Discover how e-commerce has evolved over the years and how successful merchants are scaling their storefronts, such as Amazon, eBay, and Shopify.

In this article, you’ll find:

1. History of E-Commerce
2. Amazon, eBbay, Shopify Management in the 2020s
3. The role of e-commerce virtual assistants
4. Envisioning a mutli-department e-commerce team with 70% less overhead

History of E-Commerce

People have been using e-commerce for years now to buy anything from a book to plane tickets online, but it hasn’t really exploded until recently with mobile devices.

The first e-commerce system was developed by a company called Prodigy, which sold consumer goods over telephone lines. The technology behind this seems very archaic now, but at the time it changed how people bought things. Over time many more companies got into the business of e-commerce and created their own systems to run on top of existing networks like AT&T.

Eventually, many companies decided to strike out on their own and create new dedicated e-commerce systems. Prodigy was purchased by IBM in 1998 and its system shut down in 2001. It seems as though people were switching over from using the telephone lines to using the Internet for their e-commerce.

 

Amazon, Ebay, Shopify E-Commerce Management in the 2020s

These days, there are many e-commerce systems. The most popular are Amazon & Ebay which have been around for 20+ years now and seems to be the go-to systems for buying nearly anything online.

The first thing to understand is that e-commerce management is not the same as conventional business operations. The internet and related technology in general, are driving a huge revolution of how people do business. You need to keep on top of developments continuously, which will be challenging for you.

 

You should ask yourself these questions:

Are you a visionary who can anticipate what customers will want in the future? Are you an expert at communicating with them? These skills are crucial, now that e-commerce enables people to connect directly. You cannot just sell any old thing.

Are you willing to continually change your business model? You will not get rich selling the same kind of products that others have been selling for a long time. The best way to make money in e-commerce is to be unique.

Do you have a niche market? It is easier to make money in e-commerce if you can target a specific group of people. For example, young women who like pop music may be interested in customized ‘backpack’ cell phones that have cute designs that suit their personality.

Do you have a high-quality website that is properly maintained and updated regularly? A website is your face to the world. It needs to be professional and attractive.

 

To execute an effective e-commerce plan, you’ll need proven professionals to help you run your operations and be a thought partner for solving new, daily challenges.

 

Virtual assistants are an emerging type of personnel that high volume Amazon & eBay sellers are leveraging.

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Virtual Assistants for Amazon & eBay Sellers

Virtual assistants can be a great idea if it allows business owners to focus on what they do best and get someone else to handle the less savory parts.

Many online marketplace merchants have found this to be an absolutely perfect solution for them. However, many businesses don’t do their research and end up making a poor choice when outsourcing. This is why it’s important to know what kind of business you’re in before you outsource.

For example, if you’re an Amazon or eBay seller who is just starting out and is still trying to find its niche in the market + creating a good traffic flow, it can be incredibly helpful to hire a virtual assistant when you need additional hands. This can help get your company moving in the right direction very quickly and at very little cost.

Regardless of when you outsource, it’s important to be very clear with your e-commerce virtual assistant provider about what they are responsible for and what the standards should be as far as quality goes. This clarity is something that many businesses overlook, but it can make all the difference in whether or not outsourcing works.

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Why e-commerce virtual assistants are the right fit for Your Amazon & eBay businesses

• Amazon seller services
• Amazon & eBay advertising
• Amazon & eBay brand protection
• Amazon & eBay listing placement coordination
• Product research for Amazon
• seller growth analytics
• inventory placement
• seller compliance
• dropship coordination
• fba revenue calculations
• liaison to dropshipping suppliers
• handling inquiries from resolution center
• managing seller hub
• Shopify administration
• Google shopping coordination

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Here’s how virtual assistants are e-commerce merchants:

1. Listing Coordination & Documentation: product and inventory support, reports, and billing
2. CRM Management: Updating records, verification, claim submissions, billing and much more.
3. Email & Phone Answering: Answering administrative phone calls, customer support, answering emails, managing your calendar.
4. Research & Administrative Support: Any type of research on the web, maintain spreadsheets & any other information or secretarial tasks, coordinating with other staff or getting any other work done or organized at your workplace.
5. Marketing Management: Coordinating your social media pages with updates, CPC & PPC coordination, news or article sharing, setting-up email campaigns, creating marketing materials (flyers, brochures etc).

MyOutDesk has been in the industry for over a decade, helping all types of businesses grow. We have providing e-commerce virtual assistant services for years, becoming one of the top virtual assistant providers available. After serving more than 5000 clients and employing over 4000 professionals, we have seen firsthand how this investment supports business growth. Because of this experience, MyOutDesk, currently caters to other industries as well such as professional services, mortgage and insurance to name a few.

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ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

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Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Pioneers of virtual assistant services, our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”