Why, when and how to implement seller rating on your marketplace?

Our expert speaking today is Guillaume Bienfait, Product Owner at Marjory. Having participated in a large number of marketplace projects, for example, La Redoute, or the creation of the Leroy Merlin marketplace, Guillaume has a great deal of expertise in the implementation of marketplaces.

Today, Guillaume offers you his advice on how to set up the rating of your marketplace sellers. In particular, he answers the questions why, when and how to set up this rating. 

What is the purpose of rating sellers on a marketplace?

First of all, seller is a tool that allows your marketplace visitors to gauge the user experience they can expect when buying on your platform. It is the equivalent of digital word of mouth, allowing customers to verify the quality of the seller’s service. 

For sellers on your marketplace, having good reviews is necessary. Indeed, 85% of Internet users read reviews before buying online and 91% even consider customer reviews to be #1 factor in the purchasing act. 

Seller rating will focus on 2 important steps in the customer experience: tracking and delivery information, product compliance with the description available on the platform and finally, in case of a problem with the order, after-sales service. 

Why implement a seller on a marketplace?

In addition to having a major impact on customer confidence in your marketplace, ratings are also useful in selecting the sellers and products offered on your site. 

In the case of a marketplace where the sellers are self-boarded, for example at Amazon, the rating can still be used to control product selection, but also to “sort” the sellers. 

When is it most advisable to integrate the service?

It is important to choose the right timing. It can be counterproductive to launch the display of customer reviews too early in the life of your marketplace. 

Ideally, you should give yourself time to validate the business processes before opening the reviews, so that you have time to manage the first iterations of your project when launching your MVP. 

Another strategy is to wait until a seller has reached a certain number of orders before posting feedback. This gives the seller a chance to fine-tune the service. 

How can I integrate this service?

In order to integrate a seller rating service into your marketplace, you first need to surround yourself with the right people. You need to choose partners who offer verified customer reviews in order to obtain “objective” and useful reviews for your platform. 

Technically, this depends on the maturity of your project. If you have an e-commerce website in place with a complex information system (for example with a front office, a marketplace framework and a CRM), it is recommended that you work with partners who will simplify the integration. 

Points to remember: 

Do you have a question about your marketplace project? Don't hesitate to contact Marjory's team!

See you soon with new advice, 

The Marketplace Experts