March 1, 2024

ePlaybooks Guide to Walmart Marketplace seller metrics

Explore ePlaybooks Guide to Walmart Marketplace seller metrics, optimizing your performance for greater visibility and sales success. Get started now!
ePlaybooks Guide to Walmart Marketplace seller metrics
ePlaybooks Guide to Walmart Marketplace seller metrics

In only a few years, we’ve seen the Walmart marketplace evolve into a leading player in the ecommerce landscape. 

The Walmart marketplace offers sellers a vast customer base and a platform to showcase and sell their products. 

To truly grow in this competitive marketplace, you will need to understand, monitor, and optimize your performance based on a set of key metrics. 

Walmart has established specific metrics that every seller needs to meet to stay afloat. These metrics provide crucial insights that can help you track your progress and performance and make necessary adjustments. 

Ready to learn about Walmart marketplace seller metrics? Read on as we delve into the key metrics that you need to monitor to ensure sustainable growth and success on the Walmart marketplace. 

What are Walmart marketplace seller metrics?

Seller metrics on Walmart Marketplace are key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure various aspects of a seller's performance on the platform. 

These metrics provide valuable insights into how well a seller is meeting Walmart's standards and fulfilling customer expectations. 

By tracking and analyzing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and take proactive steps to enhance your performance in the Walmart marketplace. 

So why should you keep an eye on Walmart marketplace seller metrics? 

If you aim to succeed in the Walmart marketplace, monitoring your seller metrics is crucial. Here are some reasons why these metrics matter:

  • Evaluate performance: Your seller metrics serve as a benchmark for evaluating your performance on the platform. With these metrics, you can get valuable feedback on areas where you excel and areas that require more attention.

  • Increase buyer confidence: Having high-quality seller metrics instills a great level of confidence in your buyers. It reassures them that they are purchasing from a reliable and reputable seller. Positive metrics, such as fast shipping times, and high ratings, can increase customer trust and loyalty.

  • Increase visibility and ranking: The Walmart marketplace algorithm considers seller metrics when ranking product listings. So, if you have strong metrics you are more likely to have your products climb up search results, leading to increased exposure and sales opportunities.

  • To avoid potential penalties: Poor seller metrics can result in penalties, such as lower visibility in search results, suspension of selling privileges, or even removal from the platform. Keeping an eye on your seller metrics will help you maintain satisfactory metrics to avoid such consequences.

Key Walmart marketplace seller metrics to know 

Now, let’s dive into some key seller metrics to take note of on the Walmart marketplace: 

  1. The Order Defect Rate (ODR)

One of the primary metrics Walmart uses to measure seller performance is the Order Defect Rate (ODR). This metric shows the percentage of orders that include one or more "defects" among the total number of orders made within 90 days. 

The defects could be due to various factors such as incorrect product descriptions, missing items, damaged packaging, etc.

To calculate your ODR, simply divide the number of orders with defects by the total number of orders. The rate is calculated per order, meaning even if a single order contains multiple defects, it counts as one defective order. To maintain good standing on Walmart Marketplace, you must keep your ODR below 2%.

To improve your ODR, focus on providing accurate product listings, efficient order processing, and timely shipping. Regularly monitoring and addressing customer feedback can also help identify potential issues and prevent them from negatively impacting your ODR.

  1. On-Time Shipment Rate

Timely delivery is paramount in the ecommerce world, and Walmart Marketplace places great emphasis on the On-Time Shipment Rate. This metric measures the percentage of orders shipped by the seller on or before the promised ship date. 

As a Walmart seller, you are expected to maintain a high On-Time Shipment Rate greater than 99% to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.

If you have a low On-Time Shipment Rate, you can make adjustments by streamlining your order fulfillment process, using reliable shipping carriers, and clearly estimating and communicating shipping timelines to your customers. You can also invest in an efficient order management system that can also contribute to meeting delivery expectations.

  1. Valid Tracking Rate (VTR)

The Valid Tracking Rate examines the accuracy and reliability of tracking information provided by sellers. It is calculated as the percentage of valid tracking numbers uploaded within the specified timeframe. Walmart uses order confirmation and tracking data to automate its customer care process. So, if you deliver an order to a customer without updating your system, Wamart will not know and may proactively refund the customer, leaving you with no payment. In addition, your seller metrics will suffer for it. Maintaining a high VTR of at least 99% is essential for meeting customer expectations and avoiding penalties.

  1. Product Listing Quality

Another critical aspect of selling on Walmart Marketplace is the quality of the product listings. Walmart provides guidelines for creating clear and concise product listings, which include the product title, description, price, and images. Your product title should have 50 to 75 characters your product description should have 1000 to 4000 characters.

You also want to include highly ranked and relevant keywords, your brand name, the capacity of the product, product size, and most importantly the benefits of using your product.

Using bullet points in the product description can encourage readability and also help engage customers. Also, use high-quality product images to showcase all aspects of the product. Adhere to Walmart's product listing image requirements to enhance your customer's shopping experience.

8 tips for optimizing seller metrics on the Walmart marketplace

Now that we've covered the key metrics, let's explore some strategies for optimizing seller performance on Walmart Marketplace:

  1. Provide accurate product information
  2. Offer competitive pricing and shipping
  3. Maintain adequate inventory levels
  4. Deliver excellent customer service
  5. Fulfill your orders promptly 
  6. Monitor and analyze metrics regularly
  7. Get customer feedback and reviews
  8. Stay compliant with Walmart policies

Provide accurate product information

You want to ensure that your product listings are complete, accurate, and detailed. Include high-quality images, clear descriptions, and relevant specifications to help customers make informed purchasing decisions.

Offer competitive pricing and shipping

Ensure that your product pricing is competitive and offer fast and reliable shipping options. Consider participating in Walmart's free two-day shipping program to attract more customers and improve conversion rates.

Maintain adequate inventory levels

Avoid stockouts by closely monitoring inventory levels and replenishing stock on time. Stockouts can lead to missed sales opportunities and negatively impact seller metrics. You can invest in an inventory management system to help you automate the process. 

Deliver excellent customer service

Respond promptly to customer inquiries and resolve any issues or concerns with professionalism and empathy. Providing exceptional customer service can lead to positive feedback and repeat purchases. 

Fulfill your orders promptly 

Ensure you ship your orders promptly and provide tracking information to customers as soon as items are dispatched. Minimize delays in order processing and shipping to ensure timely delivery.

Monitor and analyze metrics regularly

Continuously monitor seller metrics and analyze performance trends over time. Take note of areas for improvement and take proactive steps to address issues that may affect your efficiency. 

Get customer feedback and reviews

Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive feedback and reviews on your products and services. You also want to engage with customers to build trust and loyalty, which can lead to higher ratings and improved seller metrics.

Stay compliant with Walmart policies

Familiarize yourself with Walmart's seller policies and guidelines, and ensure compliance at all times. Violations of Walmart's policies can result in penalties and negatively impact seller performance.

How to monitor seller metrics on the Walmart marketplace

As we already established, monitoring seller metrics on the Walmart Marketplace is crucial to evaluate your performance and make necessary adjustments. Here’s how to monitor your seller metrics on the Walmart marketplace: 

  1. Log into Walmart Seller Center: Sign in to your Walmart Seller Center account. Navigate to the Analytics section and click on Performance
  2. Use the Seller Scorecard: This tool provides an overview of your performance as a Walmart seller. It displays your Order Defect Rate (ODR), On-Time Shipment Rate, and customer reviews. It also allows you to download reports for each type of order defect to help identify and resolve recurring issues.
  3. Check fulfillment metrics: This section provides shipping-related metrics and reports offering insights into orders that failed to meet expected fulfillment standards.
  4. Review Item Reports: Access the Manage Items page, click the Download icon, and select Download Catalog. This report contains various metrics for your products, including tracking inventory and feedback.
  5. Monitor customer feedback and reviews: Regularly check customer feedback and reviews. Take the time to attend to any negative feedback and encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Positive reviews contribute to a better reputation and seller metrics.
  6. Use external tools: Consider using external tools like CedCommerce and beBOLD analytics for a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of your Walmart Seller account. 

Wrapping up 

By understanding the significance of your Walmart seller metrics, you can watch your performance closely, and implement strategies to optimize your performance, enhance your visibility, attract more customers, and drive sales on the platform.

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