How to hire a freelancer on Fiverr

Fiverr’s expanding freelance market is home to arguably the most diverse set of freelancers anywhere online. DJ’s, award-winning music producers, seasoned writers, astrologists, you name it; heck, you’ll even find soothsayers on Fiverr, and I’m not even kidding.

Soothsayers aside, If you’re the typical business owner or entrepreneur, you’ll love Fiverr for the more professional services you can find there. In this Fiverr Hiring guide, I take the time to outline what you need to do to find the best talent for whatever your needs are on Fiverr.

But first, why Fiverr

When Fiverr first launched, true to its name, all the gigs available on the platform were priced at five bucks – Fiver… get it? It’s been over eleven years now, a lot of things have changed, and you can now find $5,000 gigs.  That notwithstanding, Fiverr still retains its character of being an easy to use, easy access freelance hiring platform:

Fiverr is where you go to for;

Access to cheap on-demand services

While prices have definitely changed for some sellers, Fiverr is still home to the largest group of freelancers offering otherwise expensive services at a cheap markup. There are $5 writers, $5 video editors, $5 animators and even $5 programmers. Conventional logic would suggest that these are not the most qualitative services you’d get but with Fiverr, that’s not always the case.

What’s perhaps the best buyer protection program

Nowhere on the freelance marketplace is the saying ‘customer is king’ more applicable than on Fiverr. Buyers (customers) can pretty much do as they please – eat their cakes and have it – with little to no consequence. While that’s certainly not the idealist scenario for freelancers, it means that as a customer on Fiverr, your satisfaction is placed above everything else. If a freelancer delivers a botched job, rest assured you’re getting a full refund.

The most diverse pool of freelancing talent

Whatever your needs are, there’s almost certainly a freelancer to attend to them on Fiverr. From the esoteric stuff like astrology to the more exclusive services like celebrity songwriting, Fiverr curates what’s arguably the most expansive (and inclusive) freelance services on the planet.

How to get started

Fiverr offers a more direct approach to hiring freelancers compared to other platforms like Upwork. Much like an e-commerce marketplace, Fiverr list seller gigs sorted into categories that you can purchase on the fly. 

What is a gig

A Fiverr gig is a prepacked service offered by a seller on Fiverr. Purchasing the gig gives you immediate access to the service as specified in the seller gig description.

Finding a particular service gig (service) on Fiverr through search

Because Fiverr is oriented more in the style of a marketplace, finding the service or gig you desire is best done through the sites’ search function.

The Fiverr search bar is available directly on the homepage at Fiverr.com or the top left corner of other pages on the site. In searching for any one service, it pays to be as descriptive and at the same time concise. Fiverr has a wonderful search algorithm, and it’ll do all the backend magic to present you with the best results matching your query.

There are specific search filters to help finetune search results so you can hone in on the best-fit talent for your needs. These filters come up when you execute the search. I’ll go over them, so you’re familiar with each;

Category

The category tab is for specifying which service category you want search results to come from. Usually, this is something you shouldn’t bother tweaking. Like I said, Fiverr’s algorithm does an excellent job of understanding your search intent – it’ll automatically return results from categories relevant to your search.

Service options

The service options tab allows you to specify additional ‘options’ on top of the original service. Additional options here are specific addons on the service that’d make it more tailored for your needs. Assuming you’re looking to hire a WordPress developer, example service options here would be Responsive design, E-commerce support, or plugins support.

Seller details

Sellers/freelancers are categorized on Fiverr based on their skills, qualifications, geographical location and many other filters. The seller filter allows you to base your search on a specific seller category. For example, if you want a seller from the United States who’s a Fiverr Top Rated Seller and fluent in ten languages, this is the tab you’d tweak.

A note on Fiverr Seller Levels

Fiver uses several metrics to grade sellers and then ranks them as:

• New seller
• Level one
• Level two
• Top Rated seller

Obviously, the best ranking is the Top Rated badge. Notice, however, that I didn’t say the best-sellers are Top-rated sellers – depending on the circumstance, a new seller could deliver a better all-round experience than a Top Rated seller but more on this later.

Budget

The budget tab is pretty much self-explanatory. By specifying a budget range, you’ll only get gigs from sellers in this budget range.

Delivery time

Again, self-explanatory. Specify how soon you’d like your task delivered, and only gigs that can deliver in that time frame will be displayed.

Pro Services

The pro service toggles between ‘normal’ sellers and Fiverr Pro sellers. Pro sellers are service professionals fully examined and vetted by Fiverr. When you go Pro, you’re guaranteed professional service, but then again, Pro doesn’t automatically guarantee the best experience on Fiverr. An average seller can better fit your needs than a Pro seller.

Online

If you’re in a hurry and need some prompt response and possibly faster delivery on the task you want completed, this is a useful option. It shows which sellers are currently online and ready to respond to your enquiries.

Finding a freelancer through Fiverr categories

Let’s assume you’re not particularly sure about the service you need (although I seriously recommend researching your needs before coming on any freelance site). Fiverr categories allow you to window shop until you find a gig that fits your needs.

There are nine gig categories on Fiverr, viz;

• Graphics design
• Digital Marketing
• Writing and translation
• Video and animation
• Music and audio
• Programming and Tech
• Data
• Business and Lifestyle.

Each category is an overarching umbrella with several sub-categories nested within. A simple click should reveal these sub-categories from where you can then see related gigs.

Generally, however, I don’t recommend going this route when searching for a freelancer. Just type what you need done in the search bar and leave it up to Fiverr’s algorithm to get it all figured out.

Creating a Fiverr account

Fiverr allows you to search through its freelance database without signing up, but you need an account to hire a freelancer. Signing up is very easy though, all you need to do is click the Join button at the top left corner.

You can sign up with one click via your Google, Apple or Facebook account. If you’re signed in to any of these accounts on your browser, simply select the applicable signup method, and your account will be automatically set up.

Placing an order on Fiverr

If you’ve found the perfect freelancer, the next step is hiring. Hiring a freelancer on Fiverr is easy as pie. As I said, freelancers create gigs that are like packages of the services they provide. If a package is a perfect match for your needs, all you need do is pay the bill, and the freelancer will complete the task as described in the gig description. Depending on the Freelancer, you might be required to provide extra details to facilitate execution of the task.

Fiverr packages

Gig packages on Fiverr come in different forms and with different prices as specified by the freelancer. You can think of a package as a variation of the base gig, just like your typical e-commerce listing might have variations of the actual product. The variation you pick determines how much you pay and the extent – both in terms of quality and quantity – of the service delivered. Many freelancers have three or just one.

What happens if you have peculiar requirements not covered by the freelancers’ gig? You’ll need to massage the freelancer for a custom quote in such a scenario. Quotes on Fiverr are delivered to you as custom orders. Like normal orders, you might need to provide additional details once you accept the order.

How to find the best Fiverr freelancer for your needs

Like I said, Fiverr is home to an increasingly expansive number of freelancers; sorting through gig listings to find an excellent freelancer perfect for your needs is an art. Let me show you what has worked for me over the last few years.

Start with search

Fiverr has a really stern performance grading system, and that system is used as a rubric to generate search results. When you run a search, the gigs presented to you are a selection of what Fiverr believes to be the top performers in the select service category at that particular point in time based on their performance grading.

Use filters judiciously

I talked about search filters earlier on and what they do is help you Zero in on the best fit freelancer for your needs. The original search result is a selection of the best freelancers based on your query – filters help you find something that fits your needs. If you wanted an English writer who’s from the United States and specializes in Web content writing, Fiverr provides filters for all of that and more.

Go through seller reviews

The best sellers have the best reviews, and if you found your freelancer through search, then they’ve probably stocked up multiple positive reviews.

Fact – it’s hard to find a freelancer on Fiverr’s search result with a cumulative review rating of less than 4.8

Since you’ll most likely see sellers with excellent review scores, how then do you choose the best seller based on reviews? The trick I use is to focus on the few negative reviews these sellers might have.

You can easily sort reviews by their star rating on a seller’s gig profile. Reviews are rated over five, and anything below three is considered a negative review. If you’re accessing the Fiverr site with a desktop browser, click the star categories – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – to see reviews that fall under each star category. If you’re using the Fiverr Mobile app, sort the gig reviews by negative reviews to see all that fall below the 3.0-star margin.

When I’m on a desktop, I check a few three-star reviews and all the one-star reviews – these are usually few for great sellers. One-star reviews are from disgruntled buyers, and there’s a tendency for these to be caustic and irrational. It’s usually a good idea to take one-star reviews with a grain of salt. If a handful of buyers complain of the same issue via multiple one-star reviews, then that’s a cause for concern.

In my experience, three-star reviews, if any, provide an unbiased perspective into the quality of service delivery for any one particular gig. These are usually from level-headed buyers. They tell the story of the service delivered without as much vindictiveness as you would see with one-star reviews.

Naturally, I take whatever’s said here more seriously. If a three-star review queries any part of the service delivery that’s important to me, I’ll ask questions if I’m almost sold on the freelancer or bounce out if I’m just window shopping—and speaking about asking questions.

Talk to the freelancer

Fiverr wants you to talk to freelancers on its platform so much that there’s a penalty for unreplied messages freelancer-side. When I message a freelancer on Fiverr, it’s for one of three things:

• To ratify their experience or skills
• To gain clarification on their offered services
• To tailor out a custom order for my needs when the gig offering doesn’t cover it
• Vetting the experience and skills of the freelancer

Unlike Upwork, which pretty much setups a client interviewing freelancer atmosphere, Fiverr is more of client talking to the freelancer – not straight up interviewing. Of course, if you’re hiring for a highly technical position, then it makes sense to set up a formal interview. Otherwise, you’ll want to ask very specific questions like:

• What is your experience completing <insert your task here>?
• Can I see examples/results/testimonials related to that experience?
• How long will it take you to complete the task?
• What happens if I’m not satisfied with your work?

The last question is one most freelancers will not like to hear because it explicitly suggests that you don’t trust their expertise. Regardless it’s an important question to ask, as I’ll now demonstrate.

You want to note their tone when they respond to the question; is it standoffish or relaxed. The former is a sign of unprofessionalism.

• Do they give reassurance that their work is of the highest quality? That’s a good sign that shows the freelancer is confident in their expertise.
• Do they stop replying? Again, a sign of unprofessionalism or maybe poor expertise.
• Do they outright question why you question their expertise? When this happens, I usually follow up with a ‘no, I’m just curious as to what happens if we ever get to that point and gauge their response from there using the aforementioned rubric.

To summarize, the ideal freelancer is someone who’s confident in the quality of their work and professional in their manner of approach. Freelancers who fit this description give a calm and calculated response when you suggest a less than pleasant scenario.

Start small

Sometimes you’re sold on the freelancer, but as a hypochondriac like me, you’re still having second thoughts on placing an order. A good way to clear any doubts or test the water if you like is to order a test gig- that is a comparatively small part of the task you need completed. If you wanted a 2000-word article, for instance, you could order a 500-word primer and if the results are good, build up from there.

To do this, you can simply order the basic package of a freelancers’ gig listing if it’s small enough to serve as a primer, or ask the freelancer to send you a custom offer.

Fiverr badges

Fiverr understands wants buyers to accurately and snappily identify quality sellers on their platform, and Fiverr badges is one way they’re helping out. We’ve already discussed Fiverr levels, which are like ranks for sellers. Fiverr badges are like medals honoring outstanding freelancers’ or their gigs.

There are three important badges you should take note of when hiring

• Fiverr choice
• Rising talent
• Fiverr Pro

The Fiverr choice badge

The Fiverr Choice badge is applied to gig listings to freelancer profiles, and it’s basically Fiverr saying, go ahead hire this freelancer; we’re almost 100% sure you’ll have no regrets whatsoever. Fiverr Choice gigs are services that have performed outstandingly over what’s usually an extended time period. They have a surplus of positive reviews and Fiverr even takes the extra step to vet and certify the quality of the service delivered.

Am I saying gigs with the Fiverr choice badging are the absolute best on Fiverr? No. Take a look at this gig, for instance. When I search for a logo design, this is the gig with the Fiverr Choice badging. Based on the samples I can see on this gig, however, and using the 3-star review survey I described earlier, it certainly doesn’t seem like the best bet if I’m looking for a really smooth experience – multiple reviewers cite issues with communication.

What the Fiverr Choice badging does for you is provide a good suggestion on where you can start your search. It doesn’t substitute due diligence when you’re looking to hire a skilled and professional freelancer.

Rising talent

The rising talent badge is applied to freelancers who’re relatively new on Fiverr but with promising prospects. Usually, this promising prospect is indicated by their portfolio or few but stellar reviews.

To see more rising talents on Fiverr, use the newest arrival filter in the ‘Sort by’ toggle.

Why would you consider this batch of freelancers? Well, in my experience, they usually charge lower and over-deliver to make a strong impression. Remember I said for freelancers on Fiverr, success is performance-based.

By keeping their prices low and performing more than expectations, they aim to score high points on the Fiverr performance grading system. I’ve been able to find a few gems through this means.

Fiverr Pro

Fiverr is a haven for freelancers from all works of life; professional, semi-professional and unprofessional, but less than professional freelancers were overrunning the place. Fiverr Pro is the company’s attempt to splash a bit of professionalism on the Fiverr brand.

Any freelancer with the Pro badge is vetted and certified by Fiverr as a professional in their area of service delivery. If you do hire one, you’re assured a professional experience.

Post delivery

If you’ve followed this guide to the latter, you’ve probably found a freelancer fitting to your needs. All that’s left is for you to pay, play the waiting game until your task is completed by the freelancer.

Payment on Fiverr is either via credit/debit card or PayPal.

What happens if you’re not satisfied with the delivery of the Freelancer? You have two options, request a revision or cancel the order for a full refund.

Requesting a revision on Fiverr

After a freelancer delivers an order on Fiverr, you have three days until the order is marked closed and after which you’ll be unable to request a revision. Revisions are requests for the freelancer to have another go at the task if you’re not satisfied with their initial delivery.

Note, however, that not all freelancers offer revisions. You can confirm if a freelancer offers revisions by checking their gig description or sending a message.

Requesting an order cancellation on Fiverr

If the job is so poor that it is unsalvageable, the best recourse will be to request an outright refund. As with revision requests, order cancellation should be initiated within three days after the job was delivered.

The freelancer has to accept the order cancellation request before you get the refund, and as you probably imagine, many will reject it. In the case where it’s rejected, you can escalate the issue to customer support. Fiverr’s customer support does an okayish job at mediation, and provided you’re well within your rights, you should get your refund.

How do you request a refund on Fiverr after the three-day window period

Sometimes you might miss the three-day window for requesting a refund or revision on Fiverr. What you want to do in such a scenario is message Fiverr’s customer support with evidence backing up your request. They’ll take it up from there.

Rounding up

Fiverr is an incredibly diverse freelance marketplace, and I’m pretty much you’ll find practically all the freelance services you need on there. Sorting through the sites’ freelancers for the best of the bunch is a nifty art – it takes time to master; however, this guide should provide a well worth start.