PRO vs. Regulars = Amateur algorithm strategy

#1

Well, I’ve been facing too many fiverr changes along the 4 years I’m here at fiverr as seller, but one of them I just realized now, and also the most amateur change.

Lately fiverr have been changing their algorlithm (more than 1 year), It’s also +/- the time they created PRO sellers.

Today I realized that fiverr placed (again), low rated (in numbers and quality) sellers to be the firsts gigs to be shown at BEST SELLER GIGS (but gigs higher than $5 prices). Also they recently changed the number of reviews (total, and 1k+ reviews) to the number of reviews in the last 60 days.

What both changes have in common? Both obfuscates good and regular sellers with good reviews (in numbers and quality). And many other changes, already discussed in the past which helps to obfuscate good sellers.

I ask me WHY THEY DO SUCH AMATEUR CHANGES? You can call me slow, but just now I realized they are trying to “force” buyers to buy from PROS, instead a regular $5 gig.

We all know the PROs are amazing and they really perform great, but fiverr must understand that they will never (or almost never) transform a $5 budget buyer into a $600 budget, for example, just because they are “hiding” a good $5 seller. Buyers don’t come to fiverr to spend “hundrederrs”. Fiverr brand name doesn’t help this.

Fiverr is messing all the marketplace because a few categories who support PROs.

I support Fiverr keep doing a good develop with PROs, BUT without forgetting the regular sellers.

Clearly fiverr is trying to do more money, but I would respect this if they were trying to do this in a smart way. “Hiding” reular best sellers wont make the profits go up, will make the overall quality drop down.

Honestly, if you enter in an Apple Store, would you buy a $500 iphone, or ar $10.000 iphone, being the difference only in a “PRO label” on it?

#2

I’ve noticed that nowadays, to find pro sellers, you have to go to buying, click “Fiverr Pro,” then search.

They’re not mixing pro sellers with regular sellers anymore. I think this is a good thing, at least for regular sellers.

I’ve also noticed that on the pro directory, I’m not finding people who do certain gigs. If I search “logo” I find many pro sellers, but if I search “brand names” and “headlines,” I get on results.

Are you saying PRO sellers aren’t selling work worth pro prices? I saw a pro logo designer who charges $1,200 to $3,500, he has glowing reviews, and his work looks very pro, like someone who’s been designing logos for a very long time, for lots of corporate clients.

Consider this, Rob Janoff, the man who designed the world-famous Apple logo, has a pro-gig on Fiverr. He charges $10,000 for a logo. 29 day delivery, 2 revisions, and has extras like Skype with Rob ($500), additional logo ($2,000), additional revision ($750).

Is he worth it? I think so, and those who can afford it, companies making $100,000 to $1 million and more, will hire him.

#3

They’re not mixing pro sellers with regular sellers anymore.

They are when I try. eg. on the normal Fiverr search (ie. not going to Fiverr Pro home first) I can filter to show logos, starting at $1000 and it will show lots of pro gigs.

Is he worth it? I think so, and those who can afford it, companies making $100,000 to $1 million and more, will hire him.

But the gig is for startups. How many start-ups, making $100,000 to $1 million and more wouldn’t already have a logo and would need to spend >=$10,000 for one to be designed? Could a company earn $100,000 to $1 million without a logo? If they were earning enough for that they’d surely already have one and would just need an update to an existing logo if they wanted a logo? Unless they needed one for a different area of the business or something. And would most business that wanted to spend >=$10,000 on a logo hire someone on Fiverr to make it?

#4

well, I’m still seeing PROs on the regular marketplace.

No, I’m not. What I mean is that when comparing 2 similar products, with similar spec, the price will be the factor of choice, even more if it’s about 20 times difference on the price.

Of course only of these 1% of the sellers who are a pro, they are because a reason.

All logo designs, for example, I believe should start at least at $50 price, but unfortunately fiverr marketplace economy destroyed this price.

I believe you didn’t understand what I meant. My point is, most of buyers come to FIVErr because of $5, but who owes the best places for this NOW, are low rated sellers, and PROs.

Doing this Placing a low rated $5 gig, beside a high rated $1500 PRO makes non sense. The $5 budget buyer won’t suddenly become a $1500 budget buyer.

This buyer in question is searching for a low budget but good delivery seller, who are being “hidden” at this moment.

Honesty, I believe it worth more, but just a minimal number of buyers would hire him for this price.

Regular good sellers ar being passed behind. I believe fiverr is doing this to stand out more the PROs.

PROs have not their last 60 days number of reviews, while others have.

Honestly speaking, Placing a 20 review PRO costing $1000 beside a $5 seller with same number of reviews (but hidden in it’s last 60 days), isn’t a way to mislead buyers to believe the PRO sold the same amount as the regular one?

EDIT: a $5 buyer will still come to fiverr to spend $5 (or around this). What they are facing now? a bunch of low rated sellers beside pros. while those good $5 sellers are being obfuscated. Or the most recommended gigs wouldn’t be the most expensive. Higher prices doesn’t mean high quality.

#5

Not necessarily.

It can be for companies that are looking for rebranding, because they are ready to take their business to the next level.

The idea that they should increase their budget?

#6

True it could be. But the text on the gig says:

STARTUP LOGO

Rob Janoff and his team will create a winning logo for your startup

While in the gig description it says “…or rebrand” it’s not the main focus. The main focus (as shown in the main section of the gig) seems to be for startups. Even though $10,000 may be a bit high for a startup. And most people wanting to pay >=$10,000 may not want to use Fiverr for it.

edit:
Though in that gig it’s the main section that says “STARTUP LOGO” and “for your startup” but in the “about this gig” section it doesn’t mention “startup” at all. Just things like “new corporate image” and “rebrand”.

#7

form $5 to $10, or $15, maybe $20 is something realistic, but from $5 to $100, $200 etc is something crazy.

fiverr should encourage sellers to value their work, charging it properly, but hiding $5 good rated sellers to make PROs stand out is nonsense.

#8

Startups usually have allocated budgets for both marketing and branding.

Not sure how the whole “i’m a startup so I have no money” thing got started.

I recently started my own “startup” and I had to secure capital, and budget the inital 3 years in advance.

Anyone who comes to you and mentions the fact that they are a startup, followed by “we have no money”, is not a startup.

A serious startup ALWAYS has a marketing budget. It’s not going to be up there with Nike’s but they do have money to burn.

#9

100% agree. This should not be confused with being on a budget but anyone who can’t put a few hundred quid into their branding is not a startup - they are just giving something a go and hoping for the best.

#10

A lot of startups say that they don’t have money because they aren’t taking it seriously and they are not confident that whatever they invest will be worth it in the long run. And the lack of confidence comes from the fact that they haven’t really thought this through.

There are no guarantees, but if you have done your research then any amount is an investment.
$100 / $1000 or $10 000 is an investment not cost.

#11

…who can’t put a few hundred quid into their branding is not a startup

The gig in question, which the main gig info says is for startups, costs 10 thousand dollars.

#12

There are budgets of different sizes.

Each venture has a different amount of capital.

All ventures need a budget and a solid plan.

Whether they have a few hundred or a few thousand bucks for branding, it all depends on how kich funding they have, and how ambitious the plan to go to market is.

Also: if Michael Jordan charged $10,000 to coach you on how to throw free throws, would you start arguing about how you can find a coach in your neighborhood court for $50?

Cause the guy who designed Apple’s logo has to be the MJ of the logo designing/branding world in my book.

#13

Sure, but any funded startup would definitely be capable of paying that.
People confuse “someone starting a business” with “being a startup”.
Someone starting out as a freelancer or creating a website to sell diet pills etc is not a startup.
Startups in the case of what Mr Janoff is referring to means those funded by venture capital etc.

#14

Being Startup or not, it doesnt matter. All this is just one category.

Fiverr has dozens.

These changes doesn’t affect only Logo Design, it affects the whole marketplace, even those categories with no PRO option.

#15

…has to be the MJ of the logo designing/branding world in my book.

Possibly. Though what other logos is he famous for designing?

Also, if I ordered the $10,000 gig I’d get a .eps and a .jpg.
If I ordered a ~$30 gig I could probably get a lot more formats.

#16

Anyway, I’m sure fiverr never imagined gigs costing more than $5 when they created FIVERR brand.

But now, with PROS being their “favorite son”, they are entering in a “new market” without re-branding it’s brand.

fiverr is known for $5, not for PROS, unfortunately.

MY POINT IS: placing low rated gigs on top with PROs. Even TRS are getting impaired with this.

#17

If you value file formats over the design itself, I have no counter argument for you.

That also means you don’t value the process, the level of service and you clearly don’t see branding as an investment.

So there’s really nothing I can say to counter.

#18

Pro sellers are overly priced usually, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get sales

#19

If you value file formats over the design itself, I have no counter argument for you.

I never said that. But I also don’t see why a good designer couldn’t offer more than a .eps and a jpeg. Especially one charging $10,000 (and more for extra revisions etc.), especially when gigs costing $30 do.

That also means you don’t value the process, the level of service and you clearly don’t see branding as an investment.

I never said that either. But paying $10,000 for a particular designer because they once designed a famous logo doesn’t guarantee that what is delivered will be any better than a gig costing much less than that.

If there was a blind test comparing both which showed a big improvement over other gigs which charged $30, $100 or $1000 maybe it would be worth it (eg. a high enough number of people voted that they preferred one over another or other unbiased tests - tests that would show that one would likely be a more profitable/a lot more profitable than another for the business). Otherwise you’re really paying for the name (because it’s designed by a particular designer) not what is delivered.

#20

It’s a relative matter, and it depends on the client if he wants to spend more or not. If your services are exclusive to the Fiverr marketplace, and you live in a country with a lower income - you would think that clients aren’t willing to pay better prices for skilled freelancers.

I pulled the plug on some gigs here on Fiverr, because I focused on selling those services on different platforms as people there are used to higher priced services in that particular niche.

If you do charge $20 for something that another person charges $1000 or more, in my opinion you not valuing your work. However, as a non-pro seller here, it’s harder to get clients that would pay more, as the “pro” badge adds more value, than a regular seller selling the same services at that price point.

Indeed, there are pro sellers that deliver crappy work, and regular sellers that deliver awesome work, and vice versa. At the end of the day what matters the most is how much do you value your own work.