It’s true that artificial intelligence, or “AI,” is slowly taking over the world. The global AI market size surpassed a staggering $136.55 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a jaw-dropping $1,811.8 billion by 2030. 

And that’s not all—within the next seven years, the AI industry alone is expected to contribute over $15 trillion to the global economy, surpassing the combined output of China and India. 

There’s no denying it: AI’s popularity has come with some problems. For example, AI-generated art software has been taking credit for real artists’ work, and students are using ChatGPT to cheat on assignments. These issues make people question whether AI can truly benefit businesses ethically and reliably.

But while there are plenty of bad examples of AI use, there are even more great examples of its potential to help freelancers and business owners across various industries. This includes professionals such as proofreaders, editors, designers, and content creators, including ghostwriters. 

So, if you’re a writer or a proofreader and want to explore the world of proofreading AI tools, carry on reading and we hope you’ll find something interesting!

Who Can Use AI Tools?

Anyone can use AI as long as people understand how the technology works and how to use it to their advantage.

AI tools can help boost productivity by speeding up — and in some cases even automating— time-consuming tasks, such as drafting project outlines, search engine optimization (SEO), and organizing invoices. There are even project management AI tools that can help you prioritize tasks and stay on top of your workflow. 

We hate to break it to you, but the chances that you’re already using AI proofreading tools are very high. Like, seriously high. You know when you’re typing or working on some online proofreading and certain words get that little red line underneath? Yeah, that’s AI. 

AI at Proofread Anywhere

At Proofread Anywhere, we always encourage our students to keep up-to-date on technological advances to stay relevant, especially in the freelance industry where competition is more fierce than traditional 9–5 jobs. 

That’s why we added an AI module to our general proofreading and transcript proofreading courses — available immediately to current students and graduates. The module comprehensively explores AI, covering its definition, effective use of artificial intelligence tools to boost productivity, and a thorough examination of the pros and cons of AI technologies.

Although we recognize AI’s potential, at Proofread Anywhere we do not use or support publishing AI-generated content. No matter how advanced AI writing tools have become, the tools aren’t perfect and can’t replicate the creativity, empathy, and insights that a human voice naturally brings to the writing process. Technology can’t build authentic emotional connections with readers nor relate on a personal level. 

If you’re looking to start your proofreading business, check out the FREE ebook: The Beginner’s Guide to Proofreading for Profit!

You can also try 7 days of our transcript proofreading course for free! 

AI Writing Tools

While we firmly hold that AI-generated writing should never replace human writing, we acknowledge that AI can be used to save time and allow freelance writers to focus on producing their best work. 

Are you feeling a bit concerned, maybe wondering, “are proofreaders still needed?” All we’ll say is: yes. As you read this article, just think about all the ways that AI can help you. View it as an online proofreading tool that helps alert your eye to punctuation mistakes and grammatical errors. 

Imagine the mental space you’ll reclaim by letting AI handle grammar corrections and redundant edits, allowing you to focus on perfecting your words!

Grammarly

Designed as a powerful tool that “helps you write with confidence,” Grammarly is an AI writing assistant that speeds up the editing process by providing automated proofreading, rephrasing suggestions, and real-time guidance on grammar rules as you write. Additionally, the software aids in expressing your ideas concisely and clearly. 

As a proofreader, or even someone in the writing and editing world, we’re almost certain you’re familiar with Grammarly. The free version is amazing for noticing spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and punctuation errors. 

Grammarly has recently introduced several new AI-powered features that effectively streamline the entire writing process. These enhancements cover everything from creating outlines to tailoring content for specific target audiences. 

For proofreaders, using tools like Grammarly can help speed up their average turnaround times. This software can also ensure that you don’t miss small errors. However, proofreaders should keep in mind that Grammarly can still make mistakes and isn’t designed to handle style guides, specific formatting, or editorial preferences.

Grammarly is incredibly easy to use and compatible with most web browsers. While the basic plan is free, accessing the advanced features requires a premium or business version subscription, priced at around $12 to $15 per month. You can also find great Grammarly deals online to save money on your subscription.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a chatbot that can help you thwart writer’s block by providing boundless inspiration.

The tool can be used to quickly generate blog posts, product descriptions, brief outlines, article headers, social media content, email replies, and other short-form content. You can also use tools like ChatGPT’s Code-Interpreter to help you write and edit code on your freelance website.

While we don’t recommend using ChatGPT as an easy way out of producing work, it can be helpful for a few elements. 

As an example, while your proofreading business grows, you might want to tap into the editing space. Let’s say you want to broach academic writing, but it’s not your area of expertise. With ChatGPT, you can write your work and then plug it into the chatbot, asking it to see if your writing is tonally correct. 

Setting up a ChatGPT account is a breeze and, best of all, there is a free version. For faster response times and priority access to new features and improvements, a paid subscription plan is available for $20 per month.

Jasper AI

Jasper, formerly called Jarvis, is similar to ChatGPT in the sense that it’s an AI content generator. The tool shines as a solution primarily for businesses, offering additional capabilities specifically designed to help with marketing strategies. 

As you get your proofreading business off the ground, this tool can be helpful with your marketing writing process. It can create copy for your advertising posts with catchy sentence structures that will help attract clients. 

For example, Jasper offers an extensive library with convenient access to templates for various marketing content requirements — you’ll find ready-to-use layouts for Amazon product descriptions, Instagram photo captions, video script outlines, and SEO meta descriptions.

Moreover, Jasper distinguishes itself by providing excellent customer support, surpassing ChatGPT’s offerings. 

It’s important to note that Jasper is not available for free, and costs $39 per month.  

SurferSEO

Good SEO is essential for your business website to rank higher in search engines and attract potential customers. However, optimizing your website and its written content for SEO isn’t easy, especially if you’re not a tech wiz. 

Luckily, SurferSEO offers AI capabilities that are easy to use and simplify the SEO process. The AI tool automates tasks like keyword research, meta descriptions, and SEO-friendly headers, and even generates SEO-tailored brief outlines.

As a proofreader, writing skills might not be entirely in your wheelhouse. But knowing how SurferSEO works might help your job long term. If you’re familiar with the tool and see a low score on a text you’re proofreading (and obviously alert the client), you might stand out with the client and ensure future work. 

SurferSEO isn’t free, but there are several reasonable pricing plan options.

Other AI Tools

While AI-powered tools are mostly used to assist with content generation, time management, and designing branding materials, that’s not all that the software can help with. Other business needs like data analysis or managing expenses, and even personal life challenges, like a poor sleep schedule, can be managed with AI.

We’d like to think that combining your knowledge of proofreading tools with online business tools will create an ultimate proofreading powerhouse in you. Yes, we’re about to list a few tools that can help with proofreading software, but at the end of the day the best online proofreading tool is you. 

We know, it sounds cheesy. But it’s true! All of these AI sites can help your proofreading skills and your online business, but it all needs you at the helm of it. 

If your design skills are lackluster, AI design tools can help bring the masterpieces in your imagination to life. You can use AI tools to create branding materials, generate logo ideas, and even set up a user-friendly website for your business. Some of the best AI design tools include Canva, 10Web, Mighty Deals, and Let’s Enhance. 

Canva

Canva is essentially a “Swiss army knife” for designers. The tool is perfect for creating all sorts of visual content for your business, from animated social media posts to data visualizations.

The platform offers numerous customizable design templates, a vast image library, and a bunch of cool features, some of which use AI to make designing even easier. Plus, the drag-and-drop interface is super user-friendly, making the software accessible to anyone, even those with no design experience.

You can try out limited Canva features for free, and a premium membership costs $15 per month for access to key features, design templates, and images. 

Remember, using AI for design isn’t going to pick up basic grammar and writing mistakes. But we shouldn’t worry about that with you — you’re a proofreader! You notice those mistakes anyway. 

10Web 

Setting up your freelance website shouldn’t require any previous coding experience to create a stunning and user-friendly online presence. Thanks to 10Web, you can effortlessly establish a business website that significantly boosts customer engagement. 

10Web is one of the best AI-powered web builders available. Based on your answers to a few simple questions about your business, the software generates a fully functioning website for you in minutes. You can then tweak the website to your liking with the beginner-friendly drag-and-drop interface. 

10Web is a premium product and there are three different pricing plans available, ranging from $13 per month to $100 per month. While fairly pricey, the benefits of this AI tool are well worth it — not only does the site offer live 24/7 chat support, but there is also a dedicated Slack channel where you can directly connect with developers.

Mighty Deals

As one of the best graphic design asset discount sites, Mighty Deals is the best place to find design tools at the best prices. The site’s new AI chatbot tool can help you find fonts, graphics, templates, web design tools, and more at a discounted price.

Let’s Enhance

Let’s Enhance is an AI software for automatically enhancing photo clarity, colors, features, and resolution. In other words, it’ll make your photos look like they were shot on a high-end camera instead of your phone! Let’s Enhance is a must-have tool if your business sells physical products because the software will ensure your photography showcases your products in the best light possible. 

A free software trial is available, or you can purchase the premium plan for $9 to $24 per month to avoid the watermark.

AI Productivity & Time Management Tools

The saying “Time is money” holds especially true for freelancers. The faster your work output, the higher your annual income can be. Of course, it can be challenging to increase your work output without sacrificing quality or becoming overwhelmed. 

Luckily, a variety of AI tools exist to help you save time, keep on top of deadlines, prioritize tasks efficiently, and boost your productivity. Some of our personal favorites include Siri, Trevor AI, Timely, and Booke. 

Siri 

Siri — yes, the virtual AI assistant tucked within your phone — can help you stay on top of your work in a wide range of ways — from setting task reminders to initiating a timer countdown (ideal when using time management strategies like the Pomodoro technique).

Siri is free to use and is available on every Apple device, though if you’re not an Apple user, you’ll want to instead use Alexa (Amazon) or Cortana (Microsoft). While these virtual assistants have slight differences, the tools all provide similar productivity features. 

Trevor AI

Trevor AI is a task-planning app that helps you take control of your day. What sets this tool apart from other scheduling software is that the software auto-assigns durations for your tasks, offers predictive rescheduling suggestions, and reminds you of overdue tasks.

The drag-and-drop interface is incredibly easy to use and it also features real-time, two-way sync between Todoist and Google Calendar, allowing you to keep everything in one, convenient space. 

Trevor AI is free for personal use with limited features. The full, pro version costs $6 per month or $120 per year.

Timely

Timely is an AI-powered automatic time tracker that makes it effortless to manage projects, track the progress of plans, and get a precise picture of how you’re spending your work day. Basically, this tool is the ultimate weapon against procrastination! 

Because we’ll be real with you: as a proofreader, correcting grammar all day can make us feel a little bit loopy. We can get totally sucked into the text, so it’s good to have a time tracker that keeps us in check. 

The app costs between $9 and $22 per month, and a free trial is available so you can test the features before committing.

Booke

It can be tough working out expenses, tracking dozens of invoices, and sifting through transaction after transaction to weed out errors.

Fortunately, Booke’s AI-powered capabilities make the bookkeeping process a whole lot easier. The tool’s game-changing features include advanced error detection, auto-categorization of transactions, and two-way integrations with popular accounting software like Xero and QuickBooks.

Booke is a paid software with prices starting at $20 per month.

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Final Thoughts

Artificial Intelligence has grown rapidly in recent years, impacting almost every aspect of our lives. AI has reshaped how we interact, communicate, and work.

And rest assured, none of these tools are “AI proofreaders” — your job is still safe. The human eye can pick up grammatical and spelling errors much better than any AI proofreading software. Also? We’re capable of sensing tone in a much more coherent way. 

Though AI can sound intimidating with terms like “algorithm” and “machine learning,” there’s no need to fear. AI technologies are designed to enhance our lives, and while not flawless, the tools offer numerous benefits.

Looking ahead, AI tools will undoubtedly continue to improve and contribute to our success in ways we may not yet comprehend. We eagerly anticipate an “AI-powered future” and are excited to witness its unfolding!

The post Best AI Tools to Improve Your Proofreading Business appeared first on Proofread Anywhere.

When trying to grow your freelance business, it’s important to understand that there is no magic pill or quick solution. There are a lot of factors that go into your business including your online presence, your first impression with potential clients, your professional network, and your relationships with current clients. 

So, if you’re ready to put in the hard work to grow your business and freelance services, keep reading. 

To really grow a freelance business, you need more than just great business skills. (That’s why, in our courses, we teach our students not just how to do the work, but how to get the work, too — because being successful involves so much more than hanging a sign on the door that says “Open for Business.”)

So what do you need to grow? We’ve narrowed it down to 4 key recommendations to become a successful freelancer (whether you are interested in becoming a proofreader or just working a few side hustles)

1. Never Stop Learning

To reach your business goals and continue to attract your ideal clients, you need to commit to being a lifelong learner. We are ALL works in progress, and despite how old you are and how much experience you have, no one knows it all. 

Great proofreaders, for example, know that language evolves and punctuation rules can change. To have an edge, we need to be on top of those changes.

You start by reading motivational books, investing in courses and seminars, following blogs, and visiting forums — anything you can get your hands on to improve your skills and gain knowledge will help you grow.

You can also add additional revenue streams by learning complementary skills that will attract prospective clients. Taking courses and being a part of the freelance community can also help you to grow your personal network.  

Books to Grow Your Business

Books are an excellent, low-cost way to keep learning! Here are some of our favorites:

Books for Professionals

• Leveling Up 12 Questions to Elevate Your Personal and Professional Development by Ryan Leak: One of the best ways to become aware of your own capabilities and shortcomings is to ask yourself questions. In this book, you are encouraged to explore your own personality, professional style, and relationships to find areas of growth and improvement. 
• That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph: An incredible true story about ideas that go against the grain and challenge our idea of what is possible. This book is a must-read for all aspiring entrepreneurs. 
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey: A classic must-read for professionals and freelancers. This book will not only help you to question your behavior but also encourage you to consider the way that others treat you and what that says about your relationships. 

Books for Proofreaders

• The Best Punctuation Book, Period. by June Casagrande: An excellent tool for understanding the differences between sets of punctuation rules in different industries. It does not go into punctuation for court reporters; however, it sheds light on the fact that punctuation is an art, and *GASP* no one knows everything about it
• The Elephants of Style: A Trunkload of Tips on the Big Issues and Gray Areas of Contemporary American English by Bill Walsh: I love this book for the same reason I love the one above, Bill Walsh acknowledges the gray areas!! There’s a reason English classes in school are now called Language Arts (and not Language Sciences).
• A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman: I love how this book, again, likens punctuation to art: in particular, a symphony! Lukeman has a knack for helping punctuation make sense in people’s heads, and I especially recommend his book to anyone who struggles with the less common punctuation marks, such as the dash or semicolon.

RELATED: 21 Motivational Books

2. Market Your Business (and Yourself) 

Marketing is an ever-evolving beast. What works one year may not work great the next year. What works in one industry will flounder in another. That’s just life, and we’ve got to grow and change with it if we don’t want to be left behind.

For example, social media is constantly changing and it’s essential to know your audience and have a sustainable posting strategy to keep up a steady stream of potential clients. In our course, Ideas to Impact, we discuss how to make social media work for you (even if you aren’t an internet expert). 

For business marketing, LinkedIn is actually growing and becoming one of the best places to market yourself to a list of clients within the professional sphere. You can build client relationship and get recommended while using LinkedIn. 

Fellow super-nerd Melonie Dodaro (author of the #1 best-selling social media book The LinkedIn Code) is one of our go-to gurus for mastering LinkedIn. In fact, when our founder, Caitlin Pyle, took Melonie’s master class, she learned four major mistakes she was making on her LinkedIn profile. 

While marketing can feel uncomfortable for most beginner freelancers and small business owners, it is essential for building a sustainable business that can grow and improve with time. When in doubt, try taking a marketing course or reading up on marketing strategies. 

3. Build Your Web Presence

For building a business in the Internet age, you simply need to have a website. Social media profiles might help you reach new customers, but you need to have somewhere to send them so they can learn more about you, contact you, and recommend you in the future.

If you want to grow a business, there are no excuses for not having a real website. It’s not hard, and it’s not expensive to build a good-looking one. A website adds credibility to your business and to you as a professional. In the online world we live in, it’s really become common courtesy to have a web presence.

Do I Have to Pay for a Website?

Technically, no.

You can build free websites that have subdomains (like caitlintheproofreader.wordpress.com), but bear in mind that these are free for a reason. The subdomain does detract from the professional look, plus you’re left with a very visible ad for the website builder on your page: two things that, for a very reasonable cost per year, can be gone completely.

In fact, a real domain costs between just $10 and $20 per year to own, and hosting is between $5 and $50 per month. And in a market where it pays to stand out, it’s important to look as credible and professional as possible. We recommend Bluehost for web hosting and domains. Their 24/7 customer service rocks, and their website builder is so easy to use.

Check out our easy, step-by-step guide to building a professional website on the cheap! If that totally freaks you out, Elegant Themes can help you create a professional-looking website — even if you have no prior technical website-building knowledge. 

4. Make a Plan for Success

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Well, it’s true! Setting goals is not only important for your business but for your own personal growth. Being able to check off your own achievements will help you feel more confident in yourself and your future. 

Some examples of reasonably achievable tasks can be: 

• – Proofread 100 pages before 2 pm

• – Write 1,000 words for a new article

• – Create 3 new images for your blog

• – Film a new tutorial video for a skill that you teach

• – Reply to 10 important emails before 10 am

Assigning yourself just one of these tasks a day helps you avoid becoming a workaholic — there’s no reason you need to force myself to do all four of those tasks in one day.

Doing too much too fast can negatively affect your mood and your work quality. If you’re in the zone and can do all four tasks in one day, great. If you can’t, don’t beat yourself up. 

Another thing that can help you stay on track is a business planner. What we love about this particular planner is that it helps you to be honest with yourself about what you want to happen with your business, and it guides you in determining the action steps you need to take to get there. Of course, it keeps you organized too. 

How Do I Set Financial Goals

The first step in setting financial goals for yourself and your business is to understand exactly where your money is coming from and going. We recommend FreshBooks because it allows you to send invoices to clients, track your spending, and manage receipts for later tax deductions. 

Just checking your business bank account isn’t enough. You need to have accurate stats on all of your finances so you can see where you can improve, expenses you can cut, and ways you are already succeeding. 

Get Started

If you want to start growing your freelance business, make sure that you start TODAY. Putting off your marketing efforts or client acquisition will just push you further away from achieving your goals. 

So, grab a piece of paper (or open a Google Doc) and start writing out your biggest goals, brainstorm some actionable steps, and make due dates for each of these steps. With the energy that you’re already putting in, you can slingshot yourself toward future success and effort. 

We believe in you! 

P.S. If you’re looking for a freelance course to help you start your business or learn the skills that you need, check out Freelance Formula, General Proofreading, and Transcript Proofreading! We also offer amazing Freelancer Resources!

The post Growing Your Freelance Business appeared first on Proofread Anywhere.

Essential Business Tools for 2024

Freelancing comes with plenty of rewarding perks, from a flexible work-life schedule to the ability to work from practically anywhere and everywhere (see ya, morning office commute). And the best perk? Owning your own business allows you to carve your own career path and work on projects that truly matter to you. 

There are gobs of benefits to business ownership, but being your own boss does come with a lot of responsibility. You need to learn how to be a jack of all trades — project management, marketing, strategizing, and bookkeeping are just a few of the hats you’ll wear!

Luckily, there are plenty of nifty tools out there that can help make running your business a whole lot easier (and save you time). We cover some of the best below!

ClickUp

ClickUp is a project management tool that helps keep you organized and on top of your workflow. The simple interface brings all your work projects into one place for easy viewing and management. Larger projects can easily be broken into subtasks and organized based on priority and deadlines. You can even track your hours on each task, helping to manage your time and see where you could improve efficiency.

What’s more, ClickUp’s wide range of collaboration tools keeps you in communication with clients and employees in real-time so you won’t lose crucial details to email spam ever again! 

The ClickUp team is attentive to its clients, and if you have any troubleshooting questions you can easily contact experts via email or live chat. You can also learn how to make the most of the tool’s key features by checking out helpful articles on the support page.

You can try ClickUp for free (with a 100MB storage limit), or choose unlimited storage and advanced features like detailed timesheets, task-based mind maps, and an AI-powered writing assistant for $7–$19 per month. 

Canva

Canva is an online graphic design platform made especially for beginners, so you don’t need to be a Photoshop wizz to create stunning graphics for your business! Anyone can pick up Canva’s simple drag-and-drop tool within minutes, and the editor offers a range of customizable templates for virtually any business design need — from viral-worthy social media posts to eye-catching blog graphics. 

Canva offers a free personal plan, or choose the premium plan for exclusive editing tools like the image background remover, magic eraser, and premium templates, graphics, videos, and photos.

The basic premium plan costs $14.99 per month, while the business team plan costs $29.99 per month for the first five people. Both premium plans provide unlimited templates, 1 TB of cloud storage, and 24/7 customer support. 

FreshBooks

FreshBooks stands out as an all-in-one accounting software solution that effectively streamlines headache-inducing invoicing. The software offers professional, customizable invoice templates, a simple payment reminder system, and automated tax calculations on each invoice to ensure accurate numbers.

Invoicing is even simpler with the FreshBooks mobile app, where you can create and send invoices from anywhere with 4G. 

Beyond invoicing, FreshBook’s capabilities extend to a range of essential bookkeeping tasks and financial needs, including expense management and comprehensive proposal creation.

Plans start at $4.25 per month. Although the tool offers fewer customization options than competitors like QuickBooks, our PA team prefers FreshBooks for its user-friendly interface and simple navigation. FreshBooks’ intuitive interfaces are also designed with service-based businesses in mind, making financial management for freelancers easier.

Trello

Trello is one of our favorite project management tools for getting everything done in one place. Similar to ClickUp, Trello allows you to easily keep track of projects, prioritize tasks, and easily allocate work between team members — all from the same panel, in real-time.

Trello doesn’t have as many features as ClickUp, but our team prefers Trello’s visual approach, transforming the workspace into virtual boards and cards for separating tasks. It’s a bit like having really organized sticky notes! Trello is super simple to use, too, ideal for those just beginning their self-employed venture. 

You can start with the free plan for incredibly generous, unlimited storage and up to 10 boards per workspace. As your business grows and you need to scale up, you can swap to a paid plan at $5–$10 per month.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free advanced analytics tool that gives valuable insights to help you make data-driven, informed decisions and create effective marketing strategies — both of which can help grow your business. 

How does it work? The tool collects data on how people engage with your business site, makes detailed reports on user actions, tracks which pages receive the most traction, and tells you how people are finding your website.

Google Analytics offers predictive analytics too, so you can prepare for your audience’s future behaviors and prevent drops in sales before they even happen.

Though you should be prepared for a bit of a learning curve if you’re new to marketing, we highly recommend taking advantage of this software to grow your business. For the newbie version of web analytics, and how to use Google Analytics as a tool for your business, check out Stewart Gauld’s video.

Otter.AI

Otter is an advanced transcription platform with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities that takes the stress out of any Zoom call. Otter.AI accurately transcribes your meetings and converts them into notes and summaries in real time, taking off the stress of jotting down notes, so you can focus on your discussion.

Meeting notes and summaries are automatically sent to participants, ensuring everyone (not just yourself!) is kept up to speed on the discussion’s key takeaways. Otter also provides a host of other collaboration tools and integrates seamlessly with popular conference apps.

Although Otter is one of the most accurate live AI transcription tools out there, it may still occasionally mistranslate words. That said, we all know a quick proofread will polish the transcripts up nicely. You can try Otter out for free and premium plans start at as little as $10 per month. 

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is an email marketing tool specifically designed for creators seeking to grow their audience reach. The tool handles all the legwork by providing automated email funnels, subscriber list management features, and ready-to-use email templates to keep your campaign out of your prospect’s spam folder. 

The tool also keeps track of email performance data trends like open rates, click rates, and unsubscribes, giving you a detailed overview of what is converting your clients and what you can do to connect with them better. 

ConvertKit is free to use for up to 1,000 subscribers but, as you nurture and grow your email list, you’ll need to swap to the Creator plan for $9–$15 per month, or the Pro plan for $25–$29 per month. While pricey, the Pro plan unlocks a range of features like unlimited team members and priority live chat support. 

Frase

Frase takes the headache out of content creation by researching, identifying keywords, creating data-driven content briefs, and writing SEO content in minutes. This all-in-one AI content creation tool develops content that your audience and search engines will give 5 stars. 

Our team at Proofread Anywhere highly recommends Frase as a research tool for freelance content writers, SEO analysts, project managers, or anyone else looking to streamline their content creation process. We especially love the advanced file-sharing system for sending editable documents with users outside the app. 

Frase costs $12.66–$114.99 per month, depending on the plan. Overall, Frase shines at creating SEO-optimized content, but if you’re after a tool that can help you produce engaging marketing copy (or overcome writer’s block), then we recommend using another AI writing assistant, like Jasper.

Jasper

Jasper is the most affordable and top-rated AI writing assistant by our team at Proofread Anywhere. The tool is an AI-powered writing assistant that can generate practically any kind of marketing copy for your business from scratch, including product descriptions, company bios, and social media captions. It also helps you improve your own writing by giving on-the-fly suggestions and inspiration while you write.

To top it off, Jasper offers an extensive library with hundreds of pre-made marketing content templates. The tool is free for a 7-day trial, but after that, you’ll need to fork out at least $39 per month.

Meta Business Suite

Meta Business Suite is any business owner’s best social media management tool for managing multiple accounts. The tool saves you time and hassle by bringing all Meta social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp) into one space.

The tool helps you effortlessly set up social media ad campaigns, gain in-depth insights into how your accounts are performing, and schedule new posts. By keeping your social media management organized, Meta Business Suite helps you regain control and build your online presence. 

Best of all, Meta Business Suite is completely free to use! Unfortunately, you can only connect Meta’s social media platforms through Meta Business Suite. Other apps are available that can integrate practically every platform together, like HootSuite, but these typically come with additional costs.

Bluehost 

Bluehost makes setting up a website from scratch easy. The tool helps create stunning business websites with its smart drag-and-drop web builder and customizable page templates. Plus, the service doubles as a website host!

Bluehost is perfect for beginners who don’t want to get bogged down in coding or plugins. The tool costs between $9.99 and $28.99 per month depending on which plan you choose. 

DailyGreatness Business Planner 

The DailyGreatness Business Planner may be “old school,” but it’s by far the best daily planner for entrepreneurs. The web planner’s pages are filled with resources and worksheets to keep you organized, motivated, and on track to meet your business objectives. 

You’ll find strategy worksheets, 90-day business challenges, budget worksheets, weekly goal planners, and quarterly check-ins to help you scale your business. 

The DailyGreatness Business Planner may be more pricey, at $69.95, but working through the guide can truly put you in the right mindset to make positive (and lucrative) business decisions.

ProWriting Aid

ProWriting Aid is an AI-powered editing tool that can bring out the full potential in your writing and ensure you never miss out on a sale due to an awkward typo or clunky sentence. It provides automated proofreading, real-time rephrasing suggestions, and in-depth readability checks. The tool can also pinpoint weaknesses in your content, like overused words and poor transitions.

ProWriting Aid won’t catch every error and can’t be a replacement for the human eye, but it can help speed up the writing and editing process significantly, allowing you to allocate more time to growing your business. 

ProWriting Aid offers a free plan, but it’s restrictive and comes with a 500-word limit and a maximum of 10 rephrases per day. We recommend opting for the premium plan as it removes these limits and also gives you access to additional features like advanced style improvement suggestions and writing analysis reports. You’ll need to pay $10–$36 per month (or up to $699 for lifetime use).

Other Essential Business Tools and Resources 

Here are a few more business applications and resources that can help you in your solopreneur venture! 

• IncFile: Establishing an LLC can be a daunting process — IncFile will do all the hard work for you and ensure you submit the correct documentation and meet all the necessary state requirements. IncFile also gives you a free Registered Agent for the first year.
• JotForm: Designed for business owners with no coding experience, JotForm is a powerful yet simple form builder that’ll allow you to create, design, and manage professional online forms in minutes. It can even keep track of the data with real-time analytics.
• Proofreading for Profit eBook: Not to toot our own horn, but the FREE ebook written by our PA team is a fantastic resource for proofreaders just starting out in the field! The book gives an in-depth overview of what proofreading professionally involves, how to hone the necessary skills, and what it takes to build a successful business from the comfort of your own home.
• AI Tools to Improve Your Business: We’ve listed plenty more AI tools that can help your business flourish in this blog post written by our PA team.

Check out our Freelancer Resources for more tools and courses for freelancers. You can also join our newsletter for monthly freelancer resources and tools, and stay up to date on any more awesome business tools we discover!

The post Business Tools for 2024 appeared first on Proofread Anywhere.

[Affiliate Disclosure: We receive a commission if you purchase something through one of the links below! Affiliate commission is one of the ways we keep the lights on here at PA — it also helps us provide tons of useful free content and 100% free proofreader referral services.]

Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer or a beginner, having a website will make securing your next client a whole lot easier.

A website allows you to show off your skills and experience while building a strong brand identity that people can trust.

Creating a website can be difficult, especially if you’re not tech-savvy. It may even seem impossible.

How can you understand the back of a website if you can’t even understand the front of it?

But don’t worry. Despite how complicated it might seem, building a website is easy, even for someone without any tech skills. 

Businesses with websites see an increase in sales of 15% to 50% more than similar businesses without an online presence.

Below, we’ll cover all the reasons why building a website can help kickstart, or upgrade, your business.

We’ll guide you through the website-building process: how to set up the site, customize the pages, what content to add, and ways to establish a brand identity.

Reasons to Set up a Website for Your Freelance Business

Building a website may seem daunting and not worth the time and energy. However, the process is a lot simpler than you would think!

Once the website is up and running, you’ll have a place to connect with potential clients, introduce your brand, and show off your work. These factors can help your freelance business take off.

Websites Help You Make Money Online

An online presence increases your customer reach significantly.

If you’re selling products, having physical customers or word-of-mouth referrals can limit your growth. Instead, with an online shop, you can connect with the 2 billion digital buyers across the world who shop online each year.

Having a website as part of your online presence is particularly important as a freelance worker. While some clients use Upwork or job boards to hire freelancers, many clients simply do a quick Google search, using phrases like “freelancers in my area.”

With a website and proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices, (more on this later) your services can appear on the first page of search results and get seen by more people — you’ll reach an even wider audience with a website, which translates to more clients and more profits for you in the long run.

With a website, you can also make it clear exactly what you offer, showcase samples of your work, and detail your experience: all things that can convince potential clients to put their trust in you. This leads us to our next point that’ll help you nail your picture-perfect brand for your business.

A Website Can Introduce or Solidify Your Brand

Having a clean, professional website is one of the best ways to introduce or solidify your brand. It’s an easy way to portray your brand image, show off samples of your work, and share previous client testimonials, which will help back up your reputation and credibility.

Did you know that 59% percent of people are likely to do repeat business with companies that have well-designed and easy-to-use websites? Consumer data has even shown that customers trust brand websites, that are well-built, more than a brand that just operates over social media.

Site Features for Customer Relations

Extra features on your website can help customers interact with you and your brand, helping you reach more customers and drive up sales:

• A Blog page: Add a page with posts related to your industry to engage viewers

• Newsletter sign-ups: Include a button for users to easily sign up for your monthly newsletter to share the latest news about your business and occasional offers

• Membership sign-ups: Start an exclusive online membership club by establishing a loyalty program and adding a sign-up option on your website

• Comments and live chat: Add a comment or live chat features to interact with clients, giving you a chance to help improve customer satisfaction while building a positive relationship

Even if you only have one, or a few, of these pages, putting effort into user experience always pays off for websites.

Search Engine Optimization

Another huge benefit of a website is the opportunity to optimize your site for search engines. SEO refers to the process of improving your website and its content to increase its visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. A website with strong SEO attracts people through organic search, giving you a passive, easy way to secure clients.

SEO can be tricky to wrap your head around, but it’s worth learning the basics as a business owner. Moz has a great, beginner’s guide to SEO.

Simplify Your Payments and Contracts

Accepting payments and managing your contracts with clients online, through your personal website, makes it simpler for clients to purchase your services.

Online Payments

Online payment systems also let you manage your contracts and payments without needing a printer or hassling with bank transfers, saving you time to work on other business tasks.

For example, you can use the payment processing software Stripe, which allows you to automatically receive online payments in several different forms, including credit cards, vouchers, and digital wallets. The payments are quick, and the funds are sent directly to your account.

Most systems also offer flexible payment options like “buy now, pay later” and paying in monthly installments.

Accepting payments through an online store also gives you full control over your sales data. You’ll easily be able to track purchase trends of your goods, which can give you the confidence to make changes to your services, add new products, or raise your prices.

Contract Management

There are even plugins that can let you add a contract agreement to your website that clients can digitally fill in and sign with their mouse, like WPForms.

Thanks to plugins like this, you won’t need to go back and forth with clients over email to arrange contracts, nor will you need to print anything or physically scan your signature.

All of these factors can help you close deals more quickly and efficiently. You won’t have to struggle with creating the actual contract design either — many plugins offer premade contract templates, which can be customized easily to your liking.

6 Steps to Create a Freelance Website

Now that you are convinced that having a freelance website can help you make extra cash, we’ve laid out the exact steps you can take to set up your own incredible website.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Brand and Identity

Brand identity is the image clients have of your business. Specifically, brand identity is made up of portrayed values, personality, and goals. The earlier you identify and define your brand, the better, because a solid brand will give clients something more tangible to connect with, help the website design process go smoothly, and help you stay true to your core values throughout your business venture.

Of course, identifying and defining what exactly your brand’s personality, values, and goals are is easier said than done!

This is especially the case if you’re starting your first online business. You won’t have to navigate this alone, though — plenty of online courses and resources can help you pinpoint your brand identity.

Our personal favorite is Tory Branding’s free brand identity worksheet. It explains how to develop a strong brand for your business in a beginner-friendly way, with plenty of activities to get you thinking.

Name Your Business

First impressions count! Your business name should be clear and simple, and reflect what your business stands for.

While it can be tempting to opt for a “sophisticated,” lengthy name to create an impression, choose something your clients will likely remember (attention spans are shrinking) and that quickly conveys what your business is about.

A great strategy for choosing a great business name is to use your actual name with a descriptor relating to your business, such as “Editing by Allison,” “Poppy the Proofreader,” or “Ana’s Copyediting.” We’re sure you’ll agree that these names are memorable and personable, and convey what the business stands for.

This naming approach is also fantastic for SEO because, if a prospective client searches for your name (or the services you offer) in Google, they’ll find your website quickly. However, business names only help if you don’t use an ambiguous name for your company, like “WordFixer.”

Pro tip: Apply the same naming guidelines when naming your services or products!

Brainstorm Your Brand Image

Your brand image is more than a fancy logo, although logos certainly help. A brand image is each visual element that shapes your clients’ perception of your business, right down to your color theme and font style.

The “appropriate” design to choose for your business depends on your brand’s identity, the services or products you sell, and your target clientele.

Apple is one of the best examples of a strong brand image. Take a trip to their website, and you’ll instantly be immersed in a modern and innovative realm that’s accessible to the everyday consumer.

The color palette gives off a cutting-edge feel, the images are bold and futuristic, and the language used amplifies their “power to the people” value.

Without this successful brand image, Apple would not be where they are today — the first-ever company to record a market capitalization of $1 trillion. Luckily, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you brainstorm for and develop a strong brand image for your own freelance business.

Here is some software to make your branding for free:

• DaFont: A resource site for downloading unique, stylistic fonts 

• Coolors: A color palette generator that can help you identify and create your brand colors 

• Pexels: A resource site where you can find free images for commercial use 

• Canva: An editing app for easily designing logos, social media posts, and website graphics 

If you’re short on time and don’t want to create a brand image from scratch, you can also hire a graphic designer or use a premade theme. You can find plenty of premade themes online at an affordable price, though many website builders also provide free options.

Step 2: Secure Your Domain Name

Right. Don’t panic just yet. “Domain name” may sound technical, but it’s essentially a fancy term for your website address: what users type into their browser bar to access your site.

You do have to pay to secure (and maintain) the domain name of your choice, though prices vary significantly from around $10 to $20 per year, and “.com” sites cost more than sites ending in “.co” or “.net”. It’s best to stick to a “.com” domain since it’s easier for clients to remember.

Choosing a domain name that matches your company name is vital. It’s more memorable, conveys your branding from the get-go, and performs better in search engines, which in turn makes it easier for clients to find your site.

There are several sites available where you can buy domain names, including Blue Host, GoDaddy, and Namecheap, though an easier option is to buy the domain through your site builder tool.

• WordPress: Go to Upgrades and choose the Domains option in the sidebar, and click on Add domain. Next, select Search for a domain and type in your preferred domain name. Select your domain name from the search results and then enter your payment information to secure it (Here’s a step-by-step guide with screenshots to guide you)

• Wix: Go to your site’s domain page, click Buy a domain, enter your desired domain name in the search box, and then select Get it. Choose your registration period and then enter your contact information and payment details (Here’s a full guide to help you)

• Weebly: Go to your Weebly account dashboard, scroll down, and select Set up your domain. Enter your desired domain name in the search bar and check if it’s available. If it is, enter your payment details and any other necessary information (Here’s a quick video guide of the process) 

Step 3: Setting up Your Website

Back in the day, setting up a website was a time-consuming process where you had to be apt at coding, web design, and debugging.

Today, there are several website builders available that can help you create a professional-looking website in a few simple steps — and you don’t even need coding experience. Some of the most popular website hosts include WordPress, Wix, and Weebly.

Weebly

Weebly might not boast an extensive template or widget library, but it’s more affordable than Wix and features an incredibly flexible drag-and-drop interface so you can customize any element, right down to the image placement and style of a button. Weebly also offers an in-depth help section with plenty of guides and advice to assist users throughout the web-building process. Plus, your entire site is automatically mobile responsive.

Weebly does have a limited content management system, which can be frustrating if you want to set up a blog for your business later. However, Weebly is still ideal for freelancers on a budget or those who want a flexible interface.

WordPress

WordPress is used by 45.8% of all websites on the internet, according to 2023 stats, and is considered to be the most customizable and versatile builder available. While WordPress requires a more hands-on approach than other web builders, it’s affordable, has plenty of pre-made layouts for new website owners, and features a reliable content management system.

We recommend WordPress for freelancers with some technical experience up their sleeves, or for those that want complete control over their website design and are willing to put in the time and dedication to figuring out the platform interface.

Wix

Wix is a website development tool tailored to consumers with minimal technical skills. Wix offers over 800 easy pre-made website design options — making it one of (if not) the biggest template libraries — and a visual drag-and-drop interface that makes designing easy for beginners. Wix also offers a variety of widgets for customizing your site and integrating services.

Setting up sites using Wix is easy for beginners and fast to do, but Wix websites are known to experience long loading times. Wix also doesn’t allow changing a site theme once the site is published, which can be a total nightmare if you want to adjust your brand image later without completely starting over.

However, if you want to quickly launch a professional-looking website that’s also easy to maintain, we believe the pros outweigh the cons.

Choosing Which Site Builder Is Right for You

The best site builders for creating your business website include many design features like website templates and widgets that are easy for beginners to use. Some features worth considering as a beginner designer include the content management system, price, page response time, and interface.

WordPress allows more control over design and offers more custom features than other web design platforms, but it’s not for everyone. The platform’s advanced features make it good for people with a basic understanding of coding to use WordPress to its full potential.

If you’re a beginner web designer or creating a website for the first time, opt for Wix or Weebly. Wix site builder offers beginners the convenience of premade website themes, and Weebly website builder offers great customer support.

Step 4: Customize Your Website

Time to get creative! Customizing your website through a builder is an incredibly fun process—you can play around with colors, explore and test out a range of prebuilt themes, add images, choose fonts, and customize the buttons and menu bars to your liking. Many website builders even allow you to incorporate transition effects, like text that fades in at page loading.

When customizing your site, ensure your choices reflect your brand and give customers a pleasant experience when they visit your site.

Focus on these top features for a fast load speed and good customer experience:

• Ease of navigation: The menu bar should be easily accessible. Page names should be visible, clear, and well-organized 

• Images: Images should relate to your freelance services and convey your brand identity. Also, ensure you aren’t breaking any copyright laws if you source images from the web. 

In most cases, you’ll need to pay the creator a fee to use their images for commercial use, though there are image libraries, like Unsplash and Pexels, where all the pictures uploaded are free for commercial use

• Mobile friendliness: Your site layout must be compatible with mobile devices. After all, over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, and at least 79% of smartphone users have made an online purchase using their mobiles in the last 6 months.

Some web builders like Weebly automatically adjust your site’s design for mobile devices, though you may have to make some design changes yourself

Add-Ons

You can download and install add-ons, called widgets or plugins, that further your customization options without the need to code.

Elementor is a WordPress plugin that transforms the standard interface into a drag-and-drop interface, allowing you to easily place and edit every element on the site. It even provides premade elements, such as image carousels, review designs, and animated headlines.

Wix Social Media Stream app is a widget offered by Wix that allows you to easily link all your socials to your website and drive more traffic to your social media.

Colors and Fonts

While designing, ensure the font is easy to read. Sure, a calligraphy-style font might look visually pleasing, but your clients shouldn’t have to put their brains to work to decipher the text itself. Instead, opt for an easy-to-read font that has simple, distinct lettering.

Also remember to match your website design to your brand values, personality, and goals to help your clients and prospects find and relate to you. In other words, don’t opt for a neon yellow background if you’re offering a professional, formal service like transcript proofreading.

Speaking of transcript proofreading, if that is a service you’re interested in providing or want to learn more about, you can get a free 7-day intro to our transcript proofreading course.

Step 5: Add Important Content and Pages

Your homepage should be the ultimate showstopper to lure in potential clients. However, if you want your prospects to stay longer on your site and learn more about your business, you’ll need to add a few other pages, including an About Us page, and Services, Rates, and Contact Us pages.

About Us or About Me

An About Us or About Me page is a place where you can communicate your brand mission, goals, and values, and also showcase your personality. Generally, an About page should include a biography about how the business began, and include examples of your work to show clients what you can do for them.

An online freelance portfolio of your work helps to build trust with clients and prospects by giving them an in-depth insight into how you work and the quality of your services. You can add examples to the About page or a separate Portfolio page. Include your best pieces of work and explain in detail how you approached each project.

A photo isn’t necessary, but it does put a face behind the business which can help clients trust you. You can include a photo that portrays you in a professional but friendly and relatable light.

You should also include links to your company’s social media accounts and mention any awards your business has received.

Services

The Services page should give prospective clients a clear understanding of what exactly you can offer them. Each service should have a detailed description that’s digestible, concise, and speaks to your customer’s pain points. For example, if you’re offering proofreading services, emphasize how your service will ensure clients never have to face the embarrassment of using “Your” instead of “You’re” again!

You should also use images to break up bulk text and to help customers remember your services. It’s shown that people remember things better involving visual content.

Rates

Let’s be real. There’s nothing more frustrating than talking to a client for hours on end about their project, only to find out later on that they can’t afford your rates. It’s inconvenient, wastes a lot of time, and could have easily been avoided from the get-go if you had a dedicated Rates page!

Include a visually-appealing table of your services and their corresponding rates, and mention if these are flat rates or can vary depending on factors like complexity, deadline, or expectations. You can also provide your contact information for clients to obtain detailed pricing.

Reviews and Client/Customer Testimonials

Did your previous clients sing your praises? Then don’t keep it to yourself! Create a Reviews page that enables you to share good feedback you’ve received from your recent clients.

Most website builders have review page templates that you can customize and adjust to suit your overall theme. You can either add the reviews to the page yourself (don’t forget to have them sign an information release form first) or enable comments and allow customers to post their feedback directly. You can also install a widget with a review management system.

Customer reviews are one of the most effective ways to build trust and are often what people rely on when deciding whether or not to make a purchase. A recent survey found that 98% of shoppers read online reviews to help them decide on purchasing a local business.

And you might think asking clients to provide reviews can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. After you’ve given customers enough time to try out your products or experience your service, send a quick email that’s polite, and professional, and expresses gratitude.

If a client or customer agrees to give you a review, make sure to get a signed information release form, which lets you safely use the person’s testimonial on any of your platforms (e.g. website, social media, adverts). Plus, it’ll give the client a full understanding of how their review will be used.

Contact Us

The Contact Us page should be super easy to find, with an email contact form and links to your active social media profiles. Most website builders have a feature to create a contact form for your site, but there are also plenty of plugins available, such as WPForms and Ninja Forms.

Avoid displaying your actual email address on the Contact page because it’ll likely attract spam. A dedicated contact form is a convenient place for clients to get in touch with you quickly without the hassle of opening their actual email.

Step 6: Proofread, Publish, and Promote

Congrats! You’ve made it to step six, which means you’ve now crafted a stunning, engaging website that’ll promote your business, attract clients, and help you stick to your core values. But before you make your site live, there are a few final touches to do.

First up? Proofread everything and let someone else take a look.

Proofreading and Audience Testing

A single typo can put off a prospective client entirely, especially if you’re selling a service related to writing. Make sure that every single word on your website is thoroughly proofread. You can do this yourself if you have an articulate eye or you can hire an external proofreader if you struggle to identify issues with your writing.

Check out our General Proofreading workshop to learn more about becoming a freelance proofreader or download our Beginner’s Guide to Proofreading for Profit!

Once you’ve proofread your content, show your website to friends or family to get a fresh perspective. They may be able to spot small mistakes or problems that you missed while creating the site.

Get people with different devices to test out your website to help reveal any device compatibility issues, whether to do with the content, images, menu bar, or other design issues. If friends or relatives are willing, you can also get them to read through the content to make sure everything is readable and understandable.

As a final step, double-check that you haven’t fallen foul of these common website design mistakes:

• Grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors (use Grammarly to avoid these mistakes)

• Sudden font changes 

• Incorrect (or outdated) contact information 

• Inaccurate rates

• Mislinked buttons 

• Excessive website elements (overcrowding is distracting and slows down loading time) 

Once your website is live, remember to update its installed theme and plugins regularly. Even just one out-of-date element can make you vulnerable to hacks or cause your website to run slowly.

Also update the site’s content frequently, whether by adding more customer reviews, blog posts, or samples to your portfolio. Fresh content can help with your Google ranking (especially if it’s crafted with SEO practices in mind) and build trust with your audience.

Publish Your Website and Promote Your Brand 

No matter how stunning your website is, it means nothing if there’s no one around to see it! It’s time to share your killer website with the world and attract clients. Website promotion doesn’t have to leave a hole in your wallet either.

There are plenty of affordable (and even free) ways to spread the word about your new website and services:

• Share your website and services in freelance community groups across social media 

• Craft a press release

• Set up your blog on the website and post regularly 

• Guest blog in your respective business field

• Create social media profiles for your business

• Craft search-optimized content, with keyword research

• Secure backlink opportunities

• Create YouTube videos related to your business

• Add your site and business to online directories 

• Run an email marketing campaign

• Pay for ads on social media or Google 

For more marketing tips, check out the Freelancers Bible. It covers everything you need to know about growing your small business, including easy-to-follow strategies to market yourself online.

Indexing with Google Search

Your website should appear (be “indexed”) on Google automatically, though you can have full customization of how it appears and how quickly it is indexed by registering your website domain with Google Search Console.

It may seem complicated at first, but indexing is relatively easy:

1. Open the Google Search Console page and select Start now

1. In the Domain section, enter your website URL

1. Follow Google’s instructions to verify that you own the site. Reach out to your hosting provider or check online video guides for step-by-step assistance 

Once you’ve verified the site, you can submit a sitemap, which is a file that lists the URLs of your website pages, to help Google find and properly index all the important site pages.

The easiest way to do this is to install a plugin that automatically creates a sitemap for you, such as Yoast SEO.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a tech wiz to get a business website up and running. Anyone can set up a website with the right tools, a positive mindset, and a beginner-friendly website builder. Once live, a website will truly help your small business grow and connect you with new clients.

Remember to update your website’s content regularly, spread the word across social media, and build up some visibility with the likes of email campaigns and blog posts.

If you want to find out what other freelance jobs you can do to supplement your income until your business takes off, make sure to check out our work-at-home job ideas or where can I find proofreading jobs online? articles.

And if you need any more help with running your small business, read our work-at-home survival guide. It includes plenty of tips for setting up a successful freelance business.

The post Setting up Your Freelance Website appeared first on Proofread Anywhere.