How detailed seller ratings are calculated

Almost all sellers (and buyers) know that high feedback is the mark of a good seller. But there is another rating that can impact a seller too – the detailed seller rating. While this doesn’t impact the overall feedback score, detailed seller ratings are considered by eBay when they decide which sellers will receive extra benefits and discounts.

eBay’s detailed seller rating system has a 1 to 5 star scale, with 5 stars being the best rating and 1 star being the worst. A rolling 12 month window is used to calculate an average rating. In order for the rating to be calculated, a seller has to have gotten 10 or more ratings – if they are below the required number, the average won’t be shown.

There are a few steps that eBay sellers can take to ensure that their detailed ratings remain as high as possible:

Communication with buyers is key. Sellers should always include a clear explanation of their policies as well as contact information in their listings. It’s important that the seller also includes how quickly they will respond to questions– and follows through with that timeline. One way to streamline this process is to set up automatic communication. Selling Manager Pro lets sellers set up automatic messages that will thank buyers for their order and let them know their item shipped.

Accurate and detailed descriptions are also important. Any defects should be clearly described. Pictures are an essential part of descriptions. Non stock photos from multiple angles will help buyers understand exactly what they’re getting.

Shipping time plays a role in detailed seller ratings too. Sellers should ship items as quickly as possible after the payment is received. Sellers should also be clear about their shipping policies within the listing information. Including a tracking number is also a good policy. Sellers who print their labels on PayPal or eBay can buy insurance at the same time, and an automatic email will be sent to the buyer and seller with the ship date and tracking number.

Reasonable shipping charges can help a seller’s detailed rating as well. Sellers who choose to offer free shipping will automatically be given a 5 star rating for their shipping charges. eBay also says that free shipping can improve listing visibility and help attract buyers. If free shipping is not offered, buyers appreciate being given calculated shipping because they can see exactly what the cost is. A shipping discount for multiple items is also a plus and normally has a positive impact on feedback.

For more strategies on improving your seller performance, check these resources:

Breaking an eBay Sales Plateau

5 Ways to Get More Bids on eBay Auctions

Understanding eBay’s Best Match

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Affiliate Marketing Tip - Less is More

For those of you participating in Skip McGrath's affiliate program, I am going to be offering some regular tips on how to maximize your commissions and introduce you to some affiliate marketing techniques so you can make more money! Over the past year, I have been an avid student of affiliate marketing and have tripled my monthly earnings from affiliate programs. I am now making almost as much doing affiliate marketing as I made as a full-time seller on eBay. I will always love eBay and sell on eBay, but setting up passive income streams with affiliate marketing is a business model that can't be beat.

The first and most important tip about affiliate marketing is:

Choose your affiliate programs with discretion!

Website visitors prefer an uncluttered clean page to one that is covered with confusing ads. (The example above makes you dizzy, doesn't it?) A confused mind chooses nothing. Don't try to promote everything you come across online. Furthermore, the more you have on your page the longer the page takes to load and you will lose visitors in those critical few seconds. Too many choices are overwhelming and confusing to the visitor and they will click away and leave - which is exactly what you do not want.

For example, you will see some of the same affiliate programs over and over again on eBay sellers' About Me pages. Some of these programs only pay only pennies for a sale or referral. Why waste your time on those? Why put those ads in front of your visitors when other ads can make more money for you? Choose affiliate programs with higher payouts! When you promote Skip McGrath's eBay Business System, you make $38.80 per sale. Reduce the number of options on your page and the visitor won't have any choice but to click on the higher paying programs - resulting in more commissions for you.

Whether you are promoting affiliate programs on your eBay About Me page, your own blog, or your own website, choose them with discretion. You can always rotate your ads to see which ones perform the best. No one can sell everything all the time. Choose your ads carefully! Get rid of ads that are not performing (generating income) and replace them with new ads from Skip's program. Leave the ads in place for 2-3 weeks and see if you get any hits.

If you have not signed up already, click here to join Skip McGrath's affiliate program. The payouts are 40% of each sale. This can be some serious money if you are willing to learn how to be a good promoter. I will be posting more information on how to promote these products so if you are new to affiliate marketing, don't worry! I will walk you through the process and explain how it all works.

Happy Selling!