The path to entrepreneurship is a noble yet lonely one. The appeal of entrepreneurship lies in being your own boss, working flexible hours, monetizing your passion, and earning more money than a 9-to-5 job. However, eCommerce business owners wear many hats; they are digital marketers, graphic designers, customer support agents, and writers — shifting between roles as needed. Now we ask the question of KDCI vs ecommerce virtual assistants.
But even if you’re the most passionate entrepreneur, managing every function of your ecommerce business can lead to stress and burnout. If you’re aiming for operational growth, you need to outsource ecommerce operations — either through a freelance ecommerce virtual assistant or an outsourced ecommerce support team.
What Do eCommerce Virtual Assistants Do?
An ecommerce virtual assistant is a professional who handles an online business’s day-to-day ecommerce operations, from inventory management to customer service. This section breaks down the key job responsibilities of an eCommerce VA.
- Customer Service
Customer service is the cornerstone of online businesses. eCommerce virtual assistants handle inquiries or resolve payment or product issues across digital customer support channels. Virtual assistants with product knowledge and interpersonal skills can deliver top-tier customer service that makes buyers feel valued.
- Inventory Management
Ensuring a client’s online business has enough inventory of a product is key for smoother transactions. eCommerce virtual assistants monitor product inventory, identifying which ones are sufficiently stocked or out of stock. They also keep in touch with suppliers to order additional stock, as well as leverage inventory management solutions for accurate and seamless inventory tracking.
- Product Listing Management
Product listings influence a buyer’s customer experience. eCommerce virtual assistants write engaging product titles and descriptions, optimizing them for SEO to improve visibility in search engines and attract potential customers.
- Order Processing
Order processing is a core function of any ecommerce business — and a tedious one at that. Business owners hire ecommerce virtual assistants to handle order verification, payment authorization and processing, and shipping.
- eCommerce Store Account Management
Managing a website or multiple eCommerce store accounts is time-consuming and taxing. For business owners, ecommerce virtual assistants are heaven-sent. These professionals upload products, monitor product reviews, analyze metrics, and the like to ensure a business’s online storefronts are updated and well-maintained.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring An eCommerce Virtual Assistant?
From handling orders to innovating your marketing strategies, running a business isn’t a piece of cake. Here are the advantages of hiring an eCommerce virtual assistant:
- Makes the Workload More Manageable
Between juggling routine and high-value tasks, there’s only so much time in a day to accomplish everything on your to-do list. However, hiring an eCommerce virtual assistant allows you to delegate repetitive and non-core tasks, so you can focus on innovating your e commerce business and maintain a healthier work-life balance.
- Give Your Business A Competitive Advantage
The eCommerce industry is rife with tough competition, and there’s pressure for e commerce business owners to keep up — or risk getting left out. That’s why hiring an eCommerce virtual assistant does wonders for your business.
Not only can they perform the usual tasks of a general virtual assistant, but they can also provide their expertise in graphic design for consistent visual branding, or even copywriting for snappier, more conversion-driven product descriptions.
Their virtual assistant skills — coupled with their expertise in copywriting, marketing, and graphic design — can elevate your brand and make your e commerce business more attractive to potential buyers.
- Cuts Down Overhead Costs
eCommerce virtual assistants usually work on a freelance basis. While virtual assistant rates vary, a freelance virtual assistant is more cost-effective as they work remotely and already have the necessary tools and equipment to complete your tasks.
If you’re hiring in-house, your overhead expenses will cover the employee’s salary, benefits, equipment, and software subscription — all of which add up over time.
KDCI Outsourcing vs eCommerce Virtual Assistants: Understanding Key Differences
Outside of hiring a freelance eCommerce virtual assistant, business owners have another option on their plate: outsourcing to a Philippine-based BPO company like KDCI. While both are great, understanding how they operate can help you determine which one is the best for ecommerce outsourcing.
KDCI Outsourcing
- Cost
Outsourcing is touted as a cheaper option than hiring locally, and there’s some truth in that. When you outsource ecommerce operations to a BPO firm, the company shoulders the bulk of overhead, including equipment and training.
Because labor is cheaper overseas — especially in developing countries like Mexico, India, and the Philippines — you can hire more people for the same job and cut labor expenses by 70% to 90%. KDCI Outsourcing helps you achieve these immense savings through its tailored offshore staffing solutions, designed to meet your unique business needs and goals
- Availability
BPO companies like KDCI Outsourcing operate 24/7, as well as during Christmas and local holidays. By providing round-the-clock ecommerce outsourcing services, BPO employees can manage your business and maintain seamless productivity during peak seasons — especially during Black Friday, Christmas, and other major holidays and sale days.
KDCI’s employees also work in shifts that align with the client’s time zone, making it easier for an ecommerce business to reach out to the team for urgent matters. For example, if you’re ecommerce business is based in the US, your offshore employees will work the graveyard shift to provide real-time support.
- Commitment
BPO employees work full-time and are onboarded into an account managed by a team leader. This ensures consistent service delivery and quality as well as clear alignment with short- and long-term business goals.
When you delegate tasks to an ecommerce outsourcing company like KDCI, you get the privilege to work with a dedicated offshore team that can meet the highest quality standards, surpass your expectations, and remain committed throughout the partnership.
- Expertise
BPO companies are a treasure trove of highly skilled ecommerce professionals. These firms don’t settle for mediocre candidates; they implement rigorous hiring processes to ensure the employees they onboard possess the skills, industry knowledge, and character to deliver high-quality e commerce outsourcing services.
At KDCI Outsourcing, you can build a full e commerce outsourcing team composed of talented data entry clerks, inventory managers, e-commerce developers, e-commerce customer support agents, order processors, digital marketing professionals, and product information writers. These experts are carefully vetted by the KDCI recruitment team, matching their qualifications with your requirements so they can be seamlessly integrated into your team.
Unlike ecommerce virtual assistants who often juggle multiple job responsibilities, KDCI’s employees specialize in their respective roles — each bringing their expertise to the table. Here’s how an ecommerce outsourcing team will function:
- E-commerce Customer Service Support Team: Assists buyers, resolves issues, and maintains brand consistency during correspondence.
- Digital Marketer: Leverages knowledge of SEO and content creation to enhance visibility.
- Product Information Writer: Crafts persuasive, SEO-friendly copy to compel buyers to buy a product.
- Data Entry Clerk: Accurately inputs data and maintains data privacy.
- Order Processor: Ensures order accuracy using an order processing software solution.
- E-commerce Developer: Creates cross-platform and user-friendly online storefronts.
Labor is divided based on each professional’s core competencies, creating an efficient workflow that maximizes productivity.
- Scalability
According to Pen Brothers, citing the Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) Global Talent Survey, outsourcing hastens time to hire by 25% to 40%. Hence, it’s no surprise that BPO companies market their outsourced ecommerce operations as scalable solutions for fast-growing businesses — especially mid-sized online ecommerce businesses.
When you outsource ecommerce operations to KDCI, you can scale your team according to seasonality and order demand. Whether it’s a successful product launch or an influx of orders during the holidays, KDCI can double your headcount faster than traditional hiring. This helps your e-commerce business remain agile and responsive in meeting customer demands.
eCommerce Virtual Assistants
- Cost
As mentioned earlier, freelance ecommerce virtual assistants are cost-effective. They treat freelancing as a business, so they shoulder the cost of equipment, tools, and health insurance in addition to their daily expenses. This translates to higher savings for your ecommerce business, as you only pay for the virtual assistant’s services.
Giving your ecommerce virtual assistant a performance bonus is, of course, optional. However, many clients treat bonuses as a token of appreciation for a freelancer’s services and contributions.
While this is additional expenditure on your end, a bonus means a lot to a freelance ecommerce virtual assistant. Not only does a bonus improve their morale, it also motivates the freelancer to continue delivering high-quality services.
- Availability
With freelancers juggling multiple deliverables from different clients, it can be challenging to seek their assistance during peak seasons. Unlike outsourcing service providers that guarantee availability during set working hours, freelance ecommerce virtual assistants usually work on their own terms.
Although many freelancers are eager to take on urgent work, there will always be differences in service quality depending on the virtual assistant’s skill and experience. Your go-to freelancer may have a solid understanding of your products, brand voice, and customer base. But hiring a new freelancer who has no knowledge of your brand or products just for last-minute tasks and peak season coverage is a gamble in itself.
In effect, this can result in delays, inefficiencies, and inconsistent service quality — thus compromising your business’s growth. When you outsource ecommerce operations to a freelancer, it’s recommended to set clear expectations to prevent misalignment during the partnership.
- Commitment
Unfortunately, freelancers also have a reputation for their lack of commitment. They can abruptly stop all communications, end their partnership with you, or leave you hanging with an unfinished project. These horror stories plague the freelance industry, and it’s understandable why clients are growing frustrated with freelancers.
Whether these freelancers have too much on their plates or are in pursuit of finding a higher-paying client, the unpredictability of their schedules and workload can set your ecommerce business back with lost time and money.
But, on the bright side, freelance ecommerce virtual assistants can be as committed as full-time employees — especially when they feel respected and valued. They actively choose to work with you to witness your business’s growth and success.
- Expertise
Freelance ecommerce virtual assistants enroll in online training and earn certifications to hone their skills and stand out in the market. Some ecommerce VAs have experience working as digital marketers, market researchers, and copywriters, making them a valuable asset to e commerce businesses.
- Scalability
You can scale your freelance e commerce outsourcing team for a one-time project or seasonal work. The flexibility of their schedules and workload makes freelancers ideal for project-based ecommerce outsourcing services.
When Should I Outsource to a BPO or a Freelance eCommerce Virtual Assistant?
You should delegate ecommerce operations to an outsourcing partner if you:
- Prioritize forming value-driven, long-term partnerships.
- Value consistency and commitment.
- Want a full ecommerce outsourcing team composed of skilled writers, graphic designers, and other professionals who can work with your local time zone and provide coverage for peak seasons.
- Scale your business efficiently.
You should outsource ecommerce tasks to a freelancer if you:
- Want short-term assistance with seasonal projects.
- Cut labor costs without losing access to qualified virtual assistants.
- Know how to set clear expectations with freelancers.
- Don’t mind the flexibility of freelance ecommerce virtual assistants.
Why KDCI Outsourcing Is All You Need for Operational Growth
Hiring freelance ecommerce virtual assistants is not a bad choice. They’re skilled, cost-effective, and great for short-term projects. However, they do present disadvantages that e commerce businesses view as risky. These include:
- Lack of commitment to projects
- Flexible schedules
- Inconsistent quality
In business, time is a valuable resource. Every minute you spend on finding a freelancer to cover urgent work (or any e commerce operation) is a minute that could be used for something productive. With the frustration that business owners have with freelancers, transitioning to the outsourcing model can be freeing.
An outsourcing provider like KDCI leaves no room for unpredictability. It sets the foundation for consistency, reliability, as well as operational efficiency and growth. For mid-sized online retailers and larger e-commerce businesses, stability drives success — and success drives profit and growth.
Ready to make the shift to ecommerce outsourcing? Get in touch with KDCI now and get ready to experience the expertise, passion, and dedication of our outsourcing team!
