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Questions For Buyers: What do you look for in sellers?


jcmcbride

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I am interested in learning how buyers find sellers on Fiverr and what makes them click the buy button.

I am especially keen to know if badges like “Top Rated Seller” or “Pro” factor into your decisions at all. How often do you look at a seller’s profile before buying or do you just buy once you find a gig you like in search?

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I started on Fiverr as a buyer. I bought book covers here.

I remember I was put off by super low prices. I thought that if anyone was selling graphic design skills for so cheap then they must not be very good. I looked for lots of reviews. I didn’t know anything about the badges, so I ignored those.

I remember being pulled in by the seller’s name. It was short and catchy and told me exactly what they did. I don’t want to call them out (even though they’re awesome!) so I’ll just say it was "Pro[insertsomething related to book covers])

I liked that they had a professional gig video. I’d never hired anyone over the internet and was worried about scammers. Being able to see her face and hear her talk did a lot to make me trust that this was a legit person. I feel like scammers would be as anonymous as possible.

They had packages that clearly outlined exactly what was included and lots of gig extras. It looked really professional to me.

They had lots of great reviews and only a few negative ones.

They’d been on fiverr for a decent amount of time.

I think those are all of the reasons that I picked that seller to work with.

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On 4/4/2018 at 2:43 PM, jenihiggs said:

I remember I was put off by super low prices. I thought that if anyone was selling graphic design skills for so cheap then they must not be very good. I looked for lots of reviews. I didn’t know anything about the badges, so I ignored those.

That’s good to hear - that’s one of the things I find hard to juggle. As a fairly new member (Nov '17) I’ve just now started to get a few orders, where buyers approached me first. But whenever I reply to buyer requests I find it very hard to state a price before even seeing the whole scope of their needs/ requirements. I agree with you that too cheap doesn’t attract buyers who are looking for quality, but then on the other hand putting a higher (and actually more realistic) price on it might scare them away.

On 4/4/2018 at 2:43 PM, jenihiggs said:

I liked that they had a professional gig video.

That’s a wonderful suggestion - thank you!

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On 4/4/2018 at 2:51 PM, jcmcbride said:

I am interested in learning how buyers find sellers on Fiverr and what makes them click the buy button.

I am especially keen to know if badges like “Top Rated Seller” or “Pro” factor into your decisions at all. How often do you look at a seller’s profile before buying or do you just buy once you find a gig you like in search?

My buyers rarely say anything about my seller badge being an influence on their purchase interest. What they do tell me is that they saw my reputation, the strong interest from other buyers, and my gig gallery (i.e., my skills), and purchased from me because of those things. My clients choose to work with me because I can prove that I am good at what I do, and I have the reputation of being a fantastic seller to work with.

So, in answer to your questions, I have found that quality and skill are far more important to buyers than the level badge that a seller has. A badge is just a badge – skill is hard to fake. 

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On 4/4/2018 at 3:34 PM, jenihiggs said:

I started on Fiverr as a buyer. I bought book covers here.

I remember I was put off by super low prices. I thought that if anyone was selling graphic design skills for so cheap then they must not be very good. I looked for lots of reviews. I didn’t know anything about the badges, so I ignored those.

I remember being pulled in by the seller’s name. It was short and catchy and told me exactly what they did. I don’t want to call them out (even though they’re awesome!) so I’ll just say it was "Pro[insertsomething related to book covers])

I liked that they had a professional gig video. I’d never hired anyone over the internet and was worried about scammers. Being able to see her face and hear her talk did a lot to make me trust that this was a legit person. I feel like scammers would be as anonymous as possible.

They had packages that clearly outlined exactly what was included and lots of gig extras. It looked really professional to me.

They had lots of great reviews and only a few negative ones.

They’d been on fiverr for a decent amount of time.

I think those are all of the reasons that I picked that seller to work with.

Thank you for your thoughts. I first came here as a buyer myself, but I only buy a few gigs each year. It’s great to hear how others go through the buying process.

What impressed you about the reviews? Did you like the ratio of 5-star reviews to more negative reviews? Were you impressed with the actual content of the reviews?

I’m really curious about the buying process on Fiverr. It feels like a black box to me.

On 4/4/2018 at 3:46 PM, jonbaas said:

My buyers rarely say anything about my seller badge being an influence on their purchase interest. What they do tell me is that they saw my reputation, the strong interest from other buyers, and my gig gallery (i.e., my skills), and purchased from me because of those things. My clients choose to work with me because I can prove that I am good at what I do, and I have the reputation of being a fantastic seller to work with.

So, in answer to your questions, I have found that quality and skill are far more important to buyers than the level badge that a seller has. A badge is just a badge – skill is hard to fake.

Thanks for your comments. It makes sense to me that buyers look at reviews/reputation as one of the primary factors in their decision making process. I suspect that most buyers have no idea what the badges mean and don’t care much about them.

Even though I have some nice badges, I’m not really sure that they impact my revenues much, if at all.

But, I figured I would try and get as much data as possible as I realize my personal habits and instincts may not reflect what most buyers behaviors are.

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On 4/4/2018 at 8:47 PM, jcmcbride said:

I suspect that most buyers have no idea what the badges mean and don’t care much about them.

I would agree with this statement. The new sellers who complain about their Fiverr career being over, just because they lost a badge, are definitely focusing on the wrong thing. Buyers likely notice the seller “badges”, but those badges are not as important as skill, quality, and professional attitude. The sellers that focus on these things are usually the sellers that succeed here on Fiverr.

On 4/4/2018 at 8:47 PM, jcmcbride said:

But, I figured I would try and get as much data as possible as I realize my personal habits and instincts may not reflect what most buyers behaviors are.

It is always good (and wise) to research and gather data. 🙂 

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Guest kawsaradi

I started on Fiverr as a buyer. I bought book covers here.

I remember I was put off by super low prices. I thought that if anyone was selling graphic design skills for so cheap then they must not be very good. I looked for lots of reviews. I didn’t know anything about the badges, so I ignored those.

I remember being pulled in by the seller’s name. It was short and catchy and told me exactly what they did. I don’t want to call them out (even though they’re awesome!) so I’ll just say it was "Pro[insertsomething related to book covers])

I liked that they had a professional gig video. I’d never hired anyone over the internet and was worried about scammers. Being able to see her face and hear her talk did a lot to make me trust that this was a legit person. I feel like scammers would be as anonymous as possible.

They had packages that clearly outlined exactly what was included and lots of gig extras. It looked really professional to me.

They had lots of great reviews and only a few negative ones.

They’d been on fiverr for a decent amount of time.

I think those are all of the reasons that I picked that seller to work with.

OK… If all buyers do same as you do when you select a seller ! Then for new sellers this marketplace will be so much harder.

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OK… If all buyers do same as you do when you select a seller ! Then for new sellers this marketplace will be so much harder.

I mean…if someone’s looking for a service, can you really blame them for being very thorough when it comes to picking them?

Personally, I wouldn’t pick a newbie with only a few reviews over someone with a few hundred. That’s just how things are.

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I haven’t bought anything yet, but I’m planning on doing so in the near future, once I finish my book and need a book cover.

Honestly, the first thing I look at when visiting these gigs is the type of graphics they provide. I also prefer it when there’s a portfolio or reviews from people, because then you have the guarantee that the person hasn’t stolen their gig images from Google to pass off as their own. The badges, e.t.c., haven’t actually come into it at all. I’ve looked at everyone from brand new sellers to established sellers, and yeah, like I said; it’s definitely a style thing.

The video thing is a good idea, too. Apparently gigs with videos sell 220% better than gigs without videos, so if you’re a seller, it’s definitely worth trying. I’ve been planning to sit down and write a script so I can film a video for each of my gigs since I started posting a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully I’ll get on with that soon.

This isn’t very helpful because I’m not actually a buyer yet, but I thought I’d give my two cents anyway. I can’t wait to hear what others have to say!

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Guest kawsaradi

I haven’t bought anything yet, but I’m planning on doing so in the near future, once I finish my book and need a book cover.

Honestly, the first thing I look at when visiting these gigs is the type of graphics they provide. I also prefer it when there’s a portfolio or reviews from people, because then you have the guarantee that the person hasn’t stolen their gig images from Google to pass off as their own. The badges, e.t.c., haven’t actually come into it at all. I’ve looked at everyone from brand new sellers to established sellers, and yeah, like I said; it’s definitely a style thing.

The video thing is a good idea, too. Apparently gigs with videos sell 220% better than gigs without videos, so if you’re a seller, it’s definitely worth trying. I’ve been planning to sit down and write a script so I can film a video for each of my gigs since I started posting a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully I’ll get on with that soon.

This isn’t very helpful because I’m not actually a buyer yet, but I thought I’d give my two cents anyway. I can’t wait to hear what others have to say!

I really appreciate your thoughts…And yes put a video on gig make more sells and trust to buyers .But some new seller has grate portfolio, but they did not get much order on fiverr.

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I really appreciate your thoughts…And yes put a video on gig make more sells and trust to buyers .But some new seller has grate portfolio, but they did not get much order on fiverr.

Unfortunately that’s the downside to fiverr—you can do everything people suggest to make your gigs as good as they possibly can be, but it doesn’t guarantee an order. Like with other freelancing ventures, you might need to promote your gigs outside of Fiverr to bring in more orders.

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Guest kawsaradi

Unfortunately that’s the downside to fiverr—you can do everything people suggest to make your gigs as good as they possibly can be, but it doesn’t guarantee an order. Like with other freelancing ventures, you might need to promote your gigs outside of Fiverr to bring in more orders.

Yes promoting…too much heard work for new sellers, get more order. I know that. less order more promote. 😀

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Reputation = Skill.

People always look Value For Money (VFM) in every purchase they made here including me. Even if the gig description is great but would you choose someone who doesn’t have any review over someone who has proven they worth to thousands of customers? That’s the reality new sellers face here unless there’s special system design to help new sellers in Fiverr. My suggestion is the buyer requests should be available for new sellers only so they can build up a decent reputation and compete against the top sellers. This way the market wouldn’t be so saturated by the same old players. No matter how good you are people will doubt you until you have proven yourself. Except if you’re already famous outside Fiverr. But even those with Pro status couldn’t make decent sell these days.

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Having BR exclusively for new sellers will result in mixed feelings as some new buyers will be under the impression that the platform isn’t managed properly. Depending on how you look at things, the playing field is actually leveled (despite some opposing views) it’s just a matter of preference when it comes to buyers selecting sellers they wish to work with. As for those with the Pro moniker, keep in mind that not all of them depend solely on fiverr; which is a nice example of not putting your eggs in one basket.

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I mean…if someone’s looking for a service, can you really blame them for being very thorough when it comes to picking them?

Personally, I wouldn’t pick a newbie with only a few reviews over someone with a few hundred. That’s just how things are.

I agree with your opinion, but when you were a novice here with a few reviews, someone picked you over someone with hundred reviews. Everyone has to start with something, I don’t think it’s a bad adventure to hire a new seller.

😉

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I agree with your opinion, but when you were a novice here with a few reviews, someone picked you over someone with hundred reviews. Everyone has to start with something, I don’t think it’s a bad adventure to hire a new seller.

😉

If I may, in addition to this post say that having a new sellers badge here on Fiverr doesn’t mean that the services offered are any less in quality than those offered by top sellers in the same category. Everyone has to be given the benefit of a doubt. If not, how else do we grow?

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This is a good question.

I’m sure it’s different for everyone, the experience of choosing a seller.

I read the description, and like a long, complete, thorough, easy to understand one. I look at the graphics and see if they look as though some thought was put into them, and if they look mature and professional.

I look at the profile, and like ones that show the seller is proud of their work.

I read reviews, at least ten of the recent ones, and also check the negative reviews to see if there is a pattern that shows the seller has had problems in the past. All sellers are going to have some bad reviews, but it’s the general pattern I look for, to see if it’s a recurring issue with the seller.

I look at portfolios also with a critical eye.

I have friends who buy things on fiverr, and have noticed that they go by much more of an impulse decision based on things like the graphics alone. I’m a thorough decision maker. They are sudden impulse buyers. So each person is different.

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I agree with your opinion, but when you were a novice here with a few reviews, someone picked you over someone with hundred reviews. Everyone has to start with something, I don’t think it’s a bad adventure to hire a new seller.

😉

It’s not a “bad adventure”. I’m just saying that I personally wouldn’t pick a completely new seller.

I got pretty lucky as well. For my very first gig on Fiverr, I was the only one who responded to a particular buyer request who could actually do the specific job that was requested, and that won me the gig. I was also very enthusiastic in responding to BR, and wrote very specific tailored requests instead of dashing out template responses.Ultimately that did me a lot of good and I built up a bunch of reviews.

Even so, I’d definitely pick someone with more reviews over someone with fewer if I were personally trying to buy a service, unless price made it convenient not to.

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Guest kawsaradi

@kawsaradi The things @jenihiggs has mentioned are 100% correct. She even mentioned about being proffesional and being new seller too if you talk in a proffesional way you surelt gonna get orders.

Yes brother I know that. Thanks for a beautiful reply.

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Thank you for your thoughts. I first came here as a buyer myself, but I only buy a few gigs each year. It’s great to hear how others go through the buying process.

What impressed you about the reviews? Did you like the ratio of 5-star reviews to more negative reviews? Were you impressed with the actual content of the reviews?

I’m really curious about the buying process on Fiverr. It feels like a black box to me.

I did look at the content of the reviews, but I was more impressed with the fact that they had many more positive reviews than negative ones. The few negative ones she had were upset that she used a stock image, when it literally said she would do that in the gig description, so I realized they were just the types of buyers no one could please.

I was actually skeptical of gigs with no negative reviews at all. Which worries me now that I’m a seller, because I don’t have any negative reviews yet! I worry it makes me look fake, because that was my thoughts when I didn’t see any negative reviews.

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OK… If all buyers do same as you do when you select a seller ! Then for new sellers this marketplace will be so much harder.

That’s the way of business, I’m afraid. Everyone has to start at the bottom and find ways to break into the market. I don’t feel bad for choosing an experienced seller.

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If I may, in addition to this post say that having a new sellers badge here on Fiverr doesn’t mean that the services offered are any less in quality than those offered by top sellers in the same category. Everyone has to be given the benefit of a doubt. If not, how else do we grow?

How else do we grow? By finding ways to overcome the challenges of being a new seller, without placing the responsibility for your success on other people. It’s not up to the buyers to give new sellers the benefit of the doubt. It’s up to the sellers to make the sale, despite not having reviews to back up their work.

I did it. I started with no reviews.

I think I’ve had success on Fiverr because I don’t fall into that victim mindset, blaming buyers for not buying for me. Anyone who takes responsibility for their own success will have success.

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It’s not a “bad adventure”. I’m just saying that I personally wouldn’t pick a completely new seller.

I got pretty lucky as well. For my very first gig on Fiverr, I was the only one who responded to a particular buyer request who could actually do the specific job that was requested, and that won me the gig. I was also very enthusiastic in responding to BR, and wrote very specific tailored requests instead of dashing out template responses.Ultimately that did me a lot of good and I built up a bunch of reviews.

Even so, I’d definitely pick someone with more reviews over someone with fewer if I were personally trying to buy a service, unless price made it convenient not to.

I was saying, if buyer will give the chance to the new seller, they can prove themselves and it’s the only way they can show their abilities. No doubt you gave your best and get the reward.

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