7 Tips for Designing a Freelance Proofreading Website

As a freelance proofreader, having your own freelance proofreading website is one of the most effective ways to showcase your skills, promote your services, and connect with potential clients. 

With so many easy-to-use website-building tools available today, creating a professional online presence has never been simpler. In this post, we’ve compiled seven top tips to help you design a freelance proofreading website that stands out, drives traffic, and turns browsers into clients. We’ll walk you through how to:

1. Use a WYSIWYG builder
2. Keep the design simple
3. Provide key information
4. Add great service descriptions
5. Incorporate SEO best practices
6. Publish regular content
7. Keep it updated

Benefits of Having a Website as a Freelance Proofreader

Before we dive into our seven top tips, let’s take a quick look at some of ways you can benefit from having a freelance proofreading website. It will allow you to:

• Demonstrate professionalism and credibility 
• Create a central hub to provide potential clients with all the information they need (e.g., your contact details)
• Showcase the quality of your work via a portfolio and client testimonials 
• Distinguish yourself from other freelancers through unique branding, both personal and professional
• Share engaging content and thought-leadership and generate interest in your work 
• Boost your visibility in search engines and reach a wider audience
• Make it easier for existing clients to refer you by sharing your URL

1. Use a WYSIWYG Builder

In the past, building a website required specialized coding knowledge. Nowadays, thanks to intuitive WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) builders and website templates, you can develop a professional online presence without any technical training:

• WYSIWYG builders: These platforms let you see exactly how your site will look as you build it, reducing the need to grapple with code.
  
• Templates: Rather than designing a website from scratch, you can use an existing template and customize it to suit your needs. Most WYSIWYG site builders will come with templates – like these from Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.

Even if you do get stuck, there are countless articles, video tutorials, and forums to help you troubleshoot – and most hosting providers also offer customer support. 

Remember to test your site before you go live (and periodically afterward). Check for broken links, wonky layouts, slow-loading pages, and typos. All of these things can frustrate visitors and reduce your credibility. Consider asking someone else to review it as well; a fresh pair of eyes may catch issues you’ve overlooked.

2. Keep the Design Simple

When building your site or customizing a template, keep it simple: 

• Opt for a clean layout with a clear, consistent color scheme.
• Use images or icons to break up large blocks of text.
• Label your navigation buttons clearly so visitors can find what they need.
• Choose fonts, headings, and other design elements that match your brand, and remain consistent across all pages.
• Don’t add too much text or too many distracting visual elements on any one page.

Following these tips will make your website look professional, boost usability, and help visitors to find the information they need quickly.

3. Provide Key Information

When someone lands on your website, they want to know what you do, what value you offer, and how to contact you. Make it easy by giving them all the key details they need in a clear, concise format. Potential clients who are looking for a freelance proofreader will likely want to see:

• Clear, easy-to-understand explanations of the services you offer and what each one typically involves (keep reading for more on this!)
• Contact details (e.g., an email address or contact form)
• Links to your professional social media profiles
• Your qualifications, areas of specialization, and professional experience
• An FAQ section to cover any questions they may have
• Testimonials from previous clients
• Work samples (if appropriate, though keep in mind that you should not share clients’ documents without permission)
• An ‘About’ page with a short biography and possibly a professional head shot, to help people get to know you and put a face to your name
• Details of prices and payment options (or details on how to get a quote)

Remember, though, to keep it simple. Communicate all the important details as clearly as possible, but don’t clutter your site with unnecessary information.

4. Add Great Service Descriptions 

A freelance service description is a concise summary of the work you offer, highlighting both what you do and how it benefits the client. They are an essential component of any freelancer’s website. As a freelance proofreader in particular, your service descriptions should:

Distinguish Between Types of Proofreading and Editing

The terms “proofreading” and “editing” can mean different things to different people, so you’ll want to clarify:

• The different levels of editing you provide, and the kinds of changes each involves (e.g., proofreading vs. copy editing)
• Any specialized services you offer (e.g., academic editing), plus your relevant qualifications, knowledge, and/or experience in that field
• Any additional services you provide, such as formatting or manuscript critiquing
• Services based on a specific document format (e.g., PDFs)

Just remember to keep it flexible! As a proofreader or editor, you might need to adapt your services based on the client’s brief or the type of writing at hand. As such, you may want to note somewhere that you are happy to tailor your services to your clients’ needs.

Cover Both Features and Benefits

Features are the tasks the service involves, and benefits are what your customer gains from the service. For example, let’s break down the key features of a copy editing service:

Feature	Benefit
Correcting typos and other errors…	…to help you to communicate your ideas
Suggesting changes to vocabulary…	…to help you to connect with your audience
Highlighting inconsistencies in the text…	…to ensure clarity and professionalism
Editing sentences for concision…	…to give your writing has maximum impact

For each service you offer, think about the tasks it involves and how your client stands to benefit in each case. You can then work this into your service descriptions.

Make It Easy to Skim Read

When people are looking for a proofreading or editing service, they don’t want to read an essay before they know what they’re getting. As such, you should make sure your service descriptions are easy to skim read. This means:

• Adding clear headings to identify each service description
• Using everyday language and avoiding unnecessary technical jargon
• Writing concisely, using short sentences where possible
• Using bullet points to highlight key details (e.g., features and benefits)

If you cover several services on a single page, you might also want to include a hyperlinked list of the options available at the top so readers can jump to the section they need.

5. Incorporate SEO Best Practices

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of strategically using keywords and phrases – among other things – to increase the organic traffic to your site (i.e., visitors who find you via a search engine).

If you want to be discovered online without paying for ads, having at least a basic understanding of how to improve your website’s SEO is crucial. Let’s look at how to build a smart SEO strategy.

Do Some Keyword Research

First, you’ll want to research which keywords to include on your website. These are words or phrases related to your business that potential clients might use in online searches.

There are two main types of keywords:

• Short-tail keywords – one or two words representing general queries (e.g., “proofreading services”). People are more likely to search for these, but that means they’re much harder to rank for as there’s more competition.

• Long-tail keywords relate to more specific searches (e.g., “proofreaders for speculative fiction novellas”). Long-tail keywords are important, especially when you’re starting out. Competition is generally lower for long-tail phrases, so it’s easier to rank for them. Plus, they’re a great way to target your niche.

The best approach is to strike a balance between long-tail and short-tail keywords. 

There are lots of different tools (e.g., Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz) that you can use to gather keyword insights and guide your decisions. When choosing your keywords:

• Keep your target audience in mind: What would they type in their search? What information would they be looking for? What problem are they trying to solve?
• Think about your niche: What are the services you offer? Are there any keywords that relate to your specific industry? How about specific document types or genres? 
• Consider your competitors: What’s working well for them? What keywords do they use on their websites? 

Strategically Place Keywords

Once you’ve identified your keywords, it’s time to incorporate them into your website copy. 

You can use your keywords on any page where they’re relevant – your home page, your service descriptions, your “About Me” page, and so on. It’s particularly beneficial to include your keywords in:

• Page URLs (addresses)
• Page titles
• Body content (especially the first paragraph)
• Headings and subheadings
• Alt text
• Meta descriptions 

Just be sure to incorporate your keywords naturally; keyword stuffing can be off-putting for readers and penalized by search engines.

Monitor and Adapt

Trends in SEO change constantly. So make sure to:

• Regularly review your performance for your chosen keywords
• Stay up-to-date with changes to SEO best practices
• Update your focus keywords to reflect any changes in industry trends
• Check that all internal and external links are up-to-date
• Keep checking on your competition

If you regularly dedicate some time to SEO, you’ll see the results for yourself.

6. Publish Regular Content

Publishing regular, high-quality content on your freelance proofreading website is one of the best ways to show potential clients you’re active, knowledgeable, and committed to high professional standards. 

Fresh blog posts and content updates prompt search engines to revisit your site, improving visibility and potentially boosting your rankings. Regular content also allows you to demonstrate your expertise – whether it’s offering proofreading tips or sharing industry news – and encourages readers to return for more.

When you’re ready to plan and publish content, keep these tips in mind:

• Set a content schedule: Decide how often you can realistically post. Consistency is key, so choose a frequency that fits your workload and workflow. 
• Focus on relevant topics: Brainstorm ideas that address your clients’ questions or concerns (e.g., “How to Spot Common Grammar Mistakes”). By solving readers’ problems, you’ll boost engagement.
• Keep it skimmable: Use short paragraphs, headings, and bullet points so visitors can absorb your ideas quickly. Clarity and brevity make content more accessible.
• Optimize for search engines: Include relevant keywords, use clear meta descriptions, and link to reputable external resources (as well as related pages on your own site). 
• Invite interaction: Encourage readers to comment or ask questions. Engaging with your audience builds trust and can inspire future post ideas.
• Share and repurpose: Promote new posts on social media or through email newsletters to drive traffic back to your site. If a topic resonates with your audience, consider repurposing it (e.g., creating an infographic or a short video).
• Track performance and make updates: Use analytics tools to identify your best-performing posts and pinpoint ones that may need an update. Revisiting and improving existing content signals to both readers and search engines that your site remains active and relevant.

By consistently publishing valuable content, you’ll position yourself as a trusted expert in the proofreading world and make it easier for prospective clients to find and hire you.

7. Keep Your Website Updated 

Building your site is just the beginning! Keeping it current and making the experience easy for visitors are crucial factors for long-term success. Here’s what to focus on:

• Performing basic technical maintenance, such as backing up your site content regularly, updating plugins, and ensuring that all links are working
• Updating pricing and service descriptions if they change
• Correcting any errors that you missed before going live
• Regularly adding or updating content so that your site shows up in search results

Remember, the Web is always changing, and so is your freelance business. Keep experimenting with new ideas – whether it’s new blog topics, different SEO approaches, or new services – and track how they perform. This approach is essential for refining your website over time and sustaining growth.

Become the Go-To Freelance Proofreader

Designing a high-quality freelance proofreading website puts you head and shoulders above your competition. By following these seven tips, you’ll be far better positioned to attract new clients, grow your professional reputation, and stand out in the busy editorial market.

Of course, none of this matters if you don’t have the proofreading and editing skills to deliver top-notch results! That’s where Knowadays can help. Our Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses are fully self-paced and CPD accredited, giving you all the tools you need to succeed in the editing world. You can even try them for free and see if they’re right for you.