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Is the $20.000 requirement for Top Seller fair to all fields?

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#1

When I started working on Fiver I had one goal: to be the best! :stuck_out_tongue: Ambitious I guess but that’s the mindset I had.

I’ve been a level 2 seller for quite some time, but one thing really discourages me: the $20.000 requirement for Top Seller. I meet all requirements but am not even half way to that goal after a year of full time working. It feels like this requirement favors people in higher-paying businesses (website developers, designers, etc.) who can earn hundreds of dollars per gig. I do translations and my average project pays $20-30, so it will be another year and a half before I get there :stuck_out_tongue:

Am I the only one who thinks the number/quality of reviews should matter more than actual cash? :slight_smile: Just curious if anyone else has thought about this :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#2

I have 2 Translation orders in my queue.
One is for $400 the other is for $5.
These are counted as the same value when it comes to:

  • Overall review score
  • Delivered on time
  • The power of the review when someone reads it.

In fact, the only factor that favors the one which is EIGHTY TIMES more valuable to Fiverr is that it counts towards overall earnings.

Tell me why you think 2 $20 orders should count more than a $400 order - the only reason I can think of is that it suits you more at the current time.
Besides, I had to continue working for two years after reaching that goal in my first year through translation and proofreading alone.

People need to stop aiming for the metrics in the hope of gaining TRS - all the metrics mean is that you are still in the game, that you reach the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM required to even be considered.

So to sum up:

  • no, the minimum requirement is not too much
  • fiverr is actively encouraging towards higher value orders but still doesn’t “respect them” enough
  • TRS in itself is a bad overall goal to have, focus on getting better and earning more instead
  • you expecting to be “the best” in your first year is completely unrealistic
16 Likes
#3

Say a specific seller charges $5 for their gig and they are making $40,000 per year
Take someone else who is averaging $500 per order yet only making $5,000 per year

Which of these Two are more valuable to Fiverr?

That’s why there are several metrics other than whether you reach any specific criteria. (yes, a lil windy sentence)

1 Like
#4

I think this sentence sums it up.

#5

I don’t think it is unfair at all. I mean, it’s easy enough to make it to level 2, given the circumstances are in your favor. So why not add a 20,000$ goal to reach to show that you are not only skilled, but also tenacious?

Why would anyone want to provide anyone else with a Top Rated Seller status if they have only been on the platform a few months and may not plan on being here long term?

Besides, it’s not as if you have to make 20,000 in the course of 365 days, you have to earn it over the course of your total time on Fiverr. Since 20,000$ is barely enough to live as a single person in the US in a year, I don’t find it to be unattainable. It just might take some time.

And if you want to be the very best, like no one ever was, wouldn’t you want to see this more as a challenge to overcome, and not something to whine about?

1 Like
#6

What on earth is wrong with aiming to be the best? :stuck_out_tongue:

On the contrary to what some do, I love the metrics and the “goals” and think focusing on them is a good thing - it makes work more fun to have targets :smiley:

I am not saying that 2x $20 orders should be equal to for example a $400 order. I am saying that measuring in pure income translates differently between fields. If you turn it around, I guess the same is true for number of reviews - fields with many very small orders will easily get a set number of reviews while fields with larger but fewer orders will have a harder time reaching such a goal. I guess that’s why there is no requirement related to number of reviews.

At the moment, there is a pure income target (the $20.000) and a target of 100 completed orders. The other targets are fluent - as long as you have above 4.8 in average rating it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 or 5000 reviews, for example.

I would argue that a longer “Selling Seniority” target (currently “At least 180 days as a level two seller”) is more fair to all fields than a set income target or set number of reviews/orders completed.

That said, I do get the point from Fiverr’s perspective - higher income = more revenue for them :slight_smile:

Finally, I am not saying Top Seller should be easy - of course it shouldn’t! And yes, these are the “bare minimum” to even be considered. All I am saying is that some of the current goals favor certain fields, and that perhaps having goals that affect all fields equally is more fair :slight_smile:

PS. I meant to open a discussion and was curious what people thought, but I forgot that this is an online forum where negativity thrives :stuck_out_tongue: I never meant to “whine”, and I’m sorry if it came across that way :slight_smile:

#7

In their eyes it means - more experience for a seller, at which point Fiverr feels confident allowing them to feature a “vetted” badge that is seen as “superior” in a way.

Note that those requirements are simply first requirements for even being reviewed - essentially - that means that in order to ‘possibly’ qualify one must at least meet those milestones at which Fiverr will ‘consider’ allowing you to feature this badge.

I had an issue with the very fact that all orders are counted equally when coming to monthly stats (1 order cancelled order affects the cancellation rate no matter if it’s a $5 or $1000 order. - to me, that is an issue. I do feel that price tiers should be in place and that a “lower priced” offer can’t affect so much (again, in correlation to other orders being made)

However, I also understand coming up with the perfect system is difficult. As they say “It may not be the best system, but it works”

Additionally, given the metrics required to achieve before becoming any level seller, people appreacite the badge more. (in your case, once you become a TRS you’ll feel you’ve crashed the sky and feel super happy)

Not the best system. Work needs to be done. Work is being done. More work is being done. Let’s wait.

#8
  1. The pure income target is All-Time which means that it can be achieved eventually by a lot of serious sellers. It does not reset each month or year.
  2. If I do one $400 order in two months and get a 4.7 star review then I am demoted. If you do 20 x $20 orders in two months and get a couple of 4.7 (and even a 1-star) and the rest 5-star, then you will not be demoted.
    This is also true about cancellations and late deliveries.

That is what people mean when they say that the system suits lower priced gigs.

Yes, you are right it would be. However the evaluation metrics/fields are actually stacked in your favor, not against you as you seem to think.

1 Like
#9

I wouldn’t say that any of the responses were negative. You had a fair question and the responses were very detailed & on point.

Personally I think targets should be weighted based on the cost. I know a lot of people would disagree, but if I look at it from business perspective then if Fiverr gets a bigger cut then I should have more leeway :slight_smile:

There are developers offering $5 websites. They can do 50 sites in a row and Fiverr still makes less money on them than from a single order from me. But when my order is late I lose a level, while the other guy can miss quite a few orders. Besides, I bet I won’t need CS help for that one order, while the other guy might need CS for 10 orders out of 50. That’s probably why they raised the service fee to get more resources to support those low-priced gigs.

So in terms of revenue, it’s better for Fiverr to keep high-priced gigs, but the current system actually seems to favor more lower priced gigs. The 20K target is pretty much the only thing that’s more difficult for low-priced gigs to achieve. For example, if I didn’t do smaller maintenance orders then 20K is easier for me to hit than getting 100 orders. The only reason I did smaller maintenance gigs was to balance out random cancellations where the buyer ordered by mistake. (Although I’ve given up on that, it’s just a badge :stuck_out_tongue: )

1 Like
#10

I agree that some parts of the current system favors lower-paying gigs, but that’s my point. It’s imbalanced in several regards. When someone like me can have every single goal in the green for 1+ year except one goal which is faaaar from being completed, something feels off. Either the one goal that has fallen behind is too high, or all the other goals are too low.

And if on the other hand someone else has the $20.000 goal in the green since ages ago but is struggling with some of the other ones because they favor many smaller gigs, then that too is a a sign that the goals are not aligned :slight_smile:

I do enjoy the challenges that the goals (all of them) present though and can imagine how exciting it would be to one day meet the trickiest ones :smiley:

#11

Yup.

I’m fairy certain that these larger orders matter to the Fiverr editorial team when contemplating whether to award the TRS badge. (as well)

2 Likes
#12

I think sales volume is the most important thing. If someone has 5-20 orders in his queue everyday, he’s not going to remain a level 2 for long.

It also helps if you have an original gig, something Fiverr would like to brag about.

No, you’re not the only one. When I judge my competitors, the first thing I see is their queues, then their prices, then their reviews. If you’re charging $100 and have no one in your queue, that doesn’t impress me. If you’re charging $5 or $10 and have 10-50 people in line, then I’m extremely impressed.

1 Like
#13

By giving this information from fiverr we should be thankful. This is what fiverr looks on their top rated seller and if you and me doesn’t make that much then we are not meant to be top rated seller.