Have I offended anyone?

[johntandy]

I have NOT gotten any “orders” and have been here for over almost 5 months. Only scam and spam messages. A woman from ****** who insulted me for NO reason, another woman from ****** wo wanted to have (you know what) with me, a guy also from***** who apparently doesn’t know how to read and wanted me to translate ****** from english and a ****** guy who asked if could translate indigenous language to english. Frankly I don’t wish to waste more time here.
Could anyone please tell me if there’s anything wrong with my gigs, before I delete my account?

Mod Note: Regional references removed.

[uk1000]

I have NOT gotten any “orders” and have been here for over almost 5 months. Only scam and spam messages. A woman from ****** who insulted me for NO reason, another woman from ****** wo wanted to have (you know what) with me, a guy also from***** who apparently doesn’t know how to read and wanted me to translate ****** from english and a ****** guy who asked if could translate indigenous language to english. Frankly I don’t wish to waste more time here.

Could anyone please tell me if there’s anything wrong with my gigs, before I delete my account?

Mod Note: Regional references removed.

Could anyone please tell me if there’s anything wrong with my gigs, before I delete my account?

The account already seems to be gone.

[misscrystal]

Could anyone please tell me if there’s anything wrong with my gigs, before I delete my account?

The account already seems to be gone.

I would have liked to see his regional references.

[cyaxrex]

I would have liked to see his regional references.

You might be surprised. I’m quietly starting to realize that users with IP’s (but not necessarily matching time zones) in Shakespeare country are causing me a lot of stress at the mo. Also, I just discovered that my best long-term buyer is from somewhere quite unexpected.

Of course, like all good Fiverr sellers, I still have my secret blacklist. - Which is a pity more than anything, really.

[jonbaas]

Could anyone please tell me if there’s anything wrong with my gigs, before I delete my account?

The account already seems to be gone.

The account already seems to be gone.

I would have liked to see his regional references.

[sigh] – This pervasive, “why isn’t anyone buying from me” complaint from “new sellers” is getting old (as I’m sure you’ll agree). If a seller isn’t making the level of sales that they want, it’s probably because they aren’t marketing or promoting their gigs, or even doing anything to reach out to their target customers. So many sellers seem to come here, set up a gig or two, and then expect to become rich overnight. if you’re not reaching out to the people who need your services, then you’re not going to have any sales.

It baffles me why this common business concept is so rampantly ignored here on Fiverr.

Lazy sellers never succeed.

[misscrystal]

The account already seems to be gone.

I would have liked to see his regional references.

[sigh] – This pervasive, “why isn’t anyone buying from me” complaint from “new sellers” is getting old (as I’m sure you’ll agree). If a seller isn’t making the level of sales that they want, it’s probably because they aren’t marketing or promoting their gigs, or even doing anything to reach out to their target customers. So many sellers seem to come here, set up a gig or two, and then expect to become rich overnight. if you’re not reaching out to the people who need your services, then you’re not going to have any sales.

It baffles me why this common business concept is so rampantly ignored here on Fiverr.

Lazy sellers never succeed.

This pervasive, “why isn’t anyone buying from me” complaint from “new sellers” is getting old

They seem to think it’s the fault of the site rather than anything they might have something to do with.

[jonbaas]

This pervasive, “why isn’t anyone buying from me” complaint from “new sellers” is getting old

They seem to think it’s the fault of the site rather than anything they might have something to do with.

They seem to think it’s the fault of the site rather than anything they might have something to do with.

Exactly. They expect someone else to assume the responsibility for their success, so that they don’t have to be bothered to EARN their success. Laziness, and expecting success without work, is a terrible business strategy.

[uxreview]

Every seller has to put some effort into their gigs, but why can’t Fiverr educate them?

On some other sites you get instructions what to do if you’re not getting orders.

For example, if you don’t properly fill out you profile you get a remider with some tips. If you’re not getting sales you get an automatic email with some tips how to promote your service.

Why do we have to post the same tips over and over again here. Just yesterday I told one of the WP developers that one stock photo is not enough to showcase your skill. There could easily be a trigger reminding that if you’re offering web development then you should use up all the portfolio spots with your samples.

Or for example, if a blogging service has 20 words in their gig description (like that one newbie had) and it hasn’t made a sale in 2weeks then send a reminder “how about if you spend 5min to write a proper description”.

All I’m saying is that Fiverr could do more.

[manucornel]

Every seller has to put some effort into their gigs, but why can’t Fiverr educate them?

On some other sites you get instructions what to do if you’re not getting orders.

For example, if you don’t properly fill out you profile you get a remider with some tips. If you’re not getting sales you get an automatic email with some tips how to promote your service.

Why do we have to post the same tips over and over again here. Just yesterday I told one of the WP developers that one stock photo is not enough to showcase your skill. There could easily be a trigger reminding that if you’re offering web development then you should use up all the portfolio spots with your samples.

Or for example, if a blogging service has 20 words in their gig description (like that one newbie had) and it hasn’t made a sale in 2weeks then send a reminder “how about if you spend 5min to write a proper description”.

All I’m saying is that Fiverr could do more.

Your idea is great, but the forum is filled with instructions for EVERY POSSIBLE THING needed. The truth is that those that “don’t know” are too lazy to search, and they deserve the outcome they have.

Look at the topics most people create asking about orders and stuff like that. It’s 90% filled with robotic answers like “thank you dear”, clearly not taking into account genuine answers that people take their time giving them. It’s like an alcohol-filled party with people that complain they drink too much.

When I came into this landscape, I haven’t posted anything in the beginning. All I did was reading and reading and reading. And I learned a lot just by doing that on the forum. There are a great number of people that leave genuine responses in here. And no, they shouldn’t be repeating themselves for every lazy person that don’t want to search the topics.

Maybe I’m too radical, but I think topics with repeating questions and just a few words in them should be deleted, as it makes no sense to let them spam the forum with their nonsense. Fiverr has plenty of answers given on their website, blog, and forum.

How much a person should stay in second grade? Approximately? I think 1 year is enough. Therefore spoon feeding them on every little thing they miss on their profile is not going to help anyone, but would promote the lazy world, which is not a good idea. 🙂

[uxreview]

Your idea is great, but the forum is filled with instructions for EVERY POSSIBLE THING needed. The truth is that those that “don’t know” are too lazy to search, and they deserve the outcome they have.

Look at the topics most people create asking about orders and stuff like that. It’s 90% filled with robotic answers like “thank you dear”, clearly not taking into account genuine answers that people take their time giving them. It’s like an alcohol-filled party with people that complain they drink too much.

When I came into this landscape, I haven’t posted anything in the beginning. All I did was reading and reading and reading. And I learned a lot just by doing that on the forum. There are a great number of people that leave genuine responses in here. And no, they shouldn’t be repeating themselves for every lazy person that don’t want to search the topics.

Maybe I’m too radical, but I think topics with repeating questions and just a few words in them should be deleted, as it makes no sense to let them spam the forum with their nonsense. Fiverr has plenty of answers given on their website, blog, and forum.

How much a person should stay in second grade? Approximately? I think 1 year is enough. Therefore spoon feeding them on every little thing they miss on their profile is not going to help anyone, but would promote the lazy world, which is not a good idea. 🙂

I get what you’re saying and I’m guessing the number of sellers that don’t get any orders is pretty high, but I still think it’s worth a try.

It won’t be a silver bullet that solves everything and even if you follow all the tips given you still might not get a single order. However, I think there are sellers who don’t know what to do because for a newbie there’s a lot to take in and the first few weeks are crucial because this is the time when Fiverr gives you any kind of boost in ranking.

You could even make like a 7 day training email set. Every day seller gets a new automatic email from Fiverr telling them about the features and assignments to do. How to create gigs, how buyer requests work, how to promote yourself in social, simple 5point summary of TOS that gets you banned (don’t deliver freakin empty order etc).

I believe if a seller has small amount of tasks every day they will complete at least some of them.

And if they don’t then they won’t make it anyway.

Another thing Fiverr could try is cross-selling. Instead of putting my competitors on MY gig description, why don’t you do cross-selling via email. For example, why don’t you send out an email to a seller telling that “Have you considered using a custom cover photo instead of those stupid stock photos? Why don’t you hire any of these raising talents … to make you a decent cover photo that matches your brand?”

For example, I hired a person to proofread my gig, I hired another to do the logo and another to do the cover. I spent maybe $100 and I made that back pretty much instantly.

Of course there are seller who will say that I don’t have money to invest and that’s fine, they can try out the stocks or MS paint, but if you’re not making sales and someone gives you a nice list of sellers who could improve your gig appearance then I’m sure some sellers would go for it.

I agree that there are a ton of seller who will never make it, but I do also think that there are a lot of sellers who are just lost because it’s a lot to take in and they need Fiverr to walk them through it.

[zeus777]

I get what you’re saying and I’m guessing the number of sellers that don’t get any orders is pretty high, but I still think it’s worth a try.

It won’t be a silver bullet that solves everything and even if you follow all the tips given you still might not get a single order. However, I think there are sellers who don’t know what to do because for a newbie there’s a lot to take in and the first few weeks are crucial because this is the time when Fiverr gives you any kind of boost in ranking.

You could even make like a 7 day training email set. Every day seller gets a new automatic email from Fiverr telling them about the features and assignments to do. How to create gigs, how buyer requests work, how to promote yourself in social, simple 5point summary of TOS that gets you banned (don’t deliver freakin empty order etc).

I believe if a seller has small amount of tasks every day they will complete at least some of them.

And if they don’t then they won’t make it anyway.

Another thing Fiverr could try is cross-selling. Instead of putting my competitors on MY gig description, why don’t you do cross-selling via email. For example, why don’t you send out an email to a seller telling that “Have you considered using a custom cover photo instead of those stupid stock photos? Why don’t you hire any of these raising talents … to make you a decent cover photo that matches your brand?”

For example, I hired a person to proofread my gig, I hired another to do the logo and another to do the cover. I spent maybe $100 and I made that back pretty much instantly.

Of course there are seller who will say that I don’t have money to invest and that’s fine, they can try out the stocks or MS paint, but if you’re not making sales and someone gives you a nice list of sellers who could improve your gig appearance then I’m sure some sellers would go for it.

I agree that there are a ton of seller who will never make it, but I do also think that there are a lot of sellers who are just lost because it’s a lot to take in and they need Fiverr to walk them through it.

here are a lot of sellers who are just lost because it’s a lot to take in and they need Fiverr to walk them through it.

I dunno, as much as I understand what you are saying and I’m sorry if I sound arrogant, but when I started here I didn’t know the forum existed, and what I did was walk myself through Fiverr. I think a lot of us did, including you.

Do people get overwhelmed, yeah, I’m sure they do at times.

Even though the amount of reading is overwhelming though, after all, it is just reading. You start from the top and scroll down and keep going, easy as that.

When I first started here I sat in front of the PC thinking “OK, this is gonna take a loooong time…but here I go!” (with the help of ☕ of course)

Again, I’m sure a lot of people did the same.

I get the feeling that people who post the same questions keep doing so hoping that someone will give them an easier option someday…which doesn’t exist.

When someone posts a “I can’t get sales” thread, usually they get the “check out these links and be sure to read everything.”

…and they just reply with a “Thanks,OK.”

On the other hand I’ve seen people post the same question and when I check their gigs, they’ve done everything right, and all they needed was another person’s opinion and a few tweaks here and there, and once they made those changes they come back to the forum thanking the ones who had given them advice.

The important thing is that this new seller 🌟 and did everything right.

I don’t want to sound mean, but I believe there is a clear line between offering help and spoon-feeding :thinking:

All I’m saying is that Fiverr could do more.

True, there are things Fiverr can do, but not providing a step-by-step how-to instruction.

I want them to do something about the review system and the cancellation rate!!!😅

OK, this got long…time to get back to work 😅

[misscrystal]

There is probably a skill set or mind set that is able to do this successfully and one that is lost and will never be able to do well on fiverr. All the help and instructions in the world won’t help them.

[uxreview]

here are a lot of sellers who are just lost because it’s a lot to take in and they need Fiverr to walk them through it.

I dunno, as much as I understand what you are saying and I’m sorry if I sound arrogant, but when I started here I didn’t know the forum existed, and what I did was walk myself through Fiverr. I think a lot of us did, including you.

Do people get overwhelmed, yeah, I’m sure they do at times.

Even though the amount of reading is overwhelming though, after all, it is just reading. You start from the top and scroll down and keep going, easy as that.

When I first started here I sat in front of the PC thinking “OK, this is gonna take a loooong time…but here I go!” (with the help of ☕ of course)

Again, I’m sure a lot of people did the same.

I get the feeling that people who post the same questions keep doing so hoping that someone will give them an easier option someday…which doesn’t exist.

When someone posts a “I can’t get sales” thread, usually they get the “check out these links and be sure to read everything.”

…and they just reply with a “Thanks,OK.”

On the other hand I’ve seen people post the same question and when I check their gigs, they’ve done everything right, and all they needed was another person’s opinion and a few tweaks here and there, and once they made those changes they come back to the forum thanking the ones who had given them advice.

The important thing is that this new seller 🌟 and did everything right.

I don’t want to sound mean, but I believe there is a clear line between offering help and spoon-feeding :thinking:

All I’m saying is that Fiverr could do more.

True, there are things Fiverr can do, but not providing a step-by-step how-to instruction.

I want them to do something about the review system and the cancellation rate!!!😅

OK, this got long…time to get back to work 😅

Yes there are sellers that won’t eat even when spoonfeed them, but I still think not every seller has to go through the same thing we did. 😛

Otherwise where’s the progress?

My first website was done in a notepad, but it doesn’t mean you can’t click your way through Wix today 🙂

So I stand by my idea - simplify the onboarding 😛

It will help the ones who seek help and those who don’t need it can choose their own path.

[misscrystal]

It seems so obvious to most of us on the forum that if you have two sentences in your description, and one stock photo, or a hideous graphic, then you obviously are not the type to post gigs and do well on fiverr.

Sellers shouldn’t need to be told that a great description and good graphics are the first and most important step.

[uxreview]

It seems so obvious to most of us on the forum that if you have two sentences in your description, and one stock photo, or a hideous graphic, then you obviously are not the type to post gigs and do well on fiverr.

Sellers shouldn’t need to be told that a great description and good graphics are the first and most important step.

As a buyer I’d say they are.

I open search and my first pick from the grid is based on the cover photo.

When I open it I check portfolio or a video and right after it description.

I’m sure there are other ways, but this is probably most common flow.

[hanshuber16]

here are a lot of sellers who are just lost because it’s a lot to take in and they need Fiverr to walk them through it.

I dunno, as much as I understand what you are saying and I’m sorry if I sound arrogant, but when I started here I didn’t know the forum existed, and what I did was walk myself through Fiverr. I think a lot of us did, including you.

Do people get overwhelmed, yeah, I’m sure they do at times.

Even though the amount of reading is overwhelming though, after all, it is just reading. You start from the top and scroll down and keep going, easy as that.

When I first started here I sat in front of the PC thinking “OK, this is gonna take a loooong time…but here I go!” (with the help of ☕ of course)

Again, I’m sure a lot of people did the same.

I get the feeling that people who post the same questions keep doing so hoping that someone will give them an easier option someday…which doesn’t exist.

When someone posts a “I can’t get sales” thread, usually they get the “check out these links and be sure to read everything.”

…and they just reply with a “Thanks,OK.”

On the other hand I’ve seen people post the same question and when I check their gigs, they’ve done everything right, and all they needed was another person’s opinion and a few tweaks here and there, and once they made those changes they come back to the forum thanking the ones who had given them advice.

The important thing is that this new seller 🌟 and did everything right.

I don’t want to sound mean, but I believe there is a clear line between offering help and spoon-feeding :thinking:

All I’m saying is that Fiverr could do more.

True, there are things Fiverr can do, but not providing a step-by-step how-to instruction.

I want them to do something about the review system and the cancellation rate!!!😅

OK, this got long…time to get back to work 😅

Even though the amount of reading is overwhelming though, after all, it is just reading. You start from the top and scroll down and keep going, easy as that.

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

However, I believe this is no excuse as I am sure there are many videos and other visual aids that are available (with included subtitles in the language of their choice) to help them out. A text translation tool, however, might not be a good idea (considering they are not very accurate and are prone to errors).

[zeus777]

Yes there are sellers that won’t eat even when spoonfeed them, but I still think not every seller has to go through the same thing we did. 😛

Otherwise where’s the progress?

My first website was done in a notepad, but it doesn’t mean you can’t click your way through Wix today 🙂

So I stand by my idea - simplify the onboarding 😛

It will help the ones who seek help and those who don’t need it can choose their own path.

you can’t click your way through Wix today

Ohhhhhhhh I think I’ve seen the ad for that on youtube like 500 times! 😆

Black dude sitting at desk:

“There’s this dope website called Wix, here, let me show you”

*starts typing… *

[jonbaas]

I completely agree with all the wonderful points that many of you have put forth. 👏

Even though the amount of reading is overwhelming though, after all, it is just reading. You start from the top and scroll down and keep going, easy as that.

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

However, I believe this is no excuse as I am sure there are many videos and other visual aids that are available (with included subtitles in the language of their choice) to help them out. A text translation tool, however, might not be a good idea (considering they are not very accurate and are prone to errors).

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

Perhaps. But, that doesn’t really matter in the end, because Fiverr is an English-language website, and if someone wants to be successful here, they need to be able to read and communicate in English. Since even buyers largely communicate in English, a seller who doesn’t read or communicate in the language of business just isn’t going to do well here – no matter how excited they might be to “make easy money”.

[hanshuber16]

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

Perhaps. But, that doesn’t really matter in the end, because Fiverr is an English-language website, and if someone wants to be successful here, they need to be able to read and communicate in English. Since even buyers largely communicate in English, a seller who doesn’t read or communicate in the language of business just isn’t going to do well here – no matter how excited they might be to “make easy money”.

Perhaps. But, that doesn’t really matter in the end, because Fiverr is an English-language website, and if someone wants to be successful here, they need to be able to read and communicate in English.

I agree. I was only trying to point out that while these people (from non-English speaking countries) may know enough English to communicate with their clients without any issues, they may be averse to the idea of having to read through pages and pages of helpful and informative posts/articles (as they might find it taxing/arduous). It doesn’t mean they don’t have the requisite English skills or that they are lazy. Well, some might argue that despite it being taxing for them, what differentiates them from the other lazy peeps out there if they don’t put in the effort? You are probably right.

Please bear in mind: I am not trying to defend anyone here. I am just trying to point out some of the possible reasons why some sellers might refuse/find it hard to go through all the (extremely helpful) reading material that is available for them. I also agree that these people (whom I’ve described in my post) might only constitute a small fraction of the people who don’t read and improve themselves.

[maitasun]

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

Perhaps. But, that doesn’t really matter in the end, because Fiverr is an English-language website, and if someone wants to be successful here, they need to be able to read and communicate in English. Since even buyers largely communicate in English, a seller who doesn’t read or communicate in the language of business just isn’t going to do well here – no matter how excited they might be to “make easy money”.

@hanshuber16

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

Some people are lazy? I don’t doubt it. To a great extent, people always try to apply the Law of Least Effort but - and I don’t want to be rude - have you ever tried reading in a language other than yours?

Reading in foreign languages takes a lot of effort, specially when you barely understand it. It’s not easy to read and understand tons and tons of information written in a different language from yours, just to be able to make use of only a small percentage of the content.

I for instance, besides speaking Spanish and English, also defend myself in Italian at a basic level so it takes me years to understand what I read and, while I do speak Portuguese although not as fluently as English (conversational?), it comes to a point where I just have to give up reading.

Should sellers learn English? Yes, of course. In fact, everyone should learn other languages than their own - for their own good - being English one of them. But, you see? Learning a language - any language - sufficiently enough to comprehend what is written, takes time, plenty of time and dedication.

Reading and understanding is not the same as communicating - even at a very basic level - with someone here on Fiverr or anywhere else.

That is what @hanshuber16 was trying to say and I agree with him as he wrote the following:

while these people (from non-English speaking countries) may know enough English to communicate with their clients without any issues, they may be averse to the idea of having to read through pages and pages of helpful and informative posts/articles (as they might find it taxing/arduous). It doesn’t mean they don’t have the requisite English skills or that they are lazy.

[Guest merciavideo]

@hanshuber16

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

Some people are lazy? I don’t doubt it. To a great extent, people always try to apply the Law of Least Effort but - and I don’t want to be rude - have you ever tried reading in a language other than yours?

Reading in foreign languages takes a lot of effort, specially when you barely understand it. It’s not easy to read and understand tons and tons of information written in a different language from yours, just to be able to make use of only a small percentage of the content.

I for instance, besides speaking Spanish and English, also defend myself in Italian at a basic level so it takes me years to understand what I read and, while I do speak Portuguese although not as fluently as English (conversational?), it comes to a point where I just have to give up reading.

Should sellers learn English? Yes, of course. In fact, everyone should learn other languages than their own - for their own good - being English one of them. But, you see? Learning a language - any language - sufficiently enough to comprehend what is written, takes time, plenty of time and dedication.

Reading and understanding is not the same as communicating - even at a very basic level - with someone here on Fiverr or anywhere else.

That is what @hanshuber16 was trying to say and I agree with him as he wrote the following:

while these people (from non-English speaking countries) may know enough English to communicate with their clients without any issues, they may be averse to the idea of having to read through pages and pages of helpful and informative posts/articles (as they might find it taxing/arduous). It doesn’t mean they don’t have the requisite English skills or that they are lazy.

Learning a language - any language - sufficiently enough to comprehend what is written, takes time, plenty of time and dedication.

I take my hat off to anybody who does. 🎩

We naturally communicate in the language of wherever the stork happened to drop us when we were born. Some of us were lucky, and don’t have to learn a second language to be able to use English. From my point of view, thank goodness Fiverr doesn’t use Spanish or Italian - I’d only be able to ask for a beer or an ice cream! 😉

[maitasun]

Learning a language - any language - sufficiently enough to comprehend what is written, takes time, plenty of time and dedication.

I take my hat off to anybody who does. 🎩

We naturally communicate in the language of wherever the stork happened to drop us when we were born. Some of us were lucky, and don’t have to learn a second language to be able to use English. From my point of view, thank goodness Fiverr doesn’t use Spanish or Italian - I’d only be able to ask for a beer or an ice cream! 😉

From my point of view, thank goodness Fiverr doesn’t use Spanish or Italian - I’d only be able to ask for a beer or an ice cream! 😉

😉

[cyaxrex]

It seems so obvious to most of us on the forum that if you have two sentences in your description, and one stock photo, or a hideous graphic, then you obviously are not the type to post gigs and do well on fiverr.

Sellers shouldn’t need to be told that a great description and good graphics are the first and most important step.

Sellers shouldn’t need to be told that a great description and good graphics are the first and most important step.

I have a friend who has set up their own business in a highly competitive service sector. This is year 2. They still don’t have a website, social media profile, or an online presence to speak of. They are also in massive debt and making a loss each month. However, they keep doing odd things like the occasional classified ad blitzkrieg. Bizarrely, they are even trying to put an app together, despite not having a website or any real idea what their app will do.

This business will fail. It will fail because the person at the helm doesn’t have the competency to carry it forward. More importantly, at no point is a magical “let me help” angel going to appear and handhold them through all the basic things they need to do to get off the ground.

It sounds cruel, but this is how the world works. People need to take responsibility for their own success, and have brains enough to figure out what they need to do to succeed.

That said, whoever makes the first Fiverr endorsed on-boarding video course for learn, is going to make a fortune. Sellers who take it will still rarely succeed. However, it will be a money tree. 😉

[jonbaas]

@hanshuber16

While this ⬆️ might be a piece of cake for some people, it might be an especially arduous task for others (especially for those who are from countries where English is not the primary language). They might find it very taxing to read even a single page’s worth of English-written content.

Some people are lazy? I don’t doubt it. To a great extent, people always try to apply the Law of Least Effort but - and I don’t want to be rude - have you ever tried reading in a language other than yours?

Reading in foreign languages takes a lot of effort, specially when you barely understand it. It’s not easy to read and understand tons and tons of information written in a different language from yours, just to be able to make use of only a small percentage of the content.

I for instance, besides speaking Spanish and English, also defend myself in Italian at a basic level so it takes me years to understand what I read and, while I do speak Portuguese although not as fluently as English (conversational?), it comes to a point where I just have to give up reading.

Should sellers learn English? Yes, of course. In fact, everyone should learn other languages than their own - for their own good - being English one of them. But, you see? Learning a language - any language - sufficiently enough to comprehend what is written, takes time, plenty of time and dedication.

Reading and understanding is not the same as communicating - even at a very basic level - with someone here on Fiverr or anywhere else.

That is what @hanshuber16 was trying to say and I agree with him as he wrote the following:

while these people (from non-English speaking countries) may know enough English to communicate with their clients without any issues, they may be averse to the idea of having to read through pages and pages of helpful and informative posts/articles (as they might find it taxing/arduous). It doesn’t mean they don’t have the requisite English skills or that they are lazy.

have you ever tried reading in a language other than yours?

Yes. I’ve studied two other languages besides English. I used to be able to speak them fluently. So, yes, I can assure you, I am no stranger to other languages.

Reading in foreign languages takes a lot of effort, specially when you barely understand it. It’s not easy to read and understand tons and tons of information written in a different language from yours, just to be able to make use of only a small percentage of the content.

Perhaps. But that still doesn’t change that fact that Fiverr is an English-language website. If a seller want’s to be successful here, he MUST communicate well in English. And, if he want’s to make use of the Fiverr forums, it would be wise for him to be able to read the language as well. That’s how things are on Fiverr, regardless of the native languages of those who choose to interact here.

Learning a language - any language - sufficiently enough to comprehend what is written, takes time, plenty of time and dedication.

Yes. However, English is the language of international business, therefore, here, on Fiverr, being able to read, communicate, and understand English is an investment sellers are going to have to make.

[manucornel]

I get what you’re saying and I’m guessing the number of sellers that don’t get any orders is pretty high, but I still think it’s worth a try.

It won’t be a silver bullet that solves everything and even if you follow all the tips given you still might not get a single order. However, I think there are sellers who don’t know what to do because for a newbie there’s a lot to take in and the first few weeks are crucial because this is the time when Fiverr gives you any kind of boost in ranking.

You could even make like a 7 day training email set. Every day seller gets a new automatic email from Fiverr telling them about the features and assignments to do. How to create gigs, how buyer requests work, how to promote yourself in social, simple 5point summary of TOS that gets you banned (don’t deliver freakin empty order etc).

I believe if a seller has small amount of tasks every day they will complete at least some of them.

And if they don’t then they won’t make it anyway.

Another thing Fiverr could try is cross-selling. Instead of putting my competitors on MY gig description, why don’t you do cross-selling via email. For example, why don’t you send out an email to a seller telling that “Have you considered using a custom cover photo instead of those stupid stock photos? Why don’t you hire any of these raising talents … to make you a decent cover photo that matches your brand?”

For example, I hired a person to proofread my gig, I hired another to do the logo and another to do the cover. I spent maybe $100 and I made that back pretty much instantly.

Of course there are seller who will say that I don’t have money to invest and that’s fine, they can try out the stocks or MS paint, but if you’re not making sales and someone gives you a nice list of sellers who could improve your gig appearance then I’m sure some sellers would go for it.

I agree that there are a ton of seller who will never make it, but I do also think that there are a lot of sellers who are just lost because it’s a lot to take in and they need Fiverr to walk them through it.

Another thing Fiverr could try is cross-selling. Instead of putting my competitors on MY gig description, why don’t you do cross-selling via email.

Yes, that’s a pretty good idea.

And you are having a great intention with this. But it still seems too much effort to offer on a plate things that are already there. It’s not like one can’t open the FAQ section from the Fiverr website or the forum and educate themselves. You don’t see restaurants teaching good manners and how to use the fork and the spoon. You are supposed to educate yourself on those things before going in.

I don’t say that’s a bad idea, but I’d say that those efforts can be invested in other things that are more necessary than sending emails, which won’t be read anyway by the people that have no intention in educating themselves but still create help posts on the forum.

Reading in foreign languages takes a lot of effort, specially when you barely understand it. It’s not easy to read and understand tons and tons of information written in a different language from yours, just to be able to make use of only a small percentage of the content.

I am proficient in a couple of languages, so I can understand that. What I can’t understand is why people believe they can sell here without knowing English, and why you believe it’s a good idea to support them.

Those people that are supposed to be understood for their inability to comprehend another language, will also leave an impression about Fiverr that is a collection of newbies that don’t know how to speak English properly. I mean, no offense, but as all the people from all nationalities could learn English and become great sellers here, so can those people that need to be understood of their hard times.

You don’t know English well? I recommend you first learn it, then try to sell services to a bunch of English-speaking people.

To a great extent, people always try to apply the Law of Least Effort

I politely disagree with you on that. Before my 18th birthday, I knew that I had to go to Spain, for the first time, with the intention of working. What I did 2 months before it? I learned Spanish from an audio - text Spanish teaching guide. When I got there, I knew to speak better than my brother that has been there for 3 years. Not surprisingly, I had an amazing experience, and I liked to receive praises for my swift adaptation.

Nothing to brag about, is the law of Sowing and Reaping. You reap what you sow. Simple as that. You want success here (or anywhere else)? Invest the time to become better every day at it. Deposit the effort, that’s how you succeed.

That’s the principle that we should teach people, not “Here are some free seeds from me. Let me plant them for you. Come on, please do something! Pretty please?”

I’d say that the tough reality check, meaning you get what you deserve, is much more helpful in the long-term for people that are really looking to make something happen for themselves.

Still on this note, I remember a TED speech that Anik Singal gave about the poor communities, and how in fact we might damage them by giving money and by treating them as victims. And he decided to create schools and entire communities, where the people are responsible for their own future. He believes, and I agree with him, that is a greater help. 😀

Anyway, good points from everyone, this is a very interesting discussion. 👍