Benchmarking

Benchmarking can turn an absolute score into a more competitive data point. A 9.1 in Overall Satisfaction might sound strong on its own, but whether it represents a genuine advantage depends on what the merchants around you are scoring. Benchmarks answer the question every score raises. Compared to what?

Availability by Plan

The comparison groups available scale with your plan:

• Growth: compare against the Bizrate Insights Network
• Advanced: add Category benchmarking against your direct competitive set (Apparel, Auto, Beauty, etc.)
• Pro: add Custom benchmarks, tailored peer groups made up of merchants you choose

Each group answers a different question.

• Network Benchmark: Tells you how you compare to online retail broadly. It’s a useful floor, but it mixes every category together.
• Category Benchmark: Compares you to merchants competing for the same customers, making it the most meaningful reference for most analyses. Shoppers judge your shipping charges against other apparel retailers, not against the whole internet.
• Custom Benchmark: Let you define the exact peer set that matters to your business. For example, you might pick the three competitors your leadership team actually names in planning meetings.

Using Benchmarks in Your Analysis

Put every number in context compared to the right benchmark for your plan and check the sample size. Ask whether a gap is to the benchmark, to your own past performance, or both.

Benchmarks are especially valuable when a score drops. Check the benchmark first. Falling while the category is stable points to a merchant-specific issue, whereas the whole category moving may be market conditions. Keeping your eye on benchmarked scores can save you from chasing an internal cause for what is actually a market-wide shift, or from dismissing as “seasonal” a decline that your competitors are not experiencing.

Ask your account manager about expanding your benchmark options.