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blaisefaint Apprentice

blaisefaint

Posted
Posted

Dear Webengineer:

If I see a follow-up post from you in this thread saying that you’ve gone over and implemented this checklist, I will attempt to take a closer look at your profile and at one of your gigs.

Improve My Gig Checklist:

Dear Fiverr Seller:

I didn’t take a look at your gig, but here is a checklist that may help:

  • Polish your English: spelling, grammar, punctuation, and so on. Are you trying to reach US English speakers or international English speakers? Make sure your phrasing is consistent with your target audience.

  • Remember that buyers are on Fiverr so that you will solve THEIR problems. You are here to provide SOLUTIONS. There is no place for negativity in your copy. Don’t say, I live in a third world country, every day is a struggle, and things are bad. There are people who travel the world to find the things of beauty that make each country special. Find out what these people are saying about your country. Everything is awesome! Refer to “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. “Never criticize, condemn, or complain,” ESPECIALLY in your SALES COPY!

  • Your log line:

Please include one and make it speak about you personally. Avoid cliches and generalities.

*Your profile image:

This should be a real photograph of you. Please use a clear, high-quality headshot showing your smile. Avoid selfies if you can. If you take a shot in a mirror, flip the image horizontally.

  • Your profile text:

Again, you should be speaking specifically about yourself, while focusing on how you are here to help the buyer. Try to use YOU more than I. Your goal is to create positive associations in the Buyer’s mind.

  • Your gigs: New Sellers can have 7 gigs. You should have 7 gigs! Once you have 7 gigs, once a week you should take a hard look at all your gigs. Revise or replace your weakest gig. Once you are at Level 1, you will have 15 gigs. At Level 2, 20. Be thinking NOW about what those 20 gigs will be. Bear in mind that you can PAUSE gigs at any time. For example, you may have a Valentine’s Day gig that sells great in February, but that you pause for the other months of the year. You might choose to DELETE this gig on Feb 15, and repost the next year.

If having 20 gigs at one time is too much, you can pause any number of them, but it’s good to have them available to run when it’s convenient for you.

If you consistently review and improve your gigs, over time you will have just the right number of top-performing gigs that you need to succeed on Fiverr.

  • Gig Title:

Does your gig title stand out? I suggest you look at similar gigs and brainstorm some keywords to make it pop.

  • Gig Description:

You have 1200 characters available to you here; I suggest you use them.

A suggested format for your gig descriptions:

WHO I AM

WHAT YOU GET

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY FROM ME

RECOMMENDED GIG EXTRAS

I strongly recommend that you hire a copy writer to write the copy for your first gig. This is an investment that will pay off in more sales more quickly. If you are worried about the expense, remember that your gig description is 1200 characters, or about 240 words. If the copy writer has a gig of 1000 words, you may be able to work out a deal for them to write descriptions for up to 4 gigs.

You can study these gig descriptions and carefully modify them for your other gigs.

Many Sellers recommend that you buy gigs from other Sellers on Fiverr, so that you have a sense of what it is like to be a Buyer. This makes it easier for you to relate to the Buyer’s concerns.

  • Video: 30 to 60 seconds. If nothing else, put together a slide show of your portfolio images. If you can provide video of yourself talking directly to the buyer, this may help.

Every gig should have a video! People expect it today, and are more likely to watch a video than read your copy. Learn to make great videos that get your point across in an engaging way. I’ve seen reports that suggest that in 10 years, video will be the dominant form of communication on social media.

Gig Pictures: You can have 3 images, and you should have 3. Please avoid stock images. Your images should be personal to you and to the gig you are providing. If your images or video have text, that text should be consistent with the text in your gig description. For example, if your packages are called Basic, Supreme, and Deluxe in the text, but your images show Standard, Super, and Super Duper, you will confuse the Buyer, who is more likely to move on than to try to figure out what you mean.

  • Your packages:
    Generally, Sellers offer more as the packages move up in price. I suggest you brainstorm some variety so it seems like the upgrades are more than just numbers. Think very carefully about the packages from the Buyer’s point of view.

For example, if you offer revisions for the base package, but not for the upgrades. the buyer probably will wonder why they’re losing a benefit with the upgrade.

  • Fiverr Academy

A good way to get initial sales is to ask friends and family, classmates, people who know you and like you, to buy gigs from you.

Make use of social media: I suggest you post images to Twitter on a daily basis, with links to your Fiverr profile. The more people who see what you can do, the more clicks and views you will get on Fiverr. For example, Twitter has #MondayMotivation to #SundayFunday. If your work becomes known in those categories, people will begin to seek you out on Fiverr.

You can post videos to YouTube, with links to your Fiverr profile.

You can talk about your gigs on your blog, with pointers to your Fiverr profile.

You could post a YouTube video, Tweet about it, post it on your blog embedded in a blog post, and have pointers in all these places pointing to your Fiverr profile.

In my humble opinion (IMHO), it makes more sense to point to your Fiverr profile rather than to your individual gigs, because you may delete individual gigs and pause individual gigs. Rather than constantly updating links to individual gigs, let your Fiverr profile do the heavy lifting for you.

Good luck,
Blaise

DISCLAIMER for any Sellers who might read this post. Please read before contacting me on Fiverr!:

As a matter of common courtesy, please do not contact me on Fiverr with questions or comments that belong on the Fiverr Forum. If I see your question or comment in the Forum, if I have time, and if I think it is appropriate, I will respond in the Forum.

Sincerely,
Blaise

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blaisefaint Apprentice

blaisefaint

Posted
Posted

Dear Webengineer,

I’ll take a look at your gig a little later, but I wanted to address some points of miscommunication between us, in the hope that it will be useful to you and to any other Fiverr Sellers who may see this post.

One of the criteria for becoming a Top Rated Seller is Community Leadership. My career as a Seller has begun very slowly, which has given me lots of free time. I hope one day to make it to Level 1, then to Level 2 (hopefully within 2 or 3 months later), and maybe one day to Top Rated Seller. That is why I began participating in the forums last Saturday.

Since then, most days I have tried to look at the “Improve My Gig” thread in the mornings and in the evenings. Unfortunately, I was not able to look at the Forum last evening, because I spent about 8 hours yesterday working on 2 gigs: about 2 hours on my first successul Canva gig, and about 6 hours on an unsuccessful Canva gig that ended in mutual cancellation, because I failed to understand what the Buyer wanted, every step of the way. That experience taught me a lot about Canva, and a lot about the Requirements portion of the gig description.*

I have sincerely tried to be helpful in my posts to the Forum, but I am aware that Americans have a bad reputation around the world for boorishness, and I have tried to be mindful of that. I myself am socially awkward, and I realize that my posts may be too blunt or offensive to some folks. Please understand that my opinions are only my opinions and I understand that other people will disagree with much of what I write.

Since I’ve begun posting in the Forum, several Sellers have begun messaging me via Fiverr, asking for assistance with their gigs. That is why I’ve added the Disclaimer to my posts asking Fiverr Sellers not to contact me on Fiverr with questions and comments that belong in the Fiverr Forum.

I realize that this is a distinction that may be lost on some people, but Fiverr and Fiverr Forum are two distinct entities. I live in the United States. This means that unless you live in the United States, Canada, or South America, we are probably in very different time zones. Morning for you is probably the middle of the night for me.

One of the factors that affects your visibility on Fiverr is your response time to the first messages people send you on Fiverr. I’ve risen at least 2 mornings since last Saturday to find messages from Sellers in my inbox that I had not answered for hours because I was sleeping. Please be aware that if you are contacting someone on Fiverr that you have no intention of buying from, you could be hurting that person’s visibility on Fiverr. In other words, you are saying, “Hey, there, I’m reaching into your pocket to take money out of your wallet now, while you’re sleeping, okay? So help me when you wake up!”

Maybe someone else can help to make that point more clear in a way that isn’t offensive. I’m not trying to give offense, but I am asking that no Fiverr Sellers contact me on Fiverr with questions and comments that belong in the Forum. Apparently, I have not yet found a way to express that.

This morning, I woke up with very little sleep, because naturally I am very upset that I failed on my gig. So right now, I’m overtired.

There was a message from a Fiverr Seller in my Fiverr inbox.

It read:

Dear blaise,
I have looked your comment on my Fiverr forum post. Can you help me to write a good Fiverr gig description for free? Mean seller friendly,

Thanks and regards,

This message has 2 points of miscommunication that I want to discuss, because I believe it will be helpful to other Fiverr Sellers, and because they highlight difficulties in communication between international English speakers.

  1. Can you help me to write a good Fiverr gig description for free?

As a US citizen, I interpreted this to mean that the writer was mad at me, and had taken offense to my Forum post. A: they sent me a message on Fiverr that belongs in the Fiverr Forum, despite the disclaimer in my posts specifically asking Fiverr Sellers not to do that. B: they asked me on Fiverr to give them something for free.

  1. Mean seller friendly,

This phrase was very unclear to me. I took it to mean, “You, Blaise, are a mean seller, whereas I, the person writing to you on Fiverr asking for free stuff, am friendly.”

Upon further reflection and after asking the writer for clarification, I believe that what the writer MEANT to express was, “I mean, a gig description that is friendly to the BUYER.”

I’m still not sure that my second interpretation is correct. My point is, I had to give the writer the benefit of the doubt, to not immediately assume that they were mad at me and so deliberately ignoring my request that Fiverr Sellers not contact me on Fiverr about Fiverr Forum questions and comments.

I hope that this is clear, and that if you did not before, you now understand the nuances of this issue.

As to the phrase, “Can you help me to write a good Fiverr gig description for free?”:

Please understand, I have experience as a proofreader. I do not have training as a copy writer. That is a very specialized skill. If you read MY gig descriptions, it should be clear to you that it is a skill that I do not have.

Please believe me, I would love for a talented copywriter to help me to write a good Fiverr gig description for free! The only reason I haven’t followed my own advice and hired a copy writer on Fiverr is that I currently do not have the funds. I will probably need to work my way up to at Least Level 2 before I have the means to hire a copy writer to write any of my gig descriptions.

So, if you’re a talented copy writer and are willing to help me write a good Fiverr gig description for free, please do. I won’t even get mad if you contact me on Fiverr to make such a generous offer!

So to wrap up this thread:

I will take a look at your gig and post a follow-up with the feedback I have to offer. Unfortunately, while I may be able to help with English, grammar, spelling, etc., I do not have the skill set as a copy writer to write a good gig description for you.

I hope that I have expressed myself clearly and without giving offense. If not, please forgive me, as I am very tired at the moment.

Sincerely,
Blaise

*Important Note about Requirements:

I haven’t mentioned Requirements in any of the gig reviews I’ve posted in the Forum, and I realized yesterday that all this time, I have been making HUGE mistakes with my own Requirements.

If you don’t know already, it is considered a gig best practice to include Requirements with every gig description. This forces the Buyer to provide the information you need before you receive their order.

When you enter your Requirements, you need to press the “ADD” button, and then the “SAVE” button. I had not pressed ADD for any of my gigs, so NONE OF MY REQUIREMENTS were saved!

Imagine my panic and confusion when I received a blank order yesterday, with no idea of what the customer wanted.

So, please please please, be sure that your Requirements are properly included with your gig descriptions!

Only Buyers who purchase your gigs SEE your Requirements, so when I look at your gigs, I will not give you any feedback about YOUR REQUIREMENTS. Just know that you should have some, and that they should be clear to the Buyer.

Thank you,
Blaise

DISCLAIMER for any Sellers who might read this post. Please read before contacting me on Fiverr!:

As a matter of common courtesy, please do not contact me on Fiverr with questions or comments that belong on the Fiverr Forum. If I see your question or comment in the Forum, if I have time, and if I think it is appropriate, I will respond in the Forum.

Sincerely,
Blaise

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blaisefaint Apprentice

blaisefaint

Posted
Posted

Dear WebEngineer:

I took a look at one of your gigs. Here is the part of the help you requested that I am able to offer:

  • Your log line:
    Looks fine to me.

*Your profile image:

It looks fine. The sepia tones are an interesting choice.

  • Your profile text:

My objective is to provide 100% accurate service to my clients, and to give all my clients full satisfaction. I am a hard worker, honest, and very dedicated to my job. I always respect the deadline. So, my aim is to deliver a good job in less than the estimated time. I want to help YOU on Fiverr.

It is a good idea to give the name by which you like to be called. I looked at your reviews. They were all positive, but no one mentioned your name. You will be more likeable and memorable if you make a personal connection with all your Buyers. You know my name, but all I know to call you is WebEngineer.

  • Gig Title: I will fix your Wordpress, Wordpress themes, plugins, and web hosting

You could leave this gig description as it was. I don’t have specific key words to offer.

  • Gig Description:

I will fix your website problems! I offer website solutions that are related to hypertext markup language (HTML), cascading style sheets (CSS), Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) code, and Content Management Systems (CMS) Platforms. I am here to help you with Installing, Customizing, Optimizing, and Protecting your systems as follows:

WordPress
Joomla
Magneto
Squarespace
Concrete5
Shopify
Woo-commerce
PHP
HTML & CSS
Database
Website Migrating
Hosting Cpanel Management
Domain or Website Transfer
Web Security
Malware Removal From Hacked Web-Connected Devices

I enjoy being challenged with other impossible tasks!

100% Delivery on Time

I reserve the right to decline any gigs that include references to…
drug use
violence
profanity
sex

Please contact me before placing your order!!!

Thank you.

A suggested format for your gig descriptions:

WHO I AM

WHAT YOU GET

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY FROM ME

RECOMMENDED GIG EXTRAS

  • Video: 30 to 60 seconds. If you could add video of yourself talking to the buyer, this could help you. Smile, and try to have a more interesting background than a wall behind you. If you can make a video in the most beautiful spot in your city, you will get lots of compliments!

Gig Images: You have a lot of images in your Live Portfolio! I’m jealous. These are all fine.

I strongly recommend that you hire a copy writer to write the copy for your gigs. This is an investment that will pay off in more sales more quickly. If you are worried about the expense, remember that your gig description is 1200 characters, or about 240 words. If the copy writer has a gig of 1000 words, you may be able to work out a deal for them to write descriptions for up to 4 gigs.

I suggest you post on Twitter on a daily basis, with links to your Fiverr profile. The more people who see what you can do, the more clicks and views you will get on Fiverr. For example, Twitter has #MondayMotivation to #SundayFunday. If you become known on Twitter as a friendly, helpful IT EXPERT, people will begin to seek you out on Fiverr.

Because of your expertise as a Microsoft Certified IT Professional, you should find a way to participate in various new user friendly IT forums, offering help and advice to people who have questions. Usually in these types of forums, you can include a link to your Fiverr profile in your signature. If you are able to build a reputation as a friendly, helpful IT expert, this will lead more people to seek you out on Fiverr.

If you’re familiar with “The IT Crowd,” a popular British sitcom, you should be aware that many people do not know what “IT” stands for. One character on the show confidently declared, “Internet Things.” It is generally a good idea to spell out any acronyms the first time you use them. Your Buyers probably don’t know what they mean, and will be appreciative that you took the time to educate them. If you can explain what you’re doing and why clearly to your Buyers in your communications, this will also help you.

I suggest you listen to Fiverrcast, as they have lots of good information about ways of getting repeat business that should be helpful to you in slow periods like this. There are about 40 different episodes as I write this on June 22, 2016.

Good luck,
Blaise

DISCLAIMER for any Sellers who might read this post. Please read before contacting me on Fiverr!:

As a matter of common courtesy, please do not contact me on Fiverr with questions or comments that belong on the Fiverr Forum. If I see your question or comment in the Forum, if I have time, and if I think it is appropriate, I will respond in the Forum.

Sincerely,
Blaise

From this point forward, this is the standard response I will give to any Fiverr Seller who contacts me via Fiverr with a question or comment that belongs in the Fiverr Forum.

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