Running an ecommerce company can often be a juggling act. You need to carry out all the standard business admin tasks like accounting and marketing, all while fulfilling orders and managing stock levels. By outsourcing several tasks, you can reduce the strain. It’s possible to outsource pretty much any task nowadays, but obviously budget constraints mean that most companies cannot outsource everything. So which tasks should you outsource? This post delves into 5 tasks that are often worth paying a third-party professional to manage.
SEO
While you may be able to do your own social media marketing or even build your own website, SEO is a job that is very hard to attempt yourself without the time, know-how and correct tools. This is why it’s worth outsourcing an SEO agency – they carry out keyword research, optimize content, improve site speed and help you earn backlinks. Try to look for an SEO agency that has experience in ecommerce as they will better understand how to help you stand out from competitors.
Product photography
Your product listings need to look attractive and professional to encourage sales. A major part of a good product listing is high quality photos. An experienced product photographer will be able to take photos of all your products from the same angle with the same background with perfect lighting to help each of them look amazing. Some photographers may even be able to help you take 360 degree photos and help you source models for lifestyle photos. Compare online photography portfolios to find the best product photographer.
Supply chain management
Working with a 3PL (third party logistics) company is highly recommended when running an ecommerce business. They’re able to sort out couriers and warehousing on your behalf while optimizing routes and negotiating rates. Many ecommerce businesses find that they’re able to deliver items faster and more cheaply when outsourcing this task. If you’re shipping products internationally, make sure to look for a forwarding company that can manage shipping worldwide. Pricing models can vary, so take you time to shop around for a service that is best suited to your company’s order volume.
Accounting
You need to make sure you’re recording all your income and expenses correctly so that you can accurately file your taxes. While accounting software can help you to manage this yourself, many growing ecommerce companies find that it’s also beneficial to hire an accountant to take over their bookkeeping. Look for an accountant that has experience working with ecommerce companies – they may better understand VAT regulations and also taxes regarding multi-currency transactions if you’re shipping products to customers in different countries.
Customer support
As your ecommerce company grows, you may also find that customer service becomes a more time-consuming job. There are customer support service companies that you can outsource to answer messages and calls 24/7. Such companies can receive training and then answer any questions regarding complaints, cancellations, refunds, returns or general product queries. Compare rates and reviews of different virtual customer support services to find the best one for you.