If you are looking for the best cost-effective solution to this question, then you are reading the right post, as we are going to take you through a comprehensive review of a popular and dependable proofing solution called "Ashore".
This post will give you a comprehensive overview of the tool, its features, working, use case scenarios. Integrations, and pricing, making it easy for you to decide whether you should go for it or not.
What is the Ashore App?
Ashore is a web-based proofing program created exclusively for creative businesses and design teams, automating the way clients receive, review, and approve digital files. On their own customized dashboard, the platform allows creatives to collaborate on the review of any file type, from web links and videos to PDFs and spreadsheets.
Ashore automates file collaboration and other client-related operations. You can easily track project workflows, provide your client's online access to review files, and automatically notify all parties involved of any updates or changes to their projects.
Technical details
Before we get into further details, here is a quick list of technical details you should know about Ashore.
Supported Devices
Deployment
Language Support
Pricing Model
Suitable Customer Types
How does Ashore work?
Your projects will be approved sooner if your creatives receive better feedback. Your approvers can see proofs and make annotations on Ashore's white-labeled platform. Images, documents, HTML, weblinks, audio, and video are among the file types it supports. Additionally, your approvers will not require an Ashore account to evaluate proofs.
Ashore assigns a timeline to each proof. Here, all activity regarding the proof is cataloged, including comments, decisions, email reminders, new versions, and more. Any time comments are made or a proof decision is amended, Ashore automatically alerts you and your team.
Smooth and hassle-free collaboration
When working in the creative sector, it's critical to have open lines of communication with your clients for their feedback, participation, and permission. Ashore makes it simple for you to maintain a fluid and flawless communication flow by allowing you to distribute files to your management and clients in the order you specify. A white-labeled version of Ashore is used to access your files online.
Automatic reminders
Ashore sends them automatic reminders if they fail to look at your work. Ashore transfers your files to the next approver for examination and approval once they have been approved by them. You don't need to transmit your files for inspection and approval by hand. Ashore takes care of everything for you, freeing up time and effort to focus on other elements of your project.
Receive Client feedback
In the creative services industry, client feedback is critical. Ashore ensures that you receive feedback from your clients swiftly and effortlessly. The Ashore site makes it simple for your approvers to provide input. The good news is that there is no need to register for anything.
Get access to insights and metrics
Ashore uses measurements and insights to show performance. Users can see who is completing projects on time and who is missing deadlines thanks to the program. You can observe how effective your agency and your employees are. Ashore also keeps track of every action taken by a client, from providing feedback to approving files to sending new versions.
Easy Proofing with Ashore!
Proofing is one of the most time-consuming and tiresome aspects of any project, and the geniuses behind Ashore are well aware of this. That's why, in order to streamline evaluation and approval, we developed a power-proof program. Consider staying on track with your project's schedules and meeting your deadlines. That's not only possible, but it's already occurring with their proofing software.
It's super easy to get started!
Simply upload the files to be proofed. Ashore can handle all main file kinds and allows you to choose your proofing options. You can choose whether approvers can download files, see each other's comments, approve with revisions, and approve each file individually.
Proofing for Approvers
Proofing on Ashore is a simple and intuitive process for approvers. Your approvers won't need to create an account; all they have to do is click on the review link you sent them or the one Ashore sent them to get started. Threaded comments and markup tools make it simple for people to express themselves. You'll have a better understanding of what they're communicating if you place their criticism in context right on the proof. Everything is saved in a single, well-organized area, including feedback on numerous versions.
Lightning-fast approvals
Ashore users get their proofs approved up to 50% faster, and each employee can reinvest up to five hours of work time per week into new projects. Creatives no longer need to track down feedback or send many follow-up emails to their approvers because the approval process has been automated.
Proofing features
Proof Options
When creating a proof, Ashore provides a number of options, including allowing approvers to download files, examine all comments, approve the proof with revisions, and approve individual files.
Website Capture
Any website URL can be added to your proof for approval. Ashore will snap a full-length screenshot of the homepage at popular breakpoints, allowing approvers to see it at various screen sizes.
Contextual Commenting
Every comment on a proof will be associated with a specific location on the page. When you click on a comment, you'll be directed to the page where it was posted.
Markup Tools
Approvers can single-click anywhere on a proof and describe exactly what they mean with the help of arrows and rectangles, in addition to commenting.
Mentions
Ashore allows you to name other approvers who presently have access in comments. Notifications will be sent to the approvers who were mentioned in the comment thread.
Video Proofing
In Ashore, you can easily prove video files. Comments will be linked to a specific location on the website as well as the moment in the video when they were made.
Comment Threads
Organize your talks. You can respond to other people's remarks in Ashore, and comment threads can be resolved once the topic is over.
Checklists
You can provide a checklist with any proof that approvers must recognize before making a choice when it's time for them to make a judgment.
Version Stacking
All versions of a proof are organized together in Ashore, and approvers can easily navigate between them to examine previous iterations and discussions.
White-Labeled Review Screens
You can white-label their proofing dashboards with your brand logo using Ashore. Always put your best foot forward when dealing with clients!
Working with Review Links made easier!
Especially within creative teams, review and approval can happen quickly. Ashore allows you to generate a unique review link for each proof to keep the ball moving and ensure that everyone gets a chance to engage on a project.
What are Review Links?
Review links are an alternative to automated workflows which offer approvers access to a proof only when it's their turn. When it comes to review links, it's more of a free-for-all. Simply copy and paste the review link from Ashore into your preferred messaging service, such as Slack, email, Google Hangouts, or even text messages.
How does it work?
Anyone who has the link to your proof can view it; there is no limit to how many approvers you can have. When someone clicks on your link, they'll be asked to add themselves as an approver to the proof. Once they've verified their identity, they'll be added to your account's approver archive and will receive the same notifications as any other approver.
Easily collaborate with approvers!
All approvers added through a review link will be able to make and respond to comments, as well as make decisions. Review links are your secret weapon if you want to get input from as many people as possible immediately. You can also brand your review links with your company's name using their white-labeling tools.
Review Link features
Limitless Sharing Options
Review links are simple and quick to use. Simply copy and paste them into your organization's Slack channel, email, or other messaging platforms.
Approvers Add Themselves
When someone clicks on a proof's review link, they can add themselves as an approver. These approvers will be added to your approver archive automatically.
Review Links + Workflows
To add big groups of people to the current stage of your workflow, use review links.
Custom Review Links
Create unique review links with your company's name instead of Ashore's using Ashore's white-labeling features.
50% faster approvals with Ashore Reminders
Ashore allows users to create automatic reminders down to the day and hour to meet their schedules and those of their clients. Choose account-wide default reminders that will be applied to any additional approvers you add to any of your proofs. You have the option to select an approver's specific schedule for when you'd like Ashore to send them reminders for clients you'd like to handle differently. Reminders will be sent to approvers until they have decided on the proof in question.
Personalization doesn't stop with the precise timing of automatic reminders. You may automatically modify any reminder email with relevant information such as an approver's name, the proof's name, and more using email template variables.
Individual Approver Preferences
Set the days of the week and time of day for Ashore to send approval reminders to each approver. Each person's schedule can be different.
Account-Wide Default Reminder Settings
Create a set of default reminders for your entire account. Every new approver receives these preferences automatically.
Pick the Days and Times
Control the deployment of reminders in Ashore down to certain days of the week and times of day.
Template Variables
Personal information is autofilled by template variables, allowing reminders to be tailored to each approver.
White-label your proofing dashboard
Your company logo will appear on all review screens and emails sent from our software if you upload it to your Ashore account. Integrate your email with Ashore to ensure that all emails sent to clients are from your company's branded address. Finally, set up your own website on a custom domain and white-label any review links you produce in Ashore. Your clients will have no idea that the fantastic review and approval experience they're getting isn't coming from your firm.
Change URLs
All of your review links will utilize your new subdomain instead of Ashore's URL if you create a custom domain URL.
Upload Your Logo
Use white-labeling on the review screens and all Ashore-generated emails by uploading a custom logo to Ashore.
Integrate Your Email
Integrate with Ashore's Postmark email delivery service to send emails directly from your account.
Change the game with API & Zapier Integrations
Integrate with Zapier
You can link Ashore to any of over 2,000 apps with Zapier, including Gmail, Slack, Stripe, Asana, and Trello, to streamline and automate your activities. This integration is especially useful for our users who utilize project management software but don't have access to creative proofing software that can streamline workflows and bring disparate tasks together.
Thanks to Zapier, if something happens in Ashore - such as a new version being sent or a decision being made by an approver - it will start a new task somewhere else. You can even add your customers as approvers automatically.
Ashore API
The Ashore API opens up a world of possibilities for you. It's very flexible, allowing you to tailor your integration with Ashore and any other program, proprietary or not. You only need access to the API of the other product with which you want to integrate. There's basically nothing you won't be able to do using Ashore's API integration.
Other salient features of Ashore
Apart from the aforementioned features, there are several other useful features and functions that Ashore has to offer for users. These include:
Automate Sign-Off
You can automate the approval process for digital proofs using Workflows. Your approvers are sent proofs in the sequence you specify, and they are sent automatic reminders if they forget to evaluate them. You'll never have to contact an approver manually again!
Improve Feedback
From photos to audio files, get feedback on any file type from your own branded dashboard. Approvers will enjoy using it not only because it is simple and mobile-friendly, but also because they will not be required to register. The feedback is instantly gathered and logged!
Measure Performance
Who has looked at each file and given their approval? Who is it that consistently fails to meet deadlines? You can track the data that matters most to your company with intelligent analytics. Furthermore, any change in a proof's status is tracked in real-time. You'll never have to go through your inbox again!
What issues does Ashore address?
Let us consider 3 scenarios to make it clear how Ashore can be useful for you and the issues it can solve.
Working with clients and customers might be difficult if you're in the creative industry. Their responses can be perplexing at times. Sometimes it's impossible to obtain any feedback at all. However, most of the time, more than one person must approve your work. It's more like two, three, or four or more if you're lucky. By delivering a complete, white-labeled platform that promotes creative collaboration and workflow automation, Ashore transforms the way creatives interact with clients.
Creatives can share digital assets with clients via Ashore and provide them with an online platform to assess and approve them. Ashore generates a proofreading dashboard for every file type, including documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, movies, and even web links! Your clients won't even need to register an account; instead, they'll receive an email with a private link to review.
However, the biggest feature of Ashore is how it automates the review and approval process. Client processes, which specify a predetermined order of approvers, can be used to send files. When you send a file through a workflow, it goes to the first contact in the workflow and is then automatically delivered to the next contact once the first contact approves it. If a contact forgets to review a file, an email will be sent to remind them. A file timeline on Ashore's backend keeps track of every comment and status change. Your team will have complete visibility into a project's status!
How much does Ashore App cost?
Ashore is currently offering 4 different packages to choose from. These include one free trial pack and three paid packages. The "Get Started" plan is a free package that offers the basic feature-limited plan with a trial period of 14 days. It is ideal for users who are unsure whether to invest in the premium packages or not.
Once the 14-day trial period expires, you will have to upgrade to one of the paid plans to continue using Ashore, with the lowest plan priced at $45 per month for the "Freelancer" plan. Here is a quick overview of the plans offered by Ashore.
Price: 14 days FREE
- No. of users: 1
- No. of reviewers: UNLIMITED
- File sending limit: 50 files
- File retention period: 12 months
- Upload limit per file: 2GB
- Supported files: Images, PDFs, DOCs, Audios, Videos, HTML
- Web Proofing
- BRANDED FOR ASHORE
- No. of users: 1
- No. of reviewers: UNLIMITED
- File sending limit: 150 files per month
- File retention period: 12 months
- Upload limit per file: 2GB
- Supported files: Images, PDFs, DOCs, Audios, Videos, HTML
- Web Proofing
- Integrate with your email
- Upload your logo
- No. of users: 5
- No. of reviewers: UNLIMITED
- File sending limit: 300 files per month
- File retention period: 12 months
- Upload limit per file: 2GB
- Supported files: Images, PDFs, DOCs, Audios, Videos, HTML
- Web Proofing
- Integrate with your email
- Upload your logo
- No. of users: UNLIMITED
- No. of reviewers: UNLIMITED
- File sending limit: UNLIMITED
- File retention period: 24 months
- Upload limit per file: 2GB
- Supported files: Images, PDFs, DOCs, Audios, Videos, HTML
- Web Proofing
- Integrate with your email
- Upload your logo
- Customize "No-reply" email
- Remove Ashore email footer
- Whitelabel your domain
Conclusion- Is Ashore worth your Attention?
The answer would be an upfront YES! While the internet might be crowded with online tools and programs that claim to be the best solutions for online proofing and approvals, none really deliver as well as Ashore. The tool is an overall beauty with the features and functions it offers, considering the super affordable price tag.
What makes it even better is that you can try the app with its feature-limited 14-day trial if you want to be sure about how good and fruitful it can be for boosting your business! Furthermore, the price tag Ashore carries makes it an extremely popular and dependable proofing tool for freelancers as well as small and medium businesses alike.
