The rating system

I was thinking about some useful visual improvements for the rating system.
The visual setting I have in mind is already implemented in AMAZON and EBAY , and I find it very useful when it comes to the moment of purchase (illustrated below).

The thing is, ratings really count when you’re looking at similar items, and that what makes us (authors) create better/ good looking/ useful items.


^ Needless to say, I believe that all of the rating data is already there, so why not showing it to the potential buyer.

Here is an old story, and I’ll make it short.
Few months ago I sold one of my items 4 times, 4 of the buyers (all of them) gave me 5 stars rate (for sure), and the rating was standing on 5 stars. That was great . Shortly after the 5th buyer has made his purchase, my rating dropped to 4 stars.
How odd is that?!? Of course he was giving me 1 star rate, because that’s the only option for dropping from 5 to 4 stars.

^ If the rating system could show the segmentation, it was better. You can then see the “mysterious” reason for the rate.
Maybe the buyer wasn’t pleased with the provided support (which we’re not obligated to give), maybe he doesn’t know how to use the item, maybe it’s another author who want to “damage” your rating…
I don’t know, I’m just saying.

Well, what do you thing?
Thanks & Cheers.

*Oh, and I forgot to mention, I love this place.

That’s really cool and simple Hope we will see it live eventually. I am not a big fan of long reviews etc (like on amazon), but this is exactly what could make the rating system a bit more transparent – a bit more that is just enough and right.

That’s cool . Another option is to make only two buttons, one is like and one is not – as how YouTube has changed their system into, from rating stars

That is plain and simple a MUST . Such a system could show the real individual rating of a file, and not only the average calculation of all ratings together.

It would definitely help files that have i.e. four 5-star ratings and one 0-star rating (due to an easily-irritated, reading-allergic or just ungrateful buyer), which results in a 1 or 2-star rating outcome.

Great idea and implementation,
Chris

The problem is, if someone gave a 1 star, wouldn’t the potential buyer be a bit alarmed, even if the other ratings were 5 stars? I agree that it sucks when someone stings you with a 1 star, and you end up with a 4 star rating, but I’d rather have a 4 star rating than show potential buyers that someone thought my product was awful.

...but this is exactly what could make the rating system a bit more transparent…

...wouldn’t the potential buyer be a bit alarmed…
...I’d rather have a 4 star rating than show potential buyers that someone thought my product was awful.

I think there should be a system in place where a buyer has to leave a private comment for the author if they rate lower than 5 stars, or they can’t rate the file. The comments could be from a drop down list like:
1. File doesn’t work
2. Poor documentation
3. File not as advertised
The comment would only be visible to the author as well as the buyers username, this would enable us to contact the buyer and offer more assistance. The buyer could then change the rating back to 5 stars if there satisfied.

Right now a buyer can rate a file low for any reason they want, or no reason at all, which is not fair IMO .

I’m all for a better rating system! Make it either transparent (like described), or make it a hot or not system like what youtube has: thumbs up or thumbs down.

I think there should be a system in place where a buyer has to leave a private comment for the author if they rate lower than 5 stars, or they can’t rate the file. The comments could be from a drop down list like:
1. File doesn’t work
2. Poor documentation
3. File not as advertised
The comment would only be visible to the author as well as the buyers username, this would enable us to contact the buyer and offer more assistance. The buyer could then change the rating back to 5 stars if there satisfied.

Right now a buyer can rate a file low for any reason they want, or no reason at all, which is not fair IMO .

+1 I really like this suggestion. Current ratio of ratings to sales isn’t any big. It stays from 15-19% to most of the authors. So making it this way would be a good idea in which if a buyer rates the file lower then they can show us what’s the reason for that.

...leave a private comment for the author if they rate lower than 5 stars, or they can’t rate the file. The comments could be from a drop down list…

IMO , that might be a problem, and that’s because the purchaser obligated to leave a comment, which will be results with no rate at all. The common buyer might think that his email/privacy will be exposed… which makes us (as a buyers) a bit suspicious.
You know, we just wanna make a click (rate) and move forward.
But over all, it’s a nice idea as well.