No sales, slow sales? Here's a question.

[newsmike]

It is no secret that probably 90% of the forum's traffic is some sort of complaint about not getting sales. Sometimes it's a new seller who is not getting traction, or someone who's been around for a while, but is losing momentum. The algo usually gets the blame, and among a few helpful suggestions like SEO, attractive gig images and well written gig descriptions, there are tons of well meaning, but often useless remedies that get repeated ad nauseam.

I believe that the reason both types of sellers are struggling is because fiverr has grown incredibly more competative. Every year there are more sellers, and the pandemic accelerated that growth geometrically. Suddenly, we had an influx of people, of all skill levels creating gigs with the expectation that once they were online the sales would roll in. Right now there are 219,736 gigs actively selling logo design. By the time you finish reading this post, there will be 3 more. 

Let's assume that you have done everything right, good keywords, gig description and images. Nice samples, smiling profile picture, and priced properly. And assuming that you are a talented artistic person who can actually create logos, one question remains...

How do you stand out from the other 219,736 gigs out there. What makes your gig jump off the page in a sea of logos? What unique selling point can you offer that not everyone can do? 

If you are just starting, you are at a definite disadvantage now, as many sellers have had time to establish themselves and have regular clients who just continue to buy from them. Those people are also rewarded by the algo for their ability to convert clicks into sales, so yes, the already successful sellers do get the benefits that come from being an incumbent. The old saying is true: "What do people like? They like what they know." 

I hope you weren't expecting that I would provide a magic bullet at the end of this, but it seems that if you are doing all the basics right, and there are thousands of posts here as to how to do that, the only thing that can make you stand out now is being as unique as possible. Easier said than done, I know, but it seems that right now to get noticed, you need to disrupt a bit, take some chances, do something crazy and go viral on Fiverr. The days of just copying some TRS's gigs and making sales are long gone. 

 

[theratypist]

This is it, the time to make a gig video to show off one's fire dancing skills! My Unique Selling Proposition #USP. Thanks for inspiring me, Mike!

All jokes aside, I agree! 

On 7/30/2021 at 1:44 AM, newsmike said:

The old saying is true: "What do people like? They like what they know." 

👆 

[enunciator]

5 hours ago, newsmike said:

If you are just starting, you are at a definite disadvantage now, as many sellers have had time to establish themselves and have regular clients who just continue to buy from them. Those people are also rewarded by the algo for their ability to convert clicks into sales, so yes, the already successful sellers do get the benefits that come from being an incumbent.

It's an unavoidable (and not always pleasant) truth that success begets further success and failure begets further failure. Momentum is very much a real thing on Fiverr, and while gig visibility and the number of orders received are an ever fickle thing, riding a wave of positive momentum definitely does assist in the likelihood of further positive things happening.

The opposite is also true. Having a stagnant profile with little to no positive activity occurring places one in a rut that can be very difficult to get out of. But don't irrationally believe that in receiving that "first order" that so many forum users are desperate for, that it will suddenly open up the flood gates of future orders and freelancing success.

[wpemployee]

On 7/30/2021 at 11:44 AM, newsmike said:

I believe that the reason both types of sellers are struggling is because fiverr has grown incredibly more competative. Every year there are more sellers, and the pandemic accelerated that growth geometrically. Suddenly, we had an influx of people, of all skill levels creating gigs with the expectation that once they were online the sales would roll in. Right now there are 219,736 gigs actively selling logo design. By the time you finish reading this post, there will be 3 more. 

This is the truth. Due to pandemic, people around the world have lost their job or earning less than usual. So everyone is trying to go for alternate earning and therefore the competition has increased.

[juan_adulf]

Thanks a lot, man. Very impactful. Just the right time to sit up and work harder! 

[zanrakim]

Your posts seem to me always special. We, the new seller, can learn  not only a lot of important things but also the reality of the marketplace.  Keep it up. 💖