Amazon has brilliantly established itself as the number one place for online shopping. No wonder its net sales continue to increase yearly — from $137.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021 to $149.2 billion by the end of 2022.

Amazon’s growth in terms of its users and sales is why more people choose to sell on this platform. But growth can be fickle, especially for Amazon sellers, as it attracts other competition. If you’re eyeing to sell on Amazon, expect to compete with thousands of established and new businesses.

Fortunately, you won’t have to compete alone when you have a virtual assistant. You can offload several administrative tasks to your virtual assistant, so you can spend more time and energy accomplishing more critical tasks.

What Is a Virtual Assistant and What Can They Do for You?

Virtual assistants for Amazon sellers are individuals who work remotely for someone else’s Amazon business. A virtual assistant can work full-time, part-time, or as a freelancer (per task or project). 

Besides completing repetitive tasks on your behalf, virtual assistants can also take over time-consuming tasks or activities for which you lack the skills. They’re often flexible to handle any type of task your Amazon business requires.

Here are a few examples of tasks you can offload to a virtual assistant:

Copywriting

Want to create catchy yet informative descriptions for your products? Virtual assistants can help!

Virtual assistants are experienced in copywriting and can easily create effective product descriptions. They can also optimize your Amazon listings to make them more appealing to customers and help your Amazon store gain greater visibility online.

Virtual assistants for Amazon also have a good understanding of keyword research. This is important as your product descriptions should contain keywords that customers often use when searching online. 

Using the right keywords is an effective Search Engine Optimization or SEO strategy that keeps your Amazon store ranking high in the Search Engine Results Pages or SERPs.

Customer Support

Yes, customers are the lifeblood of every business. But answering all of their queries is time-consuming and prevents you from completing bigger responsibilities as a seller.

A virtual assistant for Amazon can handle your customer service, so you don’t have to. They can carry out different tasks related to customer service, namely:

• Answering queries promptly while ensuring accurate information about your products, warranties, shipping procedures, and any other details your customers want to know;
• Creating templates so any communication sent by your store is cohesive;
• Dealing with refunds; and
• Responding to negative and positive reviews.

Order Processing 

Processing orders require time. This is especially true if your store regularly receives bulk orders from different customers in different locations. 

Hire a virtual assistant and let them process all orders your store receives. Some of the tasks you can offload to them are checking and updating your inventory, obtaining barcodes for each item, monitoring shipments, and giving updates to customers about their orders.

Research 

Research is an essential ingredient in your success as an Amazon seller. The more you know about the industry, the easier it’ll be for you to navigate through challenges. 

But aside from being time-consuming, research requires a lot of effort because you have to use the right sources, check their accuracy, and organize information in a clear, concise, and understandable manner. Can you do all of that regularly?

Virtual assistants are pros in researching. They’re equipped with the necessary skills and tools to quickly research whatever information you need. They can also perform competitive benchmarking or research the latest trends in your industry, so you can have insights into what your competitors are doing.

Running Amazon Ad Campaigns

Amazon ad campaigns are one of the best ways to drive traffic to your store. And while these campaigns only take 48 hours to move, you need to constantly check stats like clicks, costs, and data impressions to track progress and success. 

Streamlining your marketing strategy as you run Amazon ads will be easier if you have a virtual assistant. They can set up campaigns using Amazon’s Seller Central tools, input any negative key terms to reduce unnecessary spending, monitor real-time analytics, and make necessary adjustments to your ads.

Translation

Amazon is a global platform that continues to generate sales worldwide. According to Statista, Amazon’s biggest markets are the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.  

Expand your store’s reach by working with a virtual assistant who can provide translation services. They can help you convey the right message to audiences in another region or country. Similarly, they can also translate any message sent by your customers.

5 Tips When Managing a Remote Amazon Virtual Assistant

After you find an Amazon virtual assistant on OnlineJobs.ph, Fiverr, Upwork, or any other online or offline platform, it’s time to learn how to manage them. This is an important step when you have a virtual assistant as they’re working from a different location. 

Ensure that the items listed below are part of your virtual assistant’s onboarding:

Training

Do you have a specific way of doing certain things? Perhaps how you engage with your customers online or how your ads should look online?

Even if your virtual assistant has been in the industry for years, never skip training. Let them know of your instructions beforehand to avoid any problems in the future. If possible, provide them with a list of instructions before they start working. 

Remember to give your virtual assistant details about your business, products, and target audience. These are important, especially if you let your virtual assistant take over your store’s customer service.

Communication

Your virtual assistant will work from a different location, so specify how the two of you will communicate. Invest in a business communication platform, like Skype, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom, if you need to message each other often or involve other team members.

If you assign several tasks to your virtual assistant, project management software, such as ClickUp, Monday, or Basecamp, can be useful.

Time Tracking

Letting your virtual assistant use time-tracking software is essential to determine how much you’re going to pay them and how long they usually work on a specific task. Relying on time tracking software also prevents time theft — where an employee manipulates the system to get paid for the hours they haven’t worked. 

There are plenty of time tracking software available today, including Hubstaff, Time Doctor, and Clockify. Some of your software options are paid, while others are free. Take the time to compare options and assess which one has the features and price point suitable to your business. 

Paying Your Virtual Assistant

How you’ll pay your virtual assistant depends on where or how you hired them. For example, payment is usually straightforward if you hire one through an agency or freelance platform. You can use your credit card and avoid exchange fees when paying your virtual assistant in another country. 

In case of a direct hire, you need to discuss with your virtual assistant how often you will pay them (some pay their virtual assistants weekly or twice a month) and the platform you will use. PayPal is the most common, but you can also directly transfer funds to your virtual assistant’s local bank. 

Newer services allow you to transfer money from one currency to another without paying hefty fees. Identify your best option, so you can save in the long run and your virtual assistant gets the most from their pay — it’s a win-win!

Time Off

If you want to hire an Amazon virtual assistant for a short period, say help with the influx of orders during Christmas, or work on your store’s months of backlog, discussing time off is no longer necessary. 

But if you plan to work with a virtual assistant long term, spend time with your virtual assistant to discuss time off. How many vacation days in a year are they allowed to have? Are they paid during those days? Should they work during holidays? Ensure all of these details are clear before your virtual assistant starts to work.

Find a Virtual Assistant Today

If you need someone to help you research, improve your listings, and deal with customers, hiring an Amazon virtual assistant is the best way to go. They can complete a wide range of tasks so you can spend resources on activities more critical to your business. 

Without a doubt, the right virtual assistant can become an asset to your growing Amazon business. Take note of the information listed here and use them to find the perfect virtual assistant and make the most of their services!

Here are other articles to help you onboard a virtual assistant fast:

Virtual Assistant Interview Questions: What to Ask When Hiring and Why

Virtual Assistant Tasks: A Comprehensive List

Tools and Techniques for Effective Virtual Assistant Management