In July 2021, Etsy launched the Star Seller program to reward stores who provide excellent customer service. To become an Etsy Star Seller, you need to meet specific criteria and improve your performance in key areas. This article will explain the judging criteria and offer tips to enhance your chances of earning the Star Seller badge.
Discover the benefits of being a Star Seller and learn how to become one.
What is the Etsy Star Seller program?
The Star Seller program on Etsy is designed to recognize and reward top-performing shops on the platform. It evaluates sellers on three key criteria: message response rate, on-time shipping and tracking, and 5-star reviews. To qualify for the Star Seller badge, sellers must respond to 95% of initial messages within 24 hours, ship 95% of their orders on time with tracking, and receive 95% 5-star reviews from customers. The program aims to highlight sellers who consistently provide excellent customer service and high-quality products.
Achieving Star Seller status can boost a shop’s visibility and credibility, potentially leading to increased sales and customer trust. The evaluations are conducted monthly, considering the store's performance over the past three months. While the Star Seller badge does not directly impact search rankings, it can indirectly influence them by improving the shop’s conversion rates and overall performance. A shop with a Star Seller badge can inspire more confidence in potential buyers, making them more likely to choose that shop over competitors. This increased trust and perceived reliability can result in higher click-through rates and more purchases, ultimately enhancing the shop’s listing quality score and improving its position in search results.
To maintain Star Seller status, designers needs to manage their shops efficiently, ensuring they can meet the program’s standards consistently. This involves setting realistic processing times to avoid delays, maintaining clear and prompt communication with customers, and providing high-quality products that meet or exceed customer expectations. Sellers should also manage customer expectations by accurately describing their products, using clear photos to show the size and scale, and clearly communicating shipping times, especially for international orders.
Despite the challenges, the benefits of achieving and maintaining Star Seller status can be significant. Shops who meet the criteria can distinguish themselves from the competition, attract more customers, and build a loyal customer base. In the long run, the Star Seller program encourages sellers to enhance their customer service and overall shop quality, contributing to a better shopping experience on Etsy.
What is the Etsy Star Seller criteria?
To qualify for the Star Seller badge, you need to satisfy the following criteria within the last 3 months:
- Reply to at least 95% of messages within 24 hours.
- Maintain at least a 4.8 review rating average.
- Ship at least 95% of orders on time with tracking or an Etsy shipping label (this does not apply to digital product shops).
- Complete at least 10 orders (previously, it was at least 5 orders).
- Achieve at least US$300/£200/€250/CA$350/AU$350 in sales.
Changes of Star Seller program
The May 2022 update brought several changes to the Star Seller program:
1)Customer messages
One concern about Star Seller was that multiple messages from a single shopper were treated individually. Stores preferred to answer all questions in one message to keep information together. Previously, only one message counted as 'replied,' while the others were marked as 'not replied,' affecting the shop's ability to meet the criteria. After the change, messages from the same shopper are combined into a single thread, making messaging more streamlined and logical.
2)Review criteria
Shops now need a 4.8 review rating average over the 3-month period, instead of a 95% 5-star review. This change reduces the impact of satisfied customers leaving 4-star reviews. Before, one 4-star review required 19 - 5-star reviews to 'offset' it. After the update, only 4/5-star reviews are needed to 'offset' one 4-star review.
3)Order minimum
Etsy lowered the order minimum from 10 orders to 5 orders in the 3-month review period. The order amount minimum remains unchanged at $300. This change mostly affects shops that sell higher-priced items.
4)Custom digital products that ships at a future date
Etsy updated its system to allow digital products to be shipped at a later date. This means you no longer need to list custom digital products as 'physical,' which could negatively impact your shipping and tracking criteria. To implement this, select "digital" as the product type and choose "Made To Order" in the "About this listing" section.
How often will your Star Seller status be evaluated?
Your Star Seller status will be evaluated on the first of every month. Etsy will review the data from your shop over the last three months to determine whether you qualify for the Star Seller badge.
What are the benefits of being a Star Seller? Does it impact your search ranking?
Although Etsy states that Star Seller status won't impact your search ranking at this time, it is very likely that it will indirectly affect your search ranking. One of the search ranking factors on Etsy is the 'listing quality score', which considers your listing’s conversion rate: how shoppers view, click, and purchase your product.
A shop with a shiny Star Seller badge can boost shoppers' confidence. The shop will appear more trustworthy and the product more appealing than competitors, making shoppers more likely to complete their purchases. This will improve the 'listing quality score' of that shop's product, pushing it up the search ranking.
In the future, Etsy may display this badge in search results, similar to the 'free shipping' and 'best seller' badges. Listings with a 'Star Seller' badge will likely catch the attention of shoppers more. One of Etsy's selling points is that being a Star Seller will help you 'stand out from the crowd'. As the shop stands out more, it’s likely to receive more clicks, which increases its ‘listing quality score’.
So, while being a Star Seller does not directly impact your search ranking, it will certainly have indirect implications due to the potential increase in conversion rate.
If you want to find out more about how to raise your store's conversion rate just check our blog article here
How to improve your chances of becoming an Etsy Star Seller shop?
1)Setting up auto-reply option to improve message response rate
Because the message response rate only counts the initial reply, setting up an auto-reply is a good idea if you can't get back to customers within a day. Some stores set up auto-reply for 2-3 days over the weekend to take a short break.
To set up auto-reply, go to your shop manager dashboard. Under 'Messages', find 'Auto-reply' in the top right corner. There, you can turn it on, write the message that will be automatically sent to customers, and set the time frame it will run.
Here's a example of auto-reply message for your Etsy shop:
Hi,
Thank you for reaching out! We are happy you discovered (store name) and hope we can help you out.
Currently, we’re been busy preparing orders and we will get back to you at our earliest convenience.
Thanks for your patience and have a great day.
Talk to you soon,
(Store name)
2)Setting realistic delivery time that you can manage
Shipping on time is one of the criteria for Etsy Star Seller. While it may be tempting to set the processing time as short as possible, ensure it is a realistic time frame that allows you to complete processing the order.
Consider unexpected events that may occur occasionally when setting your processing time. For example, account for a sudden boost in orders or running out of materials.
3)Encouraging positive feedback for your Etsy shop
Out of all the criteria, getting at least 95% of 5-star reviews is the hardest. The difficulty lies in the fact that not every customer views ratings the same way. One customer may think any decent purchase is worth 5 stars, while another may give you a 3-star rating because of small factors beyond your control.
For example, a customer gave our product a 4-star rating because it wasn't what they expected and they expect more information on how to target more holidays even though the holiday is not bringing any traffic or orders at all and the listings target all the major occasions and holidays that we have knowledge of bringing conversions.
Another example includes 4-star rating whit out an obvious reason
The most effective and obvious strategies include providing high-quality products, helpful customer service, and timely shipment. It's also useful to set customer expectations correctly: use photos to show the size and scale of the product, communicate shipping times, especially if you ship internationally, etc.
Conclusion
The Etsy Star Seller program offers significant benefits by recognizing and rewarding shops who excel in customer service. By meeting the specific criteria, designers can boost their shop's visibility, credibility, and overall performance. To become a Star Seller, you must respond promptly to messages, ensure timely shipping, and consistently receive high ratings. Setting realistic expectations, managing customer communication effectively, and maintaining high-quality products are essential strategies to achieve and maintain this status. Ultimately, the Star Seller badge not only helps you stand out from competitors but also enhances customer trust and potentially increases your shop's sales and success on Etsy.
If you want to know more about our Etsy success program just check here
