Any eBay seller knows that DSR stands for Detailed Seller Ratings. DSRs are ratings that eBay allows buyers to use to rate any seller thay have bought from. The ratings range from a low of one star to the top of five stars. ebay added this new feature in 2008 to help buyers get a more accurate look at a seller's reputation, beyond the one line Feedback system that had been in place for years. It is unclear to me how many buyers check the DSRs of a seller they are thinking of buying from for the first time or, for that matter, even the basic feedback comments.
What is clear is that sellers are paying attention to their own DSRs. The DSR ratings now affect everything from organic search ranking of a seller's listing ad on eBay to his/her compensation. Powersellers get discounts off the final value fees that eBay charges all sellers when their DSRs are at or near the top of the range approaching five. All sellers may even have their ability to place listings on the site suspended when any one rating of the four categories drops below 4.1.
The four customer service categories that buyers are asked to use to rate a seller are: Item as Described, Communication, Shipping Time, and Shipping and Handling Charges. Many sellers have pointed out various parts of the DSR program that they believe are flawed. One of the flaws that sellers point out most frequently to eBay has been the rating scale itself. When given a scale of 1 to 5, many buyers would think that 4 means "pretty good." But eBay expects every seller to have all fives, or at least more that 4.1 and much closer to all fives to get the powerseller discount. So if every buyer gave all sellers a four, all of the sellers on eBay would no longer be allowed to sell on eBay according to the current DSR scale structure. I realize this is an absolute and would never happen, but it illustrates many sellers' concerns with the system. Nevertheless, most sellers have now learned how to provide better customer service and therefore higher DSR rankings.
eBay has provided a list of best practices that sellers can adopt to improve their DSRs. I have improved my own DSR numbers dramatically since adopting many of these ideas. It is clear to me that DSRs are separating the good sellers from the 'bad' sellers. And the 'bad' sellers are learning and practicing new customer service skills or leaving eBay. There is now a Seller Dashboard page where you can look at a detailed view of each of your DSRs. In addition, the latest tool eBay has provided to sellers is the ability to run targeted reports based on Buyer Location, Category, Date Range, Item Numbers, or Shipping. This will help sellers zero in on which situations are generating lower DSRs and enable them to fine tune their listings and selling practices to change those low ratings. Look for a link on your Dashboard page that says "Create Report" or "See Your Reports."
Another tool that helps me keep on track with even the smallest changes in my DSRs automatically is at AuctionTrax. It's a free tool that allows you to view any eBay seller's DSRs for the past 30 days or 12 months. If you set it up for your own seller account, they will email you a report about the changes whenever they occur. Thanks, AuctionTrax.
Showing posts with label customer service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customer service. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
These Are The Basics
In my life as an eBay addict, I have picked up quite a lot of knowledge about how to do things on eBay, the right way. Some from reading books and ebooks, some by reading eBay help topics, some by joining in online and face-to-face discussions with other eBayers, some by taking eBay classes, and some by trial and error. In an effort to help those of you just starting out as well as those who have been selling for some time, I'd like to share a little of what I've learned over the next few posts here on "When Do I Get To Retire?" It never hurts to get back to the basics. These are the basics.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. People everywhere are fascinated by pictures and depending on how one displays the picture of the items you are selling, a decision to buy or not to buy hangs in the balance. Often a prospective buyer will scan the search results and not even read a listing with a poor picture or none at all. Every listing needs at least one digital picture of the item. The picture must be clear and sharp and preferably in color. The background must be a solid neutral color that provides good contrast for your item. Your picture must be cropped so the image of your item fills all or most of the frame. These are the basics.
It is said that one who fails to plan is one who plans to fail. The same goes for research on eBay. Research of products similar to, or the same as, your product is essential. Before you list your items up for sale, check out what other sellers are asking for the same kind of product that you want to sell. This shows you what prices and practices (Titles, Descriptions, shipping methods, etc.) you will be competing against. In addition, search for the item you are selling under "Completed Auctions". This can help you to determine how much the items are really selling for. Setting your beginning bid or fixed price too high will mean failure. Remember also to pick a product that is selling before investing in inventory. These are the basics.
After the picture, the Title is the most important element in your listing. After all, the picture and the title are the first things the prospective buyer will see in the search results. The title must be filled with keywords. Keywords are what your buyer will search for to find your product. Think like your buyer. What keywords will she type into the search box. Put them in your title. You have 55 spaces. Try to use them all. These are the basics.
Your description is not only about listing the basic information about your product. You must market it too. Make an effort to describe your product in detail. Break your description up into paragraphs. One long paragraph will scare buyers away. Bulleted lists work well too. Learn to use words that make your buyer want your product instead of the ones the other sellers have listed. Free is always a good word...as in free shipping for instance. You can think of other words too, but don't sound like a used car salesman. People will go to the next seller. These are the basics.
Buyers like name brand products, great prices, good customer service and fast shipping. The good news is that in eBay, this is totally under the sellers’ control. So while selling, make sure you always include the correct shipping costs and explain how it will be shipped. You have no control of how long it will take to get there, so don't make those promises. These are the basics.
Choosing what payment methods to offer your prospective buyers is not just a personal choice. You need to try to meet the payment abilities of the greatest number of buyers while tempering that with your ability to deal with an occasional problem. Paypal handles most credit card purchases along with seasoned buyers with a Paypal balance. However, some buyers either aren't comfortable with a service like Paypal or they have no credit cards or even a checking account. So, your choice of allowing, or not allowing, money orders, bank checks, or personal checks may mean the difference between you or another seller getting the sale. These are the basics.
A good reputation matters more than anything else on eBay. Unless you are just on the site to sell one item and leave, the first thing that you should focus on is getting good feedback on your sales. A good percentage of eBay buyers will check the track record (called Feedback) of the person from which they are considering bidding or buying. So the better the comments and ratings you have from your past buyers, the better the chance you have of getting new buyers. These are the basics.
Lastly, providing good customer service will give you an edge over other sellers. This is shown in your attentiveness to questions sent by prospective buyers during the auction, how comforting your return policy is, and the amount of follow up in terms of emails that you provide to your customer after the sale. These are the basics.
Yes, these are the basics. But there is so much more to being successful on eBay. Check back regularly for more ramblings from an eBay addict. You never know what you'll learn. Also, if you live in the New York City greater metro area, consider taking one of our classes at Auction Progress, where you'll get the whole story, not just the basics. Our motto is "Helping eBayers Get to the Next Level."
Ken
Technorati Profile
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. People everywhere are fascinated by pictures and depending on how one displays the picture of the items you are selling, a decision to buy or not to buy hangs in the balance. Often a prospective buyer will scan the search results and not even read a listing with a poor picture or none at all. Every listing needs at least one digital picture of the item. The picture must be clear and sharp and preferably in color. The background must be a solid neutral color that provides good contrast for your item. Your picture must be cropped so the image of your item fills all or most of the frame. These are the basics.
It is said that one who fails to plan is one who plans to fail. The same goes for research on eBay. Research of products similar to, or the same as, your product is essential. Before you list your items up for sale, check out what other sellers are asking for the same kind of product that you want to sell. This shows you what prices and practices (Titles, Descriptions, shipping methods, etc.) you will be competing against. In addition, search for the item you are selling under "Completed Auctions". This can help you to determine how much the items are really selling for. Setting your beginning bid or fixed price too high will mean failure. Remember also to pick a product that is selling before investing in inventory. These are the basics.
After the picture, the Title is the most important element in your listing. After all, the picture and the title are the first things the prospective buyer will see in the search results. The title must be filled with keywords. Keywords are what your buyer will search for to find your product. Think like your buyer. What keywords will she type into the search box. Put them in your title. You have 55 spaces. Try to use them all. These are the basics.
Your description is not only about listing the basic information about your product. You must market it too. Make an effort to describe your product in detail. Break your description up into paragraphs. One long paragraph will scare buyers away. Bulleted lists work well too. Learn to use words that make your buyer want your product instead of the ones the other sellers have listed. Free is always a good word...as in free shipping for instance. You can think of other words too, but don't sound like a used car salesman. People will go to the next seller. These are the basics.
Buyers like name brand products, great prices, good customer service and fast shipping. The good news is that in eBay, this is totally under the sellers’ control. So while selling, make sure you always include the correct shipping costs and explain how it will be shipped. You have no control of how long it will take to get there, so don't make those promises. These are the basics.
Choosing what payment methods to offer your prospective buyers is not just a personal choice. You need to try to meet the payment abilities of the greatest number of buyers while tempering that with your ability to deal with an occasional problem. Paypal handles most credit card purchases along with seasoned buyers with a Paypal balance. However, some buyers either aren't comfortable with a service like Paypal or they have no credit cards or even a checking account. So, your choice of allowing, or not allowing, money orders, bank checks, or personal checks may mean the difference between you or another seller getting the sale. These are the basics.
A good reputation matters more than anything else on eBay. Unless you are just on the site to sell one item and leave, the first thing that you should focus on is getting good feedback on your sales. A good percentage of eBay buyers will check the track record (called Feedback) of the person from which they are considering bidding or buying. So the better the comments and ratings you have from your past buyers, the better the chance you have of getting new buyers. These are the basics.
Lastly, providing good customer service will give you an edge over other sellers. This is shown in your attentiveness to questions sent by prospective buyers during the auction, how comforting your return policy is, and the amount of follow up in terms of emails that you provide to your customer after the sale. These are the basics.
Yes, these are the basics. But there is so much more to being successful on eBay. Check back regularly for more ramblings from an eBay addict. You never know what you'll learn. Also, if you live in the New York City greater metro area, consider taking one of our classes at Auction Progress, where you'll get the whole story, not just the basics. Our motto is "Helping eBayers Get to the Next Level."
Ken
Technorati Profile
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