Shopify is one of the most common e-commerce platforms for opening an online website.
There are lakhs of Shopify stores operating worldwide right now. While running an online store may seem easy, it requires a lot of labor and time.
Several aspects to look out for while managing a Shopify business, such as product listing, order processing, customer service, marketing, advertising, SEO optimization, website maintenance, content creation, and more, can be overwhelming for the business owner to manage on their own, leading to negative customer reviews.
In such cases, Shopify virtual assistants come to the rescue. They can relieve the business owners of the load and diligently manage time-consuming tasks. This improves the business’s efficiency, and the owners can concentrate on more critical aspects of the Shopify store.
In this blog, we have discussed a Shopify virtual assistant, their benefits, and the tasks they can assign.
Key Takeaways
- Hiring a Shopify virtual assistant can significantly improve your store’s efficiency and productivity by handling time-consuming tasks.
- Shopify virtual assistants assist with various tasks, including product listing, order processing, customer service, and marketing.
- They offer specialized skills and access to advanced technology, enhancing customer service and competitive analysis.
- The cost of hiring a Shopify virtual assistant varies, with rates in the US ranging from $25 to $75 per hour.
Who is a Shopify virtual assistant?
Shopify virtual assistants are remote or freelance workers who specialize in managing tasks and assisting store owners related to their Shopify e-commerce business. These remote workers help with laborious tasks and processes that are vital for the business’s functioning.
Shopify virtual assistants greatly support store owners by streamlining their operations, saving time, and helping them focus more on their business. This helps in increasing the efficiency and productivity of the Shopify business.
What are the benefits of hiring a Shopify virtual assistant?
There are several benefits as to why Shopify virtual assistants can be a game changer for your online store. Some of the advantages are:
- Save time and money
- Helps business owners to focus more on essential areas of business
- Improve efficiency and productivity of the Shopify store
- Improves customer service
- Get access to specialized skills and knowledge
- Get access to advanced technology without investment
- Improve marketing and selling tactics
- Keep an eye on competitors and market trends
Tasks to allocate to a Shopify virtual assistant
Shopify VA tasks can vary according to the business requirements. Some of the everyday functions assigned are:
Product listing and management
The virtual assistant can do the following under product listing:
- Upload new products to the Shopify store
- Ensuring that the product images are correct and meet the quality standards
- Update pricing and inventory of each product category
- Writing SEO-optimised product description
Order processing and fulfillment
Virtual assistants can complete the following tasks:
- Managing order fulfillment and processing incoming orders
- Handling returns and exchanges
- Communicating and sending timely emails to customers about order processing, status, and shipping updates
- Coordinating with third-party fulfillment centers and product suppliers.
- Handle customer queries related to orders
SEO Optimisation
Shopify VA tasks can also consist of the following:
- Implementing effective SEO strategies to improve SEO rankings
- Conducting keyword research and adding relevant keywords to the website
- Optimizing the website and product listings for various search engines
Customer service
- Responding timely to customer queries and complaints
- Be active on live chat, email, phone, or social media to handle any inquiry
- Addressing customer issues and concerns in a professional manner
- Assist customers with product selection, sizing, and other inquiries
- Manage customer reviews and feedback on the Shopify store
Website optimization
The Shopify website has to be optimized to avoid lagging and slow runs. Hiring virtual assistants can help in:
- Regularly update and maintain the Shopify website
- Optimise website performance like page speed and mobile responsiveness
- Conducting tests on product page uploading time, check-out process, and other website elements
Marketing and advertising
You have to promote your Shopify store so that people will notice you. Shopify VA can help by:
- Creating effective marketing campaigns on social media, google ads, and other platforms
- Managing email marketing campaigns by sending timely promotional emails, newsletter creation, and subscriber alerts.
- Analyzing the marketing tactics and reports to improve the marketing campaign strategies.
Inventory management
Shopify virtual assistants can also:
- Monitoring inventory and keeping track of product levels
- Reorder im-demand products timely to avoid understocking
- Updating product availability and stock quantity timely in the Shopify store
- Ensuring accurate inventory tracking by assigning batch numbers to product variants
Administrative tasks
- Shopify VAs can send out promotional emails, manage calendar events, and schedule appointments
- Assist with accounting services like bookkeeping, maintaining financial transactions, and other related items
- Properly organizing files, documents, and other critical digital assets
Competitor analysis
- Identifying competitor’s strengths, selling points, and market strategies
- Understanding the areas of improvement in business from the competitors
- Adapting to every new market change and keeping up with the trends to stay above the rivals
Content creation
Shopify VA tasks can consist of creating blog posts, articles, and other guides related to the product or industry
- They can write engaging product descriptions
- Create engaging visual content like graphics, videos, images, etc
- Developing attractive and relatable marketing content for the website
Monitoring performance
- VAs can analyze website traffic and keep track of engagement
- Monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like order values, conversion rate, and more
- Implementing good strategies to increase website sales and revenues
How much does hiring a Shopify Virtual assistant cost?
You can hire a Shopify VA as a freelancer or from any virtual assistant agency. The average cost of hiring Shopify virtual assistants varies from place to place. In the US, the average cost can range from $25 to $75 per hour, depending on the kind of work and the size of the Shopify store. Some VAs can charge more, exceptionally experienced assistants.
If hiring a VA through a platform, it is essential to note that some platforms can charge a high platform fee based on the total project cost or hourly rate. Therefore, hiring VAs from a good company that doesn’t charge a platform fee or a meager platform fee is essential.
It’s a wrap!
Shopify VAs are an excellent option for managing and scaling up your business. These VAs can handle everything, from administrative to mundane tasks. You can hire a Shopify VA from an excellent virtual assistant agency that can help you locate the perfect VA for your e-commerce website. Before hiring a VA, you should also estimate the cost and any requirements for advanced skills. Overall, you can develop a solid, efficient website with the help of Shopify virtual assistants.
Essential Industry Insights for Further Reading
- How to Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Business – Shopify: This guide by Shopify offers a comprehensive look at hiring virtual assistants, focusing on protection of information and monitoring performance.
- Shopify Virtual Assistant – Everything You Need to Know – Stealth Agents: This article provides an in-depth look at the diverse roles a Shopify VA can play, especially in marketing, SEO, and social media management.
- Virtual Assistants: The Complete Guide For Shopify Store Owners | Time etc: Time etc offers a guide detailing how to find, hire, and work with virtual assistants effectively, emphasizing the significance of matching tasks with VA expertise.
- Finding the Perfect Shopify Virtual Assistant – Extend Your Team: This resource from Extend Your Team provides steps for finding a qualified Shopify virtual assistant, emphasizing planning, selecting the right platform, and evaluating candidates.
