Is Etsy’s Star Seller Badge Worth it?
You are a busy mom, student, or father (yes, Etsy is for the guys too!) and you also have an Etsy shop. With limited time, should you worry about the new “Star Seller Badge” roll out? Unless you’ve been living on a strict internet diet with very little social media use, you have probably heard the buzz or should I say ROAR this latest Etsy update has caused.
It’s another measure of your shop that your potential customers can see and unlike the “Best Seller” badge which is placed on a listing, this one feels like a direct judgement of you as a seller.
Any Etsy seller will tell you that it takes work to get consistent sales and good shop reviews. For many who are already struggling to understand the ins and outs of the Etsy platform, it feels like the rules were changed mid race.
On the flip side, there are sellers who have viral products or items that practically sell themselves (and in bulk quantities no mind you), who are happy to report they have their Star Seller Badge and it was SO easy! A further blow to the average Etsy seller’s ego.
The confusion and worry is palpable. It can be so easy to get caught up in feeling “not good enough” in the race to the Star Seller Badge. As a handmade crafter you already have to overcome those feelings of imposter syndrome to get the courage to open a shop and list your items in the first place. If you feel this badge has been more a trigger than a help, you aren’t alone!
For more on how to deal with imposter syndrome and how to gain confidence in your products click read my article Loose the fear and gain confidence as a handmade seller.
So what is the purpose of the Star Seller Badge and how does it work? Etsy states the purpose is to recognized those sellers who have provided great customer service OVER A LONG TERM PERIOD. To read directly from Etsy and for the most up to date metrics see this article:
How to Become a Star Seller – Etsy Help
As of the time of this article, this is what Etsy’s star seller dashboard looks like:
Etsy will keep statistics on your shop over a period of 3 months. There are 5 categories Etsy is keeping track of:
1. Message Response Rate
Replying to INITIAL customer messages within 24 hours. That means if a brand new message is being sent to you, that is the one etsy wants you to respond to within 24 hours. They aren’t monitoring messages after that.
TIP: Set up a auto responder or download the Etsy Seller app so you can respond to those first messages fast. Also, if it’s spam (requesting free products, etc) mark it as such.
2. 5 Star Ratings
You don’t have control of if a customer will take the time to review the item they purchased or not, but one thing you can count on is that two types of customers are for sure going to go out of their way to leave a review: a very happy customer and a very upset customer. Make sure you take the time to evaluate what type of customer experience you are providing.
TIP: Review your product photos, description, and ship time. Are these all accurate? Is all the information there so that the customer doesn’t experience any surprises when they get their item?
3. On Time Shipping And Tracking
I blame Amazon for this one, but in reality this is a standard most retailers are judged by. Your customer wants their item on time. I mentioned this in the review section above, but it is also measured again as it’s own separate metric, which tells you it’s pretty important.
TIP: If you don’t have tracking on your orders, consider if there is a way you can roll the cost of it into the price of your item. It makes for happier buyers, can protect you in some instances, and Etsy has a slick built in label purchasing system that will automatically update your items as shipped so you don’t have to.
4. Orders
You will need at least 10 orders over the three months. That’s just over 3 orders a month. This seems easy enough but
TIP: Include a coupon code for return buyers.
5. Sales
You will need at least $300 in sales for the month.
TIP: Consider bundling some items or including a higher ticket item in your shop.
Conclusion
My advice is that you should consider the Star Seller Badge as something strictly for the customer. From the customers point of view, the Star Seller Badge helps instill confidence in making that first purchase from a shop they have no experience with. It’s social proof that you are making a “safe” purchase.
As a seller, worrying about the star seller badge can turn into a huge stumbling block that lowers your mindset, your productivity, and keeps you from tasks that will actually have an impact on growing your shop.
Make your goal to provide great customer service along with a great product and the Star Seller Badge will come organically to your shop.
I Want To Hear From You!
LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW ANSWERING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIOSN:
1.How has your experience been with earning the Star Seller Badge (Or not earning it-that’s ok too!).
2. What tips would you have include in this article?