Win the buy box on bol with these 6 tips. Learn how price, delivery time, reviews and automation can increase sales as an external seller.
Bol is a powerful sales channel, but also a competitive marketplace. You can have strong, in-demand products and still struggle to achieve sales. Why is that? There is a good chance that you are not visible in the buy box. In this article, we explain how the buy box works, what you need to take into account, and we share six concrete tips for external sellers to increase conversion on bol via the buy box.
The buy box is the block on the product page at bol, where you can order the product from the “best supplier” at the touch of a button. Most consumers who shop at bol use this button to place their orders, which means that most orders are placed with the supplier offering the best deal.
Contrary to what many people think, it is not only the lowest price that determines who gets the buy nox. Bol looks at the expected conversion rate per supplier, which is based on:
The bol algorithm therefore does not choose the cheapest seller, but the most reliable seller with the highest chance of conversion. Delivery time, for example, has a huge effect on conversion.
In conclusion, the best offer is the one with the highest expected conversion rate.
Tip: turn on subtitles and click on English
But what makes this buy box so appealing?
Knowing what the buy box is and how it works does not immediately result in profit. We are therefore happy to share some practical tips on how to win the buy box on bol.
With a repricer, you not only automate your pricing to match the market, but you also have full control to steer strategically for optimal margin and profitability.
Price is important, but it's not everything. Your total sales price counts, which includes your shipping costs. Make sure your product doesn't become more expensive due to hidden costs. Keep a close eye on your margins, but don't lose sales by setting your price too high.
Do you want to remain competitive in the long term? Automate your pricing strategy with a Repricer. This tool helps you adjust your prices based on competition and your own margins. A good pricing strategy includes repricing gives you, as a seller, complete control over prices and can be fully tailored to your needs. Smart formulas and buy box strategy for maximum margin.
The EffectConnect Repricer scans competitors' product prices 24/7. The software adjusts your prices based on the criteria you set in combination with price changes among your competitors. You decide which products are made available to the repricer and which products should remain untouched. This allows you to remain competitive, avoid unnecessary margin losses, and maintain control over thousands of products simultaneously. 
Fast delivery times greatly increase the likelihood of conversion. Do you deliver within 2-3 days? Then you quickly lose 50% of your conversion opportunity compared to Logistics via bol (LVB).
Besides delivery speed, reliability is equally essential. Promising fast shipping only builds trust if you consistently deliver on time. When you commit to next-day delivery for orders placed before 10 p.m., that standard must apply for every order, right up to 9:59 p.m.
Keep in mind:
As a seller, you are judged on this reliability. If you consistently deliver late, your rating will drop, and your chances of being selected for the buy box.
Bol assesses you as a seller based on a customer satisfaction score. This score is the sum of various service standards such as delivery reliability, timely delivery, correct communication and customer friendliness. Factors that directly influence your customer satisfaction:
Consistently high customer satisfaction boosts your visibility and significantly increases your chances of winning sales. Set clear expectations, communicate proactively, and ensure your service processes are tightly organised for optimal results.
Stock issues are a silent killer of sales. Ensure up-to-date stock management, prevent lost sales, and adjust your offer on time when stock is low. If you use software such as EffectConnect, you can automatically synchronise your stock between your webshop and bol.
Many cancellations are the result of stock problems. If an item turns out to be unavailable and you have to cancel the order, your service standard drops, and your chance of a buy box. Bol tolerates a maximum of 2% cancellations by the seller.
It sometimes happens that a consumer cancels the order. But beware, this can also affect your performance. Is the order cancelled before the delivery date? No problem. But does this happen after your promised delivery date, while you have not yet delivered? Then this will cost you points. It shows that you have not fulfilled your delivery promise.
LVB offers lightning-fast delivery, which gives your ranking in the buy box an instant boost. According to bol, LVB leads to a 30% higher chance of appearing in the buy box. What's more, you save on logistics costs such as warehousing, personnel and shipping insurance.
By using Logistics via bol, you improve your offering. After all, the delivery time improves, which significantly increases the chance of the buy box. Would you like to compare the costs of arranging your own logistics with those of bol? Then take a look at the rates charged by bol here.
Would you rather manage your own logistics? That is possible, but make sure you can guarantee fast delivery times. The longer the delivery time, the longer the conversion time and the smaller the chance of the buy box.
Source: Bol - Razendsnel verkopen (Dutch)
A price that is too high will cause you to be excluded from the buy box, prevent you from automatically participating in Bol promotions, and in the worst case, even cause your offer to be taken offline. Bol applies a price star system to indicate how competitive your prices are compared to the market.
These so-called price stars indicate the quality of your prices. Bol’s objective is to consistently offer consumers attractive prices. The price star rating serves as a key performance indicator for your sales potential: the more stars your product has, the better it performs in search and in the buy box.
With smart tools such as EffectConnect's Repricer, you can automatically optimise your pricing based on price stars, margins, and competitor activity. This eliminates the need for manual checks and keeps your pricing competitive across thousands of listings simultaneously.
“Thanks to Rick and Bart's help, we have greatly improved our repricing rules for Bol. We lose the Buy Box less often, items remain below the 2-star price and are automatically added to the “surgical waves”. We immediately applied this knowledge to other channels, and the investment paid for itself within two days.”
- Greetje Raaijmakers, E-Commerce Manager PimXL
No, the lowest price is not the only determining factor. Bol awards the buy box to the supplier with the highest expected conversion rate. This is calculated based on several factors: your price (including shipping costs), delivery time and service standards such as delivery reliability and customer satisfaction.
A slightly more expensive seller can still win the buy box if they deliver faster or score better on service.
Yes, but not on the same product. Each product has only one buy block: the supplier with the best offer at that moment. You can win the buy box on several different products at the same time, as long as your price, delivery time and service standards are the best on all those products.
The stronger your overall offer, the greater the chance that you will be visible in the buy box on multiple products.
Tools such as EffectConnect Repricer help you automatically respond to price changes made by competitors, without having to make manual adjustments. This allows you to remain competitive at all times, prevent human error and maintain control over your margins.
Would you like to automate your pricing strategy and stop missing out on opportunities in the shopping cart? Use the checklist below to get started in a structured way.
Logistics
Purchase prices
Margin
VAT (taxes)
Automation
Service
EffectConnect supports sellers with smart automation that directly contributes to a better position in the buy box. From a dynamic pricing strategy to error-free stock updates, you have everything you need to stay ahead of the competition and maximise your conversion rate.
With EffectConnect's Repricer, you can automatically respond to price changes made by competitors without losing sight of your margin. You set your own buy box strategies, margins and exceptions, so that you only lower your price when it is really necessary.
Prevent lost sales and cancellations thanks to real-time stock updates between your webshop, bol and other marketplaces. This allows you to remain reliable and avoid unnecessary loss of sales due to delivery problems.
And with good track & trace feedback, you meet bol's service standards and offer your customers a better experience.
The EffectConnect team has years of experience in marketplace sales. We help you set up your automated pricing, but that's not all. We are happy to advise you on the most profitable strategy.
Would you like to know how the flexible and versatile repricer works? Request a demo without obligation. This isn’t a standard demo, it’s tailored to your specific business and commercial goals, so you get personalised advice for your situation and partnership potential.
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