What is Fiverr & Is Fiverr Legit?
In the past decade, the digital economy has exploded in popularity. By now, you have probably used a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft to get from point A to point B, but a service you may not be familiar with yet is Fiverr. Fiverr is an online marketplace to connect freelance creators with paying customers. It was launched in 2010 and has grown exponentially. Originally, many of the jobs offered were silly, like animated videos of dancing puppets, short plays put on by hand puppets, or a four-part harmony of the customer’s name, but the website has become known for services like writing, translation, graphic design, video editing, and programming.
In this guide, we will cover all of your questions and more. We will go over the two types of Fiverr profiles and a brief tutorial on how to sign up. We talk about whether Fiverr is legit and how to avoid scams. Then, we will discuss the best ways to start making money, build a client base, and make Fiverr worth it.
Is Fiverr Legit?
The short answer is: yes, Fiverr is legit. Despite the controversies Fiverr has faced in the past, like fake product reviews and a questionable ad campaign, the company has turned the tides for both its buyers and sellers. As of 2019, it resolved the majority of customer complaints, and now boasts a “B” rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company has implemented many security and satisfaction features to ensure that everyone involved leaves a transaction happy with the experience.
Everyone on Fiverr can secure their account with their phone and two-factor authentication. Buyers are protected from fraud by having their funds kept secure until sellers provide the product as agreed upon. Sellers are routinely required to verify their identity using a government ID and photo verification. Participating in the feedback and review program boosts the trust between the two parties. The best part is you can create a Fiverr Account for free and find expert freelancers for cheap prices. You can buy from the regular Fiverr service or Fiverr Business service.
Buying vs. Selling:
So, how does Fiverr work? Sellers list their digital products, and buyers can browse around to find the services they’re looking for. Much like Uber or Postmates, Fiverr charges a small fee to act as a broker between sellers and buyers. It also provides a website infrastructure and a means of protection that you might not have soliciting clients on your own.
The app got its name from the fact that in the first few years after launch every gig was only 5 dollars, but as the community has grown so have the prices. Some freelancers make as much as 10,000 dollars per gig. You can still get many of the basic services that sellers offer for only 5 dollars, but if you want extras, you can opt for higher quality or faster delivery speed.
Buying on Fiverr
As a buyer, your funds are protected. You prepay for services, and Fiverr holds the funds until you receive what you ordered. Fiverr cannot protect you if you use a third-party service, so you should report any seller who solicits you to move off-site. If you would prefer an extra layer of protection, Fiverr allows for in-app payment through Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Paypal in addition to adding your credit card to your account.
How to place an order on Fiverr:
Before you can start ordering services on Fiverr, you need to register for an account. To become a Fiverr customer, please visit Fiverr.com and create a new account.
Step 1: Open the Fiverr Homepage in a new tab.
Step 2: You can sign up with your email or by logging into your Facebook, Google, or Apple account. I recommend using your primary email or Google account.
- Enter your email and press continue.
- Or, click continue with Facebook/Google/Apple.
Step 3: Enter the username and password you would like to use.
Step 4: Open your email to activate your account! (It will give you this alert before you can start buying services on Fiverr.)
Step 5: Click activate account!
Step 6: Browse the top rated Fiverr Pro services!
Step 7: Contact sellers to signal your interest in their service. This helps to start the conversation before you purchase the service. Here is how I recommend starting the conversation.
Step 8: Find the package you want to buy and hit continue.
Step 9: Press the button that says “Order Now”. (Don’t worry, it won’t charge you until you enter your credit card info)
Step 10: Enter Credit Card information & click “Confirm & Pay”.
Congratulations! You successfully placed an order on Fiverr. If you want some more inspiration, check out our Fiverr blog for service ideas.
Selling on Fiverr
Making money online is easier than ever because of Fiverr! Anyone who has a skill or a product to share with the world can create a seller profile. You’ll have the most luck if you make sure your profile is completely filled out, you explain clearly what your buyers can expect from you, and you provide examples of your previous work. If you provide excellent communication and the great results customers are looking for, you will soon start pulling in good reviews. Good reviews will bring you better business, so always try to exceed expectations. You will receive 80% of the listed price for your services. An order for $20 will only net you $16. so make sure that you account for this fee. Click this link to create a seller profile on Fiverr!
Fiverr Tutorial:
Sign Up
Signing up for Fiverr is totally free, and having an account is required before you can start regardless of whether you are buying or selling. Connecting your account to Google, Facebook, or Apple is as simple as signing in. Every profile is initially set up for buyers, but through a simple process, you can convert your profile to sell your services.
Once you create your account, you will be able to use the search bar if you have something specific in mind or you can peruse the categories looking something that fits your needs. Fiverr gives you options to filter your results, so you don’t have to sift through hundreds of listings every time. We suggest limiting your search to Pro Services which we’ll talk about more later, and if not, to Top Rated Sellers. You also have the option of choosing Local Sellers if you want to support small, local businesses or you just prefer to work with someone in the same time zone as yourself. The website includes customized service options for each of its categories, like project scale and building type in Architecture, and genre and ebook formatting included in Writing and Translation.
Sellers have three package types: Basic, Standard, and Premium. You have the option to compare these tiers in an easy-to-read graphic explaining the differences between them. The differences are usually highlighted in the size of the project, the length of time it will take to complete, and of course, the pricing.
For buyers, if a seller’s package does not fit exactly what you need, you can request a quote. This can include questions, specifications, and anything else the seller might need to know to decide whether they can perform to your standards. You can provide your own requests for time and budget, and if the seller is agreeable, you can work within this new schedule to complete the project.
If none of the seller listings catch your eye and a personalized quote doesn’t work out for you, you also have the option to post a request. This is similar to the quoting process, but it is posted across Fiverr. You explain the service you’re looking for in up to 2,500 characters and attach files if you need more room. Choose a category for your request, a time limit, and your budget. Sit back, and let the sellers come to you. If you want to become a buyer on Fiverr click this button below:
How To Avoid Scams:
So is Fiverr a scam? No, but despite these security measures, there still may be some shady characters that find a way to slip through. The first sign of these scammers is that they will do whatever they can to get you to take your “business” with them off-site. They will try to communicate with you by any other means, and they will assure you that you can exchange money through another service. This is against Fiverr’s terms of service, and you should report them to customer service immediately. Some sellers just can’t be trusted.
New sellers create profiles on Fiverr every day which allows the buyer plenty of variety but also opens up opportunities for poor service. When choosing a seller, make sure you read both their best and worst reviews and look for the qualities that are important to you. Fiverr provides rankings for communication, whether previous buyers would recommend the service, and whether the final product was as advertised. These categories are just as important as the overall rating.
On a worldwide marketplace like Fiverr, communication is of the utmost importance to make sure you get the quality service you want. A seller’s language(s) and their country of origin are provided on their profile. If there is a language barrier, you will need to make sure there are clear expectations about the project before it begins. As long as both parties understand what the other needs, there should be no surprises when your product is delivered.
Many Fiverr sellers provide gigs that can do more harm than good, like building backlinks with shady techniques and that will hurt your organic traffic/SEO efforts. Some will offer you paid reviews for your products on Amazon. Avoid these services on Fiverr because they are often traps. These practices are against the web giant’s terms of service, and you will regret it.
Fiverr Pro
The best way to ensure you’re getting quality service is to buy from a Fiverr Pro Seller. Fiverr makes it especially easy to hire industry professionals with their Fiverr Pro seller tier. With this service, Fiverr does all the vetting for you. You do not have to spend any time searching through seller ratings looking for a business that is worth your time. As a buyer, you just look for the Fiverr Pro badge on any seller’s profile, and you can put your mind at ease that you’re working with the best person for the job.
As a seller, the benefits of being a Pro abound. You will be listed higher in the search results. You will receive faster turn around on your payments. You can set your prices to truly show what you are worth. Fiverr assigns you a personal manager to help you be successful. You will also receive the aforementioned badge to show your buyers that your work is premium.
The process is similar to regular gigs, so it’s easy to transition. However, all Pro gigs are reviewed by Fiverr staff to ensure the best quality. If a gig isn’t exactly what a buyer needs, you can customize offers on your gigs to provide stellar customer service and make more money. If you get approved to be a Fiverr Pro, you will need to provide excellent communication and the highest quality work.
How to Make Money on Fiverr
Now that we’ve covered common Fiverr problems and how to solve them, or avoid them altogether, we can show you how you can make the most money on Fiverr by providing unique services for reasonable prices. With so much content to choose from, it may be difficult to know where to begin. So, we’ve rounded up our favorite categories to help you get started.
Animated Explainers
Our first category is animated explainers. An animated explainer is a short video that can help you creatively promote your business, and Fiverr offers four different kinds: whiteboards, 2D character animation, kinetic typography, and motion graphics. Each type serves a different purpose. Whiteboards explains a complex idea in a short amount of time. 2D animation uses fun character design to relate to your viewer. Kinetic typography uses words to evoke an emotional response. Motion graphics summarize your brand or your service as quickly as possible while keeping your customers engaged.
Whiteboard
Whiteboard is a type of animation used when your business or product requires a little more explaining than traditional promotional materials can do naturally without feeling like a technical manual. It can also just be an intriguing way to visualize your concept. You can use high-contrast graphics to explain concepts that might be hard to grasp to your audience, like cryptocurrency or the chemistry behind why your product works. The animations keep your audience engaged while they learn why your business is right for them.
2D Animation
2D animation usually utilizes cartoon characters to showcase a product. One of the most popular examples of 2D animation in advertising is Red Bull’s old commercials. These commercials are simple art on a white background where one of the zany characters chugs a Red Bull, flies away, and their tag line “Red Bull gives you wings” appears on the screen. They can make your brand more appealing and down to earth. With a character-focused 2D animation, you draw in your customer as they can picture themselves in the character’s shoes. Often, your customer will be portrayed on screen facing a problem, and your business will be presented as the solution. With bright colors and clever visuals, you stand out among the crowd.
Kinetic Typography
Kinetic Typography differs from the previous two offerings because it focuses on engaging viewers by making the written word more aesthetically pleasing. This style of video utilizes moving words, font choice, and formatting to convey a specific message. It’s an especially good option for musicians putting out lyric videos for their songs.
Motion Graphics
Motion graphics are similar to the 2D animation above but don’t include the character designs or storylines of the 2D Animation category. A motion graphic video like this will give your customer all the information they need in a bite-size chunk. Businesses use these quick little videos as commercials in the digital age. The more to-the-point your messaging is, the more likely your potential customers will become paying customers.
Books & eBook Writing
Another growing market offered on Fiverr is their selection of writers. You can hire someone to write a book for you. No matter what you need written, there is sure to be a Fiverr seller who can create it for you. Much of the business world relies on the written word, being professional, and using your vocabulary to be persuasive yet concise. If you’re making big business moves, you may not have time to focus on this part of your brand. That’s where outsourcing to a professional writer can help.
Ghostwriting
Do you feel like your business could do better if you had a blog on your site? Maybe, you’ve thought about writing a whole novel, but you just don’t know how to put pen to paper. Do you need a professional press release written but have no time to complete it? You need a ghostwriter, and Fiverr can help.
Marketing
In the age of Netflix and Kindle, “judging a book by its cover” is practically a notion of the past. In 2020, we judge a book by its blurbs. Having an intriguing product description is key to selling your brand, and many of the writers on Fiverr specialize in crafting exactly the words you need to close your next sale. You can buy top rated social media kits on Fiverr.
Publishing Proposals
Are you a stellar fiction writer but stall when it comes to writing non-fiction, like your publishing proposals? Let someone on Fiverr take over the boring part of your career, so you can get back to writing what you love. There’s the right coach for you waiting to get your story told.
Architecture and Interior Design
Of all the possibilities, you might never guess that you could use Fiverr for your Architecture and Interior Design needs. You can use Fiverr to order a floor plan, construct a 3D model of your house, or use virtual staging to see what your new office could look like with that new desk you’re thinking of purchasing.
Floor Plans
Floor plans are a visual aid used in the housing industry to allow you to see an aerial view of living or workspace. They can make it easier to picture the flow of the space and decide on furniture and design placement. They also cover electrical, plumbing, and HVAC planning. Imagining your dream construction plans has been easier with floor plans at your fingertips.
3D Modeling
Similar to 2D floor plans, 3D modeling can bring your ideas to life, however creating the model itself can be tedious and time-consuming. You will be able to see your office building as it would be in the middle of a cityscape or what your new house could look like on the empty lot you want to purchase. Hiring someone with the right training can help make your dreams become a reality in front of your eyes.
Virtual Staging
Virtual Staging allows you or your clients to imagine their ideal home or office. This is perfect for posting real estate ads. It allows your clients to see what an empty room would look like with furniture and decor on the walls. Why would you spend hours dragging real furniture around when you could get a crisper result from the comfort of your office?
Game Development
Perhaps one of the most exciting ways to use Fiverr is for video game development. Game designers post gigs for fixing bugs, prototyping mobile games, and even for creating full video games. In this category, we highly recommend that you filter for Pro services only. You will get the most bang for your buck if you use a professional.
Bug Fixes
Arguably the most annoying part of video game design is fixing the bugs to make the game more enjoyable, or even just playable. The solution is to off-load that work to an expert. There are hundreds of code developers on Fiverr waiting to turn your errors into a beautiful debugged project in no time at all.
Prototyping
Do you have an idea for a video game, but not enough skill to implement it? This is where Fiverr prototyping comes in. Pay a nominal fee, and a seller on Fiverr will do the hard part for you. You pick a genre and a platform type, they can create a prototype for a mobile app complete with in-game ads and in-app purchasing.
Full Game Creation
You can pay a game developer on Fiverr to create an entire video game from scratch. There are experts for every platform: console, PC, and even VR. There are experts waiting to code your ideal game on over 10 of the most popular game engines on the market. If you go Pro for these services, you will find professionals that have been in the industry for over a decade. This category is by far one of the most extensive categories on this list, but it’s worth the price tag.
Conclusion:
Whether you need to build your portfolio and your client base as a freelance creator or expand your brand as a small business owner, Fiverr is a wonderful place to get started. The platform makes it easy to browse gigs, pay sellers, and receive products and services that it would take way too much time to do on your own. As a buyer, Fiverr gives you the tools needed to build your own business. You have full control over pricing and timing, and as an entrepreneur, you get to decide which clients you like working for.
