About FiverrFiverr is a very commonly used as an outsourcing network that can be a fantastic use of your money or an absolute waste of your time and energy.

In its most basic sense, Fiverr is a medium that allows people to connect with freelancers for certain tasks for only $5.

It has allowed many new entrepreneurs to get work such as logo design, wordpress installs and various skilled tasks done all within their limited budgets.

My Experience with FiverrI have used Fiverr for many different gigs.

At the time of writing, I have used it 117 times and have seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

I want to help you learn from my mistakes, get the most bang for your 5 bucks and save you time!

Is Fiverr right for your job?The biggest mistake people make on Fiverr is often using Fiverr in the first place!

This sounds silly I know, but hear me out, it happens a lot…

Some tasks should simply never be completed on Fiverr.

You will end up getting what you pay for and underpaying may not only waste your time but also damage your business. Understanding when you should and shouldn’t use Fiverr will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

What Fiverr is...1. A great place to find a wide array of basic jobs or ones

that require very specific technical expertise.

2. A good option if you have time-consuming tasks of low-

level importance.

3. A good option if you have a clear job description with

details, timelines, and examples.

4. A good option for one-time or infrequent gigs.

What Fiverr is not...1. A place to outsource every task you have and save money.

2. A place to outsource very important tasks or ones with

deadlines that aren’t flexible.

3. A place to outsource open-ended gigs that require

ingenuity and self-guided work.

4. A place to outsource ongoing jobs or ones you need daily.

Pros and cons of fiverrPros:

● Simple PayPal ordering

● Refunds are easy

● Affordable (generally)

● Many pre-existing gigs

● Some protection from scams

● Mobile app

Cons:

● Many subpar gigs

● Strict rules

● Many misleading orders

● Some sellers push bad

affiliates

● Not as easy to post requests

● Mobile app needs improvement

7 Questions to Ask before Outsourcing with Fiverr1. “Is my time better spent somewhere else?”

2. “Is this task flexible enough to risk losing time if the seller fails to

deliver as expected?”

3. “Is this something that could be detrimental to my business if it’s done

incorrectly?”

4. “Is this task detailed and easy to explain?”

5. “Is this task something I am going to need very infrequently?”

6. “Is this something that will improve my brand?”

7. “Is this something that is already listed as a service on Fiverr?”

#1 “Is My Time Better Spent Somewhere Else?”

This may be a task that you should do yourself if it is easier than explaining to someone and if it is only a one time fix. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty from time to time. There is a huge difference between effectively outsourcing tasks and outsourcing for the sake of outsourcing.

#2 “Is this task flexible enough to risk losing time if the seller fails to deliver as expected?”

Never rely completely on a Fiverr seller (who you don’t know) to deliver in a high-stakes situation. If you have a presentation on Friday and it is currently Wednesday, I wouldn’t trust a Fiverr seller to have it done by Friday, even if you purchase the 24-hour upgrade. Remember, there are lots of flaky gigs out there.

#3 “Is this something that could be detrimental to my business if it’s done incorrectly?”

Some tasks like SEO and brand management should never be done on the cheap. Often times, amateurs claim to be able to do these tasks and end up damaging their client’s search rankings or even worse: their brand’s credibility. Your brand is worth the extra expense of a professional and falling out of grace with Google can be crippling. Use discernment here and be careful who you trust and with what.

#4 “Is this task detailed and easy to explain?”

How much time is it going to take you to explain this gig? Consider how much time will be involved if you have to explain the task again (which is likely) if it’s done incorrectly. Don’t purchase a gig until you are completely certain what you really need and how it needs to be done.

#5 “Is this task something I will only need infrequently or once?”

If this is a task that you will need frequently (at least a couple times a week) you may be better off learning how to do it yourself and then hiring someone to do it regularly at a set rate. I use Fancyhands.com for tasks like this.

#6 “Is this something that will improve my brand?”

I know it can be difficult for people to assign value to tasks in terms of dollars, but you should get used to this. If this isn’t something that will build your brand or make you money, don’t buy it. That is pretty simple right?

#7 “Is this something that is already listed on Fiverr.com?”

If you need a gig performed, it is best to work with someone who already has a good track record. If your gig hasn’t been requested before, it may be for a reason. Either way, you will need to take a bit of a risk hiring someone with no prior work history. If I need to create a new gig from scratch, I typically do not use Fiverr.

My Top Recommended Fiverr Alternatives1. If you need the same task done each day - FancyHands.com

2. If you have a larger project and need high-end talent - Elance.com or Upwork.com

3. If you need to build a serious brand - 99designs.com

10 Fiverr Best Practices1. Save information from top gigs

2. Understand what you are actually getting for $5

3. Be clear in requirements

4. Contact the freelancer before buying

5. Create screen recordings and provide examples of similar work

6. Don’t trust Fiver(er)s for work within 24 Hours

7. Read seller’s reviews

8. Leave honest feedback and consider tipping

9. Don’t outsource SEO

10. Don’t buy traffic, likes or subscribers

#1 Save Information from Quality Gigs

Once you have someone you can trust, use them again. I have several gigs on Fiverr that I use over and over. This saves me a lot of time and I can trust these people to deliver.

#2 Understand What you are actually getting for $5

Many gigs now are not actually $5. Technically, even the $5 gigs are now $5.50 with the recently added transaction fee. There are gigs that entice you to click but offer far less than is advertised upfront. Some are more blatantly misleading than others. Use common sense and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

#3 Be Clear in Your Requirements

Never assume that the freelancer knows exactly what you want. Read the instructions you have given them and ask yourself “If I didn’t already know what this gig was, would I understand this request?”

#4 Contact the Freelancer before Buying

This is particularly important if you are in need of a project very soon. Most Fiverr sellers require you to do this anyway.

#5 Create screen Recordings and Provide Examples of Similar Work

Pictures and videos are a fantastic way to get your freelancer up to speed on your needs. Use screenr.com if you want a free tool, but if you want a premium service,check out Camtasia.

#6 Don’t trust Fiver(er)S for work within 24 Hours

If it’s an emergency and you need to have a job done quickly, you shouldn’t trust anyone on Fiverr. I love Fiverr, but you can’t rely on everyone to deliver. It is not worth the risk and you will eventually get burnt.

#7 Read Seller’s Reviews

Don’t expect work that is much better than what the seller has provided in the past. I always look for comments on whether or not the freelancer was responsive and completed the work on time.

#8 Leave honest Feedback and Consider Tipping

You should follow proper etiquette when buying gigs on Fiverr. All buyers on Fiverr owe it to one another to make sure that we hold the freelancers accountable. Don’t feel guilty about leaving an honest review. The good gigs will make it and the bad ones will weed themselves out if all the buyers leave honest feedback when necessary.

#8 Leave honest Feedback and Consider Tipping (Continued)

If I order a gig and the freelancer goes far beyond my expectations, I will leave a tip of $5 or 15% of the gig total, whichever is more. This isn’t required, but I always appreciate good work and like to develop strong relationships going forward.

#9 Don’t Outsource SEO

Outsourcing on Fiverr should never include SEO work. You should only trust SEO work to professionals. As I mentioned earlier, although many SEO fixes are “easy,” they are also very easy to mess up.

Here is a great article on why outsourcing cheap SEO will hurt you in the long run.

#10 Don’t buy traffic, Shares or Subscribers

This is not quality traffic. These fake fans will not build your brand or lead to conversions. These are not real customers and doing this may lead to destroying your credibility.

“Does this Really Matter? It’s Only $5”Perhaps $5 is not a big deal to you at all. I hope that you are at a place that $5 will not make or break you financially. You probably know that gigs aren’t all $5, but there are reasons why even $5 gigs are important to monitor closely.

Remember this, when you buy a gig on Fiverr, you are still spending your most valuable resource: time. You are either growing your business, remaining stagnant or worst of all, destroying it. Sometimes you are worse off if you purchase a bad gig than if it wasn’t done at all.

Resources Premium designs for serious brands

Monthly Fiverr alternative for ongoing work

Freelancing sites for larger projects

*99 Designs and *Fancyhands are affiliates of entreresource.com. Should you purchase through these links, the author may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

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