Hire a Virtual Assistant for Research and Data Entry Tasks

Collection and management of data has become an essential aspect of running an online business. The responsibility of managing email lists, mining and organizing data, and maintaining a CRM system takes up a lot of time that you as a business owner or CEO don’t really have the luxury for. When you’re dealing with a large volume of data, you can’t afford to be sloppy either. You need someone who knows not only to gather and record data, but to analyze and interpret the data as well.

If you’re busy running a business, this is obviously something that you won’t have enough time to do all by yourself. This is why it makes sense to hire a virtual assistant for data entry and web research.

What Does a Web Researcher Do?

A web research specialist knows how to find and collect all sorts of data and information online. They are skilled at using tools and exploring different online channels to gather information on competitors, possible leads, contact information, relevant trends and reports, and other kinds of information you need. They are skilled at data mining and data scraping. A web researcher would take charge of collecting business or customer data and delivering it to you in an organized and logical manner.

Different kinds of information a web research specialist can bring you including:

• Data on competitor sales and website performance
• Survey results and research data
• Latest industry reports and statistics
• User/ customer behavior online and offline
• Email addresses and contact numbers of potential leads

Web researchers must have the ability to read and interpret data according to client requirements. A dedicated VA for data entry must have a keen eye for details and work with great accuracy. You even have the option to hire a virtual assistant who can do some research and translation for you if you require data and information to help you understand a foreign market.

Virtual Assistant for Data Entry Tasks

There is a wide variety of data entry tasks that an expert virtual assistant can handle on your behalf. Depending on your industry, business requirements, processes, and goals, data entry may either be performed by a virtual assistant online or offline. A skilled virtual assistant for data entry can help you:

Organize huge volumes of data.

Data gathering is a time-consuming process. You can gather large volumes of data online without having to spend a single dime, but if you don’t have someone who knows how to process and interpret your data, you risk wasting valuable and timely insights that could have helped you plan your next step on process improvement or miss out on profitable opportunities.

Update CRM systems.

CRM systems help you manage your business more efficiently. But to maximize its benefits, data fed into your system needs to be updated at all times. In today’s world where most transactions are conducted online, you need to be able to know exactly what your customers want and meet their exact needs. Having the wrong information in front of you can cost you a lot of business so it’s best to let an expert virtual assistant manage your CRM system for you.

Generate and manage leads.

Managing email list and customer databases may seem like a no-brainer but it can take up a lot of time, even if you use automation tools. Effective communication with your customers can make or break a business. A data entry specialist that handles your customer and prospect email lists helps you ensure that you email marketing and communications strategy is always on point.

Types of Data Entry Work

Online Data Entry – Online data entry tasks require the use of internet services. They include:

• Online form submissions
• Image uploading and processing
• Web content submission
• Data indexing
• Data mining and cleansing
• WordPress data entry
• CRM data entry
• Shopify data entry (product data entry for e-commerce sites);
• and more

Depending on the scale and nature of your business, online data entry may also cover uploading images and profiles and updating databases such as real estate properties, hospital records, payrolls, restaurant menus, legal documents, and so on.

Offline Data Entry – Offline data entry tasks could be performed by a virtual assistant without the need to be connected to the internet. MS Word data entry and MS Excel data entry are two prime examples of inputting, organizing, and managing large volumes of data offline.

A virtual assistant for offline data entry would require intermediate to advanced skills in typing and a high level of familiarity with Word and Excel commands. Doing transcriptions of audio and video files may also fall under offline data entry.

Where to Hire a Data Entry Virtual Assistant

One of the biggest advantages of hiring a virtual assistant for data entry and web research is that it won’t cost you as much as when you hire a full-time employee. Virtual assistants work remotely and it’s quite easy to reach them whenever you need to. You can opt to hire someone from a different time zone, who can be available to work even on weekends, holidays, and during your days off.

You can find data entry VAs freelancers and contractors online or hire one via a VA support services agency. Virtual assistants can work for you on a per-project basis. Some of them bills you by hours worked. If your business requires processing huge amounts of data continuously, you also have the option to hire a part-time or full-time virtual assistant to perform data entry tasks.

Hiring a virtual assistant for data entry is one of the soundest decisions you can make as an entrepreneur. A remote virtual assistant saves you costs because you don’t have to provide the salary or the office facilities as you would a full-time employee.

A highly capable VA to take on data entry and web research tasks gives you more time and energy to grow your business and focus on your bottom line. You’re also offered the advantage being able to access crucial data that could help you get to know your customers or your market better, and serve as your guide to making big business decisions.