Short answer: A virtual assistant for Amazon and Shopify sellers handles the repeat store work that takes hours away from growing the business: product listing content, social media, email campaigns, customer message follow-up and reporting. At Go Socialate this starts at $5 an hour for general support and $8 an hour for technical and marketing work, month to month with no contract.
Online sellers usually run into the same problem: the store needs constant small tasks, and the owner is the only one doing them. This guide covers what a virtual assistant can take on, what to keep in your own hands, and what it costs.
What can a virtual assistant do for an online store?
- Product listing content: drafting and updating titles, descriptions and bullet points, and keeping listings consistent across your catalog.
- Social media: planning and scheduling posts for your store, replying to comments and building a steady content calendar.
- Email marketing: welcome emails, product launches, sale announcements and win-back campaigns in the email tool you already use.
- Customer message follow-up: replying from your approved templates and flagging anything that needs your decision.
- Website and store updates: adding products, updating pages and making routine fixes.
- Reporting: a short weekly summary of what was done and which tasks are coming next.
What should you keep in your own hands?
Keep final control of pricing, ad budgets, supplier decisions and anything involving your payment or seller account settings. A virtual assistant should work through a password manager with limited permissions, never your master login. Our guide on giving a virtual assistant access safely explains how to set that up.
Is a virtual assistant worth it for a small seller?
It usually makes sense when you are spending your hours on repeat tasks instead of product, sourcing or customers. Because you pay only for the hours used, you can start small and increase as the store grows. For the full numbers behind this decision, see our comparison of a virtual assistant and an employee.
Tasks sellers usually hand over first
- Product listings: uploading new products, updating titles, descriptions, images and prices
- Catalog data: keeping spreadsheets and product details accurate and consistent
- Customer messages: answering common questions from a script you approve
- Marketing: social posts, email newsletters and simple promotions for your store
- Research: checking competitor listings, prices and supplier details
See data entry virtual assistant for how catalog and listing work is usually handled.
Platform access and safety
Most selling platforms let you add a separate user with limited permissions, so your assistant never needs your own login. Give access only to what each task needs, and remove it when a task ends. Our guide on giving a virtual assistant access safely explains the steps.
A simple weekly routine
- Monday: new listings and product updates
- Wednesday: customer messages and social posts
- Friday: catalog check and a short summary of what was done
How much does it cost?
Go Socialate charges $5 an hour for general support and $8 an hour for technical and marketing work, with no recruitment fee and no minimum contract.
| Hours per week | At $5/hr, per month | At $8/hr, per month |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | About $110 | About $175 |
| 10 | About $215 | About $345 |
| 20 | About $430 | About $690 |
See the pricing page or our guide to what a virtual assistant costs.
How to start
- List the tasks that repeat every week, such as listing updates, social posts and a monthly email.
- Share access through a password manager and give only the permissions needed.
- Record a short walkthrough of each task so the assistant can follow it.
- Start with about 5 hours a week and review the results after two weeks. Our onboarding plan shows a day-by-day first week.
Frequently asked questions
Can a virtual assistant manage my Amazon or Shopify store?
A virtual assistant can handle routine store tasks such as listing content, social media, email and customer follow-up from templates you approve. You should keep control of pricing, budgets and account settings.
Do I need to hire someone full time?
No. You can start with as little as 5 hours a week and adjust each month.
Is there a contract?
No. Service is month to month, with no recruitment fee.
Is it safe to give a virtual assistant access to my store?
It can be, if you use a password manager, limited permissions and remove access when the work ends.
Ready to hand it over?
Tell us which store tasks take the most time and we will suggest where to begin. Book a free consultation or read about our social media virtual assistant service.
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