I’m a TRS Pro Verified seller. In over 10 years of working on Fiverr as one of the platform’s top copywriters, I have worked with thousands of clients like you. My tips are focused on helping you to start and build relationships with the best Fiverr sellers for a better ROI while neatly side-stepping some common pitfalls.
My Opinion? Stick to the Following 6 Rules:
- Focus on building good relationships with sellers.
- Start with small test projects before committing to larger ones to ensure compatibility and reliability.
- Read sellers’ gig descriptions and FAQs thoroughly before contacting them.
- Don’t ask for discounts immediately – Fiverr sellers already usually provide a ton of value.
- Practice basic business security practices when working with sellers.
- In case of dispute, reach out to Fiverr Customer Support.
Why Read Tips for Fiverr Buyers From a Seller?
Those tips for Fiverr buyers focus exclusively on what buyers want, forgetting that the seller is 50% of the relationship. If you want to start and maintain a good relationship with your seller(s), you need tips that reflect how you can work with them effectively, respectfully, and professionally.
These tips are designed to help you understand the mentality of many Fiverr sellers.
If you don’t have any experience of selling on Fiverr, it’s not always obvious when a good tip is actually a bad tip that’s going to scupper your chances of working with a seller.
Which might make you ask a simple question…
Why Would Sellers Refuse Business with a Paying Client?
The problem here isn’t so much you. It’s Fiverr trauma! Yeah, that’s a thing.
Fiverr sellers, due to the way Fiverr is set up, rarely tell Fiverr buyers when they’re not behaving ideally. Truth is, many are scared to. Speaking up could mean a bad review!
This is a transactional relationship, which means everything is driven by the bottom line. All of Fiverr’s freelancers have an eye on their metric performance (or, how algorithms decide to make or break our visibility to buyers).
If visibility slips, we lose orders. We lose income. Not just a little dip. A big one.
On Fiverr, that loss of income can last for 60 days if even one buyer isn’t 5-star raveballs happy with our performance. That’s a lot of pressure.
Unfortunately, that means that sellers can be a little bit prey to a predator buyer. And like all prey, many sellers are on high alert with every new lead.
If you trigger our fight or flight, we’re fleeing. You may cost us too much.
I hate how it works, too. But if you follow these tips, you can avoid all that!
These Tips for Fiverr Buyers Will Help You to Master Fiverr
This post will help you to work with the best sellers on the platform and make them your business BFFs. I’m showing you how to not trigger the flight or fight and giving you insights into the thought processes of many sellers.
If you don’t believe me, check out the Fiverr Forum or r/Fiverr.
My goal with this post is to help buyers and sellers work together harmoniously by shining a light on behaviors that stop a business relationship from ever starting. We want to work with you, but not if we get the feeling that you might (accidentally) shank us in the shower room.
Finally, this is an opinion piece that’s rooted in my own experience and hyperbole for entertainment’s sake.
1. Be Professional, Even When You’re Hopping Mad
This may seem like a weird tip, but you would be surprised how many buyers do not act professionally.
Many of these reminders are listed in Fiverr’s Community Standards. This is a broader part of Fiverr’s core Terms of Service and is more a less a code of what basic standards of behavior Fiverr wants to see from its users.
Nobody minds if you speak a little casually. Just keep it business casual.
2. Don’t Use Multiple Accounts On Fiverr
TL;DR: You’ll get all associated Fiverr accounts banned – for life, no takesies-backsies.
Fiverr does allow for one regular account and one Pro account, but that’s it. If you’re working on Fiverr as a part of a team, then you should be looking at getting a Fiverr Pro account. It’s free to sign up, and you can add unlimited team members to this account. The collaboration features that alone make this a no-brainer for small business buyers on Fiverr.
I’ve actually written a whole other blog post about multiple accounts on Fiverr, so check it out if you want to know more.
3. Don’t Use “Secret Words” In Your Brief
This is not good practice. It sounds like good practice, and yes, a lot of other people say it works.
They’re wrong. They’re wasting their time and yours.
I’ve been working as a freelancer since 2005. I’ve been on Fiverr since 2013. I’ve worked with thousands of clients in a huge variety of industries and talked with leads in many more. If there’s one thing that makes me do a hard pass without a second thought, it’s a brief demanding a secret word be used.
I’m not alone here.
When I respond to your brief, I want to talk to you about your project. I don’t want to shoehorn “xylophone giraffes” into my message. It should be evident from the relevant questions I ask that I have, in fact, read your brief and that I know what I’m doing.
I want you to focus on what I’m saying and help me to help you. Giraffes are not a qualifier of my candidacy for your role!
You wouldn’t put this in a job description. It is not appropriate on Fiverr, either!
Early in my career, I figured out that clients with “screening” processes like this were often the most demanding and the least rewarding professionally, psychologically, emotionally and financially.
Nobody wants to work with anyone who is effectively a soul-sucking energy vampire.
Many other experienced freelancers also treat secret words as a red flag, leaving you with people who may not necessarily be the best fit for your job. In fact, they may be horrific. But they can copy-paste xylophone giraffe.
If you want to make Brief and Match, Fiverr Neo, or initial feeler inbox messages work for you, check out this Fiverr briefing guide. You may be doing a lot of things wrong!
4. Dreaming Big? Start With A Small Test Project and Use Revisions
No matter who you hire, how impressive their credentials are, or how excited you are to get started on your big project, please slow down.
One of the worst things that can happen to buyers and sellers on Fiverr is when a big project goes wrong. You won’t be happy with the outcome and may not want to pay for it. Your seller will not want to cancel and lose all the money and time they invested into your project.
The easiest way to avoid this is to just start with some small projects – perhaps a small part of your bigger one. Don’t tell them this is a test before the bigger project. The goal here is to see if you make a good fit and if you like the work. You’ll also get a feel for the seller’s reliability.
This has buttloads of benefits.
- The seller will get to understand you and your business more
- The seller will get to understand your project before you start
- You will get a feel for their workflow, communication, and reliability
- You can check to see if the seller is capable of delivering the goods
- The seller won’t be stressed about BIG PROJECT STRESS
- The seller won’t be thinking about BIG PROJECT MONEY
The last two are important, since some sellers can act very differently when a big project comes along, and not necessarily in a good way. Greed (or sometimes desperation) is a powerful motivator. You want to get a feel for how they normally work and act.
What you don’t want is a seller who insists they can do everything. No problems. Don’t worry about it. It’s all under control. You want a seller who you already know from experience has it all under control.
See the difference? It’s not that subtle, but it’s often overlooked. One other benefit of doing things this way is that if your seller isn’t acting normally during your BIG PROJECT, you’ll better spot the inconsistencies and red flags.
From there on out, you need to decide what to do. But at least you can identify the problem faster. This alone allows you to move quickly rather than hanging onto hope and wondering if it’s you (it’s not you, it’s them. A professional seller will always communicate issues and delays ASAP, ideally in advance).
This is a simple tip, but it can save you a ton of money and a lot of stress.
Remember, don’t tell them about your BIG PROJECT. The old line “If I like the results, I have plenty of work for you in future” is an infamous red flag in the world of freelancing, thanks to its use by unscrupulous buyers looking for discounts on a false promise.
If you like the work, leave reviews and rehire the seller for projects in the future.
Finally, remember that Fiverr started as a place to get stuff done for $5. The platform has evolved considerably since then, but the mentality and operations of the site are still very much grounded in the “small project” mentality.
There are many sellers who won’t do work above a certain $ amount because “that’s too much.” Often, these sellers have been burned. A small project on Fiverr is a good way to build trust and a relationship leading up to your big project.
5. Don’t Try To Game Fiverr And Go Off-Platform
TL:DR: Going off-platform is a major violation of Fiverr Terms of Service. You’ll lose any platform protections and may be permanently banned… and your seller might rip you off in the process.
Over the years, many buyers have tried to take sellers off-platform and vice-versa. It might be to save money on fees, it might be to use a preferred communication tool. Fiverr currently allows users to go off platform but only in a very limited sense. You must have an order, and the reason for going off-platform must be strictly related to the order.
So, for example, if you need to give a Fiverr seller offering social media management services access to your Instagram account, you need to get their email. But you don’t need to go off-platform to talk via email.
Requesting contact details outside of an order is not allowed. Requesting or following through on requests can lead to a permanent ban for you and the other party. Many sellers, wary of losing their income, simply report buyers who ask. I always do. My account is bigger than any business you can bring me: you are not worth the risk you now pose to it.
All sellers who are successful on Fiverr will hold a similar point of view.
6. Read Seller’s Gig Descriptions And FAQs!
Sellers spend a long time writing these. I spend up to a week researching and writing mine! They encapsulate my service, address the most common questions, and tell you what to do if you want to work with me. They include portfolio pieces, infographics, and are as competitive as I can make them.
The problem is that many buyers don’t read them.
I know a lot of other articles recommend contacting sellers, and there are definitely valid reasons to do so. Unfortunately, many mindlessly message without reading a thing.
This is frustrating. Before you message the seller, read their gig description. Make sure you check the FAQs to see if your question is answered. Check delivery times and extra fast delivery times.
If you can’t find the information you need, then you should ask the seller your questions.
7. Don’t ALWAYS Contact The Seller First!
This ties into the last tip, although this is more about the impact to a relationship questions can have. I can’t tell you how many quick responses (QRs) I have for basic questions that are answered on my gig page!
It’s a little bit annoying, but hardly the end of the world. I can appreciate that you’re busy and I may not be the only person you are messaging.
On the other hand, I am also a busy professional and you are not the only person I am messaging.
If you’re asking me to tell you how much X costs when it is listed on my gig, I then have to repeat information that is already available to you. Saying “Hi” and nothing else as if this is an IM chat with bestie invites me to QR that I’m unavailable.
Contacting me to ask if I am available is also tiresome. If you don’t see that, there’s no reason to think that I’m not available. Why ask? There are exceptions, such as “I have this super-urgent thing I need done tomorrow, do you have availability in your schedule”. But simply asking “are you available” is not one of them.
The ‘Contact Me’ button is best used when you have a question or request that isn’t addressed in the gig description, or when sellers explicitly tell you to contact them first. You may have noticed some sellers have their gig locked behind a “Request to Order” button. This is only available to sellers who pay for the Seller Plus program.
Lazy requests invite lazy answers and bad actors. Some sellers may simply tell you they can do everything you want to convince you to buy.
A few days later, you discover that the talk doesn’t match the walk… and the seller you really wanted to work with is out of the office for two weeks. Well, I guess that answers the availability question!
(If you send one message to multiple sellers, please also check that that you got their name right. A lot of sellers will reject buyers who send them a message addressed to someone else!)
8. Collaborate Honestly. Leave Honest Ratings
Fiverr’s always telling everyone how it wants its users to be honest and open with each other.
But they often aren’t. The feedback system is a mess of 5-star reviews because buyers didn’t want to “ruin” someone’s rating or preferred to leave a nice 5-star public review and a cripplingly mean private review.
How can sellers realistically improve their service buyers behave like this?
Of course, bad sellers also contributed to the problem by withholding work until a review was given or crying out unhappy sob stories when buyers didn’t leave a pristine 5-star review (neither of which is allowed…)
Don’t get me wrong. I believe sellers should be equally honest. If they can’t do something, they should say so. If a buyer is a walking nightmare, their review should express that.
But more often than not, it’s a 5-star party that barely reflects what either seller or buyer is really thinking.
Here’s a little secret about ratings that a lot of people don’t know. Fiverr’s public ratings don’t matter very much. Their biggest importance is sharing your experience with other users. So, fake smile reviews really are useless.
Private feedback, on the other hand, is very important, since it ties into the algorithm and the success score.
If you tell a seller they’re wonderful then put them on blast privately, they get a dip in business that can last for 60 days or more and have no idea what caused it.
That’s not fair to anyone.
Try to work things out. Be honest and leave fair reviews both publicly and privately.
Of course, a bad review almost certainly means the seller will instantly block you. If you have a history of giving bad reviews (or getting them), you’re also going to be viewed with suspicion, since sellers can check your review history!
Yes, I know! The Fiverr feedback system is completely broken despite multiple attempts by Fiverr to fix it. But still, you should be honest. And if you can’t?
As with so many things in life, tactful silence can sometimes be a useful tool for a happier life, especially if you want to continue working with your seller.
9. Don’t Be Pushy About Requesting Freebies And Discounts Immediately
Many sellers on Fiverr also work away from Fiverr. Most of them are already offering their prices on Fiverr at a discount. Why? Usually, there are three reasons:
- Fiverr brings clients to sellers without sellers having to do any marketing, saving them time and money in advertising their business elsewhere
- Fiverr is a highly competitive environment with a lot of price-sensitive buyers. Often, sellers match their rates closely in line with their nearest competitors
- Sellers in some industries use paid professional tools that have high monthly subscription rates. Using them gives you access to the tools at a fraction of the price (and their expertise in them)
This means that you’re already getting a great deal. Since sellers pay 20% commission to Fiverr on each order, the price you see isn’t what they will get. Then Mr. Taxman, come hell or high water, will want his cut.
While some sellers are open to negotiation, many are not and will simply tell you that these are the lowest rates they can offer. A common exception for this is long term work, but it is better to ask about rates after completing a test job or two.
I will always refocus any conversation asking about discounts to what you want me to do now. Once we’ve worked together and established that we’re a good fit, then we can discuss future rates.
Try to push a seller who isn’t interested, and they will simply point out that there are hundreds or thousands of other sellers offering services that match your budget – why not use them, instead?
Alternatively, you’ll get the old “not a good fit” reason. Either way, if you hear these responses, you can safely assume the seller has lost interest in working with you.
Experienced, in-demand sellers are not interested in negotiating or haggling over a one-off job with someone who may never come back. There are plenty of buyers who are happy to pay full rates without the haggling.
The reason? You might think it’s the money. It’s not. Pushy buyers who demand discounts and argue for them are often not good clients. In fact, they’re usually the most demanding – and the least appreciative of the good deal they got.
10. Protect Yourself When You’re Buying
It doesn’t matter who you work with on Fiverr, it always pays to practice basic business security. If your project requires access to sensitive data or access to the back office of your website, don’t assume that the seller is going to act professionally.
Most of the time they will, but it is the one time that a seller decides to go Rambo on you will make you hate your life – and there’s not much Fiverr can do to help you pick up the tattered shreds of your life after. On Fiverr, it’s your responsibility to make sure you have backups, that you limit access to sensitive information, and otherwise limit what sellers could do if things go wrong.
I have seen so many horrible stories of buyers who have lost access to their website or social media accounts. The story is almost always the same: the order went wrong, the seller got mad and then held the buyer to ransom by locking them out or doing something bad for business.
This is, of course, against the Terms of Service. Fiverr can ban the seller and offer a refund, but it can’t help you with anything else. That includes helping you to fix whatever mess the seller makes of your business – and the cost of recovering after.
Please take the time to make sure that you are protecting yourself, no matter who you’re working with. This isn’t a question of “trusting” people. It’s basic business security.
When things are going wrong, keep cool, remain professional, and don’t inflame the situation. Simply (quietly!) withdraw access and make sure that no matter what happens next, your assets aren’t compromised.
11. Where Necessary, Buy Your Own Licenses
Some projects need licenses. For example, maybe you have a WordPress site and you want a seller to install a theme with a bunch of plugins. Some may need to be paid for and have licensing requirements.
Buy them and provide them. Some sellers will say they can do this. Some will simply install cracked or non-genuine software. This presents a few risks:
- No product updates, leading to security vulnerabilities
- May contain malware
- May cause legal issues
Even if the licensing is genuine, you end up paying a minimum 20% premium to sellers who purchase the license for you (due to Fiverr’s 20% commissions).
Some sellers may have white label licenses, but even then, tread carefully and request proof. Just check, and be thorough. It’s your project. Make sure you’re protecting yourself.
12. Build Relationships With Your Favorite Sellers
All the best business in the world is based on relationships. Mutual trust and understanding go a long way, as do shared goals and values.
Finding a good seller who gets you and delivers great work is something that you should value and nurture. I’m not saying “invent new projects to work with them” but favorite them.
If you have a project in their wheelhouse, send them a message. Support them. Be the buyer that makes them smile when your name shows up in a new notification.
The more a seller works with you, the more they understand your business. The faster they work, the faster you get results.
As a bonus, having favorite sellers means less time searching for and vetting new sellers!
13. Reach Out To Fiverr Support For Help
If things go wrong when you’re using Fiverr and your relationship with the seller has hit trash can fire levels of ugliness, then Fiverr Customer Support can help you out. You don’t need to get embroiled in a bitter war of words that skirts the extreme limits of Fiverr’s Community Standards with tit-for-tat pettiness.
There are plenty of resources you can reach out to:
- The Fiverr Help Center is full of information and is updated frequently
- Customer Support can help with more personal inquiries
- Fiverr’s Twitter account is a good option for escalation
- The Official Fiverr Forum has lots of helpful and knowledgeable people
Stay out of the ring. Get help from others!
If you’re in the Fiverr Select buyer loyalty program or a Fiverr Pro buyer, you probably won’t need to resort to Twitter since Priority Support typically answers within 2 hours, even at weekends and on holidays.
14. Make Extra Money with Fiverr’s Referral Program
Here’s a little extra tip. Did you know you can make a little extra money from Fiverr yourself without having to sell? If you find yourself recommending a seller over and over again to other people, send them a referral code.
That way, if your referrals result in a business deal, you can make a little extra cash.
Your seller will appreciate the referrals, and Fiverr will appreciate the new customer. And, in these crazy economic times, we can all do with a little extra cash.
Every time a referral signs up with your referral link, you’ll earn a 10% commission on their purchase and you referral will get 10% off their first order. You can recommend Fiverr to your friends, but you’re more likely to get paid if you refer other businesses.
The total program payout is capped at $500 with a maximum of earned for each referral $100. While the commission is only paid in Fiverr Credits, this is an easy way to potentially make a little extra cash while proving a win-win situation for everyone involved.
If you’re really interested in this and want cold hard cash without $500 total limits, check out the Fiverr Affiliates program.
Less officially, you can also ask your favored sellers if they offer discounts on future orders for referrals. Not all sellers do, but it’s always worth asking. Some sellers will even mention this in their FAQs or delivery messages. Everyone does it differently, depending on their own marketing strategy.
Now, Go Forth and Multi-Buy*!
*Always contact Fiverr sellers before making multiple orders to check availability to avoid disappointment!
Fiverr has been around since 2010. The cool thing about Fiverr is that you can get hooked up with talent for just about anything you need.
You want a new seller who can give you graphic design on a budget? You got it.
You want someone who can build a WordPress site from scratch? You got it.
You want a beast of a top rated copywriter smashing your audience’s face into a bloodied brick wall until they buy whatever you’re slinging? You got it!
These brutally honest tips for Fiverr buyers might be harsh, but they will help you to make Fiverr a valuable business resource.
They’re designed to stop you wasting time by making sure you don’t scare off a great seller by mistake.
And now, over to you – what tips do you have? Do you agree with my tips, or did I really miss the mark with some of them?
