Running a Shopify store by yourself is a fast track to burnout and flat revenue.
You can’t build a brand when you’re spending four hours a day copy-pasting tracking numbers and replying to the same five DM questions.
You feel like a prisoner to your own success.
You want to scale, but your hands are too full of "busy work" to actually grab the steering wheel.
Without a system to automate these tasks, your growth will stall.
But you can reclaim your time and scale your store by hiring the right virtual assistant.
First, we will look at what a VA should actually do for you.
Then, we will show you exactly where to find and hire one so you can get your life back.
What to know before hiring a Shopify virtual assistant
So, what exactly is a Shopify virtual assistant? Put simply, it’s a remote contractor who helps manage the daily grind of your e-commerce store.
They can be anywhere in the world and usually work on an hourly or project basis.
It's really important to get this part right: VAs are there to run the systems you've already built, not to invent your business strategy.
You create the playbook, and they execute the plays. Their main job is to pull you out of the day-to-day tasks so you can get back to steering the ship.
Most VAs are generalists who can do a little bit of everything. You can also find specialists who are experts in areas like customer service or social media.
Just remember, for the really technical stuff like custom coding or complex app setups, you'll want a specialized freelancer or an agency. But for handling the day-to-day operations, a good VA is an absolute lifesaver.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample AI support calls made for your Shopify store?
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Key tasks to delegate to a Shopify virtual assistant
The first step is figuring out what to actually hand over. You need to pinpoint the repetitive tasks that are draining your time and energy. Here are some of the most common things you can delegate to a VA.
Store and product management
Keeping your digital storefront looking fresh is a job that never ends. A VA can take this right off your hands.
They can add new products, write or polish up product descriptions to make them more appealing, upload photos and videos, and sort items into collections.
They can also watch your inventory, updating stock counts to make sure you don't oversell and that your customers are seeing what's actually in stock.
Order processing and fulfillment
The moment a customer hits "buy" is really just the beginning of the process. A VA can step in to manage that entire post-purchase journey.
This means processing new orders as they come in, managing returns and exchanges based on your policies, and updating tracking information so customers know when their package will arrive.
This keeps the backend of your store running like a well-oiled machine and your customers in the loop.
Customer support
Happy customers come back, but keeping them happy can feel like a full-time job in itself.
A VA can be your frontline support, tackling questions that pop up in emails, live chat, or your social media comments.
Phone support, however, presents a unique set of considerations. Customers using phone support often expect immediate answers.
This can be challenging for a human VA due to time zone differences and the need for constant access to order information. Providing 24/7 availability, which many customers expect, can also be difficult to manage.
Marketing and admin support
Beyond the main store tasks, a VA can also pitch in with a lot of marketing and administrative work.
They can schedule your social media content, handle basic data entry to keep your spreadsheets clean, build lists of influencers for you to contact, and even do some light research on what your competitors are up to.
These are all the small but necessary things that support your bigger growth plans.
Pros and cons of hiring a Shopify virtual assistant
Bringing on a human VA can be a huge help, but it's not a perfect solution. It’s smart to go in with a realistic view of both the upsides and the potential downsides.
Advantages of hiring a virtual assistant
- A Real Human Touch: A person is great at understanding nuance. They can sort out unique, one-off problems that don't follow a script and can learn new tasks as your business changes, as long as you train them well.
- Creative Ideas: A VA with e-commerce experience might see ways to improve your processes that you've missed. They can bring a fresh perspective and offer some really useful suggestions.
- A Wide Skill Set: The talent pool for VAs is massive. You can find people who are not only great at customer service but can also do some basic graphic design, bookkeeping, or content creation.
Limitations and challenges of hiring a virtual assistant
- Time Zone Differences: If your VA is on the other side of the planet, they could be asleep during your peak business hours. This can lead to slower response times for customers, particularly for channels like phone support that require immediate attention.
- Training Time: You can't just hire a VA and walk away. You have to invest real time upfront to document your processes, create training materials, and give them feedback. They run your system; they don't build it for you.
- Cost and Scaling: A good VA costs money, and as you grow, you'll need more of them. Hiring more people adds to your management workload, training time, and overall expenses. It doesn't always scale well.
- Availability: A human VA works set hours and requires breaks, sick leave, and vacation time. This means they cannot be available 24/7. For support channels that receive inquiries at all hours, such as phone support, this can be a limitation.
This is an area where modern AI tools are emerging as an alternative.
For example, AI phone agents like Seth from Ringly.io are designed to provide instant, 24/7 support. They can operate in multiple languages and handle a significant portion of calls without human intervention, offering a different approach to managing phone-based customer service.
Platforms and pricing for Shopify virtual assistants
Ready to start your search? Here’s a look at some of the best places to find a VA and what you should expect to pay.
Top platforms for finding a virtual assistant
There are a few ways to go about hiring, and the right one for you depends on what you need and how involved you want to be.
- Freelance Marketplaces (e.g., Upwork): Sites like Upwork are huge platforms where you can post a job and get applications from freelancers all over the world. It’s great for finding someone with a very specific skill or for a one-time project. The catch is you have to do all the screening, interviewing, and managing yourself.
- VA Agencies (e.g., Bruntwork): If you want someone else to handle the logistics, an agency could be a good fit. Companies like Bruntwork find, vet, and train VAs (often in the Philippines) and then match you with one. They take care of payroll and HR, which saves you a ton of administrative work.
- Specialized Marketplaces (e.g., eVirtualAssistants): These platforms are a nice middle ground. They focus on connecting businesses with pre-screened VAs from affordable regions like the Philippines and Latin America. You still get to pick your VA, but you're choosing from a curated group.
A breakdown of pricing
Costs can be all over the map depending on the VA's location, skills, and experience. Here's a rough guide to what you might pay on some popular platforms.
Watching the process in action can often clarify the steps involved.
For a detailed walkthrough, the following video explains how to find, vet, and successfully hire a virtual assistant for your Shopify store, covering many of the key points we've discussed.
This video provides a detailed walkthrough on how to find, vet, and hire the right virtual assistant for your Shopify store.
An alternative to consider for specific tasks
Hiring a Shopify VA is a practical way to regain time to focus on business growth. As discussed, this approach has considerations around cost, training, and ensuring 24/7 customer availability.
Live phone support can be particularly challenging to manage with a traditional VA model.
The immediate nature of phone calls, combined with potential time zone differences, and the need for continuous coverage, requires careful planning.
This is a specific problem that AI-powered virtual assistants are designed to address. For instance, Ringly.io's AI phone agent, Seth, is built for this purpose.
It operates 24/7, supports over 40 languages, and integrates with Shopify to answer order inquiries, process returns, and handle common questions. This type of tool can serve as a first point of contact, managing a large volume of calls and escalating more complex issues to a human team.
For businesses looking to scale their phone support, exploring an AI solution may be a worthwhile step. Ringly.io offers a trial period for its service, allowing businesses to test its effectiveness before committing. You can learn more about how Ringly.io automates phone support on their website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important qualities to look for when I hire a virtual assistant for Shopify?
Look for someone with strong communication skills, reliability, and specific experience with e-commerce platforms like Shopify. They should be a self-starter who can follow your processes without constant supervision.
How do I create training materials when I hire a virtual assistant for Shopify?
The best approach is to document your existing processes. Create simple screen recordings (using tools like Loom) or step-by-step guides with screenshots for common tasks like processing returns or updating product listings.
What's a realistic budget to hire a virtual assistant for Shopify?
Costs vary based on location and experience. VAs from regions like the Philippines might cost $3-$8 per hour, while those from North America or Europe can be $20+ per hour. Set your budget based on the skill level you need.
What is the single biggest mistake to avoid when I hire a virtual assistant for Shopify?
The biggest mistake is not having clear systems in place before you hire someone. A VA is there to execute your playbook, not create it from scratch. If your processes are chaotic, their work will be too.
How can I manage security when I hire a virtual assistant for Shopify?
Use Shopify's staff permissions to grant your VA access only to the areas they need. Avoid sharing your main admin login. For other tools, use password managers like LastPass to share access without revealing actual passwords.
Are there tasks I shouldn't delegate when I hire a virtual assistant for Shopify?
Yes. Avoid delegating core business strategy, brand development, and tasks that require deep, personal relationships with key partners or customers. Also, tasks requiring 24/7 real-time availability, such as live phone support, can be challenging for a single human VA to manage.
