It’s hard to focus on scaling your e-commerce business when mundane tasks get in the way. Even the simple task of launching a product on Amazon involves a lot of menial administrative work. E-commerce owners need to carefully choose titles, create concise descriptions, select appealing product images, and take inventory. To streamline the process, it’s best to hire a virtual assistant.
A virtual assistant is an administrative assistant that works remotely. Virtual assistants typically assist business owners with administrative tasks, such as data entry, scheduling appointments, contacting customers and partners, and email management. E-commerce virtual assistants may also aid with e-commerce-specific jobs, such as creating product listings or editing product images. For those considering the help of a virtual assistant, we’ve provided a list of important things to look out for.
Educational Background
Many virtual assistants are able to do efficient work with just a high school diploma. However, if the help you’re seeking requires specialized knowledge, it’s better to prioritize candidates with higher levels of education. VAs with business administration degrees will have a strong foundation in business accounting. Their educational background can come in handy if you need help with bookkeeping tasks. On the other hand, if you’re looking for help in promoting your product through outlets like social media or content marketing, consider looking for VAs with communications or marketing degrees.
Work Experience
It’s easy to turn a fresh graduate into a competent assistant. However, if you cannot afford to invest too much in training and onboarding, it’s best to look for VAs with stronger work histories. This way, they can help you get your business running straight out the gate.
Candidates don’t need to have VA experience to succeed. It’s also a good idea to look for people with experience in the specific competencies you’re looking for. A content writer can easily shift from content writing responsibilities to VA responsibilities. An accountant might be able to help you with finance management tasks.
Competencies
Though most VAs are versatile, they can’t do everything on their own. Instead of looking for a jack-of-all-trades type, find someone with one or two specific competencies that meet your needs. Useful VA competencies include content marketing, website management, and social media marketing.
Website Management
Having a VA with website management knowledge is useful if you have a website outside your Amazon page. If you want to optimize site performance, look for VAs with experience in WordPress, Google Analytics, and SEO. Website management tasks include monitoring page performance using Google Analytics, assessing how to improve a site’s SEO, fixing broken links, and deleting outdated content.
Content Marketing
Do you want to bring customers to your store through valuable content? Then consider hiring a VA with strong content marketing skills. A content marketing VA should have a strong command of the English language (or whatever language your target market uses), a decent grasp of SEO principles, and the savvy to keep up with marketing trends. Outside of updating product descriptions, content marketing VAs can also create blog posts for your website to boost SEO and visibility.
Social Media Marketing
Expand your product’s reach by marketing on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even TikTok. Like content marketing VAs, social media VAs need to have a good grasp of language, trends, and SEO. Social media VAs also need strong communication skills — by responding to comments, messages, and reviews from customers, they build your brand voice and establish your business’ reliability.
Financial Management
Larger e-commerce businesses with multiple products and suppliers may struggle to keep up with their cash flow. In this case, you might want to hire a finance management VA. Finance management tasks include bookkeeping, tax planning, and payment processing.
Soft Skills
Finally, VAs also need to have strong soft skills. Soft skills are character traits or abilities that can boost an employee’s effectiveness in the workplace. When looking for a VA, helpful traits include attention to detail, communication skills, and time management.
Attention to Detail
VAs are required to complete many small but simple tasks. Mistakes that seem minuscule can cost your business more than you think. For instance, inputting the wrong price on an item might scare customers (if higher) from buying or cause you to lose money (if lower).
Communication Skills
Since they work remotely, your VA should be able to effectively deliver their messages through online communication tools such as Slack and email. They should also actively reach out to provide updates on work to make sure you are both on the same page.
Time Management
It’s easier for businesses to scale when their employees can complete quality work within shorter time frames. Look for VAs that know how to prioritize tasks, set schedules, and meet deadlines efficiently.
Thanks to remote work, it’s easier for entrepreneurs to find talent that helps their businesses scale. Hiring a skilled virtual assistant can help you place your focus back on growth and away from time-consuming administrative tasks.
Article was written by Ricci Jeanne
Exclusively submitted to bellavix.com
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