Fiverr was founded in 2010 by Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger and has exploded in popularity since. It is well-known not only in its home country of Israel, but also in the United States and around the world.
The original product of Fiverr offered basic services for just, you guessed it, $5 a pop. With some gigs today going for thousands of dollars, it is safe to say the company’s project scope has drastically expanded.
Today on Fiverr, a gig is bought approximately every 5 seconds, and more than 50 million projects have been completed since the company’s inception. So, should you be using Fiverr? Does it have the gigs you’re looking for? Let’s find out in this Fiverr review!
How Does Fiverr Work?
Fiverr calls its clients and freelancers “buyers” and “sellers”. Those who have a service to offer are called sellers, and those who are looking to purchase those services are called buyers.
On Fiverr, rather than creating a database of jobs for freelancers to browse, the site has been created as a talent pool of freelancers and services for clients to choose from. In other words, the front-end experience of the site has been designed for businesses and individuals who want to get work done. This makes Fiverr quite different from other freelancing websites like Upwork.
How To Get Started on Fiverr
To get started as a seller on Fiverr, you will first need to create an account. Like most other freelancing websites, account creation is free, and setting up your account takes just a few minutes. You will then need to complete your individual seller profile. This profile is what potential clients will see, so take your time and make it professional.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Account creation can be done via the app or the website, and simply requires an email address, username and password. Your member account will also need to be verified via a valid phone number before you can post a gig for sale for the first time.
Step 2: Create Your Profile
Your profile will showcase your occupation, background, education, skills, and other qualifications. You can list a personal website or portfolio site to display your past work. Linking your social media accounts will help you gain credibility. The inclusion of a friendly but professional headshot is also recommended. A minimum profile completion rate of 65% is required before you can continue to the creation of a gig. You can always save your progress and return later on to complete your information.
Step 3: Create Your Gig
Fiverr’s gig creation wizard will help you easily and accurately fill out your gig. You will create or select a title, category, subcategory, gig metadata, search tags for your gig. On the second page, you will detail your project scope, delivery time, number of revisions, available extras, and other details needed to create your pricing packages. You will also create a description for your gig and can set FAQs and buyer requirements before getting started. On the final page, known as the Gig Gallery, you can upload photos, videos, and PDF work samples to provide a portfolio for your services. At this stage, you will need to complete the verification process which can be done via phone call or SMS. Once your gig is published, you can share it on social media or sit back and wait for clients to come to you.
What Services Can Be Sold on Fiverr?
Fiverr really shines when it comes to digital services like writing, graphic design, video editing, social media management, website and app development, web design, logo design, CAD design, SEO, digital marketing, and other business-related offerings. There are more than 200 categories to choose from, and pretty much any creative service that you could think of can be offered, as long as it is legal and not against Fiverr’s terms of service.
Does Fiverr Really Pay?
The first thing people usually want to know when researching freelance platform is how much they can expect to make on a site like Fiverr. Is freelancing on Fiverr worth it? Can you really make money on the site? What if I have a bad experience?
As with any other freelancing platform where you have the ability to set your own hours, services, and pricing, the sky is the limit (or not) when it comes to how much monthly income you can expect to generate.
Many freelancers on Fiverr are able to make working on the site their full-time gig, while others use it as a way to supplement their income. As long as you truly hustle to sell your services and provide quality work at high price points, you should be able to make as much money as you want or need. Your income will also vary depending on the amount of time you want to dedicate to your business as a seller on Fiverr.
How to Make Money and Get Paid on Fiverr
One of the most important aspects of using a freelance platform is understanding your earnings and how you will get paid. With Fiverr, every time you complete a service for a buyer, the money is automatically transferred to your Fiverr account. You do not need to worry about hunting down clients, dealing with billing and invoicing, or waiting long periods of time to receive a check. As a freelancer, you will not be classified as an employee but as a contract or self-employed worker.
Your payments will be released when you have completed the work. Once they reach your Fiverr account, your earnings will remain in a pending status for 14 days to ensure processing and buyer satisfaction. After this, your funds are available for withdrawal.
There are 4 ways to get your money, outlined in detail below:
- PayPal – Perhaps the most straightforward withdrawal method, there is no fee for sending your earnings to your PayPal account. In fact, the minimum withdrawal amount is just $1.
- Fiverr Revenue Card – If you have a Fiverr Revenue Card, you will be able to withdraw funds to the card once you reach a minimum of $30. There are 2 speed options to choose from: $1 for 2 business days or $3 for 2 hours.
- Bank Transfer – Freelancers in any country can receive a bank transfer in their own currency through Payoneer with a $3 fee. Depending on your country, this could take anywhere from between 1-7 business days. There is a minimum of $20 to complete a bank transfer.
- Direct Deposit – Also powered by Payoneer, sellers in the U.S. can receive their funds via direct deposit in just a few business days with a $1 withdrawal charge. You must have at least $10 in order to initiate a direct deposit.
How Does Fiverr Compare to Other Sites?
With so many options out there to choose from, it is worth asking whether or not Fiverr is the best place for aspiring freelancers to spend their time. No one wants to waste their time, energy and efforts only to result in a bad experience on a subpar platform. So what is the truth about Fiverr? How does it compare to other freelancing sites?
If you have a ton of experience in a particular industry or niche, or you will only be picking one freelancing site to work with, you may want to stay away from Fiverr and focus your efforts elsewhere. More experienced or specialized freelancers may have better luck on sites such as Upwork or TaskRabbit, where clients are often willing to pay more for higher-quality services. Additionally, if you’re looking specifically for remote or online work, you may want to consider a platform designated for that type of work such as FlexJobs.
On the other hand, if you are going to be registering for many different platforms in order to gain exposure in a larger pool of clients, it can never hurt to add Fiverr into the mix. When it comes to making money, diversifying is always a good idea. Also, if you are just starting out in your freelancing career and need to quickly build up a portfolio of verified clients, Fiverr can be a great place to begin before moving on to bigger and better things.
Is Fiverr Worth Signing Up With?
While you may see some bad Fiverr reviews out there on the web, most freelancers who actually use Fiverr for a long period of time find it to be easy to use and a great way to make money. Many sellers who have used Fiverr encounter great customer service and many top-tier clients to work for. As the saying goes, you get back what you give.
In summary, if you aren’t willing to dedicate the time or the energy to succeed, you can’t fault the platform for your bad experiences or blame Fiverr as the cause for your failure to become a top-rated seller.
Is Fiverr Good for Beginners?
Fiverr is a great freelancing platform for beginners. It is easy to get started, user-friendly, and practically brings the clients to you. Fiverr gets somewhat of a bad rap in the freelancing community, but plenty of people have found the platform to be a very successful way for them to earn a living or supplement their income.
It can always be difficult to break into a new freelancing platform, but once you get your first buyer and have been rated, it will be increasingly easy to ramp up your services and get more and more clients.
How Much Does Fiverr Cost?
Fiverr is free to join and never requires any subscriptions or fees to list your services as a seller. However, like most freelancing sites, Fiverr does take a percentage of your earnings. You will keep 80% of your earnings for each transaction.
On the other side of things, buyers are charged a nominal service fee of $2 for transactions under $40 and 5% for transactions over $40.
Tips to Earn More as a Seller on Fiverr
With so much competition, signing up for a new site can be a bit overwhelming. And if you’ve just quit your day job, the pressure is definitely on to make the big bucks as soon as possible. Learn from these top tips for earning even more on Fiverr.
Offer Gig Packages
With this feature, you are able to set your own pricing to offer 3 different levels of your service at 3 different price points. (i.e. basic, standard and premium) This allows you to attract more clients, diversify your offerings, and charge more for top-tier services.
Qualify for Fiverr Pro
About 1% of freelancers will go on to reach this tier on the platform. You must apply to be considered for Fiverr Pro, and an in-house team will review your qualifications, background, skills and portfolio. Approval as a Fiverr Pro seller level allows you to work with top-tier clients, charge more for your services, and take your career to new heights. Best of all, you don’t have to be on the Fiverr platform for a long time before applying to offer Pro services. Even beginners can apply and qualify based on past experience from other jobs and other platforms.
Participate in the Fiverr Referral Program
Fiverr’s robust referral program allows you to get a cut of 20% of your friend’s first purchase on the platform, up to $100! If you are well-networked, this program can help you rake in the cash in addition the services that you yourself offer.
Offer Extra Fast Delivery
As long as you’re sure you can deliver, you can charge a premium for this service which will help you not only attract more clients, but also earn more income for the same gig.
Attract Buyers With A Personal Video
A short introduction video (no more than 75 seconds long) that is relevant to the service you are offering and includes original content can help attract more clients to your gig. Make sure that your video meets Fiverr’s Terms of Service.
Upsell Your Gig With Extras
Just like with extra fast delivery, you can offer a variety of optional services to your clients such as the inclusion of the editable source file for a graphic design order. You can also create your own custom extras. Pricing is up to you, but we suggest you search the marketplace to see what the correct value for your extras would be.
Take Advantage of Fiverr’s Resources
Fiverr wants their freelancers to be successful! A number of online tools, resources, and free webinars (like this one) will help you earn more and elevate your career on the platform. For those who don’t mind paying to level up their knowledge, Fiverr also offers an innovative selection of courses on their Learn From Fiverr community site. As a new seller, these resources are especially invaluable to learning how to use the platform and find success in your freelancing efforts. In addition, the Fiverr customer support team can be reached online by submitting a Zen Desk request at https://fiverr.zendesk.com/hc/en-us.
Watch Your Ratings
Nobody wants to hire someone with bad reviews or a 1 star rating. Always be sure to deliver on your promises, turn in quality work, and provide clear communication with your clients. These methods will ensure that you receive high ratings and good feedback from each of your buyers. Your potential clients will be browsing sellers’ profiles and depend on this feedback to decide who to hire.
In addition, some buyers find a favorite Fiverr seller and stick with that one seller for all of their projects. So do all you can to earn 5 star reviews and repeat clients. The more you can maintain a 5 star rating, the more money you can earn. In fact, you can also earn tips for delivering quality service. So always try your best and work towards achieving a top-rated seller level!
Final Thoughts: Fiverr
Despite its reputation by some as a place to go for cheap services and even cheaper quality of work, Fiverr has built up an extensive talent pool and a solid client base that includes top-tier brands and services. Any freelancer looking to expand their online offerings and find more clients will benefit from dipping their toes in the Fiverr pool. Most freelancers using Fiverr have great experiences on the site, would rate the platform a solid 5 stars, and find it to be overall a great platform.
As long as you complete your profile, gigs, and assignments with the highest level of professionalism, you will attract like-minded clients of the same caliber. Whether you are a writer, editor, digital marketing expert, developer or designer, success can be found on any freelancing platform – if you know how to reach it. Best of luck to you!
