Fiverr Review (2023): Who Should Use This Platform?

Does Fiverr Match The Hype?

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If you haven’t heard of Fiverr before, it's an online freelance marketplace. Here, buyers who need freelance services can enlist workers for various jobs. Likewise, freelance workers can advertise their services at a fee of their choice.

With the advent of the pandemic, many people turned to freelancing to supplement their income. In fact, more than 2 million workers joined the freelance market in the US in 2020. As a result, freelance online marketplaces like Fiverr grew exponentially. Fiverr announced a staggering 42% revenue growth at the end of 2021. 

So, what's all the hype about? This Fiverr review looks at everything this online platform offers for freelancers and customers alike. 

There's tons to cover, so let's get started.

What is Fiverr.com?

fiverr review

Founded back in 2010, over the last 12 years, Fiverr has firmly cemented itself within the freelance services industry. Built on the premise of offering temporary gigs, and as its name implies, for far cheaper than usual. For customers, this was a massive draw of the platform. 

Typically, freelancers, which Fiverr refers to as ‘sellers,' offer ‘gigs' (packages of work freelancers provide businesses) at a one-off fee rather than an hourly rate.

Customers can find all sorts of freelance services on Fiverr, including:

  • Graphic design
  • Digital marketing (like SEO)
  • Writing and translation 
  • Programming and coding (like WordPress)
  • Music and video production 
  • Business and data
  • Lifestyle 

There are also more than 30 subcategories within the above service headings. 

Pricing is provided upfront. However, it's important to note, Fiverr charges a 5% fee to buyers and a 20% gig fee for sellers. Once a client has paid for the gig, these percentage fees are applied, and Fiverr then pays the seller. 

Suppose you’re a business looking for a freelancer. In that case, you can filter by setting a minimum and maximum budget, selecting which language you’re looking for, freelancer location, and what your delivery time is. If you’re a freelancer, you set your own rates upfront, and you don’t need to bid for work as it is the customer that looks for you. 

Established freelancers can gradually raise their prices based on the popularity of their service. As a result, they can scale their offerings into a full-time small business. Fiverr states, ‘you can set your price from anywhere between $5-$995 and offer three versions of your services at three different prices.' (more on the latter below)

On Fiverr, a gig (or job) is bought every four seconds, and to date, there have been 50m+ transactions on the site since it began. What does this tell us? Fiverr is a competitive albeit popular place for freelancers to market their services to prospective customers. 

Freelancer Features

Keep reading if you’re a freelancer considering using Fiverr to market and sell your services. Below we’ve listed Fiverr’s core features for freelancers:

Create a Professional Seller Profile 

fiverr review

Given over 830,000 sellers are on Fiverr, it’s safe to say that it's a highly competitive market for new sellers. So, to ensure your gig stands out, you'll need to create a comprehensive Fiverr seller profile. 

To get started with this, follow the steps below:

  1. Sign in with your email, Google, or Facebook login. 
  2. Enter your details, skills, certificates, and qualifications. 
  3. Add a picture and/or video.
  4. Link any freelancing websites, socials, and/or upload a portfolio. 
  5. Verify account. You'll receive an activation email; simply click the link to verify your account. 

Fiverr provides plenty of room to outline your skillset. For instance, you can take advantage of a video introduction to explain to sellers who you are and what you’re good at. 

You can verify your ID by uploading an official ID image from something like your passport or driver’s license. Then upload a selfie to match your official photo ID.  

Once you’re happy with your seller profile, the next step is to create your first gig – which leads us nicely onto our next section…

Post a Gig

To post a gig on Fiverr, follow this simple step-by-step process:

Step 1:

Create a short and clear gig title that tells Fiverr buyers what service you offer.

Select which category and subcategory your gig fall under using the drop-down menu. For example, web design, logo design, etc.

Then, add search tags. These are words you think a client or buyer may use when searching for the service you’re providing. You’re allowed to insert up to five search terms. 

Step 2: Price Your Gig

Price your gig:

Give your pricing package a name and add details of your offering.

Use the drop-down menu to state how many days it will take you to deliver the gig and how many revisions are included in the price.

Then, select a price ranging from $5 upwards. 

Note: You can create up to three pricing packages within your gig (more on this in a sec).

Step 3: Gig Description and FAQ

In no more than 1,200 characters, describe your gig in as much detail as possible. You can insert a URL if it meets Fiverr’s pre-approved URL list. Finally, you can also add eight FAQs you think buyers may ask.

Step 4: Add Requirements

This is where you let buyers know what you need from them so you can start their job. For example, brand guidelines, a word count, a detailed and legible brief, regular communication, etc.

You can add various files to support your gig, such as audio, video, PDF, images up to 5GB. 

Step 6: Publish

Simply click “Publish Gig.” 

Easy, right?

This setup offers some benefits to sellers. Firstly, adding search tags and optimizing your title for keywords should, in theory, make your gig more visible to buyers. 

Also, when it comes to pricing your Fiverr gigs, you can create a tiered pricing structure, comprising three pricing packages. As an example, writers could set up the following packages:

  • Basic -$5 for 100 words
  • Premium – $70 for 1,000 words
  • Business – $170 for 3,000 word

You can also create ‘add-ons.’ These are extras that customers might want to purchase in addition to one of your packages. Sticking with the same scenario above, as a writer, you could charge an extra $10 for every additional 100 words outside of what your package offers. Needless to say, add-ons come in handy for upselling your services and creating a more flexible pricing system. 

In addition, you can set up delivery time and commonly ask questions regarding your gig. As well as buyer requirements for requesting an order.

Fiverr Learning and Badges 

While Fiverr’s resource page offers free blog posts on several valuable topics, the course page goes further. Here, you’ll find paid courses in specific areas. For example, copywriting and marketing techniques. You get a Fiverr badge for your profile when you pass these courses. This works wonders for boosting credibility with customers and bettering your search ranking.

Fiverr Workspace 

Fiverr Workspace 

The Fiverr workspace dashboard helps you manage your invoices, time tracking, and contracts. Using this platform, you benefit from:

  • Customizable invoices
  • Automated time management (reminders of your gig deadlines).
  • You can generate proposals and contracts for buyers.
  • Access to analytics on your earnings, expenses, and gigs.

The workspace compiles the above features into one centralized dashboard to make it easy for you to manage your freelance business. 

The free Workspace service offers selling integrations, business tools, client payments, and business contract templates. However, if you pay $18/mo annually, you get access to other features, including priority support, 360° business analytics, and custom branded documents. 

Fiverr Studio

Fiverr Studio

Please note: this service is still in Beta, and not all sellers can access it. 

Fiverr handpicks, which freelancers can be part of Fiverr Studio. In short, a studio comprises a leading seller, aka the Lead, and other sellers, aka members. Combined, they offer their services. 

Studio Leads are handpicked by Fiverr and are ultimately accountable for the delivery of a Studio Gig. 

Pros and Cons for Freelancers 

Now we’ve covered the main things Fiverr offers freelancers, let’s quickly round up the most notable pros and cons for freelancers considering the platform:

Pros 👍

  • Fiverr presents a convenient, one-stop solution for managing and finding freelance work.
  • You have a lot of freedom over the pricing structure of your gigs.
  • Fiverr provides ample opportunity to learn new skills and improve your service.
  • It's free to register for freelancers.

Fiverr Review: Features for Buyers

Fiverr review

Now let’s turn our attention to the flip side of the coin: buyers looking for freelance services. What does Fiverr have to offer them? Let’s take a look…

Searching for Freelance Services 

Finding the best freelancer for your needs on Fiverr is an overwhelming task. As a result, Fiverr is brimming with sellers vying for your attention. 

Fortunately, Fiverr enables you to filter sellers by:

  • Budget
  • Delivery time
  • Seller language and country
  • Seller level (more on this below)
  • Seller availability

Seller levels are based on the number of orders the freelancer has completed on time and the customer ratings they’ve received:

  1. Level 1: Completed at least ten orders on time with a minimum of a 4.7 rating.
  2. Level 2: Completed at least 50 orders, on time, with a minimum of a 4.7 rating.
  3. Top-rated seller: Completed at least 100 orders, with a minimum of a 4.7 rating.

This makes it much easier to draw up a list of potential service providers. 

Alternatively, you can post your own request, specifying what kind of work you need completing. Then, freelancers can make offers to fulfill the work you’ve requested. 

Here’s how you post a request:

  1. Tell sellers about your business
  2. Outline the service category
  3. Describe your request.
  4. Select your delivery time and budget
  5. Submit

Choosing a Freelancer

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As a buyer, you can review seller profiles and credentials to ensure they meet your needs. Fiverr's badge system is explicitly designed to help with this. For instance, the Fiverr editorial team awards the “Rising Talent” badge on gigs they feel will provide customers with value. This handpicked status is temporary, and the editorial team can remove the badge at any time. 

Freelancers who already have positive reviews and feedback appear higher in Fiverr's page rankings.  

However, despite your search, you may find several freelancers offering the skills you need but not the exact service you’re looking for. Fortunately, Fiverr allows you to order custom projects by contacting the seller via the platform to request a custom order. 

Finally, once you’ve opted to work with a freelancer, you can contact your seller through the Fiverr mobile app. You can send messages, ask for updates, and ask for revisions.

Delivery 

Payment is only released by Fiverr if you approve the work you've ordered. If a problem arises, Fiverr advises that you contact the seller directly to try and mediate the issue. However, if you need further assistance, you can contact Fiverr’s customer support team.

If you want to cancel your order for whatever reason, Fiverr encourages you and the seller to try to resolve any difficulty amicably using its Resolution Center. 

Your seller has 48 hours to accept or decline your requests. If they go unanswered, your order is automatically canceled

Alternatively, if you’re happy with the work produced, you can approve the seller's work, and your payment will be taken. 

Managing Freelancers

You can create large-scale projects and manage all your freelancers from one centralized dashboard. You can assign freelancers roles based on your project requirements, manage communications, and set your budget, all from the dashboard. You can even select a lead freelancer for the project, who can then direct the rest of the team.

Pros and Cons for Buyers

Now that we’ve covered the crux of what Fiverr offers buyers, let’s quickly round up the pros and cons of using Fiverr to purchase freelance services:

Pros 👍

  • There’s an extensive range of services and freelancers to choose from.
  • There’s a great search feature and sophisticated filtering to help you narrow down your choices.
  • Cheap services are available.
  • You benefit from protection against malpractice and shoddy work.

Fiverr Pricing

While Fiverr is free to use for both sellers and buyers, Fiverr also offers some paid features you might want to consider:

Fiverr Business 

The Fiverr Business plan offers better collaboration tools for buyers. It’s designed for those looking to run large-scale projects through one centralized dashboard. From here, you can communicate with your team, share resources, and manage all of your projects with ease.

The Business plan is billed annually. However, first-time users get one-year free. After which, billing starts at $149 per year, which includes:

  • A personal business manager – they’ll help you find the right freelancers for the job and provide suggestions on optimizing your business plan.
  • Curated freelancer catalog – You’ll get a list of vetted and experienced freelancers.
  • Collaboration tools – you can add up to 50 team members to work with you on your project.
  • Customizable project management – Set your own budget flow, manage your workers, and set approvals on transactions.
  • Choose the best payment methods suitable for your business, such as Stripe and PayPal.

Fiverr Workspace

As discussed, the Fiverr workspace is a good choice for freelancers juggling multiple orders wanting a single interface to manage their work from. 

There are two plans available:

The Free plan – $0 a month

With this plan, you get:

  • Ready-to-use contracts.
  • Third-party integrations, such as Slack, Shopify, and Stripe.
  • Client payment software.
  • Access to business tools for invoicing, project tracking, and task management.

Unlimited plan – $24 a month ($18 a month when paid yearly)

The Unlimited plan provides everything in the free offering, with the addition of:

  • Unlimited clients.
  • Personalized branding for invoices, proposals, and more.
  • Editable contracts.
  • Business analytics.
  • Priority customer support.

FAQs

We’ve covered a lot of ground! But in case we haven’t answered all your questions, we’ve answered some of the most common FAQs concerning Fiverr:

Is Fiverr safe?

Buyer and seller transactions are protected on Fiverr, provided they use the platform to conduct their business. However, Fiverr can’t protect users who form contracts or conduct transactions outside their service guidelines. By using the platform, your data is kept encrypted and secured. Moreover, Fiverr has several anti-fraud measures, including Level 1 PCI-DSS, to ensure safe payments and that data isn't shared with third parties.

However, you should read the seller and buyer contracts carefully to know what to expect.

How Do I Know if a Buyer or Seller Is Legit?

Both buyers and sellers have to verify their Fiverr accounts. Nevertheless, this doesn’t completely stop scam artists, so here are a few red flags to look out for to avoid a bad experience:

  • People asking you to make payments outside the platform – this is something scammers frequently request
  • Sellers offering gigs that sound too good to be true -i.e., the price is way lower than average.
  • The gig sounds too generic and/or littered with grammar and spelling errors.
  • Bad reviews.

Is Fiverr Suitable for Beginner Freelancers?

As discussed, Fiverr is a tough market to break into. Still, Fiverr can be an excellent opportunity to learn more about freelancing and develop your brand. To make the most out of Fiverr, we suggest you:

  • Market your services on social media.
  • Use eye-catching imagery and videos to get attention.
  • Be clear about what you offer.
  • Ensure your profile is filled out correctly and professionally.
  • Ask for feedback and try to meet buyer expectations.
  • Talk to buyers before accepting a project to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

Fiverr Review: Are You Ready to Start Using Fiverr?

Whether you’re just starting out or a professional freelancer, Fiverr has the potential to be of use. That said, you’ll definitely make more money, in the long run, driving traffic to your own freelancing sites/social media pages and securing business that way. 

In contrast, for businesses and individuals who need a quick and cheap way to outsource a few one-off projects, Fiverr is a convenient tool for getting those jobs done.

We hope this article has helped outline the workings and features of Fiverr. Good luck and happy freelancing!

Rosie Greaves

Rosie Greaves is a professional content strategist who specializes in all things digital marketing, B2B, and lifestyle. She has over three years of experience crafting high-quality content. Check out her website Blog with Rosie for more information.

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