- Fiverr has great sellers and bad ones. The platform does not separate them for you
- Cheap is not always bad. But suspiciously cheap usually is
- Look at reviews, response time, portfolio samples, and how they communicate before ordering
- Send a message before buying. The reply tells you everything
- The right seller saves you money. The wrong one costs you twice
Keep reading till the end to learn how to find the freelancers who will make your life better. If you need to confirm the legitamity of the Fiverr, Read our latest post – Is fiverr Legit?
Most people go to Fiverr the same way.
They search for what they need. They sort by price. They pick the cheapest one with decent stars. They place the order.
Then they wait. And wait. And get back something that looks nothing like what they asked for.
That is not a Fiverr problem. That is a hiring problem.
Fiverr has thousands of genuinely talented sellers. People who deliver fast, communicate clearly, and do work that holds up. Finding them just takes a few extra minutes before you buy.
Here is exactly what I look for.
Step 1 – Search Like a Buyer Who Knows What They Want
Most people search too broadly.
They type “logo design” or “website” and get 10,000 results. Then they filter by price and end up with whoever is cheapest.
Be specific instead.
Instead of “website” try “WordPress WooCommerce store setup.” Instead of “SEO” try “technical SEO audit WordPress.” Instead of “logo” try “minimalist logo for e-commerce brand.”
Specific searches return sellers who specialise. Specialists almost always deliver better results than generalists — especially on Fiverr where sellers build entire profiles around one skill.
Step 2 – Read the Reviews Properly
Everyone checks the star rating. Almost nobody reads the actual reviews.
A seller can have 4.8 stars and still be the wrong choice for you. Stars tell you people were satisfied. Reviews tell you why — and more importantly, what kind of work they were satisfied with.
Look for three things in the reviews:
Specificity. A review that says “great work, fast delivery” tells you nothing. A review that says “built our Shopify store from scratch, handled the payment gateway issue quickly, and explained everything clearly” tells you exactly what to expect. Look for specific, detailed reviews.
Recency. A seller with 200 reviews sounds impressive. But if the last review was eight months ago — something changed. Maybe they got busy. Maybe quality dropped. Filter by most recent and see if the pace of reviews has slowed.
Repeated complaints. If three reviews out of twenty mention “slow communication” or “needed a lot of revisions” — that is a pattern. One bad review can be a difficult buyer. Three saying the same thing is the seller.
Step 3 – Look at Their Response Time and Order Completion Rate
Scroll past the star rating on any seller’s profile. You will see three numbers:
Response time. How fast they reply to messages. Under one hour is excellent. Under 24 hours is acceptable. More than that — expect slow communication throughout your project.
Order completion rate. This is the percentage of orders they actually delivered versus orders that were cancelled. Anything below 90% is a red flag. It means buyers are cancelling after ordering — usually because the seller over-promised and under-delivered.
On-time delivery rate. Did they hit the deadline? Fiverr shows this. A seller with 95%+ on-time delivery is reliable. One at 70% will make you chase them.
These numbers are on every profile. Most buyers ignore them. Do not.
Step 4 – Check the Portfolio Before You Check the Price
Every seller on Fiverr can upload samples of their work. Most buyers look at the price. Good buyers look at the portfolio first.
Ask yourself one question when you look at their samples: does this look like what I want?
Not “is this impressive.” Not “is this expensive looking.” Just — does it match the style, quality, or outcome I am after?
A WordPress developer’s portfolio should show actual live sites or screenshots of real builds. An SEO seller’s portfolio should show case studies — traffic before and after, rankings achieved. A designer’s portfolio should show work that matches your brand direction.
If the portfolio is empty — that is a signal. New sellers sometimes have no portfolio yet. That is fine if the price reflects it and you are willing to take a small risk. But if a seller has 500 reviews and no portfolio samples — ask yourself why they are hiding their work.
Step 5 – Send a Message Before You Order
This is the single most important step. Almost nobody does it.
Before you place any order — send the seller a short message. Describe what you need in two or three sentences. Ask one specific question about your project.
Then pay attention to three things:
How fast they reply. If they take three days to reply to a message before you are even a customer — imagine how fast they will reply when there is a problem mid-project.
How they answer. Did they actually read your message and respond to your specific question? Or did they send a generic copy-paste reply? A seller who pays attention before the order will pay attention during it.
Whether they ask anything back. A good seller will ask a clarifying question. They want to understand your project before they commit to it. A seller who just says “yes I can do this, please order” without any questions has not thought about your project at all.
That one message tells you more than a hundred reviews.
Step 6 – Understand What the Price Actually Covers
Fiverr gig prices are not always what they appear.
A £10 logo gig might deliver one concept with no revisions and a watermarked file. A £50 logo gig might include three concepts, unlimited revisions, and all source files. The £50 option is cheaper in practice because you are not paying twice to fix it.
Before you order, read the gig description carefully. Specifically look for:
What is included in each package. Basic, Standard, and Premium usually differ significantly. Check the revision limit, delivery time, and what files or deliverables you actually receive.
What is not included. Some gigs charge extra for source files. Some charge extra for commercial use rights. Some charge extra for each revision after the first two. These add-ons can double the price of a cheap gig quickly.
Delivery time vs your actual deadline. A 3-day delivery gig ordered on a Wednesday delivers Saturday. Is that when you need it? Factor in revision time too — one round of feedback can add another day or two.
The Red Flags – Walk Away if You See These
Some signals are obvious once you know what to look for.
All five-star reviews with no detail. Genuine reviews are mixed. People mention small issues even when they are happy. A profile where every single review is “perfect seller, 100% recommend” with no detail often means reviews were incentivised or left by connected accounts.
Gig images that look like stock photos. If a web developer’s gig thumbnail is a stock image of a laptop and not a screenshot of their actual work — they are hiding something.
Promises that seem too good. “I will rank your website number one on Google in 7 days.” No. Nobody can promise this. Sellers who make guarantees like this are either lying or using black-hat tactics that will hurt your site long-term.
No English in their reviews. If you need clear communication throughout a project and all their reviews are in a language you cannot read — you cannot actually assess their communication track record.
Asking you to pay outside Fiverr. If a seller asks you to pay via PayPal, bank transfer, or any method outside the Fiverr platform — do not do it. You lose all buyer protection. This is also against Fiverr’s terms of service.
The Green Flags – These Sellers Are Worth Paying For
Level Two or Pro badge. Fiverr Level 2 sellers have completed at least 50 orders with strong ratings and response rates. Pro sellers have been manually vetted by Fiverr. Both badges mean the seller has a track record.
Detailed gig descriptions. A seller who writes a thorough description of their process, what they need from you, and what you will receive — understands their own work. Vague descriptions produce vague results.
Active recently. Fiverr shows when a seller was last active. A seller active within 24 hours will respond quickly. One last active three weeks ago may have moved on or is managing too many orders.
Asks for a brief before starting. Any good seller wants to understand the project before they dive in. If they ask you for more information, that is a sign they care about the outcome.
How to Write a Brief That Gets You Better Results
Even the best seller on Fiverr cannot do great work without a clear brief.
Keep it short. Keep it specific.
Tell them: what you need, what it is for, who the audience is, any examples of work you like, and your deadline. That is it. Five things. You do not need to write an essay.
Example of a bad brief: “I need a website.”
Example of a good brief: “I need a 5-page WordPress site for a coffee shop in London. Clean, minimal design. I like the style of Ozone Coffee’s website. Need it live within two weeks. I can provide the logo and photos.”
The second brief gets a better result every time. Not because the seller is different. Because you gave them something to work with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fiverr actually worth it? Yes — if you know how to hire. The platform has genuinely skilled professionals across almost every digital service. The mistake most people make is hiring on price alone. Spend an extra five minutes on the checklist above and your success rate goes up dramatically.
Should I always go for the most expensive option? No. Price on Fiverr does not always reflect quality. Some of the best sellers are mid-range because they have not raised their prices yet. Some expensive sellers are coasting on old reviews. Use the checklist — portfolio, reviews, response time, message test — not just price.
What do I do if I get a bad delivery? Request a revision first. Most issues can be fixed with clear feedback. If the seller cannot deliver what the gig promised after revisions, open a dispute through Fiverr’s resolution centre. Fiverr has buyer protection for exactly this situation.
How many revisions should I expect? Check the gig package before ordering. Most gigs include one to three revisions in the standard package. Always give clear, specific feedback in one message rather than drip-feeding changes — it saves time for both sides.
Is it safe to share my website login with a Fiverr seller? For WordPress and Shopify work you often need to. Create a temporary account with limited permissions — in WordPress this is the Editor or Admin role without billing access. Change the password after the work is done. Never share your main admin login unnecessarily.
Can I hire the same seller again? Yes. If you find a good seller — keep them. Repeat work is faster because they already know your brand and preferences. Most good sellers on Fiverr prefer repeat clients. Save their profile and message them directly for future projects.
Need a Fiverr Seller Right Now?
If you need WordPress or Shopify work done — I offer both on Fiverr. Level 2 seller. Under one hour response time. 50+ sites delivered.
View my Fiverr gigs → fiverr.com/mayantharandunu
Need something outside my services — copywriting, design, video, marketing? Find a vetted freelancer for almost anything: