Tips on setting up your Instructions For Buyer requirements questions

[inkpetal]

If you’ve read the news forum, there’s a new feature! Now you can add questions for your buyers which can be mandatory or optional to enter information for as a new part of the process in ordering your gig.

1. Do it now.
   
   Yes it’s brand new, but it can’t really wait. If you have an outgoing message to buyers it will appear as a mandatory field for them to ‘answer’, which will stump them if you’re using it as a friendly “Hello, I’ll be right with you” and may hang sales in limbo.
   
   
2. Make it short and sweet.
   
   Yes you have 450 characters, but it’s really not in your best interests to use all of them. Keep it concise.
   
   
   
   For example;
   
   Not recommended: "You can choose from all kinds of atmospheres that I am able to create. Soft and airy for lounge areas, live and vivacious for cafe environments, dark and brooding for… (etc. for 450 characters)"
   
   Try something like: “Please detail what kind of atmosphere would you like the work to have. E.g. Soft/Fun/Serious”
   
   
   
3. Combine related requests
   
   Sometimes when you ask two questions they are really two parts of the same one. Don’t force your buyers to copy/paste information into your question fields, it wastes everyone’s time.
   
   
   
   For example;
   
   Not recommended: “Where are you going to hang the artwork (So I know what the environment will be like to make the piece appropriate for the setting)?” + field "What kind of atmosphere would you like the work to have? E.g. Soft/Fun/Serious"
   
   Try something like: “What environment will the artwork be hung in and what kind of atmosphere would you like the piece to have? E.g. ‘In a cafe, with a vibrant colourful look’.”
   
   
   
4. Try to avoid adding more than 3 fields.
   
   
   
   This has already resulted in a stalled order for me. After my first mistake of 2 x 450 character questions which caused the first stalled order I quickly remedied and split it in four- which also resulted in a stall. The less time the buyers have to spend filling out forms the better, because they may just give up.
   
   
   
   The forms don’t have their own special formatting in your message inbox and just appear as bold and regular text, so big chunky questions can really distract your attention from the buyer answers.
   
   Of course, if you want to use up your 450 per inquiry, they’re there. These are just some recommendations based on what I’ve already found to be more effective.
   
   
   
   TL;DR Keep it clear, simple, and essential.
   
   If you have recommendations/corrections/etc. please add.

[heronimus]

Thanks for this excellent share. Already made some changes to my “instructions” fields.
=D>