Do you want to be a freelancer, or do you want to know how to get clients through freelancing? Fiverr is an online marketplace that enables freelancers (sellers) and business owners (buyers) to work together by connecting them and working on a project. Business owners can browse the Fiverr Freelance service marketplace and select freelancers by their specialization.
Although there are many other platforms for freelancers who are looking for work, many business owners opt to use Fiverr because of the affordable pricing model that targets businesses on a budget.
As the freelancing world takes off rapidly and the number of freelancing websites increases, the populations of freelancers are affected too. According to statistics, 35% to 40% of the workforce today is represented by freelancers. This could increase by 80% by the year 2030. Also, 73% of these freelancers use freelance platforms, such as the Fiverr freelance website, to find gigs.
Fiverr is one of the most popular choices of online marketplaces among freelancers and business owners. However, just like any other platform, Fiverr is not perfect, and freelancers and business owners will eventually find several pros and cons when using Fiverr.
Fiverr’s Pros and Cons
If you want to start freelancing in Fiverr, first and foremost, you should be aware of the pros and cons of using the platform. This will help you understand what you can expect from the platform and how you can approach your decisions objectively. Let’s first start with the cons.
Cons of Using Fiverr
Low income because of Fiverr’s high commission.
As mentioned earlier, Fiverr cut out a commission, including tips from your earnings for using their platforms. If your gig pays you five dollars, Fiverr cuts out one dollar from it. That is 20% of your earning that gets cut out, which is far too high, especially since they are also charging the client who you will work for a project.
Can be difficult for beginners.
If you are just starting as a freelancer in Fiverr, it can be hard to get your first few gigs. There are a lot of freelancers in Fiverr, which means you are competing with thousands of other sellers or freelancers.
The Fiverr algorithm pushes freelancers who have good reviews up in their search engines when clients search for freelancers. This makes it difficult for beginners to land gigs because most clients don’t want to take chances on you when they can just hire another who already has a proven track record.
At the Mercy of Fiverr.
Another downside of Fiverr is that you are basically at the mercy of the platform. They have strict policies that you should comply with. Such policies include the prohibition on contacting people outside Fiverr. Therefore, you can’t build a list of repeat clients or buyers as your network outside the platform because they can deactivate your account.
Fiverr also has the right to raise their commission rate for as much as they want without your consent or approval.
Difficult to work with buyers.
Most buyers in Fiverr are easy to work with. However, there are some who are difficult to work with, don’t know what they want, and are too meticulous. There are also some buyers who will set out to con.
If you think in any way that your buyer is going to be troublesome, it is better to end the conversation rather than dealing with them and put yourself into a difficult situation.
Here are some red flags you should be wary of your buyer in Fiverr:
- Takes a long time to reply to your messages before the order.
- Does not have real or specific requirements and does not answer your project-related questions (they don’t know what they want).
- Ask if you do refunds if they are not satisfied with your work.
- Request free samples from you based on their requirements.
Pros of Using Fiverr
Make some extra money.
You can make a decent amount of money working on part-time doing freelancing jobs in Fiverr. The rate in Fiverr is pretty bit low compared with other platforms like Upwork. Most of the Fiverr gig image size that you will see cost five dollars, but Fiverr also charged you one dollar for using their platform. So technically, you can earn four dollars per gig.
It is true that you can earn a thousand dollars a month in Fiverr. One tip is by accepting gigs that won’t take much of your time or accepting gigs that you are comfortable with and performing repetitively.
You don’t need to bid your services.
Each online marketplace works a bit differently. Some freelance websites offer listings, others are paid, while some websites make freelancers bid on a potential project.
Sometimes, bidding on projects takes time and effort because you need to create a bidding proposal for each project you plan to work on. Every project requires you to write a competitive proposal to bid on freelance gigs.
You must indicate your bid amount, number of days for delivery, your proposal, and proven track record.
With Fiverr, you don’t need to beg for work because the clients will come to you. Also, you do not need to force yourself to underbid.
Opportunity to challenge yourself and broaden your skills.
There are many categories where products and services are offered on this platform. Everything from logo design, music, writing, virtual assisting, etc. is all available in Fiverr, which is good because you can choose gigs in your interests.
You can work with different projects and deal with different people. It gives you the opportunity to practice handling clients and to meet their project needs.
Fiverr will bring you paying buyers.
You don’t need to market or self-promote yourself to get paying clients (buyers) with Fiverr. This platform will give you real paying buyers. You might be underpaid for some projects, but it is better than having no projects at all.
How To Make Money With Fiverr
Do you want to know how to earn online with Fiverr? Learn the basics of using Fiverr from creating your account, putting up your application on the platform that the buyers can see, to getting your first Fiverr gig! The “How To Make Money With Fiverr” online course will cover all of the important lessons.
This online course will cover:
- How to create your Fiverr account.
- Fiverr gig creation.
- How to put in an application on Fiverr.
- Structuring your application better.
- Motivation for putting in applications.
- Making over a hundred dollars for five minutes of work on Fiverr, and more.
Ready to learn Fiverr online? Click here to get started.