Getting your first Fiverr orders: a practical plan for new sellers

By Axyra Nova Editorial · 20 September 2026 · 5 min read · Freelancing

The hardest order on Fiverr is the first one. A new gig has no reviews, no order history and no ranking signals, so buyers scrolling past it have little reason to stop. Many new sellers wait for orders to arrive and give up after a few quiet weeks. The ones who succeed treat the first month as a project with clear steps.

This guide sets out a practical plan for winning your first Fiverr orders, without shortcuts that risk your account.

Why the first orders are hard

Buyers on any marketplace look for signs that a seller is safe to hire. Reviews, completed orders and a clear portfolio all help. A new seller has none of these yet, so the gig has to work harder in other ways:

A very specific service that matches a real search.
Portfolio samples that show the exact kind of work on offer.
Fast, helpful replies to every message.
A price and scope that make it easy to say yes to a small first order.

None of these require a track record. They require care.

Step 1: Choose a narrow service

Broad gigs compete with thousands of established sellers. Narrow gigs compete with far fewer. Compare:

"I will build your WordPress website" competes with almost everyone.
"I will fix mobile layout problems on your Elementor site" competes with a much smaller group, and the buyers searching for it know exactly what they need.

Pick a service you can deliver well and quickly, where the buyer's problem is obvious. Our guide to writing a Fiverr gig that sells covers titles, packages and descriptions in detail.

Step 2: Build proof before you have reviews

Reviews come later. Proof can come now:

Portfolio samples. Rebuild a section of a real public website as a demo, fix a deliberately broken test page, or document a project you did for a friend or a nonprofit with their permission.
Before and after examples. Show what a page looked like before your work and after it.
Short write-ups. Explain what the problem was, what you did and why. Buyers trust sellers who can explain their work clearly.

Only show work you did yourself. Presenting someone else's work as your own breaks Fiverr's rules and destroys trust.

Step 3: Price to learn, not to give work away

A modest Basic package makes it easier for buyers to try a new seller. That does not mean pricing so low you resent the work. A good first package is:

Small and clearly defined, such as one fix on one page.
Quick to deliver well.
Priced so that you are paid fairly for the time it takes.

As reviews arrive, raise prices and expand packages. Our guide to freelance pricing explains how to set rates you can sustain.

Step 4: Reply fast and helpfully

Many buyers message several sellers before ordering and often choose the first one who gives a clear, useful answer. Keep notifications on, reply within hours, and make each reply specific:

Restate the buyer's problem in your own words.
Explain briefly how you would solve it.
Say what you need from them to start.
Suggest the package that fits, or offer a custom quote.

Our article on replying to Fiverr buyers includes example messages.

Step 5: Bring buyers to your gig

Fiverr search is not the only way buyers find gigs. You can share your gig link wherever your audience already is:

Your LinkedIn profile and posts. LinkedIn's help pages explain how to add a featured link to your profile.
Relevant online communities, where self-promotion is allowed.
Your own website or portfolio.
Small businesses whose websites have the exact problem your gig solves, contacted honestly and respectfully.

Always follow Fiverr's rules about communication and payment. Fiverr's help centre explains what sellers can and cannot do, including what can be shared in messages. Keep orders on the platform.

Step 6: Deliver more clarity than expected

The first orders shape your reputation. Make each one easy to review positively:

Confirm the scope before you start.
Deliver on time, or early.
Include a short note explaining what you did and how to check it.
Offer a small, clearly defined revision if something needs adjusting.
Thank the buyer and invite them to come back.

Never ask for a positive review in exchange for anything, and never offer discounts for reviews. Honest feedback on honest work is what builds a durable profile.

A worked example: the first month

Here is how a new seller offering Squarespace fixes might spend the first month:

Week 1: publish one narrow gig, add three portfolio samples built on a test site, write clear FAQs and requirements.
Week 2: share the gig on LinkedIn with a short post explaining a common Squarespace mobile problem and how to fix it. Reply to every message within a few hours.
Week 3: contact a handful of small businesses whose Squarespace sites have visible mobile issues, with a short, honest note pointing out the problem and linking to the gig.
Week 4: deliver the first orders carefully, ask for honest feedback, and adjust the gig description based on the questions buyers asked.

Nothing in this plan relies on luck. It relies on matching a specific service to people who need it and making it easy for them to hire you.

Mistakes to avoid

Creating many gigs at once before any of them is good.
Copying another seller's gig text or images.
Promising outcomes you cannot control, such as rankings or sales figures.
Moving conversations or payments off the platform, which breaks the rules and removes your protection.
Ignoring analytics. If impressions are high and clicks low, the title or image needs work. If clicks are high and orders low, the description or price does.

Where Axyra Nova fits

Axyra Nova helps sellers find small businesses whose websites have problems their gigs solve, writes honest pitches that link to those gigs, and tracks replies and earnings in one place. See how it works and the free Fiverr seller guides course on our learning platform.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get the first order?

It varies widely by service, niche and effort. Sellers who share their gigs actively and reply quickly usually see results sooner than those who wait for search traffic.

Should I offer very low prices to get started?

A modest entry package helps, but very low prices attract buyers who expect unlimited work. Price small, clear tasks fairly instead.

Can I ask friends to order my gig?

Fake orders and reviews break Fiverr's rules and can lead to account restrictions. Build proof through genuine portfolio work instead.

What if nobody orders after a month?

Review the data. Check whether the gig gets impressions, clicks or messages, and fix the weakest point first: title and image for clicks, description and price for orders.