If you have skills, it’s worth looking at freelancing as a side hustle. From designing logos to writing emails, there’s something you can make money online from. Find out how to sell on Fiverr and top up your income.
What is Fiverr?
Fiverr is a site where freelancers (Sellers) offer their services to potential customers (Buyers). Sellers post proposals which outline their skillset and pitch for work which Buyers can respond to if they feel that the freelancer is what they’re looking for. These posts are called ‘gigs’. Originally, there was a base price of $5 (USD) for a gig. However, this was removed in 2013 and freelancers can now set their own base level charge. Therefore, prices vary from gig to gig and freelancer to freelancer so there’s no limit to your earning potential on Fiverr.
Launched in 2010, Fiverr was founded by Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger. By 2012, the website had over 1.3 million gigs listed. And from June 2019 to June 2020, “2.8 million customers bought a wide range of services from freelancers across more than 160 countries”.
How does Fiverr work?
Freelancers with experience in a range of disciplines including Graphics and Design, Writing and Translation, Data, and Digital Marketing can use the Fiverr marketplace to find new clients. Pitch for work by posting Gigs (more on these later), complete orders, and earn money. You have access to Fiverr’s existing customer base which means you have a readymade pot of potential customers. Some freelancers see Fiverr as a gateway into the world of freelancing. Somewhere to build your freelancing skills by completing specific micro tasks, rather than committing to long term projects.
This article was written by the knowledgeable OddsMonkey team to give you all the vital information.
Fiverr business
Your Fiverr business can be your full time job or a side hustle. If you decide to run a Fiverr business in order to bring you additional income, you can complete Gigs around your career.
Buyers come in lots of shapes and sizes such as companies, individuals, ‘fun’, and organisations.One of the best things about starting a Fiverr business is that you can access their pre-existing customer base of Buyers. This means that you have a ready-made audience. Which can be great when you’re just starting out. According to Fiverr’s 2020 Annual Report, Buyers on Fiverr spent an average of $205 each in 2020.
How to make money on Fiverr
Before we look at how to make money on Fiverr, it’s worth noting that it’s free to sign up. That means that it won’t cost you anything to join and use Fiverr. There is a subscription service that you can join but there are no fees to pay to list your services. When you complete an order and take payment, you keep 80% of each transaction and Fiverr takes the other 20% for their fees. That’s how the platform makes its money. But how do Sellers make their money?
How to sell on Fiverr
Gigs
Gigs are job listings you post on Fiverr. Your way of telling potential clients what services you are offering. The pricing structure of Gigs means that you can offer up to three versions of a job: Basic, Standard, and Premium. These are known as ‘packages’ and they allow you to offer things like different elements, delivery times, and services.
You don’t have to offer three packages for every Gig, but offering scope within a project may attract more interest from Buyers. Packages can be priced anywhere from $5 to $995. The idea is to offer the different versions at different prices. For example, Basic would be the lowest price and Premium the highest.
Putting a package together is easy. There are a number of elements that you can choose to include and certain things that can be the same in each package, or different. Let’s take a quick look at what goes into a package:
Decide how many tiers are in your package and give each one a unique name so that potential Buyers can quickly see which one is the best fit for them. Clearly describe what services are available and the differences between the tiers. You only get 100 characters here so keep things short.
Next, you’ll need to set a delivery time for each package. This is the amount of time you will complete a project in. It can be the same for each package or different but make sure you keep in mind how much work you’re offering. You don’t want to leave yourself with too little time to get everything done!
Another option you can offer in your packages are revisions. Revisions are changes you make after showing work to the Buyer. It’s good to agree on a number of revisions before you start work.
Extras
Additional to what’s on offer within your packages are extras, which are a great opportunity for upselling. Examples of extras include “extra fast delivery” and “additional revisions”. For example, if you offer 1-9 revisions as part of your packages, then you could offer even more revisions as an extra. Either choose from some suggested extras or create your own. To do this, go to “My Gig Extras” and click “+ Add Gig Extra”. Then fill in the title, description, and price.
Extras can be offered to Buyers before, during, or after a Gig.
Tips
Buyers can add tips to their payment if they feel that you’ve gone above and beyond in terms of the service you’ve given them. For example, responding quickly to messages and work requests or delivering work ahead of time.
How to become a seller on Fiverr
Freelancers and Businesses come together on Fiverr to sell and buy creative and professional work. If you go to the homepage, you’ll see that it is geared more towards the Buyer; the party looking for “the perfect services for [their] needs”. However, to make money on Fiverr, you’ll need to sign up as a Seller. To do this, click ‘Become a Seller’ along the top navigation bar. It’s easy to become a seller on Fiverr. All you have to do is sign up and create a profile. This process is still not as simple as the process used in our Matched Betting calculator – but that’s a different topic!
Setting up a profile
If you’re even thinking about making money on Fiverr, you must have a good idea of the services you’ll be offering. Great! Now you need to tell people – potential customers – what those services are…
As you move through the process of setting up your Fiverr profile, you’ll see that a lot of it is quite standard. For example, you’ll need to add personal information such as your name, education, and any certifications. But within these steps you have the opportunity to sing your own praises. Include as much information and as many details as you can. Explain your area of expertise, your skills, and share any relevant experience. Make sure your passion and enthusiasm for previous projects and future opportunities is palpable in your descriptions.
You’ll need to choose an overarching category that best describes your services from one of Fiverr’s 9 broad verticals. Within those, there are over 500 smaller categories or niches. 300 of those have been added since 2018. Fun fact: there were only 8 categories when Fiverr launched in 2010. You’ll be able to highlight your key skills even further too. For example, in ‘Writing and Translation’, choose from a list that includes skills like Press Releases, Creative Writing, and Transcripts. Also, include examples of your work by adding a link to your website or online portfolio.
Describe your skills. Do this as clearly as you can in a few sentences or paragraphs. You’ll have the opportunity to go into more specific detail in individual gigs. For your profile though, you’ll need to write between 150-600 characters – remember you’re just creating a profile, not self-publishing a book!.
Use your profile to create a fantastic first impression: instil confidence in your abilities and encourage custom.
Create a New Gig
You must complete at least 65% of your profile before you’ll be able to create and publish your first Gig.
What is a Fiverr Gig?
A Gig is what Fiverr calls the task listings posted by Sellers. It’s how you advertise your skills and the type of jobs you want to do. Each Gig is an opportunity to attract new clients and get new work. In order to get that work, you have to be seen. So what goes into putting a good Gig together?
What to include in a Gig
“I will tell you what needs to go into your first Fiverr Gig.” Your Gig needs to tell potential Buyers what you can do for them. It also needs to be written in such a way that they can find you and your skills in the first place. Give an overview of the service you’re offering including:
- Title
Be concise but descriptive when it comes to crafting the perfect title for your Fiverr Gig. You have 80 characters to play with, so make sure you include keywords and write something catchy. - Category (and subcategory)
You can choose the category and subcategories that best describe your Gig from the dropdown menu. If you’re stuck, Fiverr will suggest something based on your title, but you don’t have to go with this. - Search tags
Again, you’ll need to use relevant keywords in your search tags. This is so that you come up in the search results when Buyers are looking for the right fit for their job. You can include up to five tags per Gig so it’s worth doing some keyword research to find the most common and relevant.
Make sure your Gig stands out (for all the right reasons). And make sure it’s a detailed and honest description of what’s on offer.
As you move through the process, you can add things like images and videos. Whilst these aren’t essential elements*, they may attract more views and subsequent orders. Ensure your visual content is high-quality and follow Fiverr’s guidelines. For example, videos must be less than 75 seconds in length and 50 MB in file size.
*If your Gig is in the Video & Animation category you’ll be required to include a video. This could be uploaded as an actual file or as a link, although if you do not know how to be a YouTuber, it could be easier to just use a video file. This is so that you can accurately showcase the skills and services on offer.
Gig statuses
Keep an eye on what’s happening with your Fiverr Gigs. Check the statuses of your Gigs in your Seller profile and easily make changes if necessary. Here are the statuses you’ll see and some details about what they mean:
- Draft: This is a Gig which you haven’t published yet. This might be because you want to add some extra details before posting it to the marketplace.
- Pending approval: Some Gigs need to be approved before they can be published. This might be because you include a video, which will need to be checked by Fiverr’s content team. As soon as the Gig has been approved, its status will update to ‘Active’.
- Requires modification: Sometimes, Fiverr’s content team may decide that you need to make some changes to your Gig before it becomes Active.
- Active: Active Gigs are ones which have been approved, are currently live, and can be seen on Fiverr. Depending on your Seller level, you can have a different number of Active Gigs at a time.
- Denied: Your Gig will show as Denied if it doesn’t meet any of Fiverr’s Gig criteria. There are a number of reasons why your Gig may not be published, so make sure you read the guidelines first.
- Paused: Sometimes you might decide to refresh the services you are offering. To do this, you can pause one Gig and publish a new one. Paused Gigs aren’t available for Buyers to order. You can reselect these Gigs at a later date to make them Active again but they may need to be approved again first.
Fiverr Seller Levels
Becoming a Seller is only the start. You need to build up your reputation so that you can make more money. There are multiple seller levels from ‘New’ to ‘Top Rated’ and being at the top will bring you more traffic and orders. Things like monthly performance, quality of work, and buyer satisfaction can help you reach the next level. But you need to work consistently and hit some targets to move through each level. Here’s a brief overview of the levels:
New Seller
This is where everyone starts out. At this level you can do things like post up to 7 active Gigs at a time and send custom offers for jobs. A custom offer is one that has been tailored to a buyer’s specific needs. It’s a good idea to start out offering lower-priced work. This will let you build your reputation, earn reviews, and attract a steady stream of customers. These are all elements which will help you grow your side hustle and make money on Fiverr.
Level 1
To become a Level 1 Seller you’ll need to be active on Fiverr at least 60 days and have completed at least 10 Gigs. You also need to have scored highly on things like response times, work completion, and delivery.
Level 2
Maintain your high levels of service for a minimum of 120 days and complete at least 50 Gigs worth $2,000+ to move to Level 2. At this level, you can have up to 20 active Gigs running. Remember: some Sellers stick with offering one Gig throughout their time on Fiverr. If a particular Gig proves popular, it makes sense to focus your energy on that.
Top Rated Seller
Top rated sellers are handpicked by Fiverr’s editorial team. To become a Top Rated Seller, you must have fulfilled the eligibility requirements. However, this won’t automatically get you the TRS status. Although you have to have been an active seller for at least 180, it’s your performance over the last 60 days which will be scrutinised in detail. Becoming a top rated seller here is like Fiverr’s version of becoming an Instagram influencer.
As well as maintaining at least a 4.7 star rating during that time, you need to have consistently earned 90% for response rates, order completion, and on-time delivery. Oh, as well as completing at least 100 orders and earning over $20,000. Although that’s across the length of your membership; not 60 days. Phew!
But it can be worth the effort. As a Top Rated Seller, you basically come with Fiverr’s seal of approval. You may appear more often or be ranked in the higher positions during Buyers’ searches. Top Rated Sellers can have up to 30 active Gigs and create custom offers that are worth up to a staggering $20,000 each. An extra perk of being a TRS is that you can withdraw your earnings after 7 days instead of the standard 14 days.
Seller Plus
Seller Plus is a relatively new addition to the Fiverr set up. And while it isn’t technically a Seller Level, we’ve included it in this section because it could give you the tools to move towards becoming a Top Rated Seller.
The subscription costs around $29 a month and includes a suite of tools, support, and analytics. You’ll also have access to a dedicated success manager, faster payment clearance, and exclusive events. Get more info about Seller Plus here.
Fiverr Pro
Fiverr Pro was launched in 2017 for the most ‘serious’ Buyers and Sellers. Freelancers who want to become Pro have to apply. Fiverr says this is so that they can “get to know you” a bit better. If you want to apply, you’ll need to submit information about your professional background and examples of your previous work. If you’re deemed eligible to become a Pro, Fiverr will let you know and you can create a Pro Gig.
Once you’ve been vetted and accepted as a Pro candidate, you’ll be able to charge higher fees than regular Sellers. Pro Gigs are given a badge so that Buyers can easily see which ones are from Pro members. On top of that, Buyers can search exclusively for Pro Gigs and have their pick from the cream of the crop.
Currently, Fiverr Pro is only open to freelancers who specialise in one of the following areas:
- Graphic and Design
- Programming and Tech
- Writing and Translation
- Video and Animation
- Digital Marketing
- Music and Audio
However, it’s worth applying even if you don’t work in one of these fields as they’ll be expanding the accepted categories in the near future. If you want to sell physical products you could look at something like Etsy instead. It is easy to learn how to sell on Etsy, so why not get started today?
Rising Talent
Being highlighted as a ‘Rising Talent’ is another way to get noticed by potential customers. It’s specifically for New Sellers and can help to get you noticed when you’re starting out on Fiverr. However, it’s not something that you can apply for. Instead, Fiverr handpicks individual Gigs from Sellers based on their “quality and potential”. There are a number of criteria they base their decision on, which you’ll have to meet in order to be considered. If you are awarded a temporary Rising Talent badge, it will be displayed on your Gig card within the search or the category listing.
With the Rising Talent badge, you’ve been given a seal of approval. Fiverr claims that thanks to being labelled as a Rising Talent, your Gig will receive more exposure on the platform and have more credibility. As well as that, your Gig may be featured or highlighted in other projects run by Fiverr.
Other ways to make money online
Freelancing can be a great way to make some extra money online, whatever your skill set. Find out more about becoming a freelance copywriter here. Another way to make money online is by doing matched betting. Matched betting is a technique that lets you make money from the free bets offered by online bookmakers. For more ideas check out our make money online Hub.
