Do You Really Need To Be Top Rated To Be A Top Ebay Seller
You will have noticed no doubt, that when searching for an item on eBay - things have changed
.
The listings, which previously were sorted by what was ending soonest are now in a completely different order - and now are sorted by 'Best Match' in a similar way to which they are on Google.
So what's the difference?
Well, with the old way, sorted by time, inevitably everybody would eventually end up on the first page of search listings, and get seen by buyers and have their chance to sell their item - but not anymore.
With the new 'Best Match' default search results, eBay now provides you with the results that it thinks would suit you the best, based on finish time, product suitability and importantly, how good the seller is.
Most of you are thinking, 'well that sounds like a good idea' and on the face of it -it is. It sounds like a great idea until we look a little closer.
After doing a little research, it seems to me that if you are a seller who has not only got good feedback, but is a top rated seller, and has done some keyword research into their product, you're fine, in fact - considerably better off.
If however, you are a new seller with little or no feedback and just a basic description, there is a very good chance; especially if you are selling quite a popular item that your listing will not appear on the top half of the first page of results, even if it has only a couple of minutes to go.
For many, Ebay was chosen because you dont have to play Google Games to get your product sold, and in many ways, with this latest strategy, eBay appears to have shot itself in the foot.
So thats the cloud wheres the silver lining?
Well, if the eBay listings are now ordered by a certain criteria, if you match that criteria you can now appear at the top of the listings and sell for more or at least more often. This is easier said than done, as one of the main criteria appears to have top rated status.
CEO of eBay, John Donahoe describes how sellers are adjudged to be rated, and as you can see, its based on more than just feedback:
Every single transaction is rated on four criteria: Was the item as described; did it ship quickly; did it ship at an appropriate price; and was the seller cooperative. For every single transaction that seller does, the buyer rates them on those four criteria. If you go on to eBay and do a search on any page, you'll see a small number of sellers have received top-rated status. That means less than 1% of their buyers have ever rated them low. More and more buyers are buying from top-rated sellers.
Ironically, this quote is incorrect in two areas firstly that the rating is based on communication, not co-operation, and that its actually less than 0.5%, not 1% of buyers that have rated them low.
Pretty stiff criteria but it is being achieved. Type in any search you like and youll see there are loads of top rated sellers, so its far from impossible.
In fact, just following basic common sense eBay selling practices that should be followed by any seller who is taking their eBay business seriously will get you pretty close, and back that up with a decent selling volume, should see you over the line.
You see, it is inevitable that every eBay seller will come across the occasional malicious buyer, who will leave a negative just because they can, or one whose expectations are so far removed from reality that they just cannot be fulfilled.
These are part of trading with the public, and the idea is to sell enough items that these exceptions to the rule that most people on eBay are pretty honest and fair will not affect your ratings.
Being 'Top Rated' has made a massive difference to my eBay business, and it is well worth pursuing, (and acheiving) for those who take their eBay business seriously.
by: Q Lawrence
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