Fill and Sign the Medical Forms Camp Morasha

Revised 3rd Edition Best Match Made Simple 1 AuctionInsights.info Third Edition, © 2009 by Douglas Feiring. You have permission to email this, print this and pass it along for free to anyone you like, as long as you make no changes or edits to its contents or digital format. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. You must attribute the work to the author (but not in any way that suggests that the author endorses you or your use of the work). This is version 3.0 of the book. As the Best Match algorithm changes and new insights are uncovered, the book will be updated periodically. For the most current version, for a free download visit: www.auctioninsights.info/bestmatchbook Best Match Made Simple 2 AuctionInsights.info Forward Over my many years of observing eBay, from the perspective of an online merchant, I’ve seen many changes, but none have been so “game changing” as eBay’s “Best Match.” During the first quarter of 2008 eBay made “Best Match” the default sort for the eBay platform and things have not been the same since. Whatever your feelings about this change, one thing is certain; eBay has committed to it, so eBay sellers have two choices “adapt and learn how to optimize for 'Best Match' or move your product off the platform.” There is a third choice, which is to bury your head in the sand and continue to do things the way you’ve always done. The end result of that choice will be no sales and lots of fees to eBay, so in essence you will be no longer selling on eBay because you will be out of business. So what is an eBay seller, who chooses the first option (Optimize for Best Match) to do? The whole idea of Best Match can be quite confusing and there are few resources available to help you understand what it means to your business. Doug Feiring of AuctionInsights.com realized there was problem and came up with a solution – “Best Match Made Simple.” Doug has done a fantastic job of explaining how Best Match works in plain English, but he’s also gone one-step further and provided eBay sellers with a resource that will help you optimize your listings for “Best Match.” Best Match Made Simple will be a valuable addition to your eBay library. Learn to use “Best Match,” don’t let it use you. Randy Smythe http://www.myblogutopia.com/ Best Match Made Simple 3 AuctionInsights.info Steal These Ideas! I invite you to spread the word about Best Match Made Simple: 1. Send this file to a friend. 2. Send them a link to: www.AuctionInsights.info/bestmatchbook 3. Print out as many copies as you would like. Best Match Made Simple 4 AuctionInsights.info Table of Contents Forward......................................................................................................................................................3 Introduction: Best Match – Adapt or Perish..............................................................................................9 Who Moved My Cheese?......................................................................................................................9 About this Book...................................................................................................................................10 Chapter 1. If You Don't Have Time to Read this Book............................................................................11 Here's the Bottom Line Up Front........................................................................................................11 Listing Format ....................................................................................................................................12 Time Remaining.............................................................................................................................12 Auction Style..................................................................................................................................12 Fixed Price......................................................................................................................................13 Demand Data & Relevancy ................................................................................................................14 Keywords........................................................................................................................................14 Relevancy.......................................................................................................................................14 Desirability ....................................................................................................................................14 Product Information............................................................................................................................15 Shipping and Handling...................................................................................................................15 Item Specifics.................................................................................................................................15 Trust Factors........................................................................................................................................16 Seller Performance..........................................................................................................................16 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................17 Product + Traffic + Conversions = Profit............................................................................................18 Chapter 2. Introducing Best Match and Best Match Optimization..........................................................21 How Things Used To Work.................................................................................................................21 Best Match’s Impact on Sellers...........................................................................................................22 Why Is This Important?.......................................................................................................................24 Best Match Is About Business.............................................................................................................24 Same Name - Different “Best Match”.................................................................................................25 Introducing Best Match Optimization.................................................................................................25 Score The Most Points ........................................................................................................................25 Best Match and You.............................................................................................................................26 A Word About Product Sourcing.........................................................................................................27 Chapter 3. Listing Type: Auction or Fixed Price...................................................................................29 Auction Style Listings.........................................................................................................................29 Fixed Price Listings.............................................................................................................................30 Multi-Quantity Listing Overview........................................................................................................31 Improve Your Listing Performance Score and Improve Your Ranking..............................................31 Categories In Which Listing Performance Scores Do Not Apply..................................................32 Calculating the Listing Performance Score – An Example............................................................33 Best Match Made Simple 5 AuctionInsights.info Listing Performance Score: What Have Done For Me Lately?......................................................34 Listing Performance Scores Carry-Over When You Re-list................................................................34 Tips to Improve Your Listing Performance Score...............................................................................35 Decrease Impressions.....................................................................................................................36 Increase Sales While Keeping Impressions Low............................................................................36 Increase Recent Sales.....................................................................................................................37 Featured First..................................................................................................................................37 Best Offer........................................................................................................................................38 Auction or Fixed Price: Selecting a Format.......................................................................................39 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................40 Product Sourcing Part II......................................................................................................................41 Chapter 4. Trust Factors...........................................................................................................................43 Seller Performance..............................................................................................................................43 Feedback.........................................................................................................................................43 Detailed Seller Ratings...................................................................................................................44 Improving Your DSR's........................................................................................................................46 Buyer Satisfaction Rating...............................................................................................................48 The Seller Dashboard.....................................................................................................................48 The Top-Rated Seller Program............................................................................................................49 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................50 Active Traffic Generation Techniques ................................................................................................51 Chapter 5. Product Information..............................................................................................................53 List in the Correct Category................................................................................................................53 Price.....................................................................................................................................................53 Include Item Specifics.........................................................................................................................54 Geographic Distance...........................................................................................................................55 Shipping Prices & Methods.................................................................................................................56 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................58 Active Traffic Generation Techniques Part II......................................................................................60 Chapter 6. Demand Data and Relevancy................................................................................................61 Desirability..........................................................................................................................................61 Include Best Match Keywords............................................................................................................62 Identify the Valuable Keywords..........................................................................................................63 Analyze Your Niche............................................................................................................................65 Conduct Your Analysis........................................................................................................................65 Test Your Auction Title........................................................................................................................66 Make the Most of Your Listing Title:..................................................................................................66 Never Use Negative Keywords...........................................................................................................67 If You Don't Own Your Traffic, Who Owns Your Business?..............................................................68 Chapter 7. Optimize Your Keywords with the BayEstimator..................................................................71 How the BayEstimator Works.............................................................................................................71 Best Match Made Simple 6 AuctionInsights.info Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................76 A Word About Conversions.................................................................................................................77 Chapter 8. Best Match Manipulation.......................................................................................................79 Misleading Keywords..........................................................................................................................79 Keyword Repetition............................................................................................................................79 A Dynamic Algorithm.........................................................................................................................80 Making eBay Work for You.................................................................................................................82 It's time to take back your business and dreams!............................................................................83 The bottom line? ............................................................................................................................86 Appendix A: Decoding the Best Match Patent Application....................................................................87 Factors Described in Patent Influencing Best Match..........................................................................87 Listing Titles........................................................................................................................................88 Determining Relevancy Score.............................................................................................................89 Good Keywords Get Rewarded...........................................................................................................89 Less Desirable Keywords Get Penalized.............................................................................................90 Keyword Relevance Scores are Determined Over Time by User Actions..........................................90 Calculating an Auction Listing’s Relevance Value.............................................................................91 Hypothetical Examples........................................................................................................................91 Determining Desirability.....................................................................................................................92 Supply and Demand............................................................................................................................92 How Supply is Calculated...................................................................................................................93 How Demand is Calculated.................................................................................................................93 Calculating Desirability.......................................................................................................................94 Putting it All Together.........................................................................................................................94 Additional Factors Affecting Best Match Search Result Ranking......................................................94 Optimizing Your Auction Listings for eBay’s Best Match..................................................................95 Other Factors You Might Influence.....................................................................................................96 The Last Word.....................................................................................................................................96 Appendix B: The Best Match Patent Application...................................................................................97 Best Match Made Simple 7 AuctionInsights.info Steal These Ideas! I invite you to spread the word about Best Match Made Simple: 1. Send this file to a friend. 2. Send them a link to: www.AuctionInsights.info/bestmatchbook 3. Print out as many copies as you would like. Best Match Made Simple 8 AuctionInsights.info Introduction: Best Match – Adapt or Perish Who Moved My Cheese? If you’ve read Dr Spencer Johnson’s book, Who Moved My Cheese, you are familiar with the concept “adapt or perish.” The analogy, by the author of The One Minute Manager, tells the story of mice in a maze. At the beginning of the tale, all of the mice knew their way through the maze to the cheese and life was great. However, at some point, the cheese is moved to a different part of the maze. Some mice keep returning to the old cheese location and loudly lament their poor fortune. Other mice go looking for more cheese. The mice who insist on doing what worked in the past eventually perish - all the time complaining, “Who moved my cheese!?” The mice who set out to find a new source of cheese experience a number of wrong turns and set-backs as they stumble through the maze until they eventually find success. The moral of this story is: Change happens and eBay moved the cheese when they implemented the Best Match search algorithm. Like the mice in the book, eBay sellers must change and adapt if they want to keep ahead of the pack. According to Dr. Johnson, “If you do not change, you can become extinct. Get out of your comfort zone and adapt to change sooner. Take control, rather than let things happen to you.” This book is intended to help you, the eBay seller, take control and ensure that eBay works for you, vice you working for eBay. Best Match Made Simple 9 AuctionInsights.info About this Book The third edition of this book represents my effort to consolidate all of the credible information regarding Best Match in one spot. I tracked down the patent application for the search algorithm, combed the internet for interviews in which eBay executives and developers mentioned specific functionality of Best Match, read blog and message forum posts detailing other sellers' observations of Best Match, and conducted my own analysis based on personal experiments with the search results. Why did I do these things? Because I saw Best Match as an opportunity. I figured that while most sellers were oblivious to the significance of the pending changes, and while many of the rest were busy complaining on the eBay forums, the effort I invested trying to figure out how Best Match worked could provide my listings an advantage. Many members of the eBay community have asked why I would take the significant time and effort required to produce an eBook with such valuable information and just give it away. In fact, as I've worked on this project, I've often asked myself the same question. Simply put, my goals with Best Match Made Simple are to establish my credibility in the industry, to encourage you the reader to visit AuctionInsights, and to gain the experience of writing, publishing and promoting an information product for future, paid projects. So, here it is. I invite you to share this free eBook with other eBay sellers who might benefit from knowing how Best Match works, and how they can use that knowledge to improve their sales on eBay. To Your Continued Success, Doug Feiring http://www.AuctionInsights.info Best Match Made Simple 10 AuctionInsights.info Chapter 1. If You Don't Have Time to Read this Book... Here's the Bottom Line Up Front Recently eBay changed the default way in which search results are presented to visitors and potential bidders. Instead of sorting them by time, with auctions that are ending soonest listed at the top of the search results, they are now sorted by an algorithm called Best Match that considers a number of factors including: ✔ Listing Type – Fixed-price or auction style listings change the dynamic depending on the listing’s category. ✔ Trust Factors – Including Feedback scores, Detailed Seller Ratings and other metrics. ✔ Product Information – Including listing attributes, shipping methods and charges, category, and other information. ✔ Demand Data & Relevancy – This factor involves what buyers are doing on the auction site relative to the products you have listed for sale. Includes title keywords. Understanding Best Match is important because your eBay listings can be rewarded or punished in the search result listings based on the factors listed above. If your listings are punished, you may never find your way to the first page of the eBay search results. This is a precarious fate for an eBay seller, because that means bidders aren't seeing your listings. And if they aren't seeing them, they're not bidding on them and you're not making the sales. Conversely, if your listings are rewarded because you have mastered these factors, they may linger at the top of the search results for much longer than they would have under the old Best Match Made Simple 11 AuctionInsights.info default search algorithm and sort method. Improve any of the following factors and your rankings in eBay's search results should improve as well. Listing Format Various categories and sub-categories place different weights on the two listing formats under the Best Match algorithm. For example, auction-type listings in the Antiques category get a favorable boost in the search results compared to fixed-priced listings posted in the same category. Conversely, listings with the fixed-price format get increased exposure in the Camera category compared to auction-style listings. This dynamic varies by sub-category, sometimes substantially. Time Remaining Although time remaining used to be the only factor that influenced the default eBay search results, it still carries substantial weight for auction style listings in the Best Match algorithm. Due to the influence of the other factors in the algorithm described in this book, having the listing that is ending the soonest no longer guarantees you the top spot in the search results. It won't even assure of being listed on page one! Time remaining carries the opposite effect for fixed priced listings under the Best Match algorithm – newly listed items receive an initial boost that diminishes over time. Auction Style Time remaining until the auction ends is a significant factor in the Best Match algorithm for listings with the traditional auction style format. Listings ending sooner get a boost in the search rankings over those that close more distant in the future. Additionally, Best Match Best Match Made Simple 12 AuctionInsights.info provides auction style listings increased visibility in certain categories, specifically those in which “multi-quantity listings are not possible [or] not rational.”1 Auction style listings have experienced a renaissance on eBay recently. The Best Match algorithm now provides increased exposure for the format. On average, 60-70% of the listings on the first page of the search results are allocated to auction style listings that are closing soon. That's a significant improvement over the first year of the Best Match. Therefore, one of the simplest ways of optimizing for visibility under Best Match is by simply employing the “old school” auction style listing format and biding your time until the listing is about to close. Fixed Price With the exception of the collectibles categories, eBay calculates something called a “listing performance score” for fixed-priced (Stores Inventory, Buy It Now or BIN) listings. The listing performance score is a ratio determined by the number of sales generated (for multiple quantity listings) divided by the number of times the listing has appeared in eBay's search results. Scoring well for this particular metric positively influences that listings ranking in the search results under Best Match. The listing performance score does not apply to items listed in the collectibles categories (see page 32 for a complete category list). In these categories, newly listed fixed-price listings receive a boost in the search results over similar items that have been listed longer. 1 eBay Developer Blog, “Developer Impact: Recent Sales and Best Match,” http://ebaydeveloper.typepad.com/dev/2008/09/developer-impac.html (September 2008). Best Match Made Simple 13 AuctionInsights.info Demand Data & Relevancy Keywords Keywords are the words that the eBay seller includes in the precious 55 characters of the listing title. These words are used to determine the relevancy and desirability scores of the auction listing. Selecting the right keywords represent the most efficient way to influence your search result ranking in Best Match. Visit the “BayEstimator” on the eBay Labs website to test how your keywords score for a particular search query. Click ► http://labs.ebay.com/raghavgupta/demoto/to Relevancy The relevancy score is determined by historical buyer behavior for a particular search query. For listing titles that are similar to yours, eBay determines how many times in the past those auctions were clicked on, added to watch lists, bid upon, and ultimately resulted in a sale. The more often these bidder activities occurred, the higher the relevancy score for the keywords in a particular auction title. Desirability Another factor influencing eBay's Best Match search results is something termed “desirability.” This is a relatively basic function of supply and demand. If most searchers on eBay using the query “iPod nano” are actually looking for the MP3 player vice iPod accessories (such as chargers or cases), then the demand for listings of Apple MP3 players is high. If most of the listings with the keywords “iPod nano” in the title are actually selling accessories, then the supply of iPod nano MP3 players is low. Best Match Made Simple 14 AuctionInsights.info Auctions where supply is low and demand is high will score well for desirability. Product Information Shipping and Handling Quoted in the New York Times Technology Blog, John Donohoe, the CEO of eBay, made it clear that shipping and handing fees and shipping methods influence a listing's rankings in the Best Match search results. He said, “Sellers that provide reasonable and fast shipping, even free shipping will rise to the top.”2 With the October 2009 changes to Best Match, eBay clarified that fixed-price listings offering free shipping receive a boost in the search results while both auction style and fixed-priced listings that charge what eBay defines as unreasonable shipping and handling charges will receive reduced visibility. Item Specifics Item Specifics are another product information factor influencing Best Match. These are the details sellers have the opportunity to provide when they list their product for sale on eBay. For example, a listing in the Book category might provide the seller the ability to enter details such as hard cover or paperback; new or used; fiction or non-fiction; year published; etc. The Item Specifics function varies by category and may duplicate information the seller has included in the listing's description. Taking the time to submit this data allows eBay's software to know specific information about the item in a format the site can use to help potential bidders find your listing. 2 Saul Hansell, John Donahoe’s Plan to Save eBay: Better Search, http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/johndonahoes-plan-to-save-ebay-better-search/?ref=technology (January 2008). Best Match Made Simple 15 AuctionInsights.info Trust Factors Seller Performance A significant factor influencing your rankings in Best Match is your performance as a seller quantified and evaluated by the feedback and Detailed Seller Ratings (DSR's) left by eBay users who have made purchases from you in the past. DSR's are evaluated over a 12-month period unless the seller has had 400 more transactions over the most recent 3 calender months. In which case, the most recent 3 complete calender months comprise the DSR evaluation period. The quality standards become more strict in April 2010. Until then, the following criteria are used to evaluate seller performance. Failing to meet any of these metrics will result in lowered visibility in the Best Match search results: ● No greater than 3% of transactions rated as 1's or 2's for the metric Item As Described. ● No greater than 4% of transactions rated as 1's or 2's for Communication, Shipping Time, or Shipping and Handling Charges. eBay has established a minimum number of instances for these penalties to take effect. That means if you are a low volume seller, it will take a minimum of three transactions rated as 1's or 2's in Item As Described and four instances in the other categories before a you start seeing your listings fall in the search result. As of April 2010, the following are the minimum quality standards sellers must meet in order to not be disadvantaged in eBay's search results: ● No greater than 1% of transactions rated as 1's or 2's for the metric Item As Described. Best Match Made Simple 16 AuctionInsights.info ● No greater than 2% of transactions rated as 1's or 2's for Communication, Shipping Time, or Shipping and Handling Charges. Again, the three instance (of 1's or 2's) threshold applies to low-volume sellers for the Item As Described DSR and four instances for the other DSR metrics. To view your Detailed Seller Ratings, login to eBay and visit: ► http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?SellerDashboard Note: As of Sept 2009, eBay requires sellers to have at least 10 DSR's over the previous 12months in order to access the seller dashboard. Also, according to eBay, “sellers with excessive claims, [and] negative or neutral feedback ... may receive lowered search standing.”3 “Top-Rated Sellers” who meet volume and quality thresholds will receive increased exposure in eBay's search results for fixed-price listings. Conclusion Best Match represents a fundamental shift in the eBay marketplace. Understanding Best Match is important because your eBay listings can be rewarded or punished in the search result listings based on the factors listed above. Sellers who adapt to these changes can see marked improvements in their online sales. 3 eBay Seller Update: July 2009, http://pages.ebay.com/sell/July2009Update/faq/index.html (Oct 2009). Best Match Made Simple 17 AuctionInsights.info Product + Traffic + Conversions = Profit The title of this sidebar outlines the simple formula to online success. You've taken the time to download and read this eBook because you want to increase traffic (visitors) to your auction listings by mastering every aspect of the eBay Best Match algorithm you can control. Product + Traffic + Conversions = Profit While the formula is simple in concept, it's sometimes difficult to execute. It's easy to get overly focused on one variable of the formula such as driving traffic to your listings, while neglecting the other aspects that significantly influence online profits. While this book's focus is on increasing traffic through Best Match optimization, I'll be sprinkling insights and recommended resources I use for improving each factor affecting the profit equation. Product – Successful internet sellers make money their money when they buy – not when they sell. Profitable product sourcing involves researching and discovering niches in which there is sufficient demand to support your entry into a market that is also under-served by professional sellers who can market their products well. It also involves finding credible and reliable sources for these products at wholesale prices – not a simple task for the uninitiated. Traffic – Best Match Optimization only one way to increase traffic to your auctions. Independent sellers don't depend on eBay to drive Best Match Made Simple 18 AuctionInsights.info customers to their listings. They take matters in their own hands. Conversions – What happens when the potential buyers arrive at your auctions. Do they bid, or hit the back button? The appearance of your listings is often all the potential bidder has to judge your credibility as a seller. By presenting a professional image in your auctions, you can significantly increase your sales. Best Match Made Simple 19 AuctionInsights.info Steal These Ideas! I invite you to spread the word about Best Match Made Simple: 1. Send this file to a friend. 2. Send them a link to: www.AuctionInsights.info/bestmatchbook 3. Print out as many copies as you would like. Best Match Made Simple 20 AuctionInsights.info Chapter 2. Introducing Best Match and Best Match Optimization Best Match is eBay's new default search and sort algorithm. It is fundamentally different than the way search results were presented to potential bidders browsing the auction site during eBay's first decade of existence. Unfortunately, for many sellers accustomed to success under the old search method, Best Match has had significant negative impact on their sales. For those sellers nimble enough to adjust and adapt to the new paradigm, Best Match actually results in increased sales. These are the sellers that have learned to optimize their eBay listings for maximum exposure under the Best Match algorithm. How Things Used To Work Until recently, eBay served up search results in a very straight forward manner. It would: 1. Look at the keywords entered by the buyer 2. Look at the keywords of every listing on the site 3. Return only the listings that had 100% of the keywords entered by the buyer 4. Sort the listings by “time remaining”4 Previously, by default, results were sorted by listing end times, with the auctions that were ending the soonest appearing at the top of the search results. This method provided parity for all listings, as all of them eventually worked their way to the top spot of eBay’s search results. All an auction seller needed to do to appear at the top of the search results was: (1) anticipate what search terms potential bidders might enter in the eBay search box, (2) include those keywords in their auction title, and (3) wait until their listing's end time approached. 4 Adam Nash, eBay Rolls Out Best Match, http://blog.adamnash.com/2008/01/21/ebay-rolls-out-best-match-in-earnest/ (January 2008). Best Match Made Simple 21 AuctionInsights.info The good news was that everybody got their turn on the first page of the search results as the time remaining in their listing ticked towards closing time. The bad news was that the seller could not count on the user to employ a search query that included the same exact keywords that they had put in their listing's title. eBay’s Best Match search results are supposed to serve up results that are relevant to the buyer according to historical buyer behavior – regardless of what search query the bidder used. Best Match is also designed to encourage selling practices eBay feels improve the buying experience – such as offering low shipping and handling fees and excellent customer service. According to a post announcing the feature: “Using this sort won’t change which listings are returned, it only changes the order in which listings are presented. No listings will be added or removed when [sorted] by Best Match.“ Additionally, “[Best Match] actually learns and never stops learning. … [It] learns from aggregated buyers’ activity over time and accordingly adjusts product rankings. … Product rankings are dependent on what buyers are looking for and clicking on.”5 Best Match’s Impact on Sellers Unfortunately for many sellers, their listings aren’t ever making it to the first page of the search results under eBay’s Best Match algorithm. Look at the two screen shots below. They both show the search results obtained when the bidder searches eBay using the phrase “Guitar Hero III Controller.” The first screen shot is sorted by time, with ending soonest at the top of the search results. 5 Esteban Kozak, Introducing Best Match: A new sort option based on relevance, http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa? threadID=2000241408&tstart=0&mod=12102327081479 (October 2006). Best Match Made Simple 22 AuctionInsights.info This was the default search and sort method until recently and displays listings as you would normally expect. The top listing closes in 9 minutes. The next listing closes in 15 minutes, followed by one that ends in 16 minutes, etc. Every listing gets their turn on the first page, and every listing eventually gets their turn at the top of that page. Now look at the same search results sorted under the Best Match method: Best Match Made Simple 23 AuctionInsights.info Under Best Match, the auctions closing in under 19 minutes are nowhere to be found. In fact the listing that occupies the number 3 position closes in 2 hours and 33 minutes! The listing in the number 7 position doesn't close even for almost another 9 hours! What's the difference between the auctions that occupy positions in the top ten of the search results for an 8 hours period and the auctions that will never make it to page one? The answer to that question is the purpose of this book. Why Is This Important? If a seller’s auctions aren’t making it to the first page of the search results: ● Buyers aren’t clicking through to their listings; ● So, the listings aren't receiving bids; and ● The items aren’t selling, or are selling for less than they normally would. One seller reported on the eBay message board that over the first weekend of Best Match as the default search and sort method on eBay, page views for their auction listings were down over 60% based on statistics collected from their hit counters. Best Match Is About Business eBay is quick to claim that Best Match is about improving the buyer experience. Sellers are quick to claim that Best Match is about crushing the “little guy.” The truth of the matter is unsurprising. Raghav Gupta, the developer who created eBay’s Best Match algorithm wrote on his eBay Labs web page, “when used appropriately, this capability [eBay’s Best Match] will open doors to significant revenue opportunities, not just for eBay, but also for the vast network of affiliate developers.”6 6 Raghav Gupta, Relevance Sort, http://labs.ebay.com/raghavgupta/ (Accessed January 2008). Best Match Made Simple 24 AuctionInsights.info Same Name - Different “Best Match” The auction site employed a search algorithm called Best Match on eBay eXpress a while back that was, by many accounts, a miserable failure. Sellers frustrated with the current situation are quick to question why eBay would employ Best Match on the main site when it was such a disaster before. But as Raghav Gupta points out, this Best Match is a completely different system. He said: “It’s disappointing that the name 'Best Match' was ultimately chosen for describing the sort by relevance functionality on the main site, in particular because it has nothing to do with the 'Best Matches' mechanism used in eBay eXpress. The two do not share the same algorithm, the same code, or the same implementation…except the name.” 7 Introducing Best Match Optimization The Best Match algorithm considers many things when calculating the sort order in the search results pages. Some things are beyond the seller’s control. Other factors, the seller can influence - and exert significant influence at that. These include their reputation as a seller, the listing format, shipping prices & methods, and the keywords included in the listing’s title. This book will help you identify those factors and use them to increase your eBay profits. Score The Most Points Think of your listing as a competitor in a sporting league. The team with the most points rises to the top of the league standings. Similarly, in Best Match, the listings with the most points rise to the top of the search results for a particular query. Your objective is to score the most points without cheating. 7 Ibid. Best Match Made Simple 25 AuctionInsights.info Points are awarded or deducted for various aspects of the listing, including: ✔ Your auction-style listing accrues points automatically as it gets closer to the time the auction ends. ✔ Your multiple quantity fixed price listing scores points for sales relative to the number of times it has been exposed to eBay visitors in the search results.. ✔ Your listing loses points if you have accumulated several 1s or 2s in the Detailed Seller Ratings – especially for the “Item as Described” category. ✔ Your fixed-price listing gains points of you meet the sales volume and seller quality thresholds to qualify as a “Top Rated Seller.” ✔ Your listing gains or loses points depending on your shipping and handing fees. ✔ Your listing gains points if you can identify and include certain keywords in your title. ✔ Your listing gains points if demand is high for what you are selling compared to the number of listings for that particular item. Best Match and You The competitive eBay seller views Best Match as an opportunity. This change is new to everyone and impacts everyone equally. The good news is that you can use this to your advantage if you are willing to take the effort. There are no hacks or schemes in this book. If you want to optimize your listings to make the most of Best Match, it involves a four-letter word: W – O – R – K. Therein lies your competitive advantage. If you are willing to do some work and learn the system, you will have a significant leg up on the 98 percent of other eBay sellers who won't. Best Match Made Simple 26 AuctionInsights.info A Word About Product Sourcing After you've cleaned out the closets, the attic and the garage and sold it all on eBay, it's probably time for you to research sources of wholesale products and goods. If that's the case, AuctionInsights offers a FREE, searchable database of wholesalers and drop shippers that you might find helpful. Click ► http://auctioninsights.info/wholesale Best Match Made Simple 27 AuctionInsights.info Steal These Ideas! I invite you to spread the word about Best Match Made Simple: 4. Send this file to a friend. 5. Send them a link to: www.AuctionInsights.info/bestmatchbook 6. Print out as many copies as you would like. Best Match Made Simple 28 AuctionInsights.info Chapter 3. Listing Type: Auction or Fixed Price The listing format you choose, traditional auction or fixed price (Stores Inventory, “Buy it Now” or BIN), has an impact on the listing's position in the Best Match search results sort order. Some factors, such as time remaining until auction close, influence auction style listings but don't impact fixed price listings. Conversely, some Best Match factors influence BIN listings, such as recent sales, that don't affect auction listings. Additionally, some categories actually favor fixed price listings over the auction style and vice-versa. This chapter will identify these different variables and explain how the seller can use them to their advantage to rank highly in the Best Match search results. Auction Style Listings The auction style listing is the classic bidder-controlled pricing format which eBay started with back in the early days of the internet. Along with trust factors (chapter 4), relevancy (chapter 6), and item information (chapter 5), time ending soonest is a significant factor in determining ranking the the Best Match algorithm for auctions. This means that listings closing in the near future are ranked higher than auction style listings for similar items closing later in time (assuming the other factors such as product information and trust factors are equal). Because sales activity provides no advantage to this particular format, auction style listings are best when you have limited inventory of a particular item for sale. Additionally, Best Match provides auction style listings an advantage in certain categories, specifically those in which “multi-quantity listings are not possible and not rational.”8 Collectibles and antiques are clearly examples categories that fit this description. 8 eBay Developer Blog, “Developer Impact: Recent Sales and Best Match” Best Match Made Simple 29 AuctionInsights.info On average, auction style listings comprise 70% of the listings on the first page of the Best Match search results. This is a significant figure indicating that the auction format is the simplest way to gain visibility under Best Match – if you don't mind waiting until the listing is about to close before you earn that exposure. Including a Buy It Now price on your auction can you help you take advantage of the exposure that comes naturally with the auction listing format while attracting customers who were in the market to buy your product yet not interested in the bidding and waiting associated with auctions. Fixed Price Listings The fixed price format includes those listings such as “Buy it Now” and Stores inventory where the final selling price of an item is determined by the seller (as opposed to auctions where the bidder activity determines the final sale price). The factors used to determine the ranking (sort order) of a fixed price listing “include (but [are] not limited to) relevance of the title and category, total price (price plus shipping), the listing's recent sales and seller DSRs.”9 Contrasted with the auction style format, fixed price listings are influenced by the item's price and sales history. Contrary to auctions, where listings that are about to end receive a benefit under the Best Match algorithm, fixed-priced listings receive a boost when they are newly listed. This advantage diminishes as the listing gets older. Quantity (listing a single item or multiple items) is irrelevant to receive this initial boost in exposure. Top-rated sellers enjoy increased visibility in the Best Match search results for their fixed-price listings. This advantage does not apply to Top-rated sellers' auction style listings. 9 Ibid. Best Match Made Simple 30 AuctionInsights.info Multi-Quantity Listing Overview When a seller has a stockpile of inventory of a specific product for sale, it's often advantageous to list in the multi-quantity, fixed price format. This format allows the items to be listed for up to 30 days at a time for the same low insertion fee of 35 cents (lower in some categories). Sales accumulated by that listing relative to the number of times it has appeared in the search results (a metric called the listing performance score – explained below) can provide an advantage in the Best Match search result rankings. Here's an example of a multiple quantity listing. I recently found some salad plates my wife needed to complete her collection of Christmas china. The seller had more than ten available for sale at a fixed price. After I bought the four pieces my wife needed, the listing remained active because the seller still had inventory remaining. Improve Your Listing Performance Score and Improve Your Ranking With the exception of the collectibles categories, eBay calculates something called a “listing performance score” for fixed-priced listings. The listing performance score is a ratio Best Match Made Simple 31 AuctionInsights.info determined by the number of recent sales generated (for multiple quantity listings) divided by the number of times the listing has appeared in eBay's search results. Scoring well for this particular metric positively influences that listings ranking in the search results under Best Match. The listing performance score does not apply to items listed in the collectibles categories (see below for a complete category list). In these categories, newly listed fixed-price listings receive a boost in the search results over similar items that have been listed longer. Categories In Which Listing Performance Scores Do Not Apply ● Art ● Antiques ● Coins & Paper Money ● Collectibles ● Dolls & Bears ● Pottery & Glass ● Toys & Hobbies ● Stamps ● Sports Memorabilia ● Cards & Fan Shop ● Entertainment Memorabilia Best Match Made Simple 32 AuctionInsights.info For listings in these collectible categories, “fixed-price listings will not be sorted by listing performance score but by recency of listing to keep the freshest inventory at the top of the search results.”10 Calculating the Listing Performance Score – An Example The formula for calculating a Listing Performance Score is as follows: number of sales ÷ number of impressions An “impression” occurs any time a buyer (or the seller) sees a search results page that includes the listing. If the listing in the image below is presented to 100 different visitors using eBay's search during the course of a day, then that particular listing accumulates 100 impressions. (Duplicate searches by the same user do not count as multiple impressions.) Therefore if the Guitar Hero listing above garners 5 sales for every 100 impressions, it's listing performance score is 5%. That's a higher score than a similar listing that earns 5 sales for every 1,000 impressions – a listing performance score of 0.5%. All other Best Match factors being equal, the fixed-price listing with the higher listing performance score will rank higher in the search results. Therefore, improving your listing performance score should be part of your strategy for Best Match optimization. 10 eBay.com, “Seller update: September 2009,” http://pages.ebay.com/sell/July2009Update/Details/, July 2009. Best Match Made Simple 33 AuctionInsights.info Listing Performance Score: What Have Done For Me Lately? In addition to the above factors influencing your Listing Performance Score, this metric is a weighted and moving average. According to eBay, “the more recent your sales and impressions are, the more they will count towards your score. So today's listing performance counts more than yesterday's, and yesterday's more than the day before.”11 Listing Performance Scores Carry-Over When You Re-list If you've still got inventory available at the end of the listing period for a multi-quantity listing, you can re-list and maintain any listing performance score advantage you may have earned. To qualify, you must not: ● Change the category ● Change the condition from specified to unspecified ● Change the item description You can make the following changes to a listing without penalty: ● Change the item's price ● Add to the item's description (leaving the original description intact) ● Change the duration ● Change the title ● Add, delete, or change any listing enhancements ● Convert listing format from auction style to fixed price 11 Ibid. Best Match Made Simple 34 AuctionInsights.info Chis Dawson reported on the TameBay blog that had a multi-quantity, fixed price listing that had earned its way to the first page of the search results by the time it closed through recent sales. “[He] re-listed the item with one edit, changing from a 10 day to a 30 day listing, and within a minute, the new listing was back in the same position (currently eighth from the top of the page out of 892 listings).”12 Conversely, a poor listing performance score carries over when you re-list. If you determine your title or price is impacting your sales, it's best to create a new listing completely than to make changes and re-list your existing listing. (Click “Sell Similar” vice “Re-list”.) If you want the exposure benefits of a new fixed-price listing, it needs to be a new listing. Simply clicking the re-list button won't earn you the initial boost in exposure that the Best Match algorithm affords new fixed priced listings. You'll have to click the “Sell Similar” button and start fresh. Tips to Improve Your Listing Performance Score Recall the formula for the listing performance score: sales divided by impressions. To increase this score, a seller needs only to: ● Decrease the number of impressions while holding sales constant; ● Increase the number of sales while holding impressions constant; ● Or a combination of the above. 12 Chis Dawson, TameBay Blog, “Recent Sales and Auction/BIN Mix,” http://www.tamebay.com/2008/09/recent-sales-andauctionbin-mix.html, September 2008. Best Match Made Simple 35 AuctionInsights.info Decrease Impressions Specific and relevant titles are more important than ever. If your title is too broad, it will show up (initially at least) in a lot of search results for a variety of queries. Many of those potential bidders might not be looking for what you are selling – generating numerous impressions without many corresponding sales. For example, while the title below may show up frequently in the results for “new iPod Nano” searches, it probably won’t be generating many sales — at least not for those buyers who actually wanted a new iPod Nano. Like NEW MP3 PLAYER better than IPOD NANO However, if the listing title were more accurate and included something like “Used 2GB Sansa Clip MP3 Player,” it might generate fewer impressions (due to a lower number of searches for that specific item), but it would probably have an excellent ratio of sales per impression and a higher listing performance score. While casting a wide net used to be a good strategy to garner bids, sellers who want to perform well in the listing performance score now need to be more focused. Increase Sales While Keeping Impressions Low As explained above, the listing performance score is a ratio calculated by your sales divided by impressions. There are two ways of increasing this ratio: ● Increase the numerator (sales) ● Decrease the denominator (impressions) But how do you garner sales without increasing impressions? - By bypassing the eBay search results completely! Best Match Made Simple 36 AuctionInsights.info Send potential bidders straight to your auction listings. How? Link straight to your listings on your web site, Facebook page, blog, emails, Twitter account, and/or business card. AuctionInsights offers a free tool to accomplish this task called AuctionLink (http://www.auctionlink.to). It’s a short web address that links to a page of your current eBay listings – without creating impressions that count against your listing performance score. Increase Recent Sales In order to get the boost in Best Match for listing performance score you obviously need to have made some sales recently. While I don't normally recommend spending the money to purchase listing upgrades, in this scenario it can be a good, short term investment designed to help you get to the first page of the eBay search results. Once a listing has earned its way to the first page organically, sellers often find that they can cut back on, or drop the listing upgrades all together and still maintain their listing performance score by virtue of their first page exposure. Featured First Featured First is a paid listing enhancement available only to Top-rated sellers that will allow your listing the opportunity to be displayed at the top of the first page of the search results, regardless of the listing's merits under the Best Match algorithm. There are a limited number positions available for Featured First listings in the “featured area” at the top of the results page. The number of positions vary by category – between two and five. If there are more listings that have the Featured First option for a particular search query than there are slots available, only that number are randomly chosen for display – so there is no guarantee that a particular listing will be shown. Best Match Made Simple 37 AuctionInsights.info Featured First is an expensive listing enhancement - $24.95 for up to 10 days and $74.95 for up to 30 days. eBay limits this feature to Top-rated sellers (see Chapter 4). However, this tactic could backfire if the listing is generating a significant number of impressions under the upgrade without recording an adequate number of corresponding sales. These impressions are included in the listing performance score and could negatively impact the listing's visibility when the product is not displayed in the featured area (due to multiple listings in the rotation) or after the period of the listing enhancement expires. Best Offer Best Offer is a great way to kick start your way to an improved listing performance score. By including the Best Offer enhancement, sellers are permitting potential buyers to email them with offers for their product that are below the asking price in the listing. Sellers then have the option to accept or decline the offer. Accepting a few Best Offers for a slight loss is an excellent strategy to build up a sales advantage and can be cheaper than purchasing Featured First. Including the Best Offer enhancement is free. Some sellers employ Best Offer to great success in conjunction with email marketing lists they maintain with former and potential customers. First, they list a product for sale with the Best Offer option. They then notify their subscribers of the listing – providing a link directly to the listing in order to keep impressions low – informing them that they will accept offers of a specified amount for a week or some other limited period. Any corresponding sales provide an immediate boost to the listing's rankings in the Best Match search results due to high sales relative to low impressions in the search results. Chris Dawson from TameBay suggests the following additional tactics when using Best Offer:13 13 Dawson, TameBay Blog, “Make an offer and get it for less on eBay,” http://www.tamebay.com/2008/12/make-an-offerand-get-it-for-less-on-ebay.html, December 10, 2008. Best Match Made Simple 38 AuctionInsights.info 1. Make sure you have auto-accept/decline on all listings that have Best Offer on. The auto-accept should be set at the level that you’d be willing to accept for a single item. The auto-decline should be set at the lowest level you’d accept for a multiple item purchase. From then on you’ll only have to manually accept or decline offers that fall between the two levels. 2. Once you have an item showing well in Best Match [due to listing performance score] either remove Best Offer (or remove it when you re-list), or adjust the levels for auto-accept/decline. Auction or Fixed Price: Selecting a Format According to eBay:14 Use the Auction-style format when: ● You're unsure of the value of your item and want to sell right away, allowing the eBay Marketplace to determine its value. ● You have unique and hard-to-find items that could attract demand and spur a bidding war, maximizing profits from your listing. ● You are currently using Auction-style format listings, and you have a high sell-through rate (your items typically sell the first time you list them). Choose Fixed Price when: ● You have multiple items that you can place into one listing. ● You know the value of your item or know the exact price you need to get for it. ● You have a lot of inventory and want to minimize your upfront Insertion Fees. ● You want your items to be available to buyers for more than 7 days. 14 eBay.com, “Seller update: September 2009.” Best Match Made Simple 39 AuctionInsights.info Conclusion Whether you knew it or not, the type of listing format you choose has an effect on your ranking in the Best Match algorithm. Auctions are good when you have a limited inventory or are listing in categories with a number of unique items for sale. Fixed price listings are beneficial when the seller has multiple items for sale and in categories which boast numerous listings of identical products. The listing performance score is a Best Match variable that influences a multiple quantity fixed-price listings' ranking in the search results. The savvy seller can influence the listing performance score by increasing sales while keeping impressions low. AuctionLink (http://www.auctionlink.to), a free tool from AuctionInsights, can be beneficial in this regard. Best Match Made Simple 40 AuctionInsights.info Product Sourcing Part II What is Product Sourcing? Product Sourcing simply means “Finding products to sell through your business.” This, of course, refers to buying products at a real wholesale price, and selling them online for a profit. Product Sourcing is something that truly successful internet sellers take seriously; it's a cornerstone of their success. What does proper Product Sourcing do for my online business? Among other things, eBay is a wonderful eCommerce marketplace. It's a tremendous business opportunity for very little cost. Many sellers start small on eBay, then go on to earn truly impressive fulltime incomes. However, many people starting out run into issues they don't understand and then give up because they don't have the information they need to manage an eBay business competitively. If you dream of owning a successful online business, you CAN do it. There are a few things you really need to understand, though, and Product Sourcing is one of them. Doing your Product Sourcing properly does several things for you and your eBay business: ● ● Allows you to earn the highest possible profit margins Allows you to be flexible in the products you offer to your potential Best Match Made Simple 41 AuctionInsights.info ● customers Allows you to effectively compete with other Seller's prices Remember that eBay is a very price-driven market – especially since Best Match was placed into production. If you're not doing your Product Sourcing properly, you'll find that there are many other online sellers who offer the same products you do, but at lower prices. You won't be able to compete with them. Those sellers who offer lower prices ARE making a profit. The difference is that they are probably paying less for the products they sell because they understand how to Source Products the right way. There's a great little eBook written by the product sourcing editor for eBay radio that breaks down all the all the levels of product sourcing and how different methods impact your online business. Did I mention it's FREE? Free Download: Click ► http://auctioninsights.info/ProductSourcing (Don't worry, it's not a sales pitch – just 36 pages of great information!) Best Match Made Simple 42 AuctionInsights.info Chapter 4. Trust Factors eBay places a premium on maintaining and improving the positive buying experience. Their continued existence depends on reducing the amount of fraud that is associated with the site. One method to achieve this end is found in the Best Match algorithm. eBay has developed and instituted metrics such as Feedback scores, Detailed Seller Ratings, and Buyer Satisfaction Ratings to identify sellers who are doing well and those that aren't providing the kind of buying experience they desire to foster. Accordingly, Best Match rewards reputable sellers – specifically “Top-rated Sellers” – with increased visibility in the search results and provides incentives for poor sellers to improve. Seller Performance According to eBay, “Sellers with excessive claims, negative or neutral feedback, or transactions with low DSRs below the new minimum standard for all sellers may receive lowered search standing, possible lim