Are Freelance Jobs Viable?
There is no denying the employment landscape for the foreseeable future has changed dramatically because of the global coronavirus pandemic. With millions of people jobless and working from home, paired with the evolving digital landscape, many are turning to freelance jobs on the internet to make their money and purchase services.
Freelance Statistics
To put it into perspective, as of current the total workforce worldwide is approximately 3.5 billion. Of that total, 1.1 billion of the workforce is made of freelancers (either full-time or part-time) or roughly 35%. Thus, if you are thinking of working freelance jobs from home, this is your sign to do so.
The growth of freelance work is expected to accelerate further, as more and more professionals are seeing it as a viable option for both part-time and full-time work in the long run.
At the same time, more businesses seize opportunities to incorporate freelancers into their business models. This will dramatically increase the financial benefits and overall efficiency.
However, a big question that is often asked is whether freelancing jobs are worth pursuing or purchasing from? Therefore, the purpose of this post is to provide everyone with some insight into a website called Fiverr, one of the world’s largest freelance services marketplaces, to see whether the freelance job is worth your time and money.
What Is Fiverr?
For those of you who don’t know, Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelance services that was founded back in 2010. Its users spread over 160 countries. The website allows freelancers a platform to sell their skills to individuals and businesses who are looking to purchase freelance services.
Fiverr is very popular for freelancers, including writers, digital designers, website developers, social media marketers, voice actors. The options are truly endless. Currently, Fiverr is host to over 7 million users, and it is expected to grow even more in the years to come.
Is Fiverr Legit?
Simply put, yes Fiverr is a legit website to sell and buy freelance services. While some may think because there are 7 million users on the website, it will be challenging to find work. However, this is not true. Despite its popularity, jobs on Fiverr are sold every 4 seconds. This goes to show how legitimate and valuable the platform can be for many freelancers.
Furthermore, Fiverr is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Hence, it is subject to the regulation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), one of the most stringent regulators in the world.
The website itself is very user-friendly for both sellers and buyers. Additionally, the versatility of the skills offered also indicates how inclusive the website is in general.
How To Sell Freelance Jobs On Fiverr?
Before selling services on Fiverr, you must set up an account by following these easy steps:
1. Click here to create a free account and begin filling out your profile. You may also join with Facebook, Google, or Apple account. The key is to provide your relevant academic and working experiences as detailed as possible so that your profile will look more professional.
2. Once you have filled out your profile information, it is time to set up your first gig or service! Just simply click “switch to selling” then click on “create a new gig“.
3. Creating a gig is relatively easy. During this time, outline the service you are selling, set the starting price, the time frame, and choose the category of service options Fiverr allows you to sell under. Make sure to add related search tags. This will help potential customers to find your gig. Fiverr allows you to set up 3 different price packages under the same gig according to the extent to which your service is. This is a great way to provide buyers with more choices and increase your average order value.
4. Once you have filled out the essential details, it’s time to publish your gig!
After your gigs are set up, interested buyers will place the order directly in the gig or contact you about your services through direct messages at Fiverr. It’s that easy!
How To Make Money On Fiverr?
While Fiverr has over 200 job categories for freelance jobs on its platform, some jobs perform better than others. Here are the top 10 currently:
- Website Development
- Graphic Design
- Copywriting
- Video Marketing
- Translation Services
- Social Media Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Voice Overs
- Illustration
- Virtual Assistant
Now, if your skills don’t fall underneath any of these categories, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to make money on Fiverr. The trick is that you want to be selling high-quality services for low prices at the beginning so you can begin building your profile. Fiverr allows you to rate sellers and buyers, based on their interaction experiences.
Thus, the more 5-star reviews you have, the more likely you are to attract more buyers to your profile. Once you have accumulated some 5-star reviews, you will then be able to increase your pricing.
Fiverr is also an excellent and reliable platform to collaborate with other freelancers and learn. It offers free forums and learning courses.
Based on the studies, freelancers contributed about $1 trillion to the American economy or about 5% of the total GDP. 60% of freelancers claim they are making more money than they did with their previous full-time jobs.
Here is some success story on Fiverr reported by Business Insider. By the end of 2020, she has already made $1 million. The original article is here.
How To Grow Your Business With Freelance Jobs on Fiverr?
For business, on the other hand, the account creating process is the same as seller’s. Fiverr is a great way to purchase freelance talent while saving money on office rental, employee insurance, utility bills, pension payout, etc. There are many professionals on the website that are selling their services at an affordable price. Most importantly, it allows you to find talents in other countries that you are unable to reach with the traditional hiring process.
Fiverr is also a great place to purchase services like social media marketing, website development, SEO optimization, and copywriting that will help increase your company’s online presence. So that it can reach border markets. The website is also an SSL certificate protected to safeguard all buyer purchases.
However, as the website hosts millions of buyers and sellers, it can be easy to purchase a low-quality gig from a profile that seems as though it is professional. The best way to determine whether a seller is offering high-quality services is to read through the reviews on their profiles and ask to see a couple of samples of their previous work. This will allow you to see if their services match what you are looking for, before placing an order.
If you don’t want to spend much time searching for sellers, Fiverr also has a Buyer Request feature that allows buyers to post available jobs for sellers to make offers.
Fiverr has published an ebook on how to get your business geared up for a successful 2021 by completing the digital transformation, boosting your online presence, and reaching more customers. It is FREE to download below (no signup required).
How Much Does Fiverr Cost?
It is definitely free to create an account. However, Fiverr does charge some service fee or commission on each gig sold.
As a buyer, the service fee depends on how much you are paying for the gig. The fee will be $2 for gigs under $40 or 5% on gigs above $40.
For example, you are paying $20 for a website design gig, you will pay an additional $2 to Fiverr as a service fee.
As a seller, Fiverr will keep 20% of the order value as a commission fee. You will receive the remaining 80%.
For example, a buyer pays $5 for a logo design service. Once completed, you will receive a final amount of $4.
Fiverr Affiliate Program
If you are looking to make more money on Fiverr beyond selling your talent or purchasing a gig, the platform also has an affiliate marketing program. The program is free to sign up and is extremely easy to use. Fiverr will pay you to promote their platform. For every person or business you refer to Fiverr who signs up and purchases a gig, you will receive a commission. The commission can be one-off or recurring depending on which plan you choose. You may check the detailed commission plans here.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, freelance jobs on Fiverr can be valuable for those who desire to work from home instead of working a 9 to 5 job. Not only are you able to choose your hours, but you are also given the freedom of working from anywhere in the world. It is also a viable source for professional services without the inflated price-tag and cost-saving strategy for business. With the ever-changing employment landscape that continues to shift to online platforms in the years to come, Fiverr is a fantastic option for professionals and businesses alike.
FAQ
Buyers pay Fiverr for orders in advance. You may not pay Sellers directly using any method other than ordering through the Fiverr order page. This is for your own safety. Fiverr will not be able to assist you when paying outside of the platform. In case you have been asked to use an alternative payment method, please report it immediately.
It is the sole responsibility of Sellers to verify their personal tax obligation, report, and pay taxes according to the laws of the state and/or country of residence, as applicable and required by local law and regulations.
You can accept a tip; however, it’s advised not to ask for one. Do your best as a Seller. Ultimately it’s up to the Buyer whether to leave a tip or not.