How to Build a Full-Time Income on Fiverr

1. Introduction

Do you find your "normal" job oddly dissatisfying? A nine to five job, by the books, can have advantages, like the fixed schedule permitting you to plan study and free time, monthly salary, and many others. However, despite the advantages, it is undeniably difficult to adhere to such a schedule once in a while. This is especially so in the event of emergencies or too much work, tying you down against some personal deeds. If you have felt this way at some point, it is indicated that this kind of schedule does not suit you, or in other words, "the grind." And this is where Fiverr comes to light. Being a service that is "freelance" based, offering a service to someone with an employer-employee agreement to conduct tasks and splitting the price for the service that has been done, it is a place with high flexibility. On the other hand, the meaning of high flexibility offered by Fiverr approximates "work at any time," since the common part of all freelance services is that an agreement of employer-employee is an agreement to work on a deadline. But the difference is, the deadline and dateline in Fiverr are determined by the one who is serving, compared to an equal agreement in any other freelance services that a job must be finished in a certain time, and if the time is overshot, then the pay will be added.

1.1. Escape the 9-to-5 Grind

Full-time employment can be likened to a contemporary form of enslavement. Most people feel they are working far more hours than they would like and have less to show for it. 40+ hours a week is spent toiling for someone else in a job that is unfulfilling, with the majority of the money going towards bills and living expenses. A person is lucky if they have money left over to save for a holiday or a new car, and the distant dream of financial freedom and being able to enjoy life to the fullest seems impossible or so far away that it's not worth thinking about. The daily routine of preparing for work, commuting, being stuck in an office all day with no natural light, and finally commuting home is exhausting. It is no wonder most people are left with no energy or motivation to do anything else after work, and the only hours they truly enjoy are in bed asleep. With so much of our time being spent at work, it is important to free ourselves from the clutches of a monotonous 9-5 job that overworks and underpays.

1.2. Achieve Financial Freedom with Fiverr

That's a strong reason 'Why Fiverr?' is better than the standard 9 to 5 job operating for somebody else. Fiverr's flexibility provides people an opportunity to achieve financial freedom. With no employer to report back to, you've got the freedom to set your own schedule and work on your own terms. If you're a night owl or someone who loves burning the midnight oil, you'll be able to schedule your time as you see fit. If the standard work week is not your thing, that's not an issue. Maybe you prefer to work for long hours for a couple of days in a row, then take a few days off; this is also possible. Essentially you'll be able to work whenever you want, providing you're able to deliver your gigs on time. Charging value-based prices for your work is a very suitable way to earn money, not like the standard 'pay by the hour' wages of employed work. Fiverr is a really a platform where your pay is for the service you provide, the quality you are able to deliver and the reputation you are able to build. Given the rate at which you're able to scale the sales of your gig (as demonstrated by my previous experiment) this could mean an effective hourly wage that's higher than the employment alternative, given enough time and dedication. This is an encouraging prospect for those who are willing to put in hard and smart work to improve their skills and competencies. High performers and over-achievers are no longer penalised for their efforts; they will be compensated proportionately in accordance to the value they're able to deliver.

2. Getting Started on Fiverr

Also very important. You need to have your services properly priced. Not too high, not too low. A beginner might not get a lot of business if people think they are charging too much. On the flipside, someone might think a person is not offering good quality service if they are charging too low. This varies from task to task, but you should try to research what average similar jobs are going for and price yours similarly. As you get more business and better feedback you can begin to slowly raise the prices of your gigs.

2.3. Pricing your services

This could possibly be the most important of the three. You want to pick something that you can do well and that people would consider hiring you to do. If you provide good quality of service, people are likely to continue to do business with you and possibly hire you for other tasks nowadays or sometime in the future. Make sure your gig does not include anything unrealistic. An example might be to offer to do a person's entire website for $30. This would not be realistic. Something more realistic would be to perhaps offer to create a simple logo for someone to use on their website.

2.2. Choosing the right gig

When setting up your Fiverr profile, you should take the time to fill in all possible information about yourself and what gigs you will be providing. Taking the time to do this will allow you to stand out, compared to others who do not fill out everything possible. Make sure to take as much time as necessary to make your profile page look good and make it the best it can be. If you have other social networks, such as Twitter or Facebook, be sure to connect them to your Fiverr account, which will allow for your friends and others to catch wind of what you are doing on Fiverr.

2.1. Setting up your Fiverr profile

2.1. Setting Up Your Fiverr Profile

The text on your profile should be easy to read and free of grammatical errors. You should provide details about your skills and experience related to the services you'll be offering. It's a good idea to add a little personality to your profile by modifying the standard text that you see on other profiles. Finally, use bullet points to make information easy to read and to list specific details about your services. Your goal here is to provide enough information to potential clients that they would regret not hiring you if they moved on to another seller.

A video is your golden ticket to making sales on Fiverr. While many gigs may receive very little traffic (10-30 clicks per month), a good video can convert at 10-30%, so it's worth taking the time to make a good one. Use the video to explain who you are, what you can offer, and why the buyer should choose you for their project. It's a good chance to add some personality and credibility to your gig. Remember to smile!

The picture you choose should be friendly and professional. It's essential that your picture is clear and of a reasonable size. If you are serious about becoming a professional seller, it's worth considering having a captivating photo taken by a photographer. Remember, many buyers will make decisions on the credibility of your services based on simple things such as picture quality.

Your Fiverr profile is essentially the 'shop front' for your services. Your profile will have to sell to potential clients as to why you should be chosen ahead of a competitor. To make your profile as effective as possible, you should consider using a picture, a video, and provide relevant information about your services.

2.2. Choosing the Right Gig

Once you have your profile set up, the next big thing is to get to work on finding the right gig for you to sell. Most new sellers often pick something they believe is marketable without actually having any interest or expertise in said area. This is a very big mistake. You could be the greatest sales person in the world and still have trouble selling something if you yourself have no interest in it and do not understand it. People can tell if you have a true understanding of what you are selling or if you are just regurgitating information. Word of mouth is by far the best advertising, if you truly know your product it will show and this is what will make people come back to you for more. This is why it's so important to make sure it's something you're interested in. Chances are you found Fiverr because you could use an extra bit of money. If you haven't already, take a look at what you do for your full-time job. No matter what it is there's a marketable gig idea that you could excel at because you already have knowledge in the area. This is a great way to pick up some extra cash doing something you're already familiar with. An example of this would be say you work in retail management, you have TONS of experience in retail and dealing with the issues of retail. You could be a great candidate for someone who could offer advice on retail strategy. Now you have to think "Is this something I would enjoy doing in my spare time?". If the answer is yes, you've found the perfect gig.

2.3. Pricing Your Services

Search other sellers within Fiverr who are offering similar services to yours. Find out the prices they're using, and make a note of what they appear to be offering for that price. On the same page as where you would edit your gig, there are tabs which you can use to switch between other sellers who are offering the same service, and compare the amount that they're offering or the price that they're setting. From this you should be able to get a rough understanding of what the current market price is for your service. As a new seller with no feedback, you cannot afford to be setting the same prices as those who discovered them from trial and error. You can either choose to set a price slightly lower in order to attract buyers that are looking for a good deal, or keep it the same in the hope that those who are choosing by price will opt for you as a new seller. By providing these buyers with a quality service you have a higher chance of them returning when you have raised your prices. As a seller who is offering a service of higher quality than what you've seen at the current market price, you may decide to offer the same service at a much higher standard price. This can also apply for those who are looking to offer a simple service more quickly.

3. Strategies for Success on Fiverr

3.3. In any business, fantastic customer service is essential. The same is true for selling services on Fiverr. You should be attentive to your clients and always want to make sure they are satisfied. Communication is an important factor, always make sure you are clear with what the buyer is expecting and try to deliver your work early so you have extra time for revisions. You should be accommodating when a buyer has special requests. Putting in the extra time or work without charging for additional service can make a buyer a repeat customer. If a buyer has a bad experience, they are not likely to re-order your service. Remember, it is easier to sell to an existing customer than a new one.

3.2. The best marketing tool on Fiverr is offering a service that is in high demand. While some buyers do browse for services, most rely on searches to find what they are looking for. You will want to make sure that your service titles contain relevant keywords. You should research these keywords in the same way you researched your service. Find out which keywords are in high demand and low supply, if you can get a service page to rank well for a high demand keyword, you will receive a lot of organic traffic. Do not spam irrelevant keywords as this can annoy buyers. Be sure to have a clear description and list of what is included in your service, this can help to convert potential buyers. Offering a money back guarantee can also help to convert buyers.

3.1. A great way to build a strong portfolio is to offer your services at a discount to several initial clients. You will want to create a portfolio that is diverse yet remains consistent. Although it may be tempting to take any jobs at the beginning, you should try to cater to a specific niche. For example, if you are a graphics designer, you will want to gear your portfolio towards the type of design work you enjoy most or are best at doing. Think of your portfolio as your "sales pitch" to future clients, it should demonstrate your skill and the value you can bring to the buyer. As you start to take more jobs, begin to weed out lower paying or undesirable jobs from your queue. You will want your portfolio to always be an accurate representation of your skills. Always replace lower quality work with higher quality work.

3.1. Building a Strong Portfolio

In the previous section, we discussed the power of good feedback as a tool for increasing every aspect of your business. One of the key strategies for transforming initial low-volume sales into a high-volume Fiverr presence is to use the feedback to improve your offer, then quickly move into a more lucrative field. Let's suppose for example that you are a writer who has had a few sales and has collected varied feedback. While all feedback is useful in some way, certain types of feedback can be more valuable. A buyer who has consistently come back for more with the same rate and left positive reviews generally indicates satisfaction. A buyer who has left negative reviews and not returned has likely indicated that your service wasn't for his liking. By targeting the positive repeat customers, you can create a great reliability for steady work while using feedback from the less-satisfied customers to change your service and make attempts to win them over next time. With a writer example, such changes might involve certain style or specific article changes. By doing extra work for the unhappy customer at no additional charge, you increase the chance of them leaving better feedback and returning for more, thus creating a reliable income from a client-type who was previously unsatisfied. Once you have created strong reliability and satisfaction with what's considered a good service for a minimal effort, it's a good time to begin looking at different fields. Using the writer example, it may be easier and more lucrative to do copywriting or even eBook writing. At this point it is worth creating a new gig and using past satisfied customers in the new field as a tool to get a strong start. With a strong feedback reputation already built, it's likely that you'll notice faster sales and more repeat customers. Step by step, using feedback and a solid reliable reputation, you can progressively move into a higher paying and more satisfying sales field for almost any service.

3.2. Promoting Your Services

When it comes to promoting your services - both on Fiverr and off - you need to be proactive and have a "go-getter" attitude. There are a number of techniques to generate inquiries and sales. First and foremost, successfully promote your service by word of mouth. Tell everybody and anybody what you do and how you're the best at doing it. Humans are natural gossipers, and you never know who a person might know. One second-hand connection led to me being on MTV. No joke. Whether it's handing out flyers, cold calling, or direct e-mailing, promoting yourself offline tends to be a bigger payoff for a greater amount of work done. This is also an excellent option for new sellers looking to build their reputation with some positive reviews. As buyers tend to be more skeptical shopping for services than products, it is important to convey a sense of trustworthiness. If a potential buyer can put voice to your pitch, they are much more likely to end up as a paying customer. As the internet continues to dominate the world of commerce, online promotion shows itself to be an increasingly viable option. If you have your own webpage or blog, it is high time you write up a compelling promo that includes links to your Fiverr service. Other web-based options include article marketing, viral video campaigns, and leveraging the power of social media. Though you may only get a few inquiries at first, the best thing about online promotion is that your work will still be paying off 6 months down the line.

3.3. Providing Exceptional Customer Service

Empathy towards the client and their situation is an important characteristic to maintain throughout a client interaction. A seller should put themselves in the client's shoes and consider their thoughts and emotions throughout the customer-seller interaction. Imagine that a client has an intricate project that they want done, and they're nervous about whether or not the seller will be able to do it. The seller needs to recognize this anxiety and show the client that they're capable and confident about doing the project to meet the client's needs. This can be done by communicating to the client and showing understanding of the project's details and requirements. An example of going further with this would be in the situation that a client can't be reached at some point in the project to confirm a project detail, but the seller makes a decision that is in the client's best interest. At the next possible contact with the client, the seller should discuss what they decided and confirm with the client that it was the best course of action. This will show the client that the seller truly cares about doing what's best for them.

Customer service on Fiverr is generally prerequisite to that at a regular job. Acclaimed sellers usually put it into practice each day that they work, and beginners or lesser-experienced sellers are the ones who generally need to be reminded of this counsel the most. However, it is an easy concept that can be understood and achieved by Fiverr sellers from all walks of earth. Customer service is the coveted benefit that sellers can wield over others in competitive categories to distinguish themselves in a positive manner. This can lead to improved repeat business, potential future orders from the same clients, and word-of-mouth advertising that can lead to a large amount of organic growth in a seller's business. With this strategy of customer service in mind, a seller must maintain a client-focused mindset at all times when working with them. This means that you focus on what the client wants, and how they want it. A "client-focused mindset" in customer service is a seller's plan that they use to adhere to the wishes of the client and maintain or improve their level of satisfaction with the process and finished product. This can sometimes mean going above and beyond what is stated in the Gig's description or terms in the form of free extras or more work on the order. An additional outcome of improving the clients' satisfaction is increasing their awareness of the positive experience that they had, which makes them more likely to come back for more and tell their friends about you.

The more work you complete, the more accolades and positive ratings you receive, but you're still not getting the sales you believe you should. Or, perhaps you're just beginning on Fiverr and you want to begin strong, with the maximum amount of orders and minimum amount of negative feedback. Whether you're just starting or you've been around the Fiverr block a few times, these techniques will assist in vastly improving your client satisfaction and sales.

3.4. Expanding Your Offerings

As an example, I landed a client who hired me to do some article writing for his website. After I completed the job, I messaged him and pitched an idea about writing some customer testimonials for him, which he accepted. After completing that job, I offered to do some SEO for the articles I had written, and copywriting some ads. Over the course of 3 months I ended up completing 4 different types of jobs for this client, where if I had not expanded my services I would have only gotten that one article writing job. By expanding your services to current clients, you can save time otherwise spent seeking new clients, and often you can get the client to simply hire you for the new work without having to submit a new gig proposal.

Sure, you could survive and make a living if you just kept doing the same thing over and over again. It will be comfortable - for a while. But at what point will you get sick of doing the exact same thing? Everyone wants some level of variety in their work, and doing the same thing you've already mastered is not the way to do it. Instead of seeking out new clients on Fiverr to offer the same service to, look for ways to diversify your talents and offer multiple services to the same client.

4. Scaling Your Fiverr Business

If what you want is a hands-off business, then you will want to look into outsourcing and hiring assistants. If you have a system in place that is simply buying traffic and directing it to a website or a squeeze page, then you may be able to hire someone to duplicate the system for you. If you are a freelance writer, you can hire another freelance writer to take overflow work from you. As previously mentioned, there are many different services here, and the success of your results will be dependent on the service provider that you hire. You will need to screen potential workers to be sure that they will be able to provide the results that you are looking for. Contract work can be very hit or miss until you find the right person.

Once you have a system in place to generate consistent income on Fiverr, you may want to consider scaling your business. There are a few ways to go about this, and depending on what kind of a business you want and what kind of lifestyle you want, you may choose different methods. Fiverr can be a very hands-off business if you have a system in place to generate traffic. It can also be a business where you are a seller/freelancer or a combination of the two.

4.1. Outsourcing and Hiring Assistants

Scaling your Fiverr business is not an easy thing and you may eventually reach a point where you're getting more orders than you can handle by yourself. This is a good problem to have. If you're making enough money to hire people, then you're doing well. This is also largely dependent on what type of gigs you're doing. If you're doing writing or graphic design, you can hire people pretty early on to do the actual work. If you're doing voice acting or testimonial videos, you're going to need to do those yourself. But you can hire someone to do things like respond to messages, promote your gigs in the forums or buyer requests, etc. In the long run, you'll want to start a business outside of Fiverr and have people do work for your clients there so you're not losing a percentage. But keep in mind it is never against the ToS to hire people to do a portion of the Fiverr gig like article writing or graphic design and then sell that work under your banner at a higher price. The best thing you can do for yourself while scaling is try to streamline the gig delivery process. This will be highly dependent on what your gig is, so I'll just use article writing as an example since that's what I do. I have a team of writers I've met over the years through various internet marketing ventures so I never had to find new writers specifically for this. I use a Google Drive folder to organize all the articles for each client. We use a table to list each article title, keyword, special instructions, due date, and any other important info. Each article is then saved as a separate document. This way it's easy for me to check on the progress of all the articles and the client can check anytime to see if the work is being done. I have them all send me one article as a test run to make sure they're a good fit for the job. I ask them to write a small bio for themselves and the client can pick which writer they want based on the bio and the test article. All of this is done to make the process from start to end as easy and organized as possible for both me and the client.

4.2. Leveraging Fiverr's Pro Services

Before looking at anything specific, we would highly recommend using this methodology to reinvest money earned on Fiverr into other Fiverr services. Fiverr's revenue clearly goes up when you reinvest into paid promotions. If you've got a service that sells and makes money, why not increase its exposure? Fiverr has paid promotion options for services, where for a cost per click it boosts your exposure on the homepage and search results. This service is basically useless unless you already have an existing service that is making sales. You can also use extra money to create a business plan for full-scale service promotion. This is a free option up to a certain point and is essentially buying increased search result exposure. However, this is only effective if you have many services and not just one. Fiverr's future roadmap includes developing a bidding system for ad placement, so mastering your services now and earning money to save for later would be good foresight.

If you're going to outsource some of your work, always make sure it is high effort but not your lowest seller. For example, the explainer video is a high effort/high value order. Whereas getting someone to design your logo is a low effort/high value task. The objective here isn't necessarily to free up time, it's to reinvest money into growing your business.

4.3. Collaborating with Other Sellers

It’s important to remember that these are formal business agreements, and you will need to provide very convincing reasons for the seller to comply. For example, you might seek out a backlink exchange (a very powerful SEO tool) with someone who offers a completely different service to you. You will need to prove to him why sending his clients to buy your service is a better option. The better the agreement is for the other party, the more likely they are to follow through, so make sure it’s a win-win situation. Keep track of the results to ensure that the agreement is effective in improving your sales.

There’s another way to connect with successful sellers and that’s forming a mutually beneficial agreement that helps both parties. You are probably familiar with 'add-ons.' They feature your service as an improvement to another. A simple example is a video script writer forming an agreement with a voiceover artist, where a portion of the voiceover artist’s clients will also choose to buy the script writing service. This is a great way to boost sales without having to do any extra work, though it does rely on the voiceover artist having enough clients to significantly impact the script writer’s sales. This is just one out of many possibilities; get creative and find a method that will work well for you.