Many e-commerce business owners struggle to manage everything alone. However, due to the ever-growing needs and demands within the industry, hiring a virtual assistant is crucial to develop your business to its fullest potential.
Hiring a virtual assistant for your ecommerce business helps you get more done in less time and generate more revenue. But before you start interviewing candidates, there are signs to consider outsourcing. Here are the top ten factors to consider when hiring a virtual assistant for your ecommerce business
Factors to Consider When Hiring a Virtual Assistant
Choose an Expert Virtual Assistant
When looking for a virtual assistant, ensure they are experienced in what they do and understand their role well. Experienced virtual assistants know how to manage an ecommerce business and can provide valuable insights into how your business can be improved.
Know What You Want
Work Experience
When hiring a virtual assistant, ask them about their experience with eCommerce businesses and the programs they use. You want someone with experience using the programs you regularly use, such as Shopify, MailChimp, and Google Docs. Make sure they are comfortable using these programs because if they are not comfortable using them, it might be difficult for them to complete tasks that require those programs, like creating marketing emails or sending out newsletters.
An experienced virtual assistant can help grow your business in many ways, and they know how best to promote your products or services through social media to attract customers to buy from you.
Skillset
Make sure you hire a VA with the skillset you need for your business. A good virtual assistant has a wide range of skills that help your business to grow and succeed online. These include computer programming skills like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript coding; knowledge of digital marketing tools like Google Analytics. This skill set ensures that the person you hire adds value to your business.
The Ability to Multi-task
When you’re running an ecommerce business, there are always multiple moving parts. You have inventory management, logistics management, and customer service. A good virtual assistant should juggle multiple tasks at once without becoming overwhelmed or distracted by other tasks that may come up during the day. This allows them to work independently on various projects and handle issues that arise with ease. This ensures that no function of your business is affected.
Availability
The reason for hiring a virtual assistant is that you don’t have time to complete some tasks or you want to attend to other important business tasks that you cannot delegate. Your VA should be available when you need them and able to provide services in real-time. A successful business should have someone to help answer customers’ inquiries 24/7.
Communication Skills
A good virtual assistant knows how to communicate with customers in an efficient manner that helps resolve issues quickly. They know how to present information professionally so that customers feel confident doing business with your company. Some of the delegation mistakes to avoid is failing to give your assistant clear instructions on the working agreement. It may look like a simple assumption, but it can ruin your business.
Their Rates and Payment Terms
When you outsource work to a virtual assistant, you must know what you’re paying for and how you can monitor their progress. This is done by setting up time-tracking software to track their time on each task.
The payment rates of the VA depend on how much time they devote to your business. If they work full-time in your company, they should be paid according to their working hours. If they are working part-time or helping out from time to time, you should pay hourly or per project depending on which suits best for both parties involved.
If your VA handles all your email correspondence, their hourly rate may be lower than if they’re working on tasks requiring more creativity or research. You can offer a flat rate based on an annual contract or a weekly or monthly rate, depending on how many hours they work per week.
The rates paid should not only be based on the tasks done but also on the revenue generated and profitability. Set key performance indicators, letting them know what is expected of them. This ensures that their performance is in line with their pay and the growth of your business.
Where to Get The Virtual Assistant For Hire
If you need a virtual assistant for your ecommerce business, finding one suitable for the job can be tricky. However, there are reputable multiple listing platforms to find the right candidate. Here are some of your options:
- Freelance sites: These sites allow you to post jobs and hire a virtual assistant from around the world with experience in various fields. You can browse profiles of potential candidates and read reviews from previous employers before deciding on the right person for your job.
- Online forums: Some online communities have forums where members can post jobs they need done and then offer payment in exchange for work performed by others on the site’s platform. This is another great way to find virtual assistants who meet your needs at reasonable prices.
Word-of-mouth recommendations: This could also be an option worth exploring if you know someone who has previously worked with a virtual assistant. Most people are happy to share their experiences with others, so it might be worth asking around among friends or family members.
The Workload and Tasks of Your Business
The workload and type of tasks involved in running an ecommerce business include; managing social media accounts, monitoring analytics reports, writing blog posts, and answering customer queries.
When choosing a virtual assistant for your ecommerce business, ensure they understand what kind of work you need.
Conclusion
While you can do these things independently, hiring a virtual assistant to handle these tasks can free up time for you to customize your store’s presentation, improve your conversion rate, or create more products. A virtual assistant working with you can take a lot of pressure off you by handling more menial tasks.