The first time I heard about this site, my reaction was, "Either the hourly wage must not be worth it or it's overly saturated like freelancer.com" (you bid for jobs there but it is definitely not worth it considering your status as a "newbie.")
Okay, first let me tell you what this site is and how is it potentially lucrative for YOU.
What is FIVERR?
Fiverr is basically a virtual marketplace where people deal with SERVICES not goods. (You can however offer a good - they have a special shipping section for that). The service that people offer to do is called a "gig" whose base amount is 5 dollars. As you climb up the ladder and make more sales (as a level one seller, level two seller or a top rated seller), you can offer extras which usually
surpasses the amount of the base gig by a mile!
For example, say, you are selling a gig which is based on designing a banner for a website for 5 dollars. You can add your PSD (Photoshop source file) as an extra for another 5 dollars. You can even throw in a matching profile picture or maybe work in some animations for 20 dollars. As you can see, the possibilities are endless!
Let's take another example - Say you want to sell a gig which offers article writing and your rate is one gig (5$) for 500 words. As your gig extras, you can offer additional words or maybe even offer to do some SEO and marketing for the article.
How can you get noticed on fiverr?
The key is to pick a service that you are CONFIDENT about and have the ability to market yourself better than any of your competitors in that niche! I have found that an extremely well written gig description, fast and fluent communication and a faster delivery time can help you SELL your gigs even if there are many more sellers/competitors offering the same service.
The areas in which you can make a profitable gig are mainly but not limited to are graphic design, illustrations, branding, SEO, voiceovers and so much more! There is even a top rated seller who makes funny videos (impersonating Harry Potter all with a lightning scar across his forehead or just acting weird and funny) and his videos sell like crazy! So, you just need to ask yourself, what is that unique thing that I can do well and buyers would pay top dollar for.
Once you have decided which category you want your gig to be in, check out competitor highly rated gigs in the same category and try to find out what is it that they are doing RIGHT to attain so many sales. Check out their tags, keywords, gig extras and even their profile pic and bios.
Note that you just need to keep them in mind - blindly mimicking them is going to get you no where. Videos help a lot to upsell your gig too so I would recommend adding one if you can (I personally haven't found the time to make a video but my gigs sell fine without it too.)
My Case Study
Okay, so when I first signed up on the site, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of gigs and people who offer the same thing as me but with many 5 star reviews to back their claim up. So, I figured that I might not get a sale (being so new) but I gave it a shot.
I was pleasantly surprised when a month later, an email creeps up in my mail box placing an order on my design gig! Please note that I had not used any review buying services or anything else of that sort. It was just the sheer confidence of the buyer in my gig from the description and my previous work samples that led her to buy from me. After she gave me a good review, getting buyers has become comparatively easier since I am not branded as a complete newbie.
The "buyers request" section helps a lot too when you are trying to get noticed for the first time. Use the forums, mingle with the crowd and once you get your first buyer, don't hesitate to over deliver a bit.
Don't get afraid if you don't immediately get an order. Be sure to keep tweaking your keywords and sometimes, after a month if your gig is high quality, it lands up in the "recommended" section. Just be sure to present yourself as eloquently as possible or hire someone (Contact me for a quote) to write your gig for you and make it SEO optimized.
Perks of the site:-
* Buyers come to YOU.
* You decide how much your services are worth.
* You can literally offer anything AS a gig.
* It helps as an online portfolio where buyer reviews act as testimonials.
* Local bank transfer is available for Indians.
Cons :-
* Fiverr charges 20 percent commission (you get 4$ out of the 5$ the buyer pays)
* Clearance of funds takes 14 days
* Exposure for brand new sellers is a bit less.
* Some buyers can be a real pain-in-the-ass, asking for modifications and leaving negative reviews. The best way to deal with them is just to cancel the order
* Exposure for brand new sellers is a bit less.
* Some buyers can be a real pain-in-the-ass, asking for modifications and leaving negative reviews. The best way to deal with them is just to cancel the order
Is it international ?
Yes, as long as you provide a good, consistent and a quality service, most buyers do not mind which country you are from.
How do I get paid?
You get paid via PayPal, local bank transfer (India and some other countries) or a Payoneer debit card. I would personally recommend PayPal for Indians.
Conclusion
Fiverr is a nice source of side income. Don't knock it till you have given it a shot!
This is my profile on fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/lipsad
You can sign up right here: www.fiverr.com
You can sign up right here: www.fiverr.com
Be sure to comment with what you found right/wrong about the site.
As always, subscribe to my blog for reviews like this and follow me on twitter @workntalk101. Feel free to message me if you need any help setting up your profile or anything else.
Have a lovely day.
Signing off xx
Lipsa
Signing off xx
Lipsa
