How Important Is Business Process Outsourcing for Online Retailers?
As the world comes to grips with the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are also trying to stay afloat by moving their trade online.
With more people shopping online due to restrictions in outdoor movement because of the dangers of contracting the disease, businesses are now selling their products through websites, shopping platforms and social media.
If you are one of these entrepreneurs trying to switch your business online, you probably know that it is not as easy as posting your products and adding a shopping cart.
Running an online business has a lot of complexities that you might not be able to handle on your own. This is when business process outsourcing (BPO) comes in.
What is business process outsourcing?
BPO is essentially a strategy that involves subcontracting parts of your business operations to third party vendors. One of the classic examples of BPO is a virtual assistant who takes care of your non-essential tasks while you focus on running a business.
Virtual assistant services are highly in-demand because they lift the extra work off entrepreneurs giving them more time to develop products, engage with their team and manage their operations while saving money.
Why is BPO important for online retailers?
Whether you have always been an online retailer, or you are just switching to this platform due to the pandemic, you can benefit from working with a BPO partner in some areas of your business. Here is why:
You can reduce operational costs. If you’re a small business that doesn’t have the manpower yet to run your business remotely, you can benefit from hiring a third-party vendor to supply you the people you need to get the job done without spending a lot. A call center, for instance, can cater to customer service inquiries professionally without you having to invest in your own call center software. Cost reduction is one of the biggest benefits of BPO, especially for online retailers.
You can ensure efficiency in your operations. If you are running a website, you cannot afford even a few seconds of downtime or some errors in your payment system since it can make you lose money and customers. But when you outsource, you will be given professionals who are experts in their areas. They require less supervision and would know how to handle issues promptly, which means that you can ensure the efficiency of your operations.
You can focus on your core processes. By having a virtual office, for instance, you can assure that someone is going to take your calls, organize your emails and take care of other routine tasks so you’ll have more time to focus on processes that require your attention. This also gives you a sense of peace knowing that everything is taken care of and you are easily notified for issues that need your authority.
BPO is definitely on the rise, and it is really no surprise. With the growing demand for outsourcing services around the world, it will not be long until it would be the biggest industry anywhere.
