What is Fiverr?
Fiverr is a marketplace for businesses to find freelancers to help them reach their goals. Launched in 2010, the platform is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger founded Fiverr with the idea of providing a space to bid on and complete digital services.
As a business owner, you are considered the buyer. Freelancers are considered sellers who are offering to complete “gigs” for buyers. These gigs are specific tasks, or projects, that the buyer requests. Once a place to find $5 gig offerings, that limit was removed in 2014.
To get started you would simply sign up for free and confirm your account. Once you have done this you can browse the homepage and look through the categories available. Businesses can hire a freelancer to complete single projects using the search feature and the included filters.
The website has work samples and feedback to vet the freelancer offering the package that you are interested in. You can also post your job with the details including the delivery time and budget to get offers from freelancers providing more than 200 services. When you are ready to hire your freelancer to complete your project you would pay for the gig. Note that Fiverr does charge a $2 processing fee for purchases up to $40 and 5% for purchases that are $41 and over.
Buyers can find projects at all price points, starting at just $5. To help you choose your seller, each one is ranked in one of three levels ranging from level one to top-rated. The top-rated sellers have been on the platform for more than 180 days, have completed more than 100 gigs, and are consistently reliable. Keep in mind that just because a seller has a level one, this does not mean that they aren’t a good pick. They may not have been with Fiverr long enough to move up to the next level.
What Fiverr Offers
Possibly, the greatest thing about Fiverr is the number of categories and subcategories available. With so many options available you are sure to find the services you need. Of course, the normal business services are offered, but the website also allows you to get relationship and career advice, get your tattoo designed, have your dating profile written, have your family tree done, and just about anything you can come up with!
The Fiverr marketplace offers a variety of business services including:
Graphics & Design
Logo & brochure design, branding, website & mobile design, and more.
Digital Marketing
Social media marketing, SEO, Public Relations, and other marketing services.
Writing & Translation
Articles & blog posts, resume and technical writing, and other copywriting services.
Video & Animation
Video editing, ads, logo animation, and other services.
Music & Audio
Voiceovers, podcast editing, audiobook production, and more.
Programming & Tech
E-commerce development, coding lessons, file conversions, and other technical services.
Business Services & Tasks
Virtual assistant services, business plan creation, project management, and other business tasks.
Lifestyle
Online tutoring, life coaching, craft, and cooking lessons, and more.
Data
Data analytics and visualization, and other data services.
Fiverr has an active online community with a variety of virtual events including upcoming presentations concerning women in marketing and lessons in communicating data insights. The blog offers insight into succeeding in business, working with sellers, and a host of other topics. The Fiverr Podcast provides business leaders advice and direction in growing their business.
Using Fiverr, you can simply get the job done and move on to the next one. Or you can get the most out of the platform by sticking with those sellers that are reliable and offer great work. If you foster that relationship, you will have someone who not only can complete the work but knows your brand and style.
The Cost of Using Fiverr
Fiver services are priced by each individual gig. You will have service fees of either $2 or 5%, depending on your purchase price. There are no taxes charged.
Freelancers will set their rates by gig, so prices vary. When choosing a freelancer make sure that you hit the contact me button and describe what you are looking for in more detail. This will give you the chance to gauge the seller’s work ethic, how they communicate, and ensure that they have the full picture of the job that needs to be completed. Then you will have the chance to compare answers from different freelancers to make the best choice possible.
A good rule of thumb is to assign a keyword to your project. In the gig posting, ask those bidding to mention the word when they respond. This will give you an idea of who you’re working with and let you weed out some of the offers.
There are also alternative packages provided on a project management-like platform. Fiverr Business and Fiverr Pro both offer an upgraded package that ensures that you are only matched with those professionals who have been vetted and meet certain criteria to be the best that Fiverr has to offer.
Fiverr Business offers an assigned success manager that will help you work the marketplace, using Fiverr tools to find your freelancers. You define your project and find the talent that matches the criteria. With Fiverr Business 50 users can access the account for the $149/year fee.
Fiver Pro provides access to vetted Fiverr contractors who offer premium services, at a premium cost. Here you will find custom, high-value work at marketplace prices across multiple service categories.
Fiverr Studios lets you get your more complex projects on the platform to form a team led by a Fiverr professional who finds the contractors to round out your team.
The Pros and Cons of Using Fiverr
Fiverr, like any other platform, has its pros and cons. Here we share them so you can make the best decision for your business.
Pros include:
- Fiverr is a great place to find services from freelancers at different price points. Budget your job and find your freelancer.
- Before you choose a freelancer, you can ask questions and contact them to ensure that they know the special details of your gig. You can also check their rating and reviews.
- You can give it a trial run. Place a small order with various sellers to get a feel for their quality of work, attention to detail, and ability to meet your deadlines.
- Freelancers are required to revise the work if needed. There is also a dispute resolution process to negotiate issues.
- You and your payments are protected by an SSL certificate that protects your billing and personal information. While you will pay upfront, the payment is not released until the work is approved.
- The Fiverr platform offers 24/7 support, community, and a forum to search for help when you need it.
- Fiverr has a huge variety of services with more than 10k projects available right now.
- The Fiverr platform offers a pleasurable UX with an easy-to-use interface.
Cons include:
- There have been reports of fake seller rankings and reviews
- Many sellers deliver low-quality work. It is important that you look for credible reviews, be wary of high-ticket offerings being offered at a low price, and uncommunicative sellers.
- Some sellers are fraudulent, this is usually clear by grammatical errors, nonsensical posts, and high or low pricing.
- There is no standard set for the quality of work of sellers on Fiverr. Remember that you get what you pay for.
- Language barriers sometimes exist as sellers are working from over 150 different countries. This is another reason to chat with the seller before you order your gig. This way you know that you understand each other and that they can complete the work without difficulty.
