I really can't relate to this article, and just do not believe the figures related to DSRs and 'Best Match' being the best thing since sliced bread. I am sure that current eBay mgt live in lala land. None of what they do follows any marketing rules whatsoever, and I've been in mktg a LONG time!
eBay is running people off their site - sellers, buyers. We (I head up an eBay group of over 7,000 members, as well as off-eBay) are all finding places elsewhere, and as they pick up, we're gone.
I had to resort to pleading with buyers to give me full 5 stars, and HATE having to do that. I've long worked in business and know that people WILL NOT usually give 5 stars unless something is EXCEPTIONAL. So, what I'm saying is that 5 stars mean NOTHING. Those that don't want to give me 5 stars, just don't do the feedback thing. So my rating doesn't go down ... even if it might be that I deserve it! I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, as they say, you can easily work around things. Buyer realize this. Noone used to look at feedback to buy, or rarely, and DSRs are a complete mystery to many. I teach selling online. So can speak with authority on this!
'Best Match' is a farce.
TOTALLY.
I can't use it to search for what I want AT ALL. It does not suit my purposes, nor any of the thousands of sellers I know. It MIGHT work for iPods, but it's a complete hinderance in the 'art' category. eBay outright LIES when it says, do this or that for better level in BM search - it's BS! I have thousands of feedback. One negative in 2001. Five stars, Raised rating. And with one hour to go, I'm on page 3 of BM in my specific art area. On page one is 'newbies' with 30 stars and 3 or more DAYS left on their listings. Art cannot be categorized by BM. It's ridiculous. My taste in art is not what comes up in BM, and even if it did, it wouldn't match yours.
Yes, we can change to 'ending soonest' or similar, but every day, I STILL get people who don't know how to do that!
I have further 'proof' this is WRONG. I used to get over 100 hits on my art auctions. Immediately prior to BM I was down to around 70 up to about 100. Since then, the MOST I've had is 30, and currently down to about 6 people - any idiot can determine that with so few people looking, I'm not going to sell. And I currently have more items up that I ever have had at one time, and not even one sold. I'm not doing anything different.
If I leave eBay, I'll also stop buying too. I won't close my account.
I have today heard another major leader of eBay sellers talk about what a joke eBay has become, and I would have never heard it 12 months ago from this person.
Oh, one final thing 'free shipping'. It's a joke. I just factor the whole $1.50 into my selling price. No biggie. I just guess it looks good for eBay, and I get a free subtitle out of it. But buyers are clued in, and know.
Thanks for letting me sound off.
eBay is distancing itself from the people who made it what it was, and it is only a shadow of that any more. Too bad! I was one of its biggest backers for years. I am now getting less inclined to recommend selling from there.