Why Is Virtual Number for E-commerce an Absolute Necessity?

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The year was 2021, and the Indian e-commerce landscape was buzzing with potential. We saw the numbers, a market valued at a staggering USD 84 billion, with projections soaring to USD 200 billion by 2026. The internet user base had exploded to over 700 million, second only to China. 

With 350 million online shoppers expected by 2025, it was clear: a digital revolution was underway. Entrepreneurs around the county could feel it too – the perfect storm was brewing, and they were eager to catch that wave. But we as an experienced hand knew they would need the right tools to navigate these exciting, yet challenging waters.

As we dug deeper into the data, the potential was staggering. Experts were predicting 350 million online shoppers by 2025. The government’s “Digital India” and “Startup India” initiatives were fueling the fire, creating an ecosystem ripe for e-commerce innovation. With UPI revolutionizing online payments, it felt like the universe was giving a green light. 

However, they had no idea about the importance of customer communications for an online business. Enter Office24by7. We patiently listened to all our startup buddies and their budget constraints. But we recommended that they opt for virtual number solutions that fit like a glove. So we tailor-made some for them. It was affordable, scalable, and exactly what they needed to kickstart the e-commerce journey.

Let’s look at why a virtual number for e-commerce is an important tool for communication.

When we started working with this startup, we noticed they were in for a wake-up call. They had just launched and were celebrating their first quarter in business. What they didn’t realize was that they had overlooked a crucial aspect of their operations – communication. It’s a common mistake we see with new e-commerce businesses, but one that can have serious consequences if not addressed quickly.

The initial phase of this e-commerce platform was all about setting up the website, sourcing products, and figuring out logistics. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until they started receiving customer inquiries. 

India’s diverse and rapidly growing online market was both an opportunity and a challenge. With a population exceeding 1.3 billion, the potential for ecommerce seemed limitless. However, this also meant that the volume of customer interactions could be overwhelming, especially for a fledgling business like this.

What Are the Challenges Faced by the E-commerce Industry

Let’s look at some of the major challenges in communication operations faced by the e-commerce industry and how a virtual number for e-commerce is a lifesaver.

Customers Unable to Reach the Business

When you use a generic personal number or landline number for your e-commerce business, you will also have to make numerous outgoing calls. These calls include, vendor management calls, partnership calls, networking calls, media relation calls, administrative calls, and market research calls. If you have all these calls to make and you cannot predict when you will have to, then when will your phone be available for your customers?

With the phones constantly tied up, many calls will go unanswered, and in our case they did. E-commerce businesses often had a team of 10 people ready to help customers, but only two phone numbers for customers to call. It’s like having a huge department store with only one cash register open.

Unable to Track Incoming Calls

On a working day, the average number of calls attended by the company was huge. The calls are coming in as soon as possible amidst all the other tasks that you will never get to track your interaction data efficiently.

Customers will call about everything under the sun – general inquiries, order inquiries, product inquiries, returns and exchanges, technical support, new orders, payment issues, surveys and feedback, and so on. And all these specific types of calls need to be tracked in different spaces for proper tracking and action.

How fast are you going to type these details into various spreadsheets and assign them to various employees? This is exactly where a virtual number for e-commerce comes into play. It helps to track all your customer data and using its complementary features which are powered by cloud telephony technology, you will be able to view and sort all those tasks and tickets into various buckets all while talking to your customer.

Unresolved Support Tickets

Our clients were spending precious time trying to track and respond to queries while their phones were constantly ringing. They had no system to keep tabs on who called, what they needed, or if their problem was solved.

This wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. It was hurting their customer service, slowing down sales, and even damaging their brand’s reputation. After all, in the world of e-commerce, a missed call could mean a missed opportunity.

This is where a virtual number for e-commerce businesses becomes a game-changer. It’s not just about having a fancy phone number. It’s about creating a system that helps you manage your calls, track your customer interactions, and ultimately, grow your business.

Need for a Professional Brand Identity

You can’t share your personal number and make an entire business look legit. Lacking a dedicated business number makes your business appear less professional. Another challenge was maintaining a professional image.

Another major issue with building a good brand identity is having a proper communication channel. How confident can a customer or a vendor be when they are not able to make calls without having a noisy background? This is exactly when our clients became clear that they wanted a better solution to handle communications.

A virtual number for e-commerce can be set up in such a manner that when your customer calls the first thing they hear is your welcome IVR. Other features like multi-level IVR services and automatic call distribution help create the professional image that you desire, It ensures that every customer interaction is smooth and professional, regardless of the size of your business.

Exposing Personal Numbers

One thing that everyone can agree on is that personal numbers will compromise the user’s privacy and security. Apart from that it also creates inconsistency for your customers.

Consider a customer calling you with a question, only to receive a different response depending on who picks up their phone. This lack of a unified communication strategy can lead to confusion and ultimately, damage your brand’s credibility. Virtual numbers for e-commerce offer a professional and secure solution, ensuring consistent messaging and a seamless customer experience.

Absence of an IVR System

A virtual number for e-commerce can be paired with an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to create a smooth and efficient call experience. When a customer calls in with a simple question about their order status, your IVR system equipped with a professional welcome message can greet them warmly and direct them to the right department or agent.

Beyond greetings, IVR can even handle common inquiries like order status or delivery times with automated responses. It not only saves valuable time for both your customers and your team, but it also creates a positive first impression. Your customers will feel valued when their inquiries are addressed promptly.

Call Forwarding Is Not Available

Virtual number services for e-commerce are a product of cloud telephony-based communication automation. Thus it comes equipped with a call forwarding feature that guarantees that incoming calls are redirected to the right person, no matter their location. This flexibility is essential in today’s remote work landscape.

With virtual numbers, your agents can attend to inquiries from anywhere, ensuring that your e-commerce customers are always connected with a qualified representative.

Limited Scalability

Customer interactions are promised to explode during festive seasons. Having limited points of contact and agents would look crazy at that point. A virtual number for e-commerce offers a powerful scalability advantage. You can easily add more virtual lines as needed, effortlessly distributing the call load among your team members.

Scaling up ensures your customers receive timely and efficient support, even during your busiest times. It not only helps in improved response times but you will also be able to scale down when you feel so without any infrastructure or investment going to waste.

Poor Operational Efficiency Among The Team

When your customer service team is swamped with calls, they will find it difficult to keep up. For a healthy business, this cannot be due to the lack of tools but the delay in resolution time. Just kidding. But yes, they need the best tool to work on. Without a virtual number, call routing becomes a nightmare.

Agent availability is often unseen, and calls get bounced around. This wastes valuable time for both your team and your customers. Tracking call data becomes an even bigger challenge. Without a centralized system to capture and analyze call details, it becomes impossible to identify trends in the market or even measure team performance.

Virtual phone numbers are the secret weapon your team needs to conquer inefficiency. By streamlining call routing, tracking, and data analysis, a virtual number for e-commerce can empower your agents to focus on what they do best: providing exceptional customer service.

Scope of Integration and Automation

Integrating phone systems with your CRM system is very important. When a customer calls with a query regarding their purchase, your agent should be able to access the customer’s profile and share the order details without much in a nick of time. But if you use a phone system that is disconnected this smooth flow of information gets disrupted.

Traditional phone lines create silos of data, making it difficult to connect the dots between your CRM and your call center solution. This lack of integration leads to frustrated agents scrambling to find customer information, and ultimately, frustrated customers abandon their calls.

A virtual number for e-commerce can integrate seamlessly with your CRM system. This translates into faster resolution times, happier customers, and a more efficient workflow for your entire team.

Marketing Campaigns

Using virtual numbers for marketing is a great way to capture and analyze your campaign’s performance. A few among those are campaign source, call volume, demographics-based numbers, total inbound leads, call analytics, number of missed calls, quality of sales conversations via call recordings, insights as to which time of the day works best, what these numbers compare with different A/B tests, and different strategies altogether.

This data offers insights into customer behavior and their preferences. In omnichannel marketing, it is crucial that you know which marketing channels drive the most calls, or pinpoint peak call times. This information helps you to realize how to market your products better so that you receive the maximum return on your investment.

Virtual numbers can also help you identify periods of high call volume, allowing you to strategically allocate resources and ensure your team is always prepared to deliver exceptional customer service.

Data and Analytics

By analyzing call data using your virtual number for e-commerce, you can uncover valuable trends about your customers. For example, you might discover the most frequent reasons for customer inquiries. This intel can be used to refine your product descriptions, update your FAQs, and even enhance your customer service scripts.

Tracking peak call times through your virtual number allows you to optimize your team’s work schedule. ensuring you have adequate staff coverage during historically busy periods.

Training and Quality Assurance

Virtual phone numbers come equipped with an array of powerful features, namely call recording, call barge-in, and call whispering. This isn’t just about monitoring calls; it’s about unlocking great account management skills through training and quality assurance. You can review and use call recordings to develop best practices and elevate your entire team’s performance.

Recordings can also reveal areas for improvement. By identifying common pitfalls, you can tailor targeted coaching programs and ensure your team is consistently equipped to deliver exceptional customer service. Virtual numbers transform your customer interactions into a continuous feedback loop, empowering you to refine your approach and provide an unparalleled customer experience.

What Are the Benefits of Virtual Number for E-commerce?

Increased Brand Trust

When you use a virtual number for e-commerce business, it portrays that your company is well established promoting a sense of trust for your brand among your audience. A virtual number for e-commerce is an opening for customers who wish to gain some information regarding your products, services, or your company. Offering a dedicated number where they can contact the business enhances brand loyalty.

Smooth Communication

Utilizing a virtual number for e-commerce business encourages greater customer interaction. Opting for a toll-free virtual number eliminates concerns about call charges, making it easier for customers to reach out. This ensures that at any point during their journey, if they encounter any issues, you can provide immediate support, enhancing their overall experience with your brand.

Customer Expectations

Customers shopping online often have concerns about quality, quantity, payments, returns, and other factors. While managing all chat messages can be overwhelming, your team can efficiently handle calls to your virtual number. Instead of juggling multiple, disconnected communication channels, you can streamline your operations by using a virtual number from a top cloud telephony provider like Office24by7. This ensures seamless and effective communication with your customers.

Personal Touch

Opting for a virtual number for e-commerce that resembles a personal mobile number can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. This approach makes customers feel like they are directly contacting the store owner or manager, adding a personal touch to your online shop. This human element can greatly improve customer management and foster a stronger connection with your audience.

Preference for Online Shopping

A study revealed that 67% of millennials and 56% of Gen X prefer online shopping, making these generations crucial for e-commerce businesses to target. Since these groups are heavily focused on mobile devices, the potential for phone interactions is impeccable. Implementing a virtual number for your e-commerce can effectively tap into this large, engaged market, enhancing your ability to connect with these key demographics.

Enhanced Services with IVR Systems

An IVR system created using a virtual number for e-commerce allows an online business to remain accessible even during off-hours. By leveraging cloud telephony, you can deploy IVR systems that help customers self-navigate and resolve their queries independently. This ensures that no customer is left on hold for too long and that they are promptly connected to the appropriate agents.

Features like sticky agents guarantee that a returning customer’s query is directed to the same agent each time, fostering consistency and familiarity. Additionally, you can enhance your customer’s experience with customized welcome messages, music on hold, personalized greetings, and promotional messages.

Virtual numbers for e-commerce utilize cloud technology, which means updates and maintenance are efficient, cost-effective, and do not require extensive time or labor. This ensures your system is always up-to-date with minimal disruption.

Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness

Unlike traditional phones, virtual numbers operate through the cloud, eliminating the need for extensive infrastructure or high setup costs. They are easy to manage and maintain, offering significant advantages in terms of durability and reliability. Virtual phones are immune to physical accidents like fires and natural disasters, ensuring uninterrupted service and greater peace of mind for your business.

Real-Time Updates

A customer places an order on your e-commerce store, but they have a question about the delivery timeframe. They reach for the phone, eager to get some answers. A virtual number for e-commerce can be integrated seamlessly with CRM systems, allowing your support team to access a customer’s profile and purchase history right during the call. This results in faster resolution time and higher customer satisfaction scores.

You can also deploy an outbound IVR call that provides timely alerts for the customer regarding their purchase which in fact nullifies the need for making a call as discussed in the before scenario.

Missed Calls Management

Virtual phone numbers come equipped with robust call center features. Every interaction with a customer is meticulously logged, complete with call notes and recordings. Even if your team is unavailable at the moment, customers can leave voicemails detailing their questions or concerns.

Missed calls can be easily tracked, allowing your agents to follow up promptly with resolutions. Call recordings are a great source of customer data, offering invaluable insights across departments. These insights can then be used to refine your products, services, and overall customer experience.

Enhanced Efficiency

A virtual number for e-commerce eliminate the need to constantly switch between different systems like your ticketing platform, vendor management software, and call center interface. It streamlines communication and information sharing significantly. Your team can leverage a single, unified sales automation system like a sales CRM platform (think Office24by7’s sales CRM). Using a sales CRM, you can access all the information they need, with the potential for seamless integrations with other essential tools.

Local Presence

Break down geographical barriers and build trust with local customers. Even if your headquarters are in one city and your fulfillment centers are spread across the country, virtual phone numbers can help you establish a local presence wherever you do business. By acquiring virtual numbers that mimic local landlines, you create a sense of familiarity and accessibility for your customers. This strategy can be equally effective for expanding into new countries.

A toll-free virtual number for e-commerce eliminates concerns about long-distance communication charges, encouraging customers to connect with you more readily.

Efficient Call Management

When a customer calls your e-commerce store with a complex technical question. The last thing they want to do is bounce them around between different tiers of agents. A virtual number for e-commerce can empower you to leverage the power of cloud telephony features like call routing, call forwarding, and automatic call distribution (ACD). These features ensure your customers are efficiently connected to the most qualified agent to address their specific needs.

Remote Team Collaboration

Virtual phone numbers are powered by cloud telephony, making them a perfect fit for remote work environments. You can use your virtual number anywhere you go without the need to carry around any particular device.

Virtual phone numbers can also unlock a suite of features that enhance internal communication, like unified communication automation software channels for seamless voice and video conferencing. They can also streamline task management across your organization, keeping your team connected and productive no matter their location.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I enhance my e-commerce business by using a virtual number?

 Absolutely, a virtual number can improve communication efficiency, professionalism, and customer satisfaction, contributing to the success of your business.

2. How can a virtual number improve my customer support?

A virtual number allows for better call management, quick response times, and seamless integration with customer support software, ensuring customers receive timely and effective assistance

3. Is it beneficial to provide a virtual number as a contact for my e-commerce business?

Yes, offering a virtual number enhances trust and accessibility, showing customers that you’re readily available to address their concerns.

4. What advantages do virtual numbers offer for handling business calls?

Virtual numbers software provide call forwarding, automated responses, and detailed call analytics, enabling efficient call handling and improved customer service.

5. How does using a virtual number protect my privacy?

A virtual number keeps your personal number private, reducing the risk of spam and unsolicited calls, and ensuring your personal security.

6. How can I track and manage customer interactions with a virtual number?

Virtual numbers can be integrated with CRM systems, allowing you to record and track all customer interactions, ensuring systematic follow-ups and enhanced customer relationship management.

7. What are the long-term benefits of using a virtual number for my business?

A virtual number supports scalability, maintains a professional image, and simplifies customer support and communication management, facilitating long-term business growth and efficiency.

By using a virtual number, you can streamline operations, maintain a professional image, and provide superior customer support, positioning your e-commerce business for long-term success.