Whether you are looking to make some money freelancing your services or are looking to offload some of your own workload utilising a freelancer. Fiverr is a common favourite amongst website owners. Offering Freelancers an easier route into the market and making services affordable it is one of the first ones to be found and used.
But is it the best option, does it actually work or is it full of wannabes affecting the quality you will receive??? We will review all in this comprehensive review.
Fiverr Overview & Rankings
Product Name: Fiverr 
Owners: Micha Kaufman (CEO)
Website URL: https://bestaffiliatemarketingtools.org/fiverr
Platform: 
4/5
Support: 3/5
Success Stories: 3/5
Price: Free to Join
BestAffiliateMarketingTools.org Rating: 
3.5/5
A Quick Fiverr Summary
Fiverr is a platform where you are able to offer your services or hire freelancers to offload some of your own work. Offering a varied service base, Fiverr is a popular platform. The whole premise is that gigs are hired for only $5, but this is not as simple as it may seem. Whilst it isn’t a scam, you need to do your research before hiring people or offering your own services. This is a great platform for someone just getting started and wanting to polish their service before moving onto bigger platforms.
What Exactly is Fiverr?
Fiverr started out in 2009, with the simple premise of all services offered would be for a Fiverr ($5). Freelancers joined for free and could offer their services in a number of different categories, for businesses or bloggers to hire them. That is why it is so aptly called Fiverr.
Moving onto about 2014, Fiverr restructured their whole pricing plan. Pressure from sellers wanted a more respectful pricing structure for the services that were being offered. Now the price is set by the seller, so you are now looking at spending a lot more, depending on the seller and the quality of the service they provide. This comes down to their seller level, etc. which we will get into shortly.
They have also vastly improved the offering of services. It isn’t just about hiring people to do some writing for you, you will be surprised by the number of different offerings there are:
- Graphic & Design
- Logo Design, Business card & stationary, Illustration, Cartoons & Caricatures, Flyers/Brochures, Book & Album Covers, Packaging Design, Web & Mobile Design, Social Media Design, Banner Ads, Photoshop editing, 3D & 2D models, T-shirts & Merchandise, Presentation Design, Infographics, Vector Tracing, Invitations, Other
- Digital Marketing
- Social Media Marketing, SEO, Content Marketing, Video Marketing, Email Marketing, Search & Display Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Web Analytics, Influencer Marketing, Local Listings, Domain Research, E-Commerce Marketing, Mobile Advertising, Music Promotion, Web Traffic, Other
- Writing & Translation
- Resumes & Cover Letters, Proof-reading and editing, Translation, Creative Writing, Business Copywriting, Research & Summaries, Articles & Blog Posts, Press Releases, Transcription, Legal Writing, Other
- Video & Animation
- Whiteboard & Animated Explainers, Intros & Animated Logos, Promo Videos, Editing & Post Production, Lyric & Music Videos, Spokesperson Videos, Animated Characters & Modelling, Short Video Ads, Live Action Explainers, Other
- Music & Audio
- Voice Overs, Mixing & Mastering, Producers & Composers, Singer-Songwriters, Session Musicians & Singers, Jingles & Drops, Sound Effects, Other
- Programming & Tech
- WordPress, Website Builders & CMS, Web Programming, Ecommerce, Mobile Apps & Web, Desktop Applications, Support & IT, Chatbots, Data Analysis & Reports, Convert Files, Databases, User Testing, QA, Other
- Business
- Virtual Assistant, Market Research, Business Plans, Branding Services, Legal Consulting, Financial Consulting, Business Tips, Presentations, Career Advice, Flyer Distribution, Other
- Fun & Lifestyle
- Online Lessons, Arts & Crafts, Relationship Advice, Health, Nutrition & Fitness, Astrology & Readings, Spiritual & Healing, Family & Genealogy, Gaming, Greeting Cards & Videos, Your Message on…, Viral Videos, Pranks & Stunts, Celebrity Impersonators, Collectibles, Global Culture, Other
There comes a time in any business where you start to explore outsourcing certain aspects of your online business out and there are some great sellers out there, you just need to make sure you do the right research as you pay upfront.
This is a platform that benefits both a buyer and those looking to profit from their skills/ability.
Who Does Fiverr Benefit?
Let’s explore this question from both the buyer and the seller’s point of view.
For a Buyer (Hirer)
The platform is really easy to navigate. Free to join, you just select the category that you are interested in hiring someone from. You will then be given a grid layout with potential freelancers for you to hire. Whilst you might think the guys at the top would be the best option – I would highly advise you thoroughly review both the list, the seller rating and what they are actually offering. You cannot just go by the price.
The reason I say this is that in online business you need relevance as a key thing to consider.
Imagine, if I hired a writer for this website. It is all about affiliate marketing, work from home opportunities, etc. What if I found a writer who was offering a 1000 word article for $5. I might jump at the change, but then I read on their profile, they specialise in articles for a wedding theme.
See what I mean, you will be presented with a high number of sellers for you to research. But you will need to spend some time to find the one that will be someone you are willing to hire.
The other advantages of checking out their profiles is, you will learn if they offer:
- Revisions and how many
- Qualifications or experience in their given niche
- Extra Gigs (Special buys on multiple gigs)
- Price
- Timescales
- Their native language (could be a factor towards grammar, etc.)
There are 3 levels of seller, which I will describe when we get to the seller bit. But the thing to consider is, just because they offer a lower price with a lower seller level does not always mean the quality will be lower. I have hire writers from both camps – higher seller level and someone who looks like they are just starting out and I actually found the lady with the “lower seller” level gave me the better article.
You will find that you will be asked to give feedback about the seller once the whole process has concluded. Bit like a product on amazon, 5 stars means a great seller.
Advantages to a Buyer (Hirer)
- Great if you are on a small budget, you can hire freelancers from as little as $5
- If you are not entirely sold on what they offer, you have only lost $5
- The sheer number of different gigs available
Disadvantages to a Buyer (Hirer)
- Only see a profile and rank before you buy the gig. Majority of cases this will be fine, but I would steer anyone clear of the SEO or traffic gigs. They tend to just bombard your site with bots that will mess with your long term rankings on search engines.
For a Seller (Freelancer)
This again is free to join, unless you want to go for a Fiverr Pro account, but this could be something you explore once you have nailed your services.
Setting up your profile is integral to making this work. You need to sell yourself to get noticed amongst what is a crowded market. You need to ask yourself when completing your profile “why would someone hire me?”. Stand out from the crowd, offer something that everyone else isn’t. This is the only way you will get hired over other more experienced sellers.
Being specific in your profile will help, don’t just offer writing services – tell me what subjects you are an expert in. That way, when people are looking for a writer in that specific subject, you will appear in the search results.
When you are hired, make sure you complete the job in a reasonable time. Ensuring you have done all the basics, spell check and grammar check. The less revisions you need to do, the better you will get that 5-star rating. Communication with the hirer will also help you stand out from the crowd.
Advantages to a Seller (Freelancer)
- Easy to use for getting experience and work due to a low starting fee $5.
- Doesn’t take a lot of technical know-how to set up your profile and getting to sell
- Can make money from services you want to do
- Buyers search by gig and not by seller, this gives you a better chance of getting noticed
- You can share your gigs via social media, giving you more exposure.
Disadvantages to a Seller (Freelancer)
- You have no control over the gigs that are automatically accepted by the platform. You could easily get someone to hire you, that you find is entirely out of your comfort zone. This could affect your ratings.
- The rating system is questionable, down to number one above. If you have to cancel the gig due to it not being what you are offering, this can affect not only your ratings but potential future orders
- Some gigs are really competitive, so your chances of success within these is seriously reduced.
- High commission rate, 20%. So, you will only make $4 from the basic gig.
- Fiverr might and can ban you without reason, if they feel you have violated their t’s and c’s
- Hirers are favoured by the platform in most cases, as they have spent money. Even if you are in the right.
That is how you power up through the seller levels and will also be able to hire yourself out for higher prices. Let’s explore how that all works.
How Does Fiverr Work?
In essence, it is a search engine introducing hirers to sellers. But the selling side is a little more complex, so that is what we will focus on in this section, starting with seller levels.
The more gigs you sell, the higher your seller level will increase. This all depends on your feedback coming back great, but if you have ever sold something on eBay they have a similar system. A power seller with a great feedback rating will sell better on eBay. It is no different on Fiverr.
IT also offers a buyer trust. Like any system out there, it can be open to scammers trying to get you to part with your money for nothing. So, a seller with a high rating that has offered plenty of gigs is a good shout. A seller with a great rating, but only 2 reviews – might be one to watch out for.
Let’s explain the seller levels:
You will start out as a New Seller. This will give you the ability to have 7 active gigs, 2 gig extras and 5 gig multiples.
Level One Seller
Criteria – 30 days active. Must have complete at least 10 individual orders with a rating of 4-stars and a low cancellation rate.
You can then benefit from 15 active gigs, 4 gig extras and 10 gig multiples.
Level Two Seller
Criteria – complete 50 individual orders in 2 consecutive months, maintain a 4.5-star rating and a low cancellation rate.
You can then benefit from 20 active gigs, 5 gig extras, 15 gig multiples and priority customer support.
Top Rated Seller
Criteria – Maintain a 4.7 to 5-star rating, offering exceptional customer care, a low cancellation rate, show community leadership. It is also based on the volume of sales.
You can then benefit from 20 active gigs, 5 gig extras, 15 gig multiples and priority customer support.
YOu can also become a Pro Seller.
One of the key things you must remember about Fiverr is that it is a really crowded market for the common gigs. Article writing, etc. But there is a real opportunity if you have skills in the more niche sections. But whatever you want to try your hand at, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting hired as a newbie.
How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Hired on Fiverr
- Keep to the simple $5 gig, get your name out there before increasing prices or offering gig extras.
- Be totally upfront in your profile. If you haven’t got qualifications, tell them. Your experience will count for more anyway, so talk about that.
- Stand out from the crowd. Be unique, get your personality across. People buy people.
- Advertise your services elsewhere, utilising social media will be integral.
- If you are serious, research into the Fiverr Pro Account. Pass the vetting stage and you will see that your profile will stand out from everyone else.
What is Good About Fiverr
- Anyone can join Fiverr, it is a worldwide platform
- You can hire freelancers for as little as $5
- Easy way for freelancers to get started with earning money online.
What Could Fiverr Improve on?
- It is a very competitive platform, as there is no vetting. Some niches might be really hard to target.
- No guarantee of quality, due to no vetting for sellers. Unless you choose someone who has a Fiverr Pro account.
- Fiverr currently holds a negative BBB rating, which has 42 complaints against the platform with only 3 positive comments. This gives Fiverr an F rating.
- Fiverr does tend to favour the buyer in most disputes. With sellers, often getting the raw end of the deal.
How Much Does Fiverr Cost?
There is no cost for any stipulations for anyone to join. This does mean that it is really easy for someone to join and start earning money online, which is something most people are looking for an opportunity to do. But this also does leave it open to scammers. This does often lead to the question about the integrity of the platform.
But we must not lose sight of the fact that there are plenty of genuine sellers on the platform. Just a few bad eggs amongst the bunch. But if you do your research before hiring, then you are going to be ok.
What Is the Fiverr Support Like?
Fiverr offers an in-built messaging service for most common issues. Support is always something I consider to be great for a buyer (hirer). But this is down to the fact they are paying for a service.
On the whole, I understand this. Customer service in retail is pretty much similar. But, there does need to be a line where it protects the seller (freelancer) and I do feel this is where fiverr does not really support the seller in all instances.
IN my research, I saw plenty of examples where the buyer has been totally unrealistic in their demands, etc. Where they have been really abusive to the seller, and Fiverr has ruled in the favour of the buyer.
So, I do feel that the support is something that does need to address. The key point should be remaining neutral. Fiverr do not want to do refunds as it comes off their profit line, but the seller should reserve the right to do it.
My Honest Opinion of Fiverr
If you are looking for freelancers to outsource some of your work or are looking for ways to earn some additional money it is a great place to get started. Not all gigs are worthwhile, and you need to do thorough research before investing anything. You don’t need to buy traffic, when it is just going to mess up your long-term business. I personally feel it is a great place to hire writers, get a good writer and you will be coming back for more very regular.
Can you Make Money with Fiverr?
If you can stand out from the crowd and offer quality content every time, then yes you can easily progress up to the point where you are easily charging over $100 per gig. But like anything, it will take time and a lot of work to reach that goal.
Is Fiverr a Scam?
Whilst there are definitely gigs that are going down that road, the overall platform is not a scam.
Like anything you are not sure of, the more research you do the better informed a decision you will make.
Hiring a writer, getting someone to design a logo or graphic design is all worthwhile on this platform. My advice would be to avoid anything to do with SEO or traffic on there. I am not saying everything is a scam. But fake bots hitting your website will do more damage than a dodgy logo you send back for a revision.
If you are looking at getting into freelancing, this is a great starting point. Building up a solid foundation before trying platforms, like UpWork, where you will need to jump through some hoops before joining.
Fiverr at a Glance
Product Name: Fiverr
Owners: Micha Kaufman (CEO)
Website URL: https://bestaffiliatemarketingtools.org/fiverr
Platform: 4/5
Support: 3/5
Success Stories: 3/5
Price: Free to Join
BestAffiliateMarketingTools.org Rating: 3.5/5
Verdict: Solid Foundation for a Freelancer, Great Resource for Website owners
Like I have said, there are flaws to this system. But if you do your research, then it can be a great resource for business owners and be really helpful in help you start out into a freelancing career.
If you have any questions about Fiverr, then please do get in touch via the comments below. Have you used Fiverr? Have you got any experience shares, We would love to hear from you? thanks
Fiverr
Pros
- Anyone can join Fiverr, it is a worldwide platform
- You can hire freelancers for as little as $5
- Easy way for freelancers to get started with earning money online.
Cons
- It is a very competitive platform, as there is no vetting. Some niches might be really hard to target.
- No guarantee of quality, due to no vetting for sellers. Unless you choose someone who has a Fiverr Pro account.
- Fiverr currently holds a negative BBB rating, which has 42 complaints against the platform with only 3 positive comments. This gives Fiverr an F rating.
- Fiverr does tend to favour the buyer in most disputes. With sellers, often getting the raw end of the deal.
Great review on a service that I am actually thinking of using and probably am going to. I am thinking of using it to have someone create me a logo for my sports website. I have one already which I made but it is very basic and I don’t like it. I think Fiverr is a good site as long as you do your research and make sure you are paying for a quality service.
This review covered all the topics I would’ve wanted so thank you for writing it, it helped me out a lot.
Thanks Joe,
many people have used Fiverr for graphic projects such as a logo, $5 for a great logo is a good business decision.
thanks
John
Thanks for this review of Fiverr. I keep hearing about it but never got round to checking it out.
If it’s similar to how Elance work, I always struggle to shortlist the bids I get for a job. They all say great things about their abilities and I’m always taking their word for it. But more often then not, I am disappointed in the results (to be clear, I’m talking about my experience with elance). Is that the same for you in Fiverr? Maybe my problem is I’m not choosing the right qualities to assess their abilities on. And not asking the right questions to determine whether or not they will be able to grasp what I need.
I would be interested to hear more of your experience in shortlisting candidates for a job in Fiverr.
Thank you for sharing.
Hey Cath,
elance is a bit different, as I would say that is more professionals talking up their abilities. Fiverr is about real people on the whole sharing their experience on their profiles and they typically tell you the subjects they will do.
I have used a few writers, and was looking at whether they had experience in that field i was looking for an article to be written. It can be easy to look at a profile and go they have 5 stars, lets hire them. But if they had no experience or knowledge in that field – they will not produce a great article. Relevance is key, and it goes for their experience too.
That is what I would look at – relevance and experience in the topic you are searching for.
thanks
John
Thanks for providing this detailed review of FIVERR. I have heard a lot about it as an affordable way of finding someone to help me with some logo designs and writing content. On one hand, the negative (F) BBB rating is a huge warning sign that we should avoid using them if at all possible.
As you said, it seems like a safe market place for buyers unless they are seeking quality products from people that truly understand the value of their work. By any chance, do you know who all of the negative BBB complaints were from?
Again, thank you for this detailed review. As a buyer prospect, I like the idea of finding affordable help. From a seller prospect, your review makes me think this is a place to be avoided.
Hey Sondra,
The complaints were typically from sellers who got a bad deal when confronted with a buyer who wasted their time or tried to claim their money back even though the seller fulfilled the deal. So it isn’t the be all or end all. I have had great experiences with a few writers I have used for a couple of subjects. We shouldn’t take that F as a reason not to use the platform at all. But as a warning to ensure you take the relevant precautions to help yourself.
As a buyer, I wouldn’t worry about that side, just making sure you hire the right freelancer.
thanks
John
Great Job.
This is the best explanation of FIVER that I have seen. You covered all the aspects of FIVER and explained them expertly. I looked at FIVER some time ago and shied away from it but I will take another look.
If anyone is interested in offering their services and did not know about FIVER your site will differently encourage them to give it a try.
Well done and thank you for your research.
Winslow
Hey Winslow,
Fiverr gets a bit of a bad press in some instances, but overall I have had some real positive experiences with the platform. follow the guidelines of thorough research and you can find a real bargain.
thanks
John
Hi John,
Thank you for this in-depth review of Fiverr!
I have just started out in affiliate marketing and have come across Fiverr before and wandered about the quality of the writers etc. Although I’m not quite ready to pay people to do my writing just yet, it is definitely something I’m considering for the future and after reading this review I would be happy to use Fiverr, but I will do my research 🙂
Thanks again
Simon
Hey Simon,
thanks for checking out my review. Like anything, you will find some great writers on a platform like Fiverr, just as easily as you can find some not so great ones.
All you can do is do some research, and check them out thoroughly before deciding if they are right for you.
thanks
John
Informative review i have done some freelancer work in the past. I will look into using Fiverr or even hiring once I get going good and can support an extra person.
Thank you for all of you suggestions i now know what to look for on the site.
It is good to get a lot of practice at writing and this sound like a good way to get experience. increasing you reputation as a writer, skilled worker online.
What are some other tips to avoid scams on the web site?
What are some tip for avoiding scams on other affiliate tools?
Hey Terry,
it is a good way of getting experience, and helps you get your writing voice nailed. You need to get comfortable writing to improve your writing, if that makes sense.
To avoid the scams, keep to hiring writers or graphic designs and avoid the SEO ones. It might seem like a good deal to spend $5 on buying some traffic, but it does do more harm than good.
Avoiding scams in general is down to thorough research. Check it out, find out what others are saying and not getting pulled in by fancy claims where you see no real substance and have to pay to find out.
thanks
John
Good afternoon John,
I have heard about Fiverr a couple of times but did not really understand what is was all about.
Thanks to your detailed review I am a lot wiser. I am still writing for my websites and enjoy doing that. Over time I think I have developed a certain style and also try to stick to a precise layout for all my posts. To think I might reach the level of needing help, well, to be honest, that time has not come yet. On the other hand that somebody might be interested in hiring me for writing a post, I do not think I have time for that as my 2 sites keep me busy.
That is why Fiverr is not something I would want or need now, but you never know what the future might bring.
Thank you for this good article. I will keep your information in mind.
Regards, Taetske
Hey Taetske,
outsourcing isn’t for everyone, but as you grow your online business they may come a time when you need to outsource certain roles, such as writing to other sources. Unless you actually hire a writer yourself who you can train to write as you would like them to, this is a good option for most.
thanks
John