Aug
13
Sellers are Concerned About eBay’s “Best Match” Search Results
Filed Under Best Match, Industry News & Analysis
Update: Download the FREE eBook Best Match Made Simple
In an attempt to improve the buying experience, eBay announced the “Best Match” sorting option in the Search & Browse results. Best Match is designed to sort the auction listings returned from a search query based on relevance vice “Ending Soonest” or “Lowest Price” criteria. In its original concept, buyers using this feature were to be presented with a list of results sorted algorithmically based on the “item’s title and description, plus past buyer behavior for similar searches.”
Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, announced a significant chance to the Best Match sorting criteria at eBay Live earlier this summer during the event’s keynote address. He said, “eBay will begin serving up Best Match results by seller quality instead of strictly relevance. …eBay will give preference to listings in Best Match sorts by PowerSeller status and selling track record.” Some industry watchers see a connection between the recently introduced “Detailed Seller Ratings” associated with Feedback 2.o and this relevance algorithm.
So, here lies the rub. Under Best Match, PowerSellers’ listings move to the top of the search results — no matter when the auction closes or the current bid price. Small sellers’ listings are pushed to the bottom of the search results and may never peculate to the first page. If Best Match becomes the default sorting method for searches as many sellers fear (despite promises to keep it optional), eBay will no longer be a viable venue for the small auction seller.
I understand eBay’s quest to improve the buyer’s experience. We sell on eBay because that is where the bidders are. When sellers complain and threaten boycotts due to increased fees, restrictive policies, or some technical change they don’t like, they always come back — because they can’t sell where there are no buyers.
This move improves the buying experience and may help protect bidders from fraud by funneling auction shoppers to sellers that have well established reputations — but at what cost? If this becomes the default sorting mechanism on eBay’s search results, there would be little point for the small seller to bother listing on the auction site at all. This could significantly reduce the number of listings on eBay and impact listing fee revenues, hurting the company’s bottom line. I guess this depends on what’s important to eBay — the buying experience or the profit margin. I’m betting on the money.
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One Response to “Sellers are Concerned About eBay’s “Best Match” Search Results”
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what is the default sorting method now? I am pretty sure it’s “Newly Listed” and anyone with half a brain either switches it to “lowest price first” or “ending soonest.” I don’t think the change would ruin smaller sellers. I bought a small thing from someone with a -3 feedback score last week, and I’m sure people hunting for bargains will continue hunting for bargains even if the default search method is tweaked a bit against bargain hunting.
Personally I think incorporating seller reputation into the Best Match search is a great idea (whether or not it works great in practice remains to be seen). I’ve long advocated showing the seller’s feedback percentage and score in the search results next to an item. If I’m trying to buy a new laptop or PDA (something that costs a substantial amount) I am simply not going to buy it from someone with (for example) 96.2% positive or from someone with a total feedback score of 116. I don’t think I am unusual in that, and so it’s a waste of my time to click a dozen links to auctions sold by low/bad feedback sellers. With Best Match, supposedly, I won’t waste my time anymore. It would be better if they just showed the seller’s feedback and score in the search results, but this should work just as well.
This system, in my case, would save me time when trying to buy a laptop or PDA or anything else that costs a lot, and would keep me from getting frustrated and just going to a local store or (more likely) a reputable website that sells the same product(s). Since that sale would be made on eBay instead of buy.com, eBay would make more money, not less.
And there are a certain, not insignificant, amount of spendy eBay users who are web-illiterate, who, once defrauded on eBay, will no longer shop on eBay. Such users basically search and blindly click on the first link that shows up (like a drunk staggering and blundering his way up to a bar, heeding nothing in his path), so it is very wise of eBay to “funnel” (as you say) those users to legitimate sellers.