8 Killer tips to hiring the right freelancer on Fiverr

Fiverr can be a great medium to hire freelancers for any services that can be delivered online. But finding the right people for the task is a challenge. 

In this blog post, we will show you the step by step process of searching for, identifying, shortlisting, and hiring someone on Fiverr. Let’s get started.

Here’s how to hire a freelancer on Fiverr:

1. Create an account on Fiverr

Fiverr is a marketplace where buyers find sellers. It’s essential that you – the buyer – have an account to connect with freelancers, place orders, and use the Fiverr payment portal.

Without an account, though you would be able to see freelancer profiles, you won’t be able to shortlist or contact them. Additionally, you need an account to place direct requests with Fiverr, highlighting your exact requirements and having freelancers reach out to you, instead of the other way round.

You can create an account on Fiverr in no time. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Go to Fiverr.com and select one of the ways to join the marketplace.

 As shown below, you can choose one from Facebook, Google, Apple, or email ID.

how to hire freelancer on Fiverr
  1. Choose a username.

It will stay with you throughout your Fiverr journey. It also shows up in the URL. If you also plan to sell your services, make sure you use a keyword in there.

  1. Set your password and join.
  2. Your account is all set after you click on the activation link sent on your preferred mail ID.
  3. Activate your seller account

Click on your profile photo and select ‘Become a Buyer’, and you are all set. 

You can always switch to your seller profile, should you want to, by clicking on ‘Switch to Selling’ as shown in the below image.

hire freelancer on Fiverr

2. Write down the job role of the freelancer

Treat hiring someone on Fiverr just like hiring anywhere else. You need to know exactly what you expect from the seller you plan to hire.

The best way to do that is jotting down points. For example, if you were hiring a content writer, you might look for a Fiverr freelancer who has:

  1. Experience in the niche
  2. Samples relevant to the topic
  3. Good writing skills and vocabulary
  4. Ability to match the tone of your existing content
  5. Native skills

Etc.

Additionally, you want to hire a freelancer who has:

  1. Low response time Fiverr
  2. Generally positive review
  3. Decent order competition rate
  4. Proven skills
  5. Worked with clients similar to you, especially with those in a similar niche and the same country.

At the same time, you need to be aware of the resources you plan to invest –

  1. Monetary investment
  2. Opportunity cost
  3. Time to be spent
  4. Contingency plan – in case the freelancer doesn’t deliver as expected.

Etc.

Now this is a very rough list but you can fine-tune it to match with your requirements. The goal is to be as precise as possible in your job description to ensure that you communicate to the freelancers well, and no details are left out.

3. Search for freelancers on Fiverr

You can find freelancers on Fiverr either by keying in your requirements into the search bar or looking for relevant gig categories through the primary header menu or the footer. And using filters to shortlist them.

Using the Fiverr search bar to find sellers.

search freelancer on Fiverr

The search bar is quite prominent – right next to the Fiverr logo. It reads ‘What services are you looking for today?’ and has a search icon next to it. You can click anywhere in the box and start typing. 

Let’s take an example.

Suppose you are looking for a blog writer for a website around motorcycles. Here’s what you can do – type the exact phrase into the search bar.

find best people on fiverr

The above image shows the result for ‘motorcycle blog writer’. On the surface, the search results look very accurate.

Alternatively, you can write the name of the service and let Fiverr fill out the rest,

how to hire someone on fiverr

The above image, for example, shows suggestions after writing the word ‘blog’ alone. You can get more ideas around what type of blog writer you want to hire too.

Here’s another example, for the search term – logo design for – you get more relevant suggestions that will help you be more precise with your requirements.

hire freelancers on fiverr

Using the Fiverr Header/Footer to find sellers.

Fiverr’s header has a collection of broad gig categories as shown in the below image. On the first glance, it may look like it’s difficult to get more specific.

However, once you hover over a relevant niche, you see a secondary navigation with niched down gig categories. For example, on hovering over the Business gig category, you see many more options to choose from.

hire freelancers on fiverr

After selecting one of the items, Fiverr also shows deeper niche gigs that will guide you to pages that list an even more relevant freelancer listing.

On clicking on Career Counseling under the ‘Business’ niche, Fiverr shows Interview Prep and Search & Apply as deeper niches. The below image shows those options.

search freelancer on fiverr

On clicking on those options (or even otherwise), you will find a list of freelancers relevant to it. 

By clicking on Interview Prep, you can find Fiverr freelancers who serve that exact requirement, as shown in the below image.

hiring freelancers on fiverr

Fiverr’s footer also has the same items as the header menu, but you won’t see more options on hovering over them. You can find broad gig categories there, nevertheless.

finding freelancers on Fiverr

4. Adopt this faster method of hiring someone on Fiverr

Buyer requests are the most straight-forward way of hiring a freelancer on Fiverr.

How do Fiverr buyer requests work for buyers?


1. With buyer requests, you can tell Fiverr your precise requirements. After logging in to Fiverr, click on the ‘Post a request’ button – shown in the below image.

how to hire freelancers on fiverr

2. You will see a short form where you can fill out the details around your requirements. You get 2500 characters to describe your requirements comprehensively. Use the space to detail everything that you expect from the freelancer and the delivery.

The more detailed and direct you are, the more relevant sellers you will find.

how to hire freelancers on fiverr

As shown in the above example, you also get to add attachments. You can use that section to upload a sample of what the final delivery should look like. It will give freelancers an idea around your expectations and help them decide if the gig is for them or not.

The most important step though, is getting the category and subcategory right. The Fiverr algorithm will use those details alone to find freelancers for your project. Only those sellers who have the exact same category and sub-category gig metadata will get to see your request.

Finally, you can set the expected due date for delivery of the order and your budget.

3. Once you hit the submit button, the Fiverr algorithm will populate your request on the screens of freelancers who meet your requirement the best. Freelancers who believe they can deliver quality services relevant to your gig will read the buyer requests and respond to it. Fiverr will populate all the responses on your console.

The below image shows the view that sellers get.

hire someone on fiverr

Your request would appear similar to the content on the right and the response of sellers will be similar to the content on the left.

5. Shortlist top 5 Fiverr freelancers

You now have a list of freelancers sourced either through your outreach or Fiverr buyer requests. But not all of them would meet your criteria. Many responses might be totally irrelevant, so you need to invest some time in shortlisting freelancers.

You can go through the below checklist to shortlist someone on Fiverr:

1. Peruse what they wrote:

When you read proposals to your buyer request or when you go through a gig or the profile of the freelancer, read thoroughly what they wrote. Read in between the lines and gauge if the person is the right fit for your task.

You can also compare that with the job role you wrote in step #2 – see if they use the same terminology as you. Most buyers make a hasty decision by just going by the reviews and not reading the gig details properly. It results in frustration and a high opportunity cost for them and the freelancers.

Also check for the alignment of work. If you hire someone on Fiverr, it’s essential that they have worked for the same industries as yours and preferably for a prolonged period. Also, they must have served buyers from the same or similar country as yours.

2. Analyze the depth of information

An experienced freelancer would have worked with many clients in the same industry as yours. Their gig and profile descriptions would have much more finesse than a beginner. 

They would use the right terms and describe the right practices, relevant to your gig category. Experienced freelancers would cost a bit more, but they might be worth the investment.

3. Read some gig reviews

Fiverr offers buyers like you, an option to rate a seller based on their satisfaction levels. There are 3 rating criteria:

  1. Communication skills
  2. Service accuracy
  3. Buy again/ Recommended
hiring someone on Fiverr

An experienced Fiverr freelancer would have many ratings from many sellers. You must go through them to determine the fit better. However, the ratings can be misleading at times. Some buyers give a low rating even if they are satisfied with the delivery – for no apparent reason.

Fiverr reviews can be fake. Some sellers, with the intent to boost their Fiverr level fast, or to game the Fiverr algorithm, have their acquaintances purchase their gigs and inflate the gig quality. If a seller has only 10-20 ratings and all of them are a perfect 5 or a 4.5, there is a fair chance that the reviews are all fake.

Also, if all reviews are from the same country, there is a higher probability that the reviews are bought or fake. Skip those sellers without a second thought.

As a rule of thumb, make sure you read reviews rated between 2.5 and 4.5. They are often genuine and reveal some key details about the freelancers. If many reviews talk about slow responses, you need to either account for that after you hire them or ignore them completely.

4. Go through the Fiverr Profile of freelancers

Fiverr profiles give you more information on the sellers. Their profile description can give key information about their personality, experience, and education. Further, you can find their certification details, Fiverr learn badges, and even their clientele for top level freelancers.

Make sure that you also check their response time and order completion rate. It’s a subtle indication of how tuned they are with selling on Fiverr. A slow response rate indicated that the sellers are too busy on other platforms and Fiverr is probably one of the sources for leads. A low order completion rate indicates that they have bigger fish to fry, you may want to skip them.

Also check for the country of their origin. For gigs like content writing, you might want to hire freelancers from your country, or another country with the same first language. It will also help you weed out fake profiles. For instance, if a seller is from South-East Asia but their name and face doesn’t match the country, you might want to skip that profile.

Additionally, the country of someone’s origin indicates their timezone. A wide gap in your timezone and theirs may result in slower communication and delayed deliveries.

Finally, you must check out the portfolio of freelancers if they have shared links in their profile.

Based on these 4 steps, shortlist 5 freelancers who meet the requirements as specified in step #2. In the next step, we will figure out how to approach them to analyze their alignment to your requirements better.

6. Reach out to the shortlisted Fiverr freelancers

Fiverr makes it easy to approach freelancers. You can easily reach their inbox and start asking relevant questions. Remember, Fiverr chat is the only legit way to approach freelancers. It’s against Fiverr’s ToS to contact them outside the platform.

While talking to freelancers, make sure you analyze their communication style and how quickly they respond. The questions you ask depend on the job role you decided on in step #2, but make sure they are super-relevant to the task.

You need to rely on your gut feeling to some extent but the above steps will help you shortlist the right freelancer on Fiverr.

7. Setup payment on Fiverr

You’re now all set to get into business with a freelancer. The way to do that is paying Fiverr the agreed amount plus commission. Fiverr acts as escrow and releases the funds to the freelancer once you approve of their work.

What payment methods does Fiverr accept?

Fiverr offers the below payment methods for purchases:

  • Credit/ Debit Cards
  • Paypal
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Wire transfer

There are other methods too, but if you are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, these would be the most common methods of purchase. Please note, crypto currency is currently not accepted by Fiverr.

Do I need PayPal for Fiverr? How to pay for Fiverr without paypal?

Paypal is among the most common methods of payment on Fiverr. But it’s not necessary to have a Paypal account – you can instead pay using your credit card.

How do I pay someone on Fiverr?

Once you are satisfied with the freelancer and their gig offerings, you can click on order now. It will take you to the payment page where you can pick one of the payment methods. Remember, at this point you are paying Fiverr, not the freelancer. They would get paid only after you approve Fiverr to do so.

Does Fiverr charge buyers? How much does Fiverr charge from the buyer?

Fiverr charges a 5% commission from buyers with a minimum of $2 service charge. This means, for every $100 you pay freelancers, Fiverr will charge $5 extra.

Is my money safe with Fiverr?

Your money is safe as long as you are dealing with freelancers on the platform. You can get scammed while connecting with them outside Fiverr.

How do I avoid the Fiverr service fee?

There’s no way out of paying Fiverr. However, you can reach an agreement with the freelancer where they absorb the charges. 

For example, if the order value is $100, Fiverr would charge $5. However, if the seller agrees for a $96 offer, you can still get their services at your budget of $100. 

Remember, Fiverr charges a whopping 20% of what you pay sellers. Most sellers won’t agree to accommodate more, we don’t recommend asking them to either.

8. Place a small order first and experience their performance

In spite of all measures, there is a slim chance that you end up with someone who is not fit for the job. To mitigate risk, place a small order first and see how the freelancer performs.

This will be similar to an internship period where the sellers prove their worth. Once they deliver on the order, if all goes well, place the final order.

FAQs

Can you hire freelancers on Fiverr?

Fiverr is the cheapest place to hire freelancers from across the world. You can hire someone starting as low as $5.

Is Fiverr safe in India?

Fiverr is safe in India in terms of keeping your money and payment details secure. You will also find some enthusiastic freelancers who truly want to deliver quality services. But it’s you who needs to place a filter. 

For instance, it’s safe to hire a designer or coder from India, but if you are looking for a freelance writer, you may not find Indian writers with native experience. Having said that, you can still find some stellar writers in India, just that they are far and few in between.

Can you get scammed on Fiverr?

Fiverr scams are common but only for those buyers who are not careful. Fake reviews are one form of scam. However, your money will be secure with Fiverr, you just may end up paying for low quality work.

Why is Fiverr so cheap?

Fiverr is cheap because it’s popular among countries with a weak currency. It was a sought after medium for freelancers even from developed nations, but with their currency getting stronger, $5 doesn’t have the same value as it did a decade back.

However, in countries where $5 goes a long way, Fiverr is a chosen platform for many freelancers.

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