How to get first orders?

[domenikbrenner]

I have been using fiverr on and off for a couple years now, more off than on. I barely ever get any impressions on my gigs, I don't see anything in my order box. I wait and wait and wait to get orders. I try to promote my gigs among friends, but none of them needs a translator/transcriptionist. 

It's rare that I see any buyer requests, but when I do I will write (in my mind) great descriptions of why I would be good for the jobs and underline my skills. Yet, never had a reply.

I occassionally sell services on Fiverr, too, and give orders and use buyers requests, so I know how terrible 99% of the requests are from the various talents here. So I don't understand why I don't stand out enough to convince atleast the one or other customer...

The few orders I got, from months and months ago, were one time orders of customers who don't run businesses. I transcribed an interview for someone to analyse for their Bachelors. I don't think they're going to go for another Bachelor anytime soon. I told them to recommend me to their friends, and they left me good reviews. 

I still don't get any orders.

My prices, description and pictures are just as good as other sellers, who have way more sales than I have. Unfortunately there aren't any niches I can think of really, and I don't wanna go to specific. 


My offers at the moment are: Document Translations from English to German (trying to be more specific), Transcript Translations German/English/Spanish (trying to be broader), embedded subtitles and srt captions (specific niche due to specific file type).

What more can I do?

[imagination7413]

Welcome to the Fiverr forums.

Check out the Tips For Sellers category (https://community.fiverr.com/forums/?sortby=posts&sortby=posts&sortdirection=desc&forumId=16). You'll find hundreds of threads offering advice on a variety of things to consider and/or improve. (Note: Not all advice can apply to all gigs or categories. Be sure you check multiple sources **as there are some false tips**(https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/215551-top-5-fiverr-myths-debunked/), even among the top threads.)

It takes a lot of work to make it as a freelancer, so be sure to research and plan accordingly.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." (Attributed to Benjamin Franklin)

---

I glanced at your profile and noticed you will do captions for videos and translate transcripts for podcasts, but neither of those gigs mention any popular platforms like YouTube or Twitch. I get that captions for already published videos is tricky, but that's a market where your service might be appreciated. I use to provide captions before YouTube stopped Community Contributions, so I don't know how that has changed how captions are added to YouTube videos. I do recall that YouTube was srt compatible back then. Auto-generated captions have issues, no matter what language a video is in.

You've got an empty tag-slot, why not add 'YouTube translations' and see what that does?

Your gig descriptions could use a bit of improvement, too.

(Also, you mention Spanish in one of the gigs, but don't have that language added to your profile.)

[domenikbrenner]

10 minutes ago, imagination7413 said:

Welcome to the Fiverr forums.

Check out the Tips For Sellers category (https://community.fiverr.com/forums/?sortby=posts&sortby=posts&sortdirection=desc&forumId=16). You'll find hundreds of threads offering advice on a variety of things to consider and/or improve. (Note: Not all advice can apply to all gigs or categories. Be sure you check multiple sources **as there are some false tips**(https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/215551-top-5-fiverr-myths-debunked/), even among the top threads.)

It takes a lot of work to make it as a freelancer, so be sure to research and plan accordingly.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." (Attributed to Benjamin Franklin)

---

I glanced at your profile and noticed you will do captions for videos and translate transcripts for podcasts, but neither of those gigs mention any popular platforms like YouTube or Twitch. I get that captions for already published videos is tricky, but that's a market where your service might be appreciated. I use to provide captions before YouTube stopped Community Contributions, so I don't know how that has changed how captions are added to YouTube videos. I do recall that YouTube was srt compatible back then. Auto-generated captions have issues, no matter what language a video is in.

You've got an empty tag-slot, why not add 'YouTube translations' and see what that does?

Your gig descriptions could use a bit of improvement, too.

(Also, you mention Spanish in one of the gigs, but don't have that language added to your profile.)

Thank you for your answer, and the constructive criticism. I am good at what I do, it's just self presentation online is difficult for me, so this is really appreciated. 
 

My descriptions may not be perfect, I intend to work on them, but writing compelling copy isn't strength. But when I look at my competition; Neither is theirs, yet they have orders (even with spelling and grammar mistakes) and I don't.

Do you think these fine tunings are the reason why I have no orders at all? Fair enough, your points are valid, and I do need to improve there. But I don't think that, if I change these now, that I magically will get orders. I will do anyway, but I am sceptical.

[imagination7413]

17 minutes ago, domenikbrenner said:

Do you think these fine tunings are the reason why I have no orders at all?

Not necessarily. The question in your post was:

1 hour ago, domenikbrenner said:

What more can I do?

So, that's the one I answered.

As for your your topic title:

1 hour ago, domenikbrenner said:

How to get first orders?

That's different. 

Have you read these yet? 

https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/216701-how-to-get-any-orders-at-all-and-get-more-once-you-have-a-few/
https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/211706-are-you-a-new-seller-this-is-how-you-get-more-orders/
https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/234149-new-sellers-the-true-way-to-success/
https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/159744-before-you-ask-about-how-to-get-orders-or-no-orders-read-this-more-orders-tips-buyers-first-order-impressions-sales/

[domenikbrenner]

On 3/16/2022 at 9:16 PM, imagination7413 said:

Not necessarily. The question in your post was:

So, that's the one I answered.

As for your your topic title:

That's different. 

Have you read these yet? 

https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/216701-how-to-get-any-orders-at-all-and-get-more-once-you-have-a-few/
https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/211706-are-you-a-new-seller-this-is-how-you-get-more-orders/
https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/234149-new-sellers-the-true-way-to-success/
https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/159744-before-you-ask-about-how-to-get-orders-or-no-orders-read-this-more-orders-tips-buyers-first-order-impressions-sales/

I have worked on it a little bit now, I am improving the gig images now, working even more on my profile bio. But for example I had 0 impressions on ANY of my gigs all day long. They went up a lot when I first changed stuff, now crickets. 

How do I get my first customers? I think one I get a couple of reviews and make it to level 1 I will be fine with the gig advertising feature.

[imagination7413]

43 minutes ago, domenikbrenner said:

I had 0 impressions on ANY of my gigs all day long.

Give it a few days. Changes to a gig need to be approved. Plus Fiverr only updates gig stats once a day (global dateline), and sometimes there's a further delay of several hours. 

45 minutes ago, domenikbrenner said:

I am improving the gig images now

I never said anything about your Gig images. None of the threads I linked said anything about Gig images.

But, I suppose if you're messing with them anyway, then here: https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/4410883326481-Gig-image-guidelines-Making-the-most-of-your-Gig-image?segment=seller

[domenikbrenner]

57 minutes ago, imagination7413 said:

Give it a few days. Changes to a gig need to be approved. Plus Fiverr only updates gig stats once a day (global dateline), and sometimes there's a further delay of several hours. 

I never said anything about your Gig images. None of the threads I linked said anything about Gig images.

But, I suppose if you're messing with them anyway, then here: https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/4410883326481-Gig-image-guidelines-Making-the-most-of-your-Gig-image?segment=seller

No, you didn't say anything about gig images, but obviously it's one of the things I can improve obviously.

[domenikbrenner]

Okay, so I updated it all a little bit, what can I do more to get my first customers?

[imagination7413]

Small correction, since you offer translation services:

12 hours ago, domenikbrenner said:

what can I do more to get my first customers?

You've already gotten your first customers, long ago though that was. It would be more accurate as: 'What more can I do, to get my next customers?' 

---

In answer: "I will write a transcription for podcasts, youtube videos, interviews, etc" is unnecessarily wordy. "I will transcribe podcasts, interviews, youtube videos, etc" is more to the point and clear. 

https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/360011094958-SEO-tricks-for-gig-titles?segment=seller

Also, I'll say it again: GET RID OF UNLIMITED REVISIONS.

https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/220973-top-5-tips-to-protect-yourself-from-badly-behaved-buyers/

---

Jumping back to your first post.

On 3/16/2022 at 3:15 PM, domenikbrenner said:

I wait and wait and wait to get orders. I try to promote my gigs among friends, but none of them needs a translator/transcriptionist.

I'm going to start by saying: It's not my job to do your work for you. 

I have already given you a hint on where you can find potential clients for your service. I have already given you some advice for a few things to change, and I'm glad to see you've worked on your descriptions, but you've chosen to ignore other points I've offered without addressing why OR asking for further clarifications. That leads me to think that you've selectively chosen to ignore me, which makes me unwilling to offer more of my time, since that's just as likely to be ignored.

 

[domenikbrenner]

3 hours ago, imagination7413 said:

Small correction, since you offer translation services:

You've already gotten your first customers, long ago though that was. It would be more accurate as: 'What more can I do, to get my next customers?' 

---

In answer: "I will write a transcription for podcasts, youtube videos, interviews, etc" is unnecessarily wordy. "I will transcribe podcasts, interviews, youtube videos, etc" is more to the point and clear. 

https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/360011094958-SEO-tricks-for-gig-titles?segment=seller

Also, I'll say it again: GET RID OF UNLIMITED REVISIONS.

https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/220973-top-5-tips-to-protect-yourself-from-badly-behaved-buyers/

---

Jumping back to your first post.

I'm going to start by saying: It's not my job to do your work for you. 

I have already given you a hint on where you can find potential clients for your service. I have already given you some advice for a few things to change, and I'm glad to see you've worked on your descriptions, but you've chosen to ignore other points I've offered without addressing why OR asking for further clarifications. That leads me to think that you've selectively chosen to ignore me, which makes me unwilling to offer more of my time, since that's just as likely to be ignored.

 

You come across as very aggressive and demanding...

Yeah, I might shorten the gig title but it's not really a difference. You just got rid off the "write a" and "for".  I will give it a go, but I don't see why you have to be so rude about it.

My point with this post is that I want customers to come to me and buy from me. I would like to know how I can promote myself better, I want to know what is keeping people from buying my services. Why do they not look at my gigs, and if they do, why do they not order? How to convert them? And where can I promote myself other than having gigs up and answer buyer requests? I don't own a website to post my services to and I don't have facebook.

Your advice, and other peoples advice, does help with the traffic a bit so far, I see a slight increase. Nothing major, and it hasn't converted yet. Thank you.

I will keep twitching and tweeking until I get my first organic customer. I didn't have any since a very long time, and the ones back then also had "custom orders" and went waaaay below my already low rates. The only one order I recently got I found outside of fiverr and made them order me on the site, but I don't think they need my services again, so no chance of a repeat business.

That's why I say "How do I get my first customers"? So far I had zero orders through my gigs on their own, and it would be great if that would happen one day soon so that it can be scaled from there.

I do read what you say, and I try to implement it. If you don't want to help me anymore then don't feel obliged. I am grateful, but I dont force you.

[domenikbrenner]

I still have no orders. 😞

Does anyone know why that could be? I changed quite a bit so far, not absolutely 100% satisfied yet, but is it that bad??

[uk1000]

2 hours ago, domenikbrenner said:

Does anyone know why that could be?

The 3 day average response time might be lowering the chance of people sending messages and might be lowering gigs' position in search results.

Maybe keep trying with buyer requests and also maybe try to shorten the avg response time.

In "I will create closed caption srt for your youtube videos" maybe change where it says "This is the standart option" (in the package area).

[domenikbrenner]

8 hours ago, uk1000 said:

The 3 day average response time might be lowering the chance of people sending messages and might be lowering gigs' position in search results.

Maybe keep trying with buyer requests and also maybe try to shorten the avg response time.

In "I will create closed caption srt for your youtube videos" maybe change where it says "This is the standart option" (in the package area).

The average response time is getting back on track. I ignored a scammer once and then this happened.

Is there anything else? What ways are there to get customers? Is all I can do sit and wait and buyers requests?

[domenikbrenner]

Still no orders. Does no one know anything around here, or do you just don't want to help me out? 😞 I thought we're a community! 😞 😞