The rating score for any online selling system is extremely important. After one bad transaction I will not purchase for anyone without a good rating score and even then it should come from previous buyers not sellers. The rating score is more then just a ranking or value judgment. The text and appreciation photos that come along with the feedback allow the buyer to get to know the seller better and feel closer to them. It humanizes the transaction, the buyer is not purchasing something from some faceless entity across the internet.
The problem is if you have a new shop how do you create a rating score let alone have a good one. In a place like Etsy the first step buying stuff, this would also work for several of the other online vendors. Sellers almost always leave feedback, buyers most of the time forget to leave feedback. It is very easy to get perfect score or positive feedback as a customer.
Pay quickly and have good communication then the seller will leave you good feedback. On Etsy and Ebay at a quick glance the averaged rating score from buyers and sellers is shown on the main page of the shop and most people don’t bother to dig deeper. Even when the link is clicked on the first page just shows the most recent rated items in reverse chronological order.
Getting good feedback from a buyer is a little more complicated. As mentioned before most of the time buyers don’t leave feedback. I take the mantra of no news is good news in that department but that mantra doesn’t help your rating score. There are several steps you can take to improve chances of getting good feedback.
Sending an email right away thanking them for the purchase telling them you will ship it the next day or later that day is always good. This sets up a dialog, starts to build a relationship and once again it humanizes the seller. Then shipping as soon as payment is received, even if that means running to the post office at 4:30 right before it closes. Shipping time is what will most likely affect your rating score. If the order arrives quick a good score, slow a bad score. I will always package my items and clean them right when the order is received so once payment comes through I can ship it quicker. If payment doesn’t come through I guess I can lose an envelope and thank you letter.
Packaging is also important when it comes to impresses a customer. Place inside the package a hand written thank you later on decent stationary with a few business cards will go a long way to making a good impression. Buy some decent jewelry boxes that are not cardboard, they are about a buck apiece if bought in bulk and buyers like them. The last trick is to go to a sticker shop and buy stickers with your shops name on it that are the same color as the jewelry box. Place those stickers on the box and it looks very professional. This is much cheaper then getting your shop’s name printed directly on the box.
The jewelry boxes also help save money because then you can ship the item in a vanilla envelope instead of a padded one, which are more expensive. This is because the jewelry box helps protect the piece. After the piece is in the mail email or convo the buyer and tell them when it should be expected always, add a day more then what the post office says. It is better to be early then late. If you get a good feedback score send the buyer and thank you convo.
Posted by Silver Drops Designs Blog
Hosted by Silver Drops Designs
