Positives
- Free to use
- Mobile app
- Wide range of categories
- Seller levels
- Gig packages
Negatives
Known as the marketplace for services, Fiverr is the place where young intellectuals flock to offer their knowledge about web design, business, writing and marketing. What once started as a marketplace for services all priced at $5, hence the name Fiverr, has grown out to become a complete marketplace for various services and products small and large. The website is a place where everyone can present their own forte. If you are good at translating stuff, then create a Gig where you apply for translating a given amount of documents for a fixed price. Fiverr covers all sorts of activities, even including Gigs for pranks and other funny assignments. Steady work yields extra rewards, and Sellers achieve higher ranks with added benefits. Numerous features are meant to make the Buyer’s life easier as well, since they can compare Sellers with the help of user-submitted comments and a detailed profile card. And if you are the on-the-go kind of guy or girl, then make sure to download the mobile application, so you can continue work when leaving the house.
Features
Fiverr claims to be “a marketplace for services”. In practice, the website is a huge catalogue of user-created offers, called “Gigs”, offered by Sellers to Buyers. For example, you can promise to take on the task of creating a unique logo for a company in 24 hours, and then put your price tag on it. In case someone is willing to accept your offer, they have the means to hire you right on the spot, or negotiate a deal via private email. Diversity is the main selling point of Fiverr. You can sell almost any kind of Gig, not just regular assignments. The list of possibilities includes digital marketing, graphical design, writing and translation, animation, research, or gift crafting. There is even a section called “Fun & Bizarre” where people apply to partake in a prank video.
Freelancers
Everyone can be part of the Fiverr community by completing a brief registration, where they only ask for basic account credentials. You can also update your Seller profile with other details later on, like certification, education, and most importantly, skills. Relevant skills and notes can also be added when customizing your Gig. The process of setting up your service doesn’t take up much time, and you can watch video commentary when needed. Gigs come with a custom thumbnail to make your work stand out on the search list, and the system even encourages you to create a short video or slideshow to showcase your offer. Fiverr users level up their account based on their activity, performance and reputation. Increasing your level means more active Gig slots, customizable offers, and even VIP customer support.
Employers
Naturally, Fiverr ensured that the end-user experience for Buyers is just as smooth and flawless. Even though you can purchase a Gig anonymously, it’s highly recommended to create your own account, as it unlocks the ability to post a request. This feature allows you to describe the service you are looking for, and even attach a picture as reference. Then you can select a category, budget limit and the necessary time limit. Most of the time, putting up a request is unnecessary, since you’ll find yourself knee deep in attractive offers. A search is initiated from the homepage or by going through the list, accessing the 11 subcategories. It’s important to highlight that every section comes with different aspects that can be used to refine your search. For example, logo designs can be sorted by file formats and style, while translations are grouped by language.
Usability
Finding your way through Fiverr is quite self-explanatory, even if the landslide of Gigs is dizzying at first. The site contains some nifty features that make your work easier. When checking out a service, make sure to pay attention to the comment section at the bottom of the page. This is where past customers sound their opinion and satisfaction about the Gig. At the right side, the user card also shows relevant information, such as the Seller’s response time, and rating score.
Fiverr deserves praise for going completely mobile. There is a downloadable app available for both iOS and Android smartphones, which offers all the benefits of the browser-based site, just with the added bonus of being free to move. Both the apps and mobile-friendly version of the website ensure a pleasant user experience with the interface redesigned in the name of touch-based control. For example, the homepage now only shows the available categories, and you see the featured Gigs after choosing one. The Fiverr app leans towards bigger images as well, compressing the offer pages and rearranging the data. It goes without saying that all the different kinds of transactions can be completed from your mobile as well.
Pricing
True to its slogan, Fiverr doesn’t charge people upfront for partaking in its digital services marketplace. All users can create accounts for free, and your profile as a Seller can be upgraded not by money, but with good performance and activity. Also, it’s entirely up to you to choose the price tag for your work. Even better, there is an option to create Gig Packages, which expand the opportunity of your basic offer. With custom packages, you can provide Buyers the means to order something more complex for an increased fee.
Even though Fiverr dismissed the idea of charging a subscription fee, they still applied some added taxes to the Gig system. Buyers pay in advance, and the website takes away 20% of your earnings on a successful delivery. This means that on a $5 Gig, you only earn $4 after completing the transaction. Fiverr also charges a processing fee to Buyers: any order above $20 comes with $1 extra, while above $20 they charge your 5% of the initial price.
Customer Service
Fiverr believes in the power of community, which is the main reason they only do a little bit of management from the background. The only way to get in touch with the customer service is by submitting a ticket in various topics. There’s no live chat or phone number to contact Fiverr personnel directly. Considering the amount of business they drive on a daily basis, this is a bit of a letdown. On the other hand, they do keep an eye on what kind of Gigs are being uploaded, and most importantly they collected a reasonable amount of information in the helpdesk. You not only get separate tutorials for Sellers and Buyers, but you’re also able to view tutorial videos or read through a glossary of important keywords.
Bottom Line
Fiverr is a really great place to express your talent and earn money while doing so. Registration is free, and you won’t run into any paywalls while conducting business on the site. There are 11 different categories where you can post a Gig, while Buyers can sort the available services in many ways. Fiverr offers countless features that make business easier: Sellers are free to put their resume on display, and even submit a short video about their skills. There are no pricing numbers carved into stone: custom pricing packages can be created by users, and the more things you sell, the more options unlock for you, thanks to the leveling system. The site can be accessed from your smartphone’s browser, or after downloading the stellar apps. The only drawback is Fiverr’s hefty $1 commission on the typical $5 Gig, and other rather hefty fees they charge both Sellers and Buyers. Still, Fiverr is a more than viable marketplace to offer a standardized service in a convenient and efficient way, perfect for scaling up your freelance activities.
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