10 unbeatable benefits of the operational outsourcing of your virtual store

Logistics and reverse logistics team. Customer service team. Operations team. Integration and process change. Assembling a team. These were some of the things a store owner had to do when setting up an operation in the online world. The high initial investment costs (CAPEX) often made it impossible to open a store and lack of knowhow made it difficult to take the right decisions.

With the Full Service for E-Commerce model, retailers can outsource the entire operation to a service provider. Since these contractors work with other operations and possess the necessary know-how, costs are reduced, the level of service is higher and best practices can be introduced more quickly and efficiently. This model is already in use in the USA and Europe.

Who hasn’t thought about having their virtual store taken care of by specialists? Having their entire operation run by a company which focuses on the segment? Cutting operating costs?

So, here are the 10 benefits of the Full-Service model for anyone thinking of opening a virtual store.

1. Operations

To have a fast-working, specialist team is fundamental (and expensive) for e-commerce operations to work smoothly. You also need to integrate processes completely and efficiently. The platform you are going to use. Logistics including phone sales. Getting these functions into place in a short space of time must be your aim if you want an efficient and profitable business.

2. eCommerce management

Having an account manager for your virtual trading provides more dynamism and offers major possibilities for boosting sales. The manager’s key functions are analyzing and monitoring sales and conversion curves and stock coverage, as well as identifying opportunities for promotions and advertising for your products. A manager who can do all this will give your store an edge in business results.

3. Digital Marketing

Identifying and producing content and digital marketing strategies for the media is essential for the success of your product. In addition, it is essential that you have a team of professionals who can suggest the ideal solutions for performance analysis, SEO management, social networks, newsletters, CRM, product display, conversion tools, and other possibilities on other fronts.

4. Usability

Creating a unique experience jointly with conversion is a key factor for the success of a virtual store. As well as bringing in their wide knowledge of good practices, the professionals indicate the best usability tests you should carry out in order to increase sales.

5. Business indicators

With the experience of the digital world comes familiarity with the crucial indicators. As new platforms appear, monitoring is full-time, smart and dynamic. In time, the operation becomes much more efficient, with lower costs and higher sales. Recommending the best indicators and the way to monitor them is the work of a Full-Service provider.

6. Payment

Having a back-office operation focused on handling and analyzing payments and avoiding risks and fraud is essential for the operational health of your business. And it is a big advantage to have a service that ensures the best pricing deals with credit card operators and intermediaries.

7. Logistics

Organizing logistics is an important factor if you are going to give your customers a good shopping experience. It is essential to have a service that will provide a distribution center, storage space, reverse logistics and shipping. This is one of the major advantages of Full-Service, since this structure is already in place. You don’t have to make a new investment.

8. Customer service

Providing after sales support with professional, quick and intelligent service is a decisive factor for customer loyalty. This includes responding to complaints and handling exchanges and returns as quickly as possible, and paying the utmost attention to your reputation on social networks and complaints sites. Services which previously were exclusive to physical retailing, such as Personal Shoppers and Gift Assistants (both focused on exclusivity and personalization of purchases) are becoming ever more widely known, and can result in the loyalty of the most demanding shopper.

9. Platform

A business model deserves a well-defined and structured backup, with the necessary functions in place and the highest quality of service. The need for ease and efficiency in data processing has led to new demands and thus to innovation in the development of more responsive websites with new formats, for example the increasing numbers of functions for mobile shopping.

10. Image and Production

Image is the soul of your virtual business, and so you need to emphasize what is best in your product! Look first of all for a service that can produce top quality photos and product descriptions, ensuring that shoppers will give you their trust and that your goods are presented in the best possible light! In addition to photos, it is extremely import to use indexing and tags to give your products more visibility via the management of SEO.

Now that you know about the benefits and are thinking of setting up a virtual store, look very hard at the operating costs. The initial investment compared with the monthly investment (CAPEX x OPEX). If you already have a virtual store, Full Service could be a way of cutting costs and improving the services you offer! Good luck with your business!