The Three Golden Rules of Gig Success

Fiverr was built upon the creativity, independence and professionalism of our community. We embrace the hard work of our sellers and strive to give you the finest tools, an easy to use marketplace and a large volume of high quality traffic to build your road to financial independence. It’s important however that every seller keeps to the spirit upon which Fiverr was founded. In order for you to have an equal and fair chance of achieving financial success with your Gigs, we monitor Gigs closely, sometimes taking steps when they don’t honor that spirit.We generally don’t use words like ‘rules’ or ‘guidelines’: After all, sellers who define their own rules of success power the Gig Economy. Fiverr chooses to use the word ‘Principles’, of which there are three: Respect, Truth and Professionalism.To understand what Fiverr is (and is not) looking for when approving Gigs, all you need to do is to follow these three simple steps:

1) Be Respectful

Fiverr completely supports your efforts to make money by doing what you love. We want you to achieve all your goals but we do need to maintain our community as the warm, welcoming, and fun place it is.Here’s how you can help:

• Keep it Clean. Our editors keep an eye out for Gigs that violate another company’s Terms of Service (TOS). We don’t want Fiverr or our sellers damaging another company’s community or reputation, just as we wouldn’t allow it to happen to Fiverr. Respect the wider Internet community and refrain from offering Gigs that does this. Gigs that infringes upon third party intellectual property rights or their terms of use is subject to removal by our content editors as stated in our Terms of Service.
• Be Fair. If you see a Gig image that another seller has and want to use it, don’t copy it. Try reaching out to that seller to see if they will share their source and/or help you find a suitable image for your Gig. Remember: The Fiverr Forum is a fantastic place to get great image ideas for your Gigs from your fellow community members.

2) Be True

Graphics are crucial to attracting buyers; provide a valuable visual representation of your Gigs. Here are some tips to keep you successful.

• Get a tailor made image for your Gig. You can always order a custom made image from your fellow sellers’ right here on Fiverr. Just make sure that the seller you buy it from owns the copyright to it and that you are free to use it. If you are for example a programmer, writer or if you offer a Gig that isn’t a physical product, this may be the best solution for you.
• Stay honest. If you’re a designer, photographer, illustrator or a video editor you should only be showing your own work. If you use a stock image, a random photo from the Internet or an image that you bought from a different seller, you may end up misleading buyers. This of course not only leads to negative reviews from buyers, but the attention of our editors.
• Own your work. Selling and using templates that you don’t own the rights to use for sale is something we always look out for. Stock images, premium templates, clipart, logos, vectors, icons, images bought from other sellers, and other images available on the Internet that may be free to use, are not always free to resell. Always be aware of any templates used, their original copyrights and how you can use them.

3) Be Professional

Building a strong relationship with buyers is the best strategy in establishing not only a fantastic reputation for you and your Gigs, but creating a steady income. We put a lot of time and effort bringing new buyers to Fiverr. Once they’re here, the Gigs you and other sellers provide will determine not only how much they spend, but whether they ever come back.It’s clear we all need to work together to ensure the best possible buyer experience on Fiverr. To achieve just that, remember to:

• Represent your Gig clearly. When your Gig title and / or description isn’t clear, buyers may place an order believing they get one thing, but might receive something else. This confusion often leads to frustration, negative feedback and of course, the loss of a sale. To avoid this, make sure that the Gig you offer is clearly defined in your description, and that any crucial information you need to start your order is plainly listed in the buyer instructions (This also applies to any additional services you offer for an added fee as well). Try to remember to make sure your image relates to your Gig and don’t mislead your buyers with what they can expect from you. An informed buyer is a happy buyer.
• Communicate with your buyer. Whether you’re talking to a potential buyer or are midway through an order, it’s important that you are always available to respond to comments and questions in a timely fashion. Keep in mind this may be a new buyer who could be a bit nervous or unsure of the process. Sometimes buyers are perfectionists (as is their right) and can be a little demanding. Just take a deep breath and respond professionally. More often than not, satisfying buyers its own good fortune. That being said however, we always look after our sellers: If at any point you come across a buyer whose behavior is inappropriate, please report them (using the report link on the bottom right of the message). Our support team will get your message and investigate the suspicious sender.
• Be Professional. There are many buyers who will test your good nature. Whether it’s an unjust review or lack of communication on their part, maintain your professionalism. With the new Fiverr, we’ve added the Resolution Center which gives you the tools you need to resolve any issues that may arise with a buyer. Familiarize yourself with these options and don’t hesitate to use them when needed to maintain your good rating.
• Be Respectful. Fiverr is open to everyone. The vast variety of Gigs we offer attracts buyers of all ages and nationalities. To maintain Fiverr as a welcoming place for everyone, Gigs that contain bad language and / or content are carefully monitored and may be removed.
• Watch Cancellations. We know that cancelling orders is sometimes necessary and no matter how well you run your business, there are always times when you just can’t deliver. Excess cancellations without any communication with the buyer will have negative consequences on a buyer’s experience with not only you, but also with the rest of Fiverr. In the new Fiverr we have made it simple for you to track your cancellation rate in the analytics section. Try to make sure that you maintain a decent rate and above all, be sure to communicate your reasons with the buyer when you cancel. Explain why you need to cancel and to be as helpful as you can, referring them to a fellow seller who can provide them with the Gig they require. We’ve seen far too many sellers get stuck with a large number of cancellations. When you know that you won’t be able to fulfill Gigs in the near future, remember to pause or extend your delivery time and make a note in your profile description explaining why. By doing this you will not only avoid excessive cancellations (and keep your reputation intact) – your loyal buyers will know when to come back to you.
• Unique Gigs. Since you can only choose one category and subcategory per Gig (and many sellers offer services that fit into multiple categories) we often see sellers duplicating their Gigs. This creates confusion, something the editors cannot approve. The best thing to do is to break down these Gigs to provide singular, niche services. Then place each of these unique Gigs (each with their own exclusive image, title, description, video, etc.) into the subcategory that fits best.

Your success is Fiverr’s success. Be respectful to buyers, honest and professional in your dealings, and put buyer’s happiness at the core of your business. Fiverr is an amazing community. Help us to keep it that way for years to come.