My two months at Fiverr has already been more fulfilling–and more surprising–than I had ever expected.
Fiverr.com is a website where people can offer their artistic, business, creative, or just plain bizarre talents for just five dollars. The offers range from web/logo design, website review, voiceovers, to art projects, gifts, various handmade goods, to even dancing in a chicken suit while reciting the message of the buyer’s choice. Some people even offer to hand out flyers and business cards all over their city. Buyers can also request a service or item. Chances are, if you can think of it, you can find someone to do it for five dollars on Fiverr.
The seller starts by creating a profile that tells a bit about their self, has a list of their gigs, and possibly a video promoting their gig(s). Each gig has the option to upload a video, which is an effective option for sellers, as people can filter their search results by only showing results with a video. The seller also has to let the buyer know how many days each gig will take to deliver. If a gig will be finished in 24-hours or less, it earns the title of “Express Gig,” which users can also filter search results to find.
Fiverr also has levels that sellers can reach. As the seller moves up through the levels, he or she gains access to more tools and features designed to generate more income. The seller reaches level one once he or she has completed ten orders with excellent ratings. Level two is reached when the seller has completed fifty orders in the past two months, while maintaining excellent ratings. And finally, the seller reaches “Top Rated Seller” based on—well, whether the moderators think you should be there or not. As the site explains, “Top Rated Sellers are chosen manually by Fiverr moderators from a list of Level 2 Sellers based on criteria including: seniority, volume of sales, extremely high rating, exceptional customer care and community leadership.” Oh, to reach such an elite level…
In my two months on Fiverr, I was surprised to find that people will actually pay to hear me talk. Not only that, but they will pay me to take a fully clothed picture of myself, holding up a sign that says “I think you’re cute!”, or whatever they ask me to write on it. My only requirements were that they keep it legal, keep it hate-free, and keep it G-rated. And voila, I have made eighteen sales and…$72. Yes, there is a kicker: Fiverr takes a dollar out of each order sold. While I am not complaining about my extremely easy $72, I cannot help but be just a little bitter that it could have been $90. There is also a 14-day waiting period from the time the buyer marks the order as completed, until the seller can withdraw their funds into their PayPal account.
Overall, I would give Fiverr an eight out of ten. It is an easy and fun way to make a little cash, the website is simple to use, and it is not too hard to gain popularity with sales. The only downsides are the 20% commission Fiverr takes out of each order, and the delay in receiving funds. These are not too major, and I would recommend Fiverr to anyone who does not mind doing a few unconventional tasks, or selling themselves—I mean, their services, for five bucks.
June 11th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Well penned, thank you.