your time so that you can focus on more critical tasks, such as growing your business.
- You need access to expertise in specific areas. If you don’t have the in-house expertise to handle specific tasks, such as marketing, SEO, or PPC management, hiring a Shopify VA can give you access to the expertise you need.
- You want to scale your business. Hiring a Shopify VA can help you scale your operations more efficiently if you plan to grow your Shopify business. A Shopify VA can help you with tasks such as increasing product listings, managing inventory, and providing customer support.
Overall, hiring a Shopify VA can be a great way to save time and money, improve efficiency, and focus on core competencies. If you are an eCommerce business owner, I encourage you to consider hiring a Shopify VA.
What does a Shopify assistant do?
Various tasks can be outsourced to a Shopify VA. These tasks are mostly admin tasks, but here is a list of the main functions:
- Customer support: An essential aspect of eCommerce is dealing with customers via phone, email, live chat, or WhatsApp. The assistant will be your contact with the customer and will need to help the clients speedily and in a friendly manner.
- Social media management: Social media has become critical for companies that want to engage with their clients and build a stronger bond with them. If the bond is strengthened, greater loyalty ensues. There will then be a better chance of satisfied customers placing more orders. However, managing social media channels can be time-consuming. Your virtual assistant can help create marketing content, post updates, reply to clients, and deal with the clients’ questions.
- Research: With the correct tools, your assistant can help gather analytics, provide insights into your clients, and target more potential clients. Such virtual support can also research the competition to discover what they are doing and where you can beat them.
- Product listing and management: Your assistant can assist with managing your orders by fulfilling them. Your assistant can also handle the sales as well as the stock inventory. Moreover, a Shopify VA can assist in optimizing product listings. Additionally, They can also help you process orders and provide customer support. This can free up your time to focus on other essential aspects of your business, such as marketing and sales. This will help to ensure that your eCommerce business runs smoothly and you have happy clients.
- Data entry: Laborious but still necessary; data entry is something no owner can ignore. However, your assistant can quickly take over these tasks.
- Cold calling: A practical marketing tip is to use cold calling to increase your customer base. All the virtual assistant needs is a good script with a few common reply responses.
- Marketing and SEO: Shopify VAs can help you develop and implement marketing and SEO strategies to reach new customers and grow your business. They can help with tasks such as:
- Creating and managing content for your website and social media channels
- Running email marketing campaigns
- Optimizing your website for search engines
- Managing your social media accounts and creating marketing content
- Running SEO campaigns to improve website traffic.
- PPC management: Shopify VAs can help you manage your PPC campaigns to ensure you get the most out of your budget. They can help with tasks such as:
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- Creating and managing PPC campaigns
- Conducting keyword research
- Setting budgets and bids
- Tracking and analyzing the results.
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Website design and development: Shopify VAs can help you design and develop your Shopify website. They can help with tasks such as:
- Choosing a Shopify theme
- Customizing your website’s design
- Adding and managing products
- Setting up payment processing and shipping
- Bookkeeping and accounting: Shopify VAs can help you keep track of your finances and do your bookkeeping. They can help with tasks such as:
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- Tracking income and expenses
- Reconciling bank accounts
- Preparing financial statements
- Filing taxes.
How to find and hire a Shopify virtual assistant
Identify your needs
To identify your needs, list tasks you need help with. This could include product listing, order fulfillment, customer support, marketing, and SEO. Once you have a list of tasks, you can start thinking about the skills and experience you need in a Shopify virtual assistant.
For example, if you need help with product listing, you’ll want to hire a Shopify VA who has experience with Shopify and is familiar with SEO best practices. If you need help with customer support, you’ll want to hire a Shopify VA with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
When interviewing Shopify VAs, ask about their experience with Shopify, their skills and experience, and their rates. It’s also important to ask about their availability and ensure they fit your business culture well.
The endnote about how to hire a Shopify virtual assistant
When you are ready and know what you are looking for, contact Aristo Sourcing or book a complimentary call. We have experience sourcing great talent to help entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
It is possible to upscale your eCommerce business on Shopify, becoming and remaining competitive. In hiring a virtual assistant, you can cost-effectively effect such upscaling. And each cent saved means more profit for you!
3 Key Takeaways
The key takeaways from this article are:
- Shopify is a user-friendly platform that allows entrepreneurs to set up and run an online store quickly, even without coding experience.
- Hiring a Shopify virtual assistant can save you time and money by handling tasks like product listing, order fulfillment, customer service, and marketing. This allows you to focus on growing your business.
- Shopify virtual assistants can be a valuable asset for eCommerce businesses of all sizes. They can help you improve efficiency, gain access to expertise, and scale your business.