Vent: The "lowball first offer" strategy on Fiverr got me nothing but tire kickers

I kept hearing people say you gotta bid low to get your first reviews, so I did that for two months straight. Offered $15 logo gigs and $20 social media posts just to build a profile. All I got were people who demanded six revisions over two weeks for a $15 job. I tried raising my prices to $50 flat and suddenly the clients actually respected my time. They sent me clear briefs, paid without begging, and only asked for minor tweaks. The cheap crowd just wastes your energy and leaves bad feedback when you don't bend over backwards. Has anyone else noticed the clients who pay half are twice the headache?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.olivia18h ago

I used to think going cheap was the only way to start, but honestly your post totally switched my view on that. The headache clients definitely have a sixth sense for bargain prices.

hernandez.gavin14h ago

Have you seen that study someone posted here a while back about how discount clients cost 3x more in support time? It's wild but makes total sense with what @joseph_bailey is saying about that $20 brand identity guy. I swear the cheap crowd thinks spending five bucks entitles them to a full creative department on speed dial. They'll haggle over your rate then expect you to answer emails at midnight like you're their personal assistant.

joseph_bailey19h ago

Watched a guy ask for a full brand identity package for $20 once, then got mad when I didn't deliver a physical gold-embossed business card with it (like, my guy, I'm a pixel pusher, not a wizard). You're right though, the $15 crowd treats you like a vending machine that owes them free soda refills. I had one client leave a 4-star review because my "file was too high resolution" and it took too long to download. Raising prices scared me at first, but it's like the bad clients have a cheapness radar that locks onto low prices like moths to a porch light.