Ecommerce
Ecommerce virtual assistants for online stores
An ecommerce virtual assistant takes on the repeat work behind an online shop: product data, order checks, returns, customer messages and marketplace listings. You keep the decisions on prices, refunds and suppliers. Admin and support work is priced from £4.50 an hour. We find the candidate and run four screening steps before you meet anyone.
Four screening steps before you meet a candidate
Hours tracked each month
Earliest start within 48 to 72 hours of choosing a candidate
Where an online store loses its hours
A shop looks simple from the front. Behind it sit supplier sheets, stock counts, courier accounts, returns and a shared inbox that never empties. Owners often spend their best hours on that work instead of buying, marketing or planning. An assistant takes the repeat jobs in four areas, to the rules you write.
Product data
- New lines. Turning a supplier sheet into finished listings, with titles, descriptions, sizes, prices and images.
- Corrections. Fixing wrong prices, missing sizes and broken image links as they are found.
- Range changes. Archiving discontinued lines and updating seasonal collections. The Shopify virtual assistant page has a field by field upload checklist.
Orders and stock
- Order checks. Spotting address errors, payment holds and orders that cannot be fulfilled from stock.
- Stock counts. Comparing the system count with the warehouse or supplier figure and flagging gaps.
- Carrier admin. Adding tracking numbers, chasing delayed parcels and logging claims for lost ones.
Customer messages and returns
- Routine replies. Order status, delivery times, sizing and care questions, answered from approved wording.
- Returns log. Recording each request, sending your returns instructions and tracking the parcel back.
- Escalation. Passing damaged goods, complaints and anything above your refund limit to you with the order attached.
Marketplaces and channels
The tasks are similar on each channel, but the screens differ. Here is how the work divides.
| Channel | Tasks an assistant can take on |
|---|---|
| Shopify store | Product uploads, collections, order checks and returns logging. See the Shopify virtual assistant page. |
| WooCommerce store | The same catalogue and order admin on a WordPress shop. See the WordPress virtual assistant page. |
| Etsy | Listing titles, tags and photo order, shipping profiles and buyer messages. |
| Amazon seller account | Listing content, stock updates and buyer messages inside the seller account you set up. |
These are tasks, not endorsements of any platform. Tell us which channels you sell on during the free call.
Roles that suit an online store
Most of this work is admin and support. Add a second role when one skill becomes the bottleneck. A client can hire more than one assistant.
| Role | Suits | Beginner rate, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual admin assistant | Product data, order checks, stock counts, carrier admin | £4.50 |
| Customer support assistant | A busy inbox, returns and complaints | From about £6.50 |
| Graphic designer | Product images, banners and email graphics | £4.50 |
| Digital marketing assistant | Email campaigns, social posts and ads | £6.50 |
For a store on Shopify, start with the Shopify virtual assistant page. To weigh the options, see virtual assistant or employee.
What it costs
The hourly rate follows the role and the experience level, not the sector. Admin and support is the usual starting point for a shop. Part time is 80 hours a month (20 a week) and full time is 160 (40 a week). The fee is billed monthly, the exact price is confirmed in writing before you commit, and there is no separate recruitment fee.
| Role | Experience level | Per hour | Part time, 80 hours a month | Full time, 160 hours a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin and support | Beginner (1 to 2 years) | £4.50 | £360 | £720 |
| Admin and support | Intermediate (2 to 4 years) | £6.50 | £520 | £1,040 |
| Admin and support | Expert (4 to 6 years) | £8.50 | £680 | £1,360 |
| Admin and support | Pro (6 to 8 years) | £11.50 | £920 | £1,840 |
| Digital marketing | Beginner (1 to 2 years) | £6.50 | £520 | £1,040 |
| Digital marketing | Intermediate (2 to 4 years) | £9.00 | £720 | £1,440 |
| Digital marketing | Expert (4 to 6 years) | £12.50 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| Digital marketing | Pro (6 to 8 years) | £16.50 | £1,320 | £2,640 |
The Graphic designer and Personal assistant roles sit on the Admin and support grid. The pricing page shows every role, and the cost calculator lets you try your own hours.
On the call we talk through your store and the hours you want.
A weekly admin calendar for an online shop
General guidance, not a promise about any one assistant. Many stores run on a rhythm like this one. Move the days to fit your own dispatch cycle.
| When | Jobs | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Every day | Check new orders, add tracking, answer the inbox, log returns | You set the rules; the assistant follows them |
| Monday | Compare stock counts with the supplier or warehouse, flag low lines | You decide what to reorder |
| Midweek | Upload new products, correct listings, update channel stock | You approve new lines |
| Friday | Review open parcels, open returns and unanswered messages | You read the summary |
| Month end | Archive dropped lines, refresh delivery and returns pages, list refunds issued | You sign off the list |
UK rules that shape the admin
General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the source.
Cancellation and returns. GOV.UK says online sellers must tell customers they can cancel up to 14 days after delivery, with no reason needed. Without that notice, the customer can cancel at any time in the next 12 months (GOV.UK, returns and refunds, read 8 November 2026). So your order confirmation and returns page need the right wording, and the assistant needs your returns process in writing.
Customer data. Names, addresses and order histories are personal data. The Information Commissioner’s Office says there must be a written contract every time a controller uses a processor (ICO, when is a contract needed, read 8 November 2026). Agree who is responsible for what before the assistant opens a customer record.
Refund and escalation rules to write down
- The refund amount the assistant may approve alone, if any.
- Which damaged goods claims need a photo before a refund.
- Which customers come to you first, such as repeat buyers or trade accounts.
- What the assistant says while a refund waits for your decision.
See our data protection page.
Example only: a homeware shop hands over its back office
Example only. The shop, hours and split are invented to show the shape of a handover. No real client is described, and this is not a quote or a result.
An imaginary homeware shop sells on its own site and one marketplace. The owner wants 80 hours a month, split into 24 on product data, 20 on orders and stock, 24 on messages and returns and 12 on marketplace admin. On the Admin and support rate, 80 hours at the beginner level of £4.50 comes to £360 a month. At the intermediate level of £6.50, it comes to £520.
The owner writes the refund limit and six standard replies first. For the first month, the owner reads every escalation and ten sampled replies each week. As the samples come back clean, the owner raises the limit or adds a stream.
A checklist before you hand over
General guidance, not a promise about any one assistant. Settle these points first.
- Which system holds the true stock count?
- Does the assistant have a user of their own on each channel, with permissions limited to the work?
- What naming and image rules apply to new products?
- Who approves a new line before it goes live?
- What is the refund limit, and what are the six replies the assistant may send alone?
- Where is the returns address, and who handles a parcel that arrives damaged?
- Does a written agreement cover customer personal data?
- Who reads the Friday summary, and what happens when it shows a problem?
Is an assistant right for your shop?
An assistant suits you if
- The same admin returns every week and you can describe it step by step.
- You are willing to write down a refund limit and a set of standard replies.
- You want to start with a part time block and add hours as orders grow.
Another option may suit you better if
- You need goods packed and posted from your premises: an employee or a fulfilment service is the nearer fit.
- Your main bottleneck is the inbox: a customer support assistant.
- You want a whole week of one person’s time: a full time virtual assistant.
How hiring works
Start with a free call about your channels, your tools and the hours you have in mind. We shortlist candidates who have passed our screening, you interview them and you choose. We set up the platforms and tools your assistant needs at onboarding. Hours are tracked with tools such as Time Doctor, and we handle recruitment, payroll management and quality management. The earliest start is within 48 to 72 hours of choosing a candidate.
Four screening steps before you meet anyone
- CV screening.
- A first interview on personality and the general benchmark criteria.
- A technical interview.
- A practical task, to test the candidate in the field.
In the first 3 months, you can end an unsuitable hire on one week’s notice. In the first days, you can tell us it is not right and we will replace them. After the first 3 months, notice is 1 month. Replacement is included in the ongoing fee for as long as you are paying, at no extra charge. The full terms are on how it works.
Questions about ecommerce virtual assistants
What can a virtual assistant do for an online store?
They handle the repeat back office work: product data, order checks, stock counts, returns logging, customer replies and marketplace listings. You keep decisions on prices, refunds and suppliers. The sections above group the jobs, and the virtual admin assistant page lists the inbox and records work.
How much does an ecommerce virtual assistant cost?
Admin and support work starts at £4.50 an hour at the beginner level and rises with experience. Customer support starts from about £6.50. Part time is 80 hours a month and full time is 160. The exact price is confirmed in writing before you commit. See the pricing page.
Can they handle customer service for my shop?
Yes, for routine questions. They answer order status, delivery and sizing questions from wording you approve, and pass complaints and refund requests to you. For a busy inbox, the customer support assistant role is the nearer match.
Can an assistant process refunds and returns?
They can log returns, send your instructions and record refunds you authorise, up to a limit you set. The decision stays with you. UK sellers must tell customers about the 14 day cancellation right after delivery, so keep your returns wording current. This is general information, not legal advice.
Related
See the other industries we support, read about the Shopify virtual assistant, or compare pricing.
Get started
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