How to work with an ecommerce agency remotely

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all trying our best to navigate through this very uncertain time. News and advice change rapidly on a daily basis, forcing all businesses to adapt to new measures and working activities. With this in mind, our team at 5874 thought it would be an opportunity to share our tips and best practices for working remotely with an ecommerce agency – and also reassure you that we are here to help and support you, regardless of the circumstances!

The remote working trend has not only been quickly growing in numbers for a number of years now but is also becoming far more functional and a practical solution for global business. Companies across all industries, particularly marketing and eCommerce, are able to embrace the availability of modern collaborative technologies that make this style of work so popular.

Collaboration Tools

Slack is an excellent communication tool used for remote work. This channel-based instant messaging platform can be used from any location. With the ability to create separate channels for projects, teams and jobs, the status and progression of tasks can be closely monitored and controlled. Here at 5874, we use Slack to communicate internally and externally. Slack is also capable of providing voice and video call services.

Freshdesk is used by 5874 to manage support queries from our clients. This multi-channel platform allows us to manage projects through a streamlined workflow and assign tasks to the correct member of our account management and development team. Freshdesk allows multiple members to pick up any tickets because they have full visibility of what is happening.

Google hangouts is a cloud-based instant communication service available on desktop as well as mobile devices. Part of Google’s G-Suite, Google Hangouts is used internally by 5874 to communicate within the team, and externally for group voice and video meets. Google has rolled out free access to our advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all G Suite customers globally until July 1, 2020 – which will be invaluable to both clients and businesses.

File sharing and back-up

Dropbox is a cloud-based software that can be used to file exchange between businesses. Accounts are safe as they are password protected and large file sizes can be exchanged at the click of a button. Google Drive Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Multiple users with access can edit and comment on documents making drive perfect for collaborative projects.

Keeping files on a cloud-based platform and sharing agendas can help everyone keep on track of their deadlines.

Virtual meetings

Demos and presentations can also be easily executed remotely, by video calls. We (58) use Google Meet to conduct our video conferencing but there is a wide range of different software that can do this including but not limited to BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting and Zoom.

Gone are the days where you need to be face to face for a well organised and successful event. GoToWebinar can also be used to host a range of interactive online events with it’s simple, reliable and fast live casting. This sort of solution brings people together regardless of their geographical location, strengthening relationships and promoting collaborative practices.

Project Management Software

There are many types of project management software options your business can use to ensure all parts of your process are working simultaneously and your employees are on track. Jira is an effective platform where users can create and track the status of jobs using ‘tickets’ and assign them to the appropriate team member. Another useful function is the option priority level, which improves productivity for project deadlines.

Other project management platforms include Asana, Zoho Projects, Trello & Basecamp.

As you can see, many roles within the eCommerce industry lend themselves well to a remote set-up, and can actually thrive on virtual work. Remote working is definitely an agile working solution that can be beneficial for clients and businesses.

Here at 5874, all of our team members have full access to technology and software they require and are fully able to work from any location. Hopefully this will put your mind at ease that we can continue to offer you a best-in-class service to reach your business goals and needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. You can get in touch by calling 0121 369 5874 or emailing success@5874commerce.com