Is Fiverr Still Freelancer Hell?
Honestly? Probably.
A few years ago I wrote an article on here discussing whether Fiverr is REALLY here for Freelancers - with the incentive to keep prices low and deliver projects in record time, by the end of the article I decided that Fiverr is made for free labour, it encouraged freelancers to undercharge their services, over deliver in value, and created a diluted market filled with freelancers claiming their “2 years experience delivering results” from an Instagram account with 30 followers.
I feel like I’ve been pretty vocal in my opinion that COVID fudged the freelance game. Frivolous “side-hustles” causing small businesses looking for help to feel scammed and cautious to find a freelancer on Fiverr. Sure, there are some genuine businesses that started a thriving business during COVID (myself included), but I just can’t shake the notion that Fiverr played a part in that.
At the same time, Fiverr changed the mindset of business owners shopping online. The competitive incentive to price your services in pennies created the expectation that that and any other services should be priced like that. Month long projects at £30 per month, web development for £200.
Honestly, it just wasn’t a vibe. But has it got better?
Full disclosure; as much as I shun Fiverr, I still have an account. It does make me feel like a hypocrite, but exposure is always essential, and I have built up some long term (and higher paying) clients as a result of it.
Things have definitely changed since I last ranted about Fiverr, but i’m curious to see how it tips the scales.
Minimum Rates Have Increased
It makes sense that as Fiverr has got older and legacy accounts have collected more proof of skill it’s minimum pricing has increased. Now new users on Fiverr have no other choice than to price their services at $30 (this may vary depending on what services your providing on the platform). So we’re no longer pricing in depth social media packages at five dollars a pop, but in the grand scheme of things the incentive to provide high quality services at a low fee is still there.
Expanded Services
To adjust with the changing needs of the industry, increased layoffs, and surge in freelancers -Fiverr has added new service options and certifications to help businesses look for cheaper labour.
In that sentence alone it’s quite obvious that this wasn’t added to help the freelancers turning to the platform for a source of income…Instead pushing the cheap labour, stressed freelancer narrative.
Better Portfolio Options
I kind of like this change, but kind of hate it too.
Now instead of adding images and PDFs to our portfolio options, you can add videos. It’s not helpful to every service offering, but it’s a great way for freelancers to get creative in terms of how they present themselves online.
I am absolutely livid they removed the option for freelancers to show past projects on their gig listings. You can still do it, but with the consent of the seller - which is rarely given.
Previously, this was one of the best ways to get people to reach out - seeing exactly what your services deliver…Why remove it?!
Do you REALLY need a Fiverr account?
It’s like tempting fate. I have a Fiverr account because it is probably one of the quickest and easiest ways for me to get my business out there…but I would never recommend it to those who have more time and dignity. There are much better and more profitable options out there for businesses looking to attract long term quality clients and make sure you have complete power when it comes to how you run your business.