New Budget Forums for the Marketplace

Hi,

We have decided that we need to section a lot of the marketplace into budget and premium forums, so that the hundreds of budget offers being produced do not drown out the more premium offers and requests.

Therefore you will now find budget forums as subforums of the main forum, which guidlines simply expalined in the forum description outlining the cut-off point between budget and premium services.

These are as follows:

Domain Names Forum
- Budget forum for domain offers and requests < $30

Website Forum
- Budget forum for website offers and requests < $250

Design Forum
- Budget forum for Offers & requests below the following values: Logo's < $50, Forum Skins < $100, Custom Design < $150

Programming Forum
- Budget forum for offers and requests < $100

Web Hosting Forum
- Dedicated Hosting forum added

Not a criticism, just an observation:
I can see the parent forums being pretty much empty from now on. Since TFL's marketplace is mostly low-priced items/requests, below the prices you've stated.

Such as next to all xHTML and Wordpress-skinning requests will be in the 'budget' forum now.

I don't understand the need for this really. What's the actual problem with the current setup?

Originally Posted by BidJam I don't understand the need for this really. What's the actual problem with the current setup?

The problem is trying to separate the budget from the "meat", if you would, of the marketplace. We've been overrun by two dollar disasters so we need to try and curve people's threads so it makes it easier for those really looking for something (same goes for the serious sellers).

I would have thought it would have been better to have premium sections seems as there is more budget sales than premium sales.

Sheezy, the main forums are now the "Premium" Sales Forum. The reason the budget forums have been made sub-forums rather than the premium forums is because lower priced sales should not have dominance over the more well priced market.

We feel that with the amount of low, low priced work within our Market Place that we simply had to do something to try and help our fellow freelancers. Hopefully this will be the first step to doing that.

This is by no means a slur on people that do lower priced work, there is a market for it and thats why we have introduced the budget forums for buyers and sellers that work with lower priced budgets. This then prevents the buyers and sellers who don't want to be part of the lower priced market from being drawn into it and will also hopefully encourage any people that may be undercharging to rethink their price plans.

This will also aid buyers as well as the freelancers, buyers that need work done of the cheap will know where to look. Buyers with a larger price range that perhaps want something of top notch quality will also now know where to look.

I think may people here will agree that prices within our Market Place have begun to fall to an extremely low point. We want to try and buck this trend, this is a first step and hope you are all willing to give it a fair try

Also if, as freelancers, you have any other thoughts and ideas on what we can do to help you (the freelancers, that includes sellers and buyers!) to keep the Market Place a fair place for all then please don't be afraid to voice those ideas

I think its a great idea, will increase the quality of the marketplace.

I feel its one of those features that will only be judged by success in the future.

On a personal note, im with some of the others - its a great idea in concept, but impractical for talkfreelance.

A large proportion of members are offering/using 'budget' services - its extremely clear to see. So in essence, by bringing in these subforums your attempting to bring 'premium' jobs to the forefront, are you not? This restructure won't suddenly bring another couple of hundred $$ out of everyones pocket. However bad, the culture of the tf marketplace has grown into budget jobs.

The way I see it, its like selling tickets at a football match. You've got the corporate boxes and the main stands. 20 corporate boxes vs 80,000 main stand seats. Its the make up of the ground. Your not going to push the expensive seats in everyones faces, and undermine the cheaper seats - theres simply no interest in them.

A dodgy analogy but hey, its the best way I could explain it. I'll do my best for this place whatever.

Hey

I disagree with the idea to make this. I think were turning more like sitepoint which to me is a bit to straigt up and confronting. I would personally like, sheezy have the premium section because the majority is the lower priced items so i think you should change it.

Thanks

What if I want to sell a domain with offers starting at $30, so post it up in the "premium" forum, but someone feels that the domain name is not worth that much of offers $10. Will my topic be pushed into the bargain basement? Will the $10 offer be void? What's to stop people saying, "looking for offers over <minimum price for premium forum> but open to negotiation"?

I think it's an honourable ambition to promote higher prices in the marketplace forums but I fear it might simply be too impractical for TalkFreelance (prove me wrong, please). Jeff said, "The problem is trying to separate the budget from the "meat", if you would, of the marketplace." As I see it, the "meat" of the marketplace is all of the low end, "budget", items. It's what TF thrives on!