A Freelancing Platform
You’ve probably heard of Fiverr but maybe you’re unsure if it’s a legitimate platform to use. Founded in Israel in 2010, Fiverr is a platform for freelancers offering digital services all around the world. The idea behind the platform was to offer a place where businesses could easily be connected with a freelancer to help fulfill specific services. Initially, each service was offered for $5 (this is where the platform got its name) but now a full-range of services and prices are on offer. Individuals or companies can use Fiverr to find writers, designers, strategists and more.
Not only does Fiverr offer competitive (and often cheaper) prices than other platforms, it also offers virtually unlimited types of service. For those interested in buying or selling on Fiverr the following guide explains more about the platform, the pros and cons of Fiverr, and how buying and selling on the platform works.
How Fiverr Works
Fiverr is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. The basic premise of Fiverr is pretty easy to understand: sellers create profiles offering their services and buyers can then browse and purchase these services. The cost of services varies from $5 to over $1,000, based on a seller’s experience and the package they are offering.
What’s great about Fiverr is how easy it is for freelancers and businesses to connect with each other. Fiverr is flexible, convenient and provides variety for both buyers and sellers, connecting both to what they need.
To start selling on Fiverr, you need to set up a profile and then your gigs (‘gigs’ are each of the services a freelancer is offering, e.g. editing website copy or designing a logo). Fiverr can then push your profile towards relevant buyers on the platform.
Services offered on Fiverr
Fiverr offers gigs for nearly every online service. It divides them into the following categories:
- Graphics & design
- Digital marketing
- Writing & translation
- Video & animation
- Music & audio
- Programming & tech
- Business
- Lifestyle
- Data
If you’re buying a service on the platform, finding the right gig for your needs often requires a little searching. You can message individual sellers to discuss their service and your needs in order to find the right buyer for you.
Fiverr Pros and Cons
Fiverr is one of many online freelancing platforms. There are many benefits that set it apart, as well as some disadvantages. Below is a review of the pros and cons of Fiverr.
Pros
- The platform brings work to freelancers: Freelancers traditionally seek out work for themselves, but Fiverr brings the work to them. Instead of spending time searching for work, Fiverr allows a seller to set up a profile and let the platform do the heavy lifting.
- Fiverr offers cheaper services than other platforms: Fiverr was originally designed to offer all services for only $5. Because of that, Fiverr offers significantly cheaper services than its competitors. However, more expensive services are also available on the platform. Verified professionals have ‘Fiverr Pro’ status and they can charge significantly more for their gigs.
- Buyers can request revisions: Fiverr offers buyers the option to request revisions once a seller’s work has been submitted. This helps ensure the best level of service is achieved.
- Buyers can ‘favorite’ gigs: This is a helpful way to keep track of gigs you were happy with or those you may want to use in the future. You can also organize favorited gigs into lists.
- Buyers can access budget- and professional-level services in one place: Fiverr offers a single platform for buyers requiring multiple services at different budgets. Let’s say you’re looking to spend a big chunk of your budget on the creation of your website but you need to stick to a lower budget for the SEO blog posts. Fiverr gives you access to top-rated web developers (‘Fiverr Pro’ sellers who are verified professionals) in the same place as budget-friendly SEO copywriters. This avoids you having to use two separate platforms to access different levels of service.
- 24/7 customer service: Support is provided for both buyers and sellers. Additionally, the Resolution Center helps resolve any issues that may arise.
Cons
- The quality of gigs on offer varies: Because virtually anyone can offer services on Fiverr, not all gigs are created equal. Some sellers are much more skilled in their professions than others. It’s very important to be careful when deciding which gigs to purchase, as there are many sellers on Fiverr trying to make money without much actual skill.
- Fiverr allows buyers to purchase a gig prior to contacting the seller: Though this might be convenient for a buyer, it also leads to miscommunication. Buyers risk purchasing a gig that’s not right for their needs if they don’t communicate with the seller first. Contacting the seller before the purchase helps to make sure all parties are on the same page before a project starts.
- It’s not easy for buyers to compare gigs from different sellers: Fiverr provides a variety of options and add-ons for buyers to select within each gig. Though this is convenient for sellers, as each can add specific customizations to their gigs, it can be confusing for buyers who are trying to compare gigs with different features. Additionally, each gig offers between 2–3 package options. Though you might be interested in purchasing a gig from a certain seller, their most basic package may not meet your needs.
- It can take time to sift through all the gigs available: Before a buyer has established a list of regular sellers they can rely on, sorting through all of the available gigs can be time-consuming. However, if you message sellers directly, they have the option to create Custom Offers to suit your particular needs, which can save a buyer time. You can also post job requests, which sellers can then apply for.
- Fees and commission: Fiverr takes 20% commission from sellers on every order. Buyers are also charged a smaller service fee. It’s important to always be aware of the additional fees when budgeting for a project.
Buying on Fiverr
Being a customer on Fiverr is incredibly easy. The first step is to sign up for a buyer’s account. After doing so, there are multiple ways to find gigs to purchase.
How to find the right gig to buy
- Filter gigs by category. If you’re looking for a ‘Video & Animation’ service, hover over that category in the top navigation bar to see all the sub-categories available (e.g. ‘Visual Effects’) in that field. Clicking on one of these will take you to a list of relevant gigs with even more specific category filters at the top of the page (e.g. ‘Color Grading’).
- Use the search bar to look for gigs. Make sure you use relevant key words.
- Filter your search by seller rating, language, location, online status or ‘Pro’ status (Fiverr Pro sellers are verified professionals in their field).
- For those who don’t have the time to sift through multiple gigs, Fiverr provides the option to post job requests. A buyer can list specific information about their needs, which sellers can then respond to with Custom Offers.
One thing to note is that sellers do get to rate their buyers at the end of a purchase. It is equally as important to be a responsive buyer as it is to be a responsive seller. Make sure to give as specific instructions as possible in your communications with a seller. Doing so will lead to fewer potential issues down the road.
Tips for Buying on Fiverr
- Research gigs and, over time, find a small group of sellers you can count on.
- Read reviews on sellers’ profiles to see what people have to say about the quality of their work.
- ‘Favorite’ any suitable sellers with the heart button and organize your favorites into categories.
- Don’t be fooled by the ‘seller levels’; there are good and bad sellers at every level. Do your homework to find the best.
- Ask sellers for a sample of their previous work.
- Find reliable sellers and return to them when you need similar services again.
Selling on Fiverr
Fiverr is by no means the only or even the best platform for all freelancers to sell on. However, for those who are interested in starting out or branching into a different type of service, Fiverr is a great platform to do so.
How to sell services on Fiverr
- Do some research to understand the types of gigs offered on the platform. Find the areas you could be successful in and research other sellers offering similar services. What could you offer that would add value to Fiverr?
- Create an account and build out your gigs. Some gigs require verification of your skills.
- When your gigs are ready, you can promote your gig on social media platforms or wait for buyers to organically message you on Fiverr.
- You can create Custom Orders for buyers or they can select one of your gigs’ packages.
The Fiverr seller levels
Fiverr awards its sellers with a status level. A seller’s level increases as they become more successful on the platform.
- New Seller
- Every seller is automatically listed at this level when their gig is approved by Fiverr.
- At this level, you can have up to 7 active gigs, offer 2 gig extras in your packages, send custom offers up to $20,000, and withdraw gig earnings after 14 days.
- Level 1
- Completed a minimum of 60 days as an active seller.
- Completed a minimum of 10 individual orders.
- Earned a minimum of $400.
- Maintained a 4.7 star rating over 60 days.
- Kept at least a 90% response rate over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% order completion rate over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% on-time delivery over 60 days.
- Avoided warnings over 30 days.
- At this level, a seller can have 10 active gigs, offer 4 gig extras, send custom offers worth up to $20,000, and withdraw earnings after 14 days.
- Level 2
- Completed a minimum of 120 days as an active seller.
- Completed a minimum of 50 individual orders.
- Earned a minimum of $2,000.
- Maintained a 4.7 star rating over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% response rate over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% order completion rate over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% on-time delivery rate over 60 days.
- Avoided warnings over 30 days.
- At this level, a seller can have 20 active gigs, offer 5 gig extras, send custom offers of up to $20,000, receive priority customer support, and withdraw earnings after 14 days.
- Top Rated Seller
- Completed a minimum of 180 days as an active seller.
- Completed a minimum of 100 individual orders.
- Earned a minimum of $20,000.
- Maintained a 4.7 star rating over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% response rate over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% order completion rating over 60 days.
- Kept a 90% on-time delivery rating over 60 days.
- Avoided warnings over 30 days.
- At this level, a seller can have 30 active gigs, 6 gig extras, send custom offers of up to $20,000, receive priority customer support, and withdraw earnings after 7 days.
Remember that buyers always have the opportunity to rate a seller after a service is delivered. Consistently providing high-quality work is essential for building and maintaining success on Fiverr.
If you’re interested in becoming a freelancer, take a look at our Best Paying Freelancing Jobs article for inspiration and ideas on the most successful areas of freelancing.
Fiverr Pro
Though Fiverr is designed to be a platform for all types of sellers, some buyers require professional-level services to fulfill their requirements. Fiverr verifies highly experienced professionals as ‘Fiverr Pro’ sellers. To become a Fiverr Pro seller, you must submit an application and this is then reviewed by a board of Fiverr reviewers. Only the top 1% of applicants are certified as Fiverr Pros. Buyers can filter their search to show only Fiver Pro sellers and expect to get the best service available on the platform. Fiverr Pro gigs tend to cost significantly more than other gigs on the platform to reflect this quality of service.
Is Fiverr worth it?
Fiverr is absolutely worth it if you’re a buyer looking for an easy way to connect to freelancers for specialist services or if you’re looking for a good platform to sell as a freelancer. Although it has its disadvantages, these are minimised the more you spend time on the platform and find the sellers or buyers who suit you best. Fiverr can connect you to a multitude of resources, making it a legitimate service to use for a wide range of projects, and it’s a particularly great platform for freelancers starting out.