fiverr Creating a great business on Fiverr? Is it really possible?

[crabbycoworker]

What do you think?

I've been on Fiverr for over a year or so, but I just started really working on my gigs over the past few months. This experience has proven less than stellar. For whatever reason, I don't understand why people show up in searches but aren't chosen or even sent messages. Years of experience, samples, meeting the SEO requirements, plenty of impressions, but nothing. Have you experienced the same issues? If so, how did you fix it?

[imagination7413]

Sorry to hear it hasn't been going too well for you.

I glanced at your profile, and I think you might be priced WAY too low. I'm not a VO, so I can't be sure, though. 

Have you spent much time on the forums? There's a Music & Audio category that has a lot of topics in it. 

[crabbycoworker]

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

I was priced significantly higher, but a veteran VO told me to price low to get started. Once I got a few people and reviews I could raise my prices.

Thoughts?

[crabbycoworker]

I do plan on spending time in the forum.. so thank you.

[imagination7413]

3 hours ago, crabbycoworker said:

a veteran VO told me to price low to get started

That's... It's not wrong, per se. But it's also critically oversimplified and needs elaboration.

Fiverr itself states:

Quote

Know your value

"Fiverr’s services start at $5.00. While it can be tempting to offer promotions or discounts to start your orders rolling in, offering your work for free is not a recommended approach to connect with or entice potential buyers. Set your potential buyers' expectations and set the precedent that your work can’t be obtained for free. It’s essential to know your worth as a seller and not to compromise it to attempt to attract buyers."

(source: https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/360010949038-4-Things-to-Do-Before-Creating-Your-Gig?segment=seller)

Many, many, MANY users who first come to the platform are new and/or inexperienced in at least one of a few key areas: New to the service they offer; new to freelancing and/or self-owned businesses; new to the need to self-promote and self-market; new to presentation and/or portfolio building; and/or new to time-management, deadlines, contracts, and consequences.

If you've lowered your price, and it's still not working, then price is probably not the problem. I don't have a good ear when it comes to discerning the quality of a VO, but your samples seem pretty good for voice. (Sound balance might need work?) That means you have a minimum quality that should have a firm minimum price.

Quote

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I can try to link a few more topics tomorrow, but I'm out of time for tonight.

[crabbycoworker]

Thank you so much for the advice on this. A couple of things - while I'm new to Fiverr, I'm not new to freelancing, nor to self promotion or marketing. My demos were created in and by a professional studio so I'm not sure where the "sound imbalance".

Initially, I didn't know the Fiverr search formula. I have that now and my impressions are going up. The price is way lower than what I opened up with upon initially becoming active on Fiverr. That's probably the main issue now. Much of what I'm dealing with is just understanding Fiverr, their clients, and how the whole site is constructed. Once I have that down, it should be fine.

I'll go through the resources you offered, I do appreciate your help. After years on UpWork and only getting 3 mostly mediocre clients, it's becoming strikingly clear that this type of Freelancing may not be for me, but we'll see. My messaging could probably use some work, but I'm a straight to the point kind of person. I'm not flowery or anything like that. Sometimes this is a hindrance. :) 

[crabbycoworker]

THIS is super helpful. Thank you - https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/360010949038-4-Things-to-Do-Before-Creating-Your-Gig?segment=seller

 

[frank_d]

22 hours ago, crabbycoworker said:

What do you think?

I've been on Fiverr for over a year or so, but I just started really working on my gigs over the past few months. This experience has proven less than stellar. For whatever reason, I don't understand why people show up in searches but aren't chosen or even sent messages. Years of experience, samples, meeting the SEO requirements, plenty of impressions, but nothing. Have you experienced the same issues? If so, how did you fix it?

I am here just to answer your post’s title with a “yes”.

I built a 6 figure/year business on Fiverr and I started from scratch, learning as I went.

The marketplace is definitely different now 9 years later but if you experiment enough and learn some basic business concepts, I don’t see any reason why you can’t build something for yourself.

[imagination7413]

11 hours ago, crabbycoworker said:

A couple of things - while I'm new to Fiverr, I'm not new to freelancing, nor to self promotion or marketing.

GOOD. That's actually exactly what I meant to point out: You already have a leg up on a large number of competitors. (I was fumbling with words last night. Kind of am tonight, too.) Anyway, the Fiverr Help Center has a LOT of articles, though the search function isn't as robust, so here's a quick screen capture of a but I have bookmarked, that I'm constantly sharing with new forum users. If any of those titles catch your interest, and you can't find them, I'll happily share the link. (Help Center articles are in that first sub-folder. All the links in the main folder are forum topics/threads. To find forum threads, use Google. Ex. `` site:community.fiverr.com "Top 5 Tips to protect yourself from bad buyers" `` The forum search engine is... clogged.)

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[imagination7413]

. . .

That is probably the worst and most unfortunate typo I have EVER made.

"...screen capture of a FEW I have bookmarked..."

[aarontgladiator]

2 hours ago, imagination7413 said:

GOOD. That's actually exactly what I meant to point out: You already have a leg up on a large number of competitors. (I was fumbling with words last night. Kind of am tonight, too.) Anyway, the Fiverr Help Center has a LOT of articles, though the search function isn't as robust, so here's a quick screen capture of a but I have bookmarked, that I'm constantly sharing with new forum users. If any of those titles catch your interest, and you can't find them, I'll happily share the link. (Help Center articles are in that first sub-folder. All the links in the main folder are forum topics/threads. To find forum threads, use Google. Ex. `` site:community.fiverr.com "Top 5 Tips to protect yourself from bad buyers" `` The forum search engine is... clogged.)

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AH HAH! SO, THAT'S HOW YOU HAVE LINKS TO EVERY ARTICLE WHENEVER NEEDED! Seriously though, that's A LOT.

[anniejenkinson]

I'm with Frank D on this. I also built a six-figure business here, having signed up at the end of 2018.

It's not been difficult to achieve with niche products and it's still achievable. Yes, the competition on Fiverr has increased dramatically lately but the product offers are not necessarily any more diverse. 

If you feel your blunt communications are creating issues, then aim to improve on those since that really helps! That's not to say you have to bend over backwards for rude people (as an example). But just take a breather before responding too bluntly. It usually disarms difficult clients when I am nice to them despite the (unmentionable word) they have sent me. 

I am quite an impulsive person but I had an appalling client recently and stayed up all night to write a long angry letter to him because I was horrified by his behaviour. I was also going to cancel the job which would have lost me $2k.

By the morning, I'd decided not to send my 'telling him what's what' message and I completed the work instead and was nice to him, as ever. 

That paid off and I received an apology, an immediate job sign-off and a great review (and a tip!).

I wouldn't have gained anything at all by sending that stinker of a missive; it probably would have caused me months of grief. So, however rude the buyers or however stupid the request, I've learned not to bite back because it's what they are looking for, and that then leads only one way--to a dispute. 

Funnily enough, that same buyer came back ten days after job completion and sent me another set of demands! I just stayed silent and several days after that, 'I apologize' landed in my inbox. Trying to keep communications friendly and helpful is a good way to not escalate to any kind of business-damaging scenario. You don't need to be flowery or anything--just be businesslike and offer a pleasant experience for the buyer.

[kevindwren]

3 hours ago, anniejenkinson said:

I'm with Frank D on this. I also built a six-figure business here, having signed up at the end of 2018.

It's not been difficult to achieve with niche products and it's still achievable. Yes, the competition on Fiverr has increased dramatically lately but the product offers are not necessarily any more diverse. 

If you feel your blunt communications are creating issues, then aim to improve on those since that really helps! That's not to say you have to bend over backwards for rude people (as an example). But just take a breather before responding too bluntly. It usually disarms difficult clients when I am nice to them despite the (unmentionable word) they have sent me. 

I am quite an impulsive person but I had an appalling client recently and stayed up all night to write a long angry letter to him because I was horrified by his behaviour. I was also going to cancel the job which would have lost me $2k.

By the morning, I'd decided not to send my 'telling him what's what' message and I completed the work instead and was nice to him, as ever. 

That paid off and I received an apology, an immediate job sign-off and a great review (and a tip!).

I wouldn't have gained anything at all by sending that stinker of a missive; it probably would have caused me months of grief. So, however rude the buyers or however stupid the request, I've learned not to bite back because it's what they are looking for, and that then leads only one way--to a dispute. 

Funnily enough, that same buyer came back ten days after job completion and sent me another set of demands! I just stayed silent and several days after that, 'I apologize' landed in my inbox. Trying to keep communications friendly and helpful is a good way to not escalate to any kind of business-damaging scenario. You don't need to be flowery or anything--just be businesslike and offer a pleasant experience for the buyer.

This I couldn't agree more. It's so tempting to bite back when a buyer is being difficult and especially rude, but try not to and be level-headed. Hold it in, at least until the work is done. Then you can just block the buyer if you don't feel like dealing with them ever again in the future.

[jessica_shopify]

I believe service is everything if you really want to make something great. 

[khan_sohag]

Yes is it quite possible. Just think that which services you want to provide. And do start

[ikbalangular]

Keep trying