This Fiverr review aims to provide an accurate bird’s-eye overview from the perspectives of a freelancer and a job poster. In Fiverr’s terms – from the viewpoint of a seller (freelancer) and a buyer (job poster). There are countless debates about Fiverr legitimacy and the relationship between the sellers and the buyers. The controversies will continue, and there will be both satisfied and unsatisfied clients. Carefully read this Fiverr review better to understand the pain points of both sellers and buyers.
You may face difficult situations, but overall, Fiver is a profitable side hustle for sellers and a valuable tool to grow a business for buyers.
Check out Fiverr!
What Is Fiverr?
Fiverr is one of the largest marketplaces for freelancers, and it has changed the freelancing ecosystem since its launch. One of the most competitive advantages of Fiverr is the focus on saving time. Unlike other marketplaces, Fiverr isn’t about bidding for new projects. Freelancers no longer have to read the project’s description, write a personalized proposal, and wait for a reply. In this context, trying to win a project takes as much time as finishing that project. With the old system, project posters wasted a lot of time too. They had to check their messages, ask for additional info, evaluate the freelancers, etc.
Fiverr replaced the pitching and bidding system with a gig-based approach. Sellers are required to describe their services (aka gigs) clearly. The more accurate the gigs’ descriptions, the better for everyone. Buyers can use the filtering system to find the right gigs and hire the seller. In this way, both parties save time and avoid useless conversations.
Fiverr’s Reputation
Fiverr’s reputation isn’t good at all. This is partly because millions of people use Fiverr, and it’s nearly impossible to satisfy all of them. The controversies started since Fiverr’s first days because of the meager prices. As the name suggests, Fiverr was the place where every gig cost $5. It’s impossible to make a living by selling gigs at this price. Take into account that Fiverr’s commission is 20%, so freelancers get $4 from a $5 gig. In this context, you purchase a quality gig only by chance; you can’t expect quality from a $5 gig. The sellers were unhappy with the low prices, while the buyers were unhappy with the low-quality gigs.
Things have changed since then, and nowadays, top sellers ask for hundreds of dollars for their gigs. Currently, only a small number of gigs costs $5 – generally, new sellers trying to entice clients with meager prices.
Customer support is another aspect that contributes to Fiverr’s questionable reputation. Buyers get angry when sellers don’t deliver the expected quality. Sellers complain when buyers ask for more than is included in their gigs. Fiverr customer agents should mediate these problems, but it seems that they fall short in this regard. Lewis’ girlfriend’s living example shows that Fiverr should manage the relationship between sellers and buyers.
My Experience with Fiverr
In the last couple of years, I have used Fiverr as both a seller and a buyer. I just sold a few gigs to five-star clients. I offered more than I promised, and the clients appreciated it. I stopped my gigs because I didn’t have enough time anymore, but I plan to focus more on Fiverr soon. Therefore, I encourage everyone to test out the opportunities that Fiverr offers.
I have a lot of experience as a buyer on Fiverr. To date, I have ordered 214 gigs and only canceled one. In addition, I rated 99% of them as excellent – 5 out of 5 stars. These stats prove that I am a satisfied buyer, and I recommend Fiverr to everyone.
Overall, I can say that Fiverr experiences are based on common sense and respect. However, annoying buyers and amateur sellers are everywhere, not only on Fiverr. Therefore, let’s see what you should do to sell and buy on Fiverr.
How to Sell on Fiverr
From the first paragraph, I have strongly emphasized that it takes a lot of time to become a top seller. The competition is harsh, and many sellers are genuine experts. However, you have a chance of making a solid side income by applying a simple business approach – underpromise and overdeliver. Customers are pretty reticent to hire someone who doesn’t have any reviews. Moreover, they are just a click away from other competitors who are better rated and ranked. That’s why you should do everything possible to promote your gigs on social media and/or your blog.
Don’t create a gig unless you can do what you promise. You may attract more customers by overpromising, but you will get negative feedback from buyers disappointed by your work. The customer is always right on Fiverr, so negative feedback may ruin your business.
Despite all these hurdles, you should try selling your gigs on Fiverr. Here are the steps to follow to create a successful Fiverr profile and sell gigs.
Brainstorming
Literally, you can sell any service on Fiverr. Some sellers create a dating profile for you, while others show you how to get better at Counter-Strike. Put yourself in the shoes of a seller who searches for the gigs you want to offer. Create a list of specific keywords you estimate the customers will search for to find your gig. Next, find your best competitors and carefully check their gigs and profiles. Notice the common elements of the successful profiles and keep them in mind to apply to your profile.
Create Your First Gig
Creating a gig takes around 10-15 minutes if you did thoughtful research and know what you want to sell. First, sign up and create a profile – use your email or the Apple, Google, or Facebook account. Next, click on the “Become a Seller” button and fill out your profile. The gig title and the search tags are crucial to pique the interest of buyers. Finally, clearly stipulate what each pricing tier includes to avoid troubles with the buyers. Again, short sentences are the best!
The gig description should also be clear and simple. Don’t confuse people by using tangled phrases and specific terminology. Instead, be as simple and clear as possible. Let people know what you offer and how you can resolve their pain points. Use the FAQ section to avoid answering the same questions. The clearer the FAQs are, the more disputes with the clients you avoid!
Last but not least, pay attention to the image of the gig; upload a suggestive and eye-catchy image. It is what people see when they search for gigs like yours. Optionally, you can upload a video describing your services.
Share and Promote
Fiverr has an internal ranking system based on your description and search tags. Sadly, the numerous competitors and the low number of orders fulfilled are two factors that bury deep down your gig in the buyers’ searches. However, It’s totally by Fiver’s terms of service to promote your gig! Share on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and eventually Pinterest. Ideally, it would help if you had had an audience before joining Fiverr as a seller. In addition, it would have helped you in acquiring your first clients.
Create Other Gigs (If Possible)
Fiverr is a marathon and not a sprint race. Your first gig might be a real success, but it’s not the case for most sellers. Hence, it would help if you created more gigs. Moreover, Fiverr allows creating seven gigs for each new seller and up to ten, 20, and 30 for the superior levels. Therefore, apply all the suggestions from the second step for each new gig.
Underpromise and Overdeliver
Now, it’s time to delight the customers. Strive to respond to the buyers’ messages as soon as possible. Pause your gigs if you aren’t available to respond because your fast reply impresses the customers. Communicate with the clients and deliver your gig on time – it’s capital to get to the next level of seller.
Types of Sellers
Fiverr differentiates the top-performing sellers by grouping them into four categories. Everyone selling a gig is automatically a New Seller. It allows selling seven gigs and creating custom offers. Level 1 is the following grade, and you have to meet the following, amongst others:
- Be an active seller for at least 60 days
- Complete at least 10 orders
- Earn at least $400
- Maintain a 4.7-star rating over 60 days
- 90% order completion rate over 60 day
Level 2 requires you to meet the following criteria, amongst others:
- Be an active seller for at least 120 days
- Complete at least 50 orders
- Earn at least $2000
- Maintain a 4.7-star rating over 60 days
- 90% order completion rate over 60 days
Top-Rated Seller is the highest level achievable by sellers on Fiverr, and you have to meet the following to reach this status:
- Be an active seller for at least 180 days
- Complete at least 1000 orders
- Earn at least $20,000
- Maintain a 4.7-star rating over 60 days
- 90% order completion rate over 60 days
How to Buy on Fiverr
Be prepared for a big disappointment – plenty of sellers don’t deliver what they promise! I don’t have any concrete evidence, but we have meet members of a Facebook group where sellers purchase gigs reciprocally. A seller purchases a gig from another seller and rates it as excellent and vice-versa. Indeed, they waste some money, but both of them reach a Level 1 seller faster. Of course, it’s not moral, and it goes against Fiverr’s terms and conditions. But I believe that some of the sellers used shady ways to reach a high rank. So there might be a reason why some sellers with pretty good ratings and 10-20 completed gigs don’t deliver what’s included in the gig. I suggest using the following algorithm for choosing the best gig for your needs.
Waste Some Money
A more productive approach acknowledges that you may waste a few tens of dollars before finding a reliable partner. In my personal case, I searched for a good proofreader. Unfortunately, I didn’t find a good proofreader from the first gigs I ordered. Finally, however, after a few failures, I found the best proofreader I have ever met.
Make Clear Your Expectations
Most gigs are pretty clear about what you get by purchasing one. Set clear expectations to avoid disputes with sellers. Many issues are, in fact, misunderstandings about what’s included in each gig. Read the gig’s descriptions carefully and eventually contact the seller before buying that gig.
Filter the Gigs and Sellers
Fiver’s filtering system is simple to use and effective. It helps in finding the most suitable gigs and sellers. First, look at the sellers’ profiles on your shortlist. Don’t ignore sellers with just a few reviews or the ones asking for less money. Some of them have just started a business on Fiverr and will do an excellent job of getting good feedback. Indeed, it’s a risk to hire a New Seller, but it’s also a chance of finding a motivated and skilled seller.
Provide Accurate Feedback
Let’s assume that you have already purchased a gig. Your satisfaction depends on your expectations, the seller, and the quality of services. The moral duty is to be as objective as possible and provide accurate feedback to the seller. Bad feedback distinguishes the bad from the good sellers on Fiverr and, therefore, it creates competition. In this way, you help the community – both sellers and buyers.
Over to You
I hope that you have a clear picture by reading this Fiverr review. This marketplace has its weaknesses and strengths, but overall it deserves your attention no matter if you want to be a seller or a buyer. Are you active on Fiverr? We are eager to know your opinion about Fiverr, so please leave a comment with your thoughts.
Check out Fiverr!
Leave a Reply