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The WP Minute brings you news about WordPress in under 5 minutes -- every week! Follow The WP Minute for the WordPress headlines before you get lost in the headlines. Hosted by Matt Medeiros, host of The Matt Report podcast.
Hello everyone, and welcome to another
episode of the WP Minute podcast.
I'm your host, Eric Kovac.
Today's topic is all about making
more money with the help of ai.
Sure, a lot of us worry about
AI's potential to replace some
or all of what we do, but I
think there's also some untapped
potential for WordPress freelancers.
It may be our ticket to boosting
the old bottom line, so allow
me a few minutes to explain.
Can AI help WordPress
freelancers make more money?
Freelancers have plenty of options for
leveraging artificial intelligence.
It seems like a new tool or five
comes out each week, and that
doesn't include existing products.
With bolted on AI features, the Hype
train has morphed into a rocket ship.
This is great for open AI and
other product makers as they rake
in cash and tons of publicity.
What about the rest of us,
specifically those of us who
make a living with WordPress?
Are we gaining anything more
than a few dog and pony tricks?
Most importantly, can AI
help us make more money?
There's some debate to be
had on that last question.
Some fear that AI will replace
humans or devalue what we do.
That using the technology will
lead to our untimely demise
as designers and developers.
But maybe there's another way.
Perhaps we can use AI to empower us
rather than weaken our industry standing.
I believe it's possible.
Let's look at ways AI might
help build our businesses.
The right AI tools help us do more.
It seems like freelancers
never have enough time.
We manage multiple projects, clients,
invoices, marketing, and more.
That's a lot of
responsibility for one person.
The right AI tool can do some
of the heavy lifting for us.
I've used chat GPT for over
a year and recently started
experimenting with GitHub's co-pilot.
Both tools have made me a
more productive developer.
I spend less time debugging code and more
time shipping new features to my clients.
This scenario isn't much different
than using your favorite page builder.
You could spend a few hours
hand coding HTML and CSS.
Or a few minutes clicking and dragging.
With Elementor, even the block editor
offers a productivity advantage
over the old way of doing things.
In that sense, AI tools are the latest
in the long line of time Savers.
This increased efficiency means
we can theoretically take on more
projects that opens the door to
more revenue in terms of volume.
Think of it this way, if AI saves you
just one or two hours a week, that's
more billable time at your disposable.
It can add up quickly.
Use AI to expand your
development capabilities.
Writing code is an AI strength.
Even better.
These tools know the ins and
outs of building for WordPress.
The software is well documented and AI
models have absorbed that knowledge.
That's a potential revenue
stream for freelancers.
Even seasoned developers can't beat the
speed of models like Cursor and Claw.
A few basic prompts are all it
takes to hit the ground running.
You can take it from there or ask
for more features and refinements.
Either way, you'll dash through
each step faster than ever.
It might also lead to more ambitious
thinking when it comes to features.
With AI as your sidekick, you can
add bells and whistles you wouldn't
have tried before, whether because
of your skill level or lack of time,
the efficiency and versatility of
these tools let you dream bigger.
The results are tangible.
AI has helped me achieve better outcomes.
The time I save often goes right
back into improving the code.
It's an extra opportunity
to get the details right.
A high quality product
will please clients.
You may even know what
they want before they do.
That's worth a premium price.
In my book, yes, you can charge more.
You might be thinking this
philosophy goes against the grain.
After all, spending the same or less time
on a project means less money, right?
Not necessarily.
You're still the expert in this scenario.
Going from prompt to finished
product requires knowledge.
A background in coding helps
inform what you're building.
In addition, you'll need
to test and troubleshoot.
There is plenty of work involved
if a client believes they can
produce the same result, so be it.
It's akin to the DIY user
who insists they are.
It's capable of site building,
is you, any devaluing of your
skills is on them, not you.
That's not to say we should use
AI for everything, though quality
still matters and any use that
cuts corners isn't worth our while.
Instead, we should look for use cases that
increase productivity without sacrifice.
For example, copying and pasting
generated blog posts don't add value.
It is something a client
could do themselves.
Things like custom code and design are
valuable regardless of the tools we use.
Remember, car companies often
use robots on the assembly line?
Do they charge less because of this?
Does your plumber charge less because
they have a fancy new power tool?
No.
They charge based on their
expertise and capabilities.
WordPress development is no different yet.
We don't always charge accordingly.
It's up to us to communicate
our value to clients, otherwise
we're selling ourselves short.
AI can boost your business.
AI has the potential to help
you solve real world problems.
Using it to your advantage can benefit
your workflow and your bank account.
It's all about discovering where it
can impact your business the most.
Thankfully, these tools excel at
things WordPress professionals need.
They can lift some of the burden off
solo freelancers and small agencies.
That frees you to focus on the
important stuff like client relations
and tackling your to-do list.
Most of all, the implementation
of AI can make you more confident.
A faster development process means
you won't sweat deadlines as often.
Extensive coding capabilities mean you
might not panic as much when a client asks
for something you haven't done before.
AI won't help us solve every
challenge, but it can boost your
business, and right now is the
perfect time to experiment with it.
You might be surprised at
how much you accomplish.
Okay, that's it for this week's episode.
So are you convinced that AI can help
us increase our income, or maybe it's
just wishful thinking on my part?
Reach out to me on Blue sky@kass.com.
That's KAR ks.com
and let me know your thoughts.
And don't forget to visit us
at the wp minute.com/subscribe.
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the work we do at the WP Minute.
See you next time.