Before making any purchase a consumer wants to know how popular a seller is among other shoppers and how good his wares are. This is the standard buyer mentality. For offline store shoppers word of mouth is a satisfactory source. In online retail it’s seller rating and reviews which enlighten a consumer about the seller and his produce.
No one really feels tempted to click the buy button if they don’t see seller ratings. In fact most people ignore sellers with no ratings. It is a gamble to purchase from an online seller without ratings. The sane thing to do is avoid unnecessary risks and stick to the sellers who have those golden stars attached to their names and reviews.
Okay, so you’re probably saying to yourself right now, “Seller ratings are essential, got it!” But simply acquiring ratings and reviews isn’t enough! You need GOOD ratings and reviews. Counting stars has a different meaning in online retail. Here the more stars you receive per rating the more sales you are likely to make. The consumer understands how ratings and reviews affect sellers and most they are not afraid to use them! Especially if they have been crossed by a seller.
Factors Affecting Seller Ratings and Reviews
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What you see is what you get
Have you ever been extremely disappointed at a fast food joint? The ads show you extra large burgers and fries and the actual purchase is a complete disappointment in terms of portion size and taste? Listing products is the simplest way of advertising your products to online shoppers. If they like what they see, they will add your product to their shopping cart. They expect to receive exactly what they saw online. Anything less will receive negative comments and poor ratings!
That’s not all. Your product images should highlight the product and its features. Do not show additional products that you will not accompany the product you are selling. For example, your product for sale is a dress and you show it with a belt around the waist. The consumer will expect to receive the belt as well at the time of delivery. If you don’t provide it, they will feel cheated by you, striking up more bad ratings and reviews.
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Updates aren’t only for technology
Times are changing and so is everything in ecommerce. You can stay current with the festivals and sales and change your product descriptions accordingly. It will encourage sale to a certain degree, but this isn’t the kind of updating we’re talking about! You need to update your listings with accurate details. Give your consumers all the technical details about your products. If you sell mobile phones, provide details about the phone dimensions, the material’s it is made of, colors, design and special features.
Also inform consumers about the features and facilities the phone does not have, like no 3G connectivity, no flash, non detachable battery or no secondary camera. Accordingly people can factor in their requirements and make a purchase. If you deny people the specifics about your products, the sale will backfire! Not only will they return your product, they will destroy your brand reputation with negativity in your reviews and ratings section. The moment you notice a comment that says your listing lacks information update them immediately (if required) and inform the marketplace about the change.
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The price isn’t right!
While pricing your products, it’s not only necessary to meet marketplace conditions. You also need to be fair to your consumers. If after purchasing a product a consumer notices that another seller has a better price listed, you can expect a litany of complaints and poor ratings. Be aware of your competition’s prices because you are not the only option on an online marketplace. Do not be short sighted by making fast money. After reading your reviews and measuring your ratings potential consumers will shift to the next best seller. So give them a reason not to!
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Package to perfection
Packaging can be categorized as seller packaging and marketplace packaging/ logistics packaging. As the retailer, your packaging will come first. You need to ensure the ordered product is adequately packaged. Breakable items must be bubble wrapped and handled with care when handed over to the marketplace or your logistics partner. If you can ensure your packaging was as per requirements, you cannot be held responsible for damaged goods. The marketplace will need to do the same to ensure the product reaches the consumer in one piece.
Broken and damaged goods are a very common factor that results in meager ratings. If you check out reviews and ratings of breakable products, there will be comments stating improper packaging lead to the product breaking or becoming damaged.
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Lack of quality will come back to haunt you
The number one lesson of business is never bring down quality! No one likes being stuck with defected goods. It’s a waste of money and a betrayal of customer trust. For example, you sell phone covers. A consumer looks up your product. According to your specifications, the cover should fit his phone exactly. However, when he receives the cover, it doesn’t fit his phone because you sent him a defective piece. If possible check every product you sell and get rid of all the defected pieces. If not make sure the manufactures are willing to take back the defected products that were returned to you.
Negative reviews in this regard can be addresses with comments like, the product could not be opened to check the product quality. We will make sure you receive a replacement as soon as possible.
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Delayed refunds
Refunds come through the marketplace and sometimes sellers may have to settle refunds on their own. In case the refund must come from the marketplace and payment is delayed, consumers will become agitated. Should this translate into bad reviews and ratings, let the consumer know you have completed your end of the return and it is being processed by the marketplace. In some situations, if the returned product is not received, refunds are not made. Let your consumer know this.
These are the main reasons for negative responses and bad ratings from consumers. Remember only those who purchase from you can rate you and these people could become repeat customers and encourage others to buy from you as well. So do your best to keep negative reviews at bay.
You can eliminate a majority of your errors by using a multi-channel inventory management software such as ours. To know more about us, or in case of queries, get in touch with Browntape today!
