A crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. By this definition, a crisis one faces can be as simple as being short-staffed one night to an extreme of requiring emergency response to a tragic event. When presented with a crisis, how quickly and how effectively you respond to it makes a dramatic impact on how you and your organization make it out on the other end of it, placing a great importance on having an effective plan and using the right technology for crisis management.

Responding to Crisis

In September 2017, Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 hurricane, ravaged through Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean sea, displacing hundreds of thousands of Americans and causing a record-setting amount of damage estimated at over 90 billion dollars. In the aftermath of the storm, nearly 180,000 Americans migrated from Puerto Rico to the US mainland with nearly one third of them ending up in central and southern Florida.

To help respond to a rapid increase of those needing assistance in Central Florida, the Episcopal Office of Latino Assistance (EOLA) was formed to help families find work and transition into permanent housing in the wake of the storm. Since its formation, EOLA has had the responsibility of organizing the relief of donor assistance to thousands in the Central Florida area recovering from storms and other social issues within the region.

How EOLA Responds

With Florida and the Caribbean facing up to 10 tropical storms a year, a comprehensive crisis management plan is crucial for the safety to those served. When a storm is projected to hit Florida, a clear and concise message is sent out to everyone detailing storm preparation material including hurricane prep instructions, evacuation zones, and local shelters open in an individual’s area. As storms develop and into their aftermath, additional scenarios in the plan exist to update members with timely information about the status of services and how people to seek assistance. All these efforts for crisis communications are made through multiple streams of technology including website updates, social media, and a church management platform that sends email and text (SMS) messages. With multiple channels of communication, EOLA is able to reach the greatest possible number of people to ensure safety without relying on a single point of failure when it comes to software downtime.

Preparing for a Crisis

When it comes to preparing for a crisis there are three key phases: developing a communication plan, testing the plan, and responding quickly with your plan.

Make a Plan

When drafting your crisis management plan, there are two important questions you need to ask yourself:

1. What are you preparing for?
2. Who are you communication to? 

Once you have identified what you are preparing for, walk through the scenario as though it was happening in real time and address these questions. In the example below, our scenario is based as though EOLA is preparing for a hurricane, with sample answers in parenthesis.

• How do we know when to activate our communications plan? (When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast a tropical storm or hurricane to make landfall within the next five days in our operational area.)
• Who has the authority to activate our communication plan? (The CEO, COO, General Council, or VP of Communications of EOLA alone can make the decision to activate the communication plan.)
• How many communications do we want to send out? (Once the communication plan has been activated, a message is sent every 24 hours, even if there are no substantial changes in storm conditions. Additional crisis communications can also be made at the sole discretion of the original decision makers.)
• What type of crisis communications are to be sent out? (Content will include hurricane preparation steps on how to close down facilities and information of municipal resources including shelter details and evacuation zones.)
• How will these communications be sent out? (All information will be posted to the EOLA website, social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook, and SMS through EOLA’s Send Word Now account.)
• Who will send out these messages? (The director of public safety will send out messages to all platforms.)
• Who will receive these messages? (All members of staff and management including part-time, seasonal, and union employees.)
• When will our plan be considered a success? (When wind speeds have fallen below 10 mph and all employees have responded as being safe.)

Test Your Plan

It’s 7 a.m. A crisis has occurred requiring you to contact all members of your organization about an active threat at your company location. No problem. You have a plan for just such a thing drafted only eight months ago. You are about to send out your pre-scripted message only to be notified to wait because you might be breaking federal laws contacting union employees before 7:30 a.m. and that you’ll have to wait till your law department confirms whether is safe to proceed sacrificing precious time.

Finally, you receive approval to send out a mass text to all non-union members requiring you to create a last-minute, new contact list excluding those who shouldn’t be reached. You check your phone frantically waiting for the message to be received. After 10 minutes, you come to realize your message failed and you’re back to square one, failing to communicate to your organization’s members.

A crisis management plan is only effective if you have the means to execute it with confidence. The best-laid plans never tested are certain to fail unless all steps are tested on a regular basis with all members of your organization involved. In retrospect to the above scenario, had a plan been tested under a mock scenario, holes in the line of approval could have been identified, allowing you to recognize your communication platform was never fully set up or able to handle the load you really intended to put it through. We can’t stress enough the importance of testing.

1. Test your communication plan fully with all possible members involved.
2. Test your communication platform fully sending it to all intended recipients, not just a test group.
3. Have multiple communication services in the event your primary one fails you.
4. Test fully and test regularly. Complete testing at least once every quarter ensuring that your plan is always up to date, your communication systems are ready when you are, and as old members leave and new ones arrive, everyone is trained in their responsibility when responding to a crisis.
5. Ensure everyone’s contact information is always up to date.

Respond Quickly

This part is short. Up to this point, your organization should have a well-documented and tested crisis communication plan. When a crisis occurs, time is the most valuable resource you can give your people to effectively prepare and respond. Always remember to act fast when you are in a time of crisis and respond accordingly.

Communication Software

A crucial component of any communication plan is how you will actually reach your audience. In addition to posting to your website and social media, you should also consider other forms of communication depending on the visibility your message needs to have. Additional forms of crisis communications can include SMS, email, voice (automated-calling), push notifications (software installed on workstations and mobile apps), PA, digital signage, and, surprisingly, even fax. There are thousands of communication vendors that exist for most organizational needs. Included below are just a few that you might consider.

Onsolve

Onsolve is a vendor of enterprise-level communication services for those needing to contact thousands of people simultaneously. Customers include NASA, Pepsi, universities, and local municipalities. Their redundant infrastructure will ensure your message is delivered timely through all available communication channels. Supported contact methods include, but are not limited to, voice, SMS, email, push notifications (workstation and phone), and, yes, even fax.

Call Em All

Call Em All provides SMS, direct to voicemail, and voice services perfect for small- to medium-sized organizations. Customers include state universities, local schools, and doctors’ offices.

Connected Church

Connected Church provides SMS, email, and social media messaging services primarily for small- to medium-sized faith-based organizations. Customers primarily consist of small groups and churches with attendance below 500.

Additional Resources

This is a great summary video effectively covering the main points that your management should consider when making your communication plan: Things You Need to Know About Crisis Communications.

Provided by Homeland security this provides greater details on the consideration you and your organization should include with your communication plan: Homeland Security Crisis Communication Plan Planning.

This video by UNC-Chapel Hill discusses how they will notify their students based on a broad range of potential crises and provides a great example of communicating an organization’s plan: University Updates Emergency Communication Plan.

Is Your Website Ready for a Crisis?

Contact the team at WebDevStudios. We’d be honored to help you develop and build the features you need on your website to make it ready for successful crisis management.

The post Using Technology for Crisis Management appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Organization Reduces Stress

Ronni Eisenberg, Professional Organizer and Time Management Consultant at Organize Yourself! states that, “Organization is important because it helps to reduce the stress from the daily and chronic chaos in your life. Being organized helps you to manage the overwhelm you feel because you have too much to do, you do not have the time, and you don’t know where to begin. Organization helps you to find what you are looking for, get to appointments on time, and get things done.”

Tips for Staying Organized Professionally

Note: Google Suite products allow for easy linking capabilities.

Write it down or type it out.

Getting ideas, tasks, topics down is a good first step. This will allow you to visually see the magnitude of what needs to happen. Next, you can ‘bucketize’ the items. Sometimes, you may have more than one item that is similar or items overlap. This way you can cross one of them off or rename to include both.

Finally, you should prioritize them. I typically will rank them in order of importance from one to 10. Eisenberg also mentions prioritization as a key question to ask yourself: “What’s the most important thing for me to get done right now? What must get done and what can wait?”

Create a spreadsheet of daily or weekly recurring tasks to complete.

I, personally, keep a sheet with project names and tasks to complete on a certain day each week or each month. As I complete the tasks, I highlight the task name in green to visually remind myself that I’ve completed it. If I’ve partially completed it, I’ll highlight it in yellow and insert a link in the next column with the document so I can refer back and complete it.

Utilize your calendar.

I’ve linked my personal and work email accounts on my phone, so I can view events on the same calendar to stay in sync with schedules. You should also block off time on your calendar to complete tasks. This works as a visual reminder but also helps you mentally and physically block out the required time necessary to accomplish your tasks in a timely manner. You can also link documents within the task to easily reference what you need to work on.

Create folders in your inbox.

Create project folders, team folders, etc. in your inbox to easily file and/or retrieve emails. Once an email has been tackled, file it away. Use your inbox as a to-do list versus an unmanageable black hole.

Utilize the star function for important emails in case there is a need to review and/or take action later on. Create inbox rules if you happen to be on email distribution lists that junk up your inbox but that contain content you possibly may need to review eventually.

Try this inbox hack. If you find yourself with a lot of folders, and there are folders that you utilize more often than others, and the name of a particular folder that you need regularly falls lower in the alphabet, you can insert a symbol to the beginning of that folder’s name to bump it to the top of your list. For example, you could rename that folder *Project X, which would then bump that folder to the top of your list of inbox folders because you placed an asterisk symbol to the beginning of the folder’s name.

Use a notebook.

Some people prefer handwritten tasks lists over the use of digital tools. Just keep in mind that it is important to title your notes with the name of the project or call with a date, who attended, key points and action items.

Be sure to capture action items or next steps and who will be tackling them. I typically draw a circle, note the responsible person’s name, write the letters “AI” (action item) and then list the action items. When I complete an action item, I manually check off the circle for that action item.

Staying organized professionally is satisfying.

Staying organized will not only take the mental pressure off yourself of trying to remember things, but also gives you satisfaction in visually marking it off as completed or accomplished for the day/week/month. Yes, I’m one of those people who loves creating to-do lists and finds so much enjoyment in crossing things off!

By using these tips for staying organized professionally, your stress levels will decrease, you may finally get a good night’s rest, and your productivity is bound to grow. Plus, you will also be presenting yourself in a professional and dependable manner. Need a professionally organized team to manage your website project? Contact us today. We’d love to keep your project organized, on budget, and launched on time.

The post Staying Organized Professionally appeared first on WebDevStudios.

We need to reconnect with one another.

-Jodie Riccelli

As the Director of Business Development for WebDevStudios (WDS), Jodie Riccelli is focused on building successful client relationships. She does this by doing nothing but communicating, all day, every day.

She communicates with prospective clients, current clients, business partners, peers, WDS leaders, team members, and the WordPress community. Yet, even in today’s modern, digital world, Jodie can tell you that there are challenges incurred during these communications and in the maintenance of the successful client relationships which she builds and nurtures daily.

In the video below, watch and listen to Jodie present her tips for building successful client relationships in a digital age at WordCamp Las Vegas in September 2019. She offers insight, such as why you should avoid multitasking, how to choose your words wisely, and finding your toolbox.

WordCamp talks should be an essential part of your WordPress education, but you can’t attend every single WordCamp there is, right? WordPress.tv has you covered. You can watch multiple talks and presentations from all over the world. Go to WordPress.tv to search for the WordCamp talks that appeal to you.

The post Building Successful Client Relationships in a Digital Age appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Back Up All the Things

“Backups are a critical component to your digital life. We all know the importance of backing up computers, phones, and especially photos and videos, but many people don’t realize the importance of backing up their website. Sure, the hosting company should have a backup in place, but for the majority of businesses, there is no guarantee in writing that a backup has to exist. It is your responsibility to make sure you have a proper backup of your entire website, including all source files, media, and your database. Having your own scheduled backups will give you the peace of mind that no matter what happens to your website, you’re covered!”

Rely on Maintainn

“Never worry about your WordPress website again. From design and development, to hosting, security and updates. Maintainn has you covered, even during Mercury Retrograde.”
 
 
 
 
 

Stay on Your Toes and Rest

“Make sure all devices are charged. Download any movies you may want to watch in case of internet outages. Have a back-up plan like tethering or a coffee shop, if you work from home and your internet goes down. Breathe. And get some extra rest.”
 
 
 
 
 
 

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

“It’s so easy to misconstrue communication when it takes place over platforms like chat or email. The writer might have been busy or distracted when communicating. The information may be too complicated to convey easily over text. You’re own personal feeling and emotions may be adding context that isn’t really there. If you feel in any way a conversation isn’t going well in a text-based conversation, pick up the phone and have a chat! Save yourself the confusion, personal bias and time by taking the conversation off the computer.”

Don’t Launch Your Website on a Friday

“Basically launching a website (or a significant change/feature) on a Friday is a bad idea because you may not have time to fix a problem that slipped through, but it’s especially bad during Mercury Retrograde. Your staff has, at best, eight hours to make sure that everything with the release is 100%, but we all know that you’re not doing it first thing Friday morning. So, chances are that you’ll have less than a half day to make sure everything goes smoothly; and then there’s still a chance that something will be missed. Bugs discovered over the weekend likely won’t get addressed in earnest until Monday morning. It may seem weird to some, but at WebDevStudios, we’d rather have more visitors and traffic (as well as more people in the office) when a website is released, so we immediately know if there’s a problem.”

Test All the Things on a Staging Site

“When times become challenging, it’s best to reduce complexity in order to achieve success. Testing updates on your staging site reduces your chances of experiencing problems updating your live site. You can rest at ease knowing your site is up-to-date and secure!”

The post Blame It on Mercury Retrograde appeared first on WebDevStudios.

On the first day of class of my freshman year of college, our professor walked into the room and said something I will never forget:

Have you heard about this thing called the World Wide Web yet?

My classmates and I looked around the room at each other shaking our heads no. My only context in regards to the WWW was that the military used it and I could somehow magically send emails with my new college email address.

Fast forward, let’s say a few years (wink-wink), and here I am working in an industry that didn’t exist when I was in college. Moral of the story—technology changes fast. Developers and engineers are charting the course. Your users are setting the pace.

As the owner of a website, I believe you have a responsibility to keep that website up to date, in line with best practices, inclusive for all, and engaging. Given the speed that tech changes, in order to uphold your responsibility you must be ready for anything, i.e, “in omnia paratus” for all you “Gilmore Girls” fans out there.

If it seems overwhelming to keep up with your website responsibilities and, more importantly, your users, know that it can be, but not if you have a team behind you. One way to accomplish this is through a retainer.

There is a confidence that comes with a retainer.

The concept of a retainer is common. We often use them for services like an attorney would provide. You know your chosen professional is there to guide and assist you when you require it, allowing you to be proactive and not reactive with your business and marketing.

This is something advertising agencies have been doing for awhile now. In the advertising world, campaigns are usually ongoing because businesses need to adapt to the market quickly.

There are other benefits of retainer engagement.

1. You are not locked into one thing. You can bend easily to the ebb and flow of development.
2. You have a team of people at your disposal, especially in an emergency situation.
3. Additional training is available as needed.
4. You have the opportunity to plan and strategize on improvements.
5. A/B testing can be done and the results evaluated.

But most importantly, you have the ability to grow as your business grows. Can we assume that if you have a business, whether it be consumer packaged goods or a service, the ultimate goal is to grow? And by grow, I don’t only mean financial profit. Growing could be defined as simply expanding your user base or team.

Our thinking needs to shift. A website is not simply a single, one-and-done project anymore. It is an ever-changing and evolving tool for your business.

The results of retainer engagement are simple:

• Happier clients
• Happier engineering and design team
• Less administrative works
• The foundation of a true partnership

Does a retainer sound like a fit for your website project? Contact us and let’s talk about it today.

The post Why a Retainer Might Be a Better Option for Your Website Project appeared first on WebDevStudios.

If you weren’t already aware, on May 14th, 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which previously only protected Nevada as the only legal sports gambling state. Some states were already pushing to change legislation prior to the official ruling both onsite and online. However, not all states have taken action just yet. In fact, only a handful have and not each of those have done so in terms of online gambling yet, only in regards to specific onsite locations.

As we approach the one-year mark on the ruling, I suspect this will continue to change. Slowly, more and more states will allow both onsite and online wagering to take place. There are some real benefits to legalizing sports betting, which are outside the scope of this article, but there is no shortage of information about all those particulars.

It’s not often that an entirely new industry, such as gambling, comes to the web. The internet has obviously has been around for 30+ years at this point, almost encompassing every aspect of life—from shopping to information to games—you name it! However, gambling and sports betting was always a controversial topic, deemed illegal and unlawful here in the US, outside of Las Vegas, since the much earlier days of the web when things fell into gray areas and there were just a few sites out in the Wild West, which were eventually forced to close their doors.

Things are changing and there is potential for online gambling to come back to the forefront, which means the interest in capitalizing on the benefits of owning a sports betting website will grow. We’ll hit on three of the essentials to building a successful sports betting website in this blog post. This is by no means a comprehensive list but some things you’ll want to get started on right away, if building your own piques your interest. Let’s get started.

Know Your Payment Processing Options

Believe it or not, aside from a business plan for your new found venture, the first thing you’ll want to look into from the get-go is merchant and payment processing companies. While this may seem like an odd first step, consider this: at the time of writing this article, companies like PayPal and Stripe restrict the use of their services from online gambling and sports betting. I’m sure there are myriads of reasons for this, but essentially things are so new, they’ve not gotten fully up to speed on news laws and legislation which will now vary state to state.

In addition to the newness and ever-changing landscape of this world, chargebacks are a major concern, of course, to any merchant and credit card processing company. Too many of these can hurt a business’ bottom line and make it difficult for the relationship to continue, which, of course, no one wants.

Most likely in this space, you’ll have to find a high-risk merchant to work and partner with to make it possible for your sports betting website to accept payment. Some may have longer checklists than others in place to ensure everyone is acting in good faith and that there are necessary factors in place to help mitigate uncertainties, rules of the games, and, most importantly, reduce the potential for chargebacks by users of the site.

In speaking to merchant and payment processing companies up front, it’s important to get as much information as possible for both yourself and the the company you ultimately decide to hire to develop your website. This helps in the overall planning and design of your new site all the way to launch day. Things will certainly still come up, but I can tell you, there will be a lot fewer headaches and delays when everyone knows exactly what is required.

Make the Experience Seamless

While this may seem obvious to some, there are some nuances to sports betting, online gambling, and the like that should be noted. Users of the site are spending money in a very different way than on other websites, so it’s especially important to communicate trust, be transparent, and most of all, make it a seamless and painless user experience from the get-go.

For example, most sites of this nature will require some verification and account setup. The initial signup process is critical. Make it easy for someone to set up and create an account, verify their age, location, etc. These elements should not be afterthoughts.

This is especially true since it needs to happen prior to an initial deposit to place a wager. If you require a super strong password, make sure that it is part of the signup form when entered. Not doing that upon the initial setup can frustrate a user, and nothing is stopping them from going to some other website now. It may seem like a small detail, but it is a critical one.

Thinking through each step of the account setup process, from signup to first wager, will go a long way to enhancing the overall user experience. Things can always be improved upon over a site’s existence, but the goal is to keep it simple, easy and clear, especially since the target audience can really be anyone from 21 to 121+ years of age.

Gather Data

What’s the data? Well, when it comes to sports betting, the data is essentially the information around your offered games, matches, tournaments, which team is the favorite and who’s the underdog (there’s also under/over on scoring), etc. You’ll often see what’s commonly referred to as the spread or the under/over on various sports sites. This information varies site to site and on conditions like the time of day, direction the wind is blowing, last minute injuries, breaking news and all sorts of other factors.

It’s important to note, while you may see information around point spreads, under/over, and the like on major sports websites, it’s not likely you’ll be able to “just borrow” theirs or pull their data onto your site. The options are much more restricting. Major sports sites and individual leagues will not likely provide that information freely, or at all, in a usable way for your site. The available options, as it currently stands, are far more limiting in nature.

You could manage your own data, depending on the size of your website and team, or use a third-party service that will most likely have an API to pull in updated information. There are a lot of options and some may make sense more than others. As always, it depends on your business and your site’s particular needs.

Some of your options will come with a higher cost than others, depending on how often you need your site to update and whether or not real-time updates are necessary or different features and information are needed, as well. Not unlike the other essential steps, this requires a thorough investigation since there a significant cost to pulling in this information into your site, as it’s really what powers the site’s information in informing potential wagers one way or the other for users.

Conclusion

As with any website, the more planning and research that’s done up front, the better the chances are for both a successful launch and long-term success of the site. While this is not an exhaustive checklist, hopefully it helps get the ball rolling. To stay up to date with the latest on this topic, I recommend checking out this resource over on the ESPN website for the latest news and updates on the ever-changing legalized gambling landscape.

Now that you know what you need to get started, do you need a developer to help you build a sports betting website? Contact us and let’s partner together.

Feature photo credit: Baishampayan Ghose [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The post 3 Things to Know Before Building a Sports Betting Website appeared first on WebDevStudios.

• WooCommerce stores are growing and there doesn’t seem to be a decline in that growth.
• Users are from all over the world, with most coming from Europe and the second most coming from North America.
• Established business owners are the most common WooCommerce users. New business owners are the second most common.
• Chris Lema, Vice President of Product at Liquid Web, advises that before a host, developer, or agency provides a quote for a WooCommerce build or redesign, they should first “marinate in the problem” of the business. Apply psychology and project management techniques during the discovery phase. Scope creep happens when you are not clear with a WooCommece client. Don’t just focus on what you WILL do for them but also clarify and define what you WILL NOT do for them (such as shipping products on their behalf).
• The cost of downtime for an enterprise level eCommece site for one hour is approximately $686,000. This is why it’s so important to keep a WooCommerce healthy and well-maintained.
• When planning for SEO, keep in mind that nowadays, 50% of consumer searches consist of four words or more. Think outside the box. Research the best keyword and phrases for your WooCommerce website. Presenter Rebecca Gill recommended the tool KWFinder to assist with your research. Rebecca also says that your category pages should have actual content on them. Set a description for your category pages so search engines better understand what products and content can be found at your WooCommerce store. One more tip from her: “Internal links are the super hero of SEO.”
• Product descriptions are important. Address the five Ws and H in each description and optimize for readability. Reading experience is a part of overall user experience. Don’t neglect it. Make it easy for your WooCommerce customers to find the information they seek.
• Speed matters. Consumers expect a page to load within two seconds. Anything slower than that will cause them to experience frustration and make them bounce.
• Never underestimate the power of testing. Test your coupon codes. Test the checkout process. Test EVERYTHING!
• WooCommerce subscription websites are recurring magic. Automatic billing benefits you and your customer.
• One way to build a better user experience that is often overlooked is to customize your error messages. It better indicates to your user what went wrong and strengthens your brand voice and personality.

It’s clear. WooCommerce is a huge asset to both WordPress and the eCommerce industry. There is still so much potential for growth and success. Are you thinking about launching a WooCommerce website? Contact us for assistance. We would love to partner with you and make great things happen.

The post WooCommerce Lessons and Tips from WooSesh appeared first on WebDevStudios.

• Do we have an in-house web designer and developer who can handle the workload?
• Do we have the resources to manage the project?
• Have we considered how we will run user acceptance testing?

This is the moment you might consider hiring an agency. Don’t stress! There are many reasons companies outsource to an agency, especially when it is one that specializes in designing and building websites. Ultimately, we bring a level of expertise to the project. Let me walk you through what it’s like to work with our team here at WebDevStudios (WDS), and why you would want to choose us for your next project.

Every client and project we work with is different, and because of that, the specific WebDevStudios team members that you work with will be unique to your project’s objectives and will include specialists with various skill sets and knowledge. Each of our team members play a critical role on the project. Today, I’m going to give you a sneak peek into roles and responsibilities to give you a better feel for what to expect when working with our team.

Business Development

You will be initially speaking with a member of our Business Development team. They are responsible for taking your vision of the project, researching it, and converting it into a comprehensive proposal and project plan.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Project Management

A dedicated Account Manager will be assigned to your project that oversees the account, while a Project Manager will be assigned to manage the day-to-day objectives from initiation to completion of the project. They are responsible for managing tasks, scheduling, communication, etc.

Our Project Managers work closely with the Engineers during the project to ensure everything is on track, in scope and on budget. Through our project management tool set, you will have the opportunity to follow the progress of your project. The Project Manager will keep in touch with you at all times during the project; so if you have a question or concern, you always have someone to talk to.

Design

If your project consists of a design phase, you will have a dedicated UI/UX web designer who will focus on creating a prototype for your new site based on the requirements you discussed with Business Development, as well as your target audience. From detailed wire framing to prototyping, you will be involved at every step during the design phase to ensure your needs are met. This is one of the most exciting steps in the project, as our creative team is excellent at taking your vision and creating something visual that considers accessibility and responsiveness to ensure your site looks great on desktop and mobile.

Engineering

There will be various Engineers dedicated to your project. As I mentioned previously, every project is unique and requires particular skill sets. We have a wide range of Engineers on the WebDevStudios team who specialize in different areas of technical abilities specific to WordPress. Below, I break down the different types of developers you might work with on your project.
 
 
 
 

Lead Engineer

Every project has a dedicated Lead Engineer (some projects require more than one) who is responsible for taking project requirements and mapping out a development plan for our Engineering team. They will also review updates, do demos, and work alongside the Project Manager during your project.

Frontend Engineer

Frontend Engineers are responsible for developing elements on the frontend of the website—essentially, everything your users will interact with—usually in the form of either a custom WordPress theme or a child theme from a popular theme framework. Our WebDevStudios team of Frontend Engineers take the beautiful prototype from the designer and turn it into the frontend of your website.

Backend Engineer

Backend Engineers are responsible for building the advanced functionality that typically interacts with the server. They also handle any data migrations from your old site to your new site, create custom plugins and custom post types, and ensure WordPress is created and set up for your new website.

In addition to our project team of experts, we break the project out into various phases that will help to set goals for each phase and move your project through from initiation to completion in a timely efficient way. You can check out more details about our typical project process flow in this blog post about a project life cycle.

We understand that redesigning or building a new website can be difficult, maybe even a little intimidating, but we’ve worked with many clients and have put together a team and process that make it fun and efficient. If you have an upcoming project, we would love to talk to you more about how our WebDevStudios team can help. You can get a hold of us by submitting a contact form or directly by phone at 1-855-932-3380.

Our team can’t wait to work with your team on your next project!

The post What Does Working with the WebDevStudios Team Look Like? appeared first on WebDevStudios.

As a Project Manager, I cringe at the thought of scope creep! However, as a former WebDevStudios client, I know I am guilty of it. I’ve learned I am not the exception to the rule on both accounts. So, here are a few things I’ve learned about scope creep and how you can manage it.

What is scope creep?

After a website project has started, and the scope of the project grows beyond the original plan, that is considered scope creep. This can happen for a number of different reasons. If a project’s requirements are not well defined and outlined at the start, new requirements are likely going to come up throughout the life cycle of the project. Similarly, a lack of transparency and poor communication during the project can result in additional work impacting the original scope.

A surprising reason for scope creep…

I have found that there is another reason why scope creep happens: excitement. Nothing can prepare our clients for the way their new website looks and how it functions. There is a big difference between the mock-up they approve during the design phase of the project, and the functioning site they see on our status calls. At the beginning of a project, it can be difficult for a client to imagine how things will turn out. Once they start seeing demos, they start to see the potential. With this potential, comes new requests and expectations—thus, scope creep.

Scope creep management

And there’s the rub. As a Project Manager, you don’t want to crush your clients’ dreams, but you have to manage timelines, budgets and expectations. Our goal, then, is to minimize the risk of scope creep throughout the website project. This starts even before the discovery phase. By sharing with our clients sites in our portfolio, they are able to envision what their site could also do. This empowers them to ask for certain functionality before the scope has been established. During our extensive discovery process, we are able to flesh out what the requirements are.

Accepting the reality of scope creep

Finally, it is as important to have a plan to deal with scope creep when it happens (since it is inevitable, like the common cold) as it is to have plans in place to minimize the risk in the first place. We cannot accommodate every new request or change that comes up during every website project for every client. What we can do is explain their options through change requests and appreciate where the client is coming from—a place of excitement.

What methods or strategies do you use to manage scope creep? Tell us your tips in the comments below.

The post Why Scope Creep Happens appeared first on WebDevStudios.

It should come as no surprise that in order to work from home in a productive manner, one needs to be focused, dedicated, serious, responsible, passionate, and have excellent time management skills. But let’s face it—we’re not horses. While our teammates are all those things (and more!), we’re humans, and we require tools and devices to help us be all that we can be and deliver amazing websites to our remarkable roster of clients.

So if you face your own struggles as a remote worker or managing a team of them, consider the suggestions below your checklist of things to acquire and accomplish in order for you to be successful at working from home. We tapped into our team—from engineering to sales—and found the top remote work essentials that you will need on your journey as a remote worker. Enjoy!

Remote Work Space

Unless you live alone with no life partner, no children, no aging parent, no pets, and no roommate, you need a room and/or space that is totally dedicated to your workday. You need an in-home office with a door. Even better, you need to talk to your significant other, children, roommate, and anyone who shares a roof with you about that space being respected.

“Talk with your family/partner about boundaries and that even though you’re home, you are  working. If the door is closed, please respect my space,” advises Director of Engineering, Greg Rickaby. 

“Having a home office is one of the biggest things for me,” exclaims Cristina Holt, Director of Project Management. “I have little ones and being able to secure and quiet place with a lock on the door is essential.”

Corey Collins, Lead Frontend Engineer, has a different take on the importance of having a home office or work space, saying, “If you work in your bedroom, it’s hard to stop working after hours because you’re always in the place where you’re working so your mind can’t reset. Putting your work in a specific room that you can leave at the end of the day is huge.”

Corey’s not off in his thinking. There was a study in 2012 that The Wall Street Journal reported, which stated that working from your bed can have an adverse affect on your well-being and sleep. 

Creature Comforts

Okay, you have a work space. So, now what? Well, according to Greg and Cristina, you need the right chair. They both use and swear by the WORKPRO 1000 Series Mid-Back Task Chair. I know, it sounds boring. When you look at the chair, it looks boring, but both rave forever about how comfortable it is. In fact, a former WDS employee enticed them to learn about the chair prior to his departure. That says a lot.

Wherever you work from, comfort matters, as does your health. Did you know that sitting for a prolonged period of time could be detrimental? Yikes! At least half of our employees practice standing at their desks throughout their workdays. Some teammates use a stand atop their desks, but most have purchased or built standing desks for themselves.

But there are other remote work essentials that help to motivate productivity while nurturing comfort. For example, Zach Owen, Senior Backend Engineer, believes that natural light is important. “If you are working in a home office, a window is a great thing to have. Working in the basement of a building with no natural sunlight for a couple years was a real bummer. I couldn’t imagine doing that at home.”

Aubrey Portwood, Senior Backend Engineer, takes the importance of a comfortable work space even further, saying, “My home office has to be set up so I can enjoy it. It’s nice and decorated. I enjoy being in here eight hours a day with nice, big desk and a comfy couch I can slack on.” 

However, when it comes to decor, Jodie Riccelli, Director of Business Development, emphasizes that interior style is about more than just aesthetics. It’s also about making a good impression. She adds, “For video calls, a nice back drop is great for talking with clients. They don’t want to see my dirty laundry in the background!”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to cater to your personal nuances. You may want to keep fresh flowers or a candle handy to help alleviate stress levels. But, if you’re anything like us, you probably drink lots of coffee. And being in a work space or home office may mean being away from the coffee maker, which means cold coffee can happen within an hour. Corey has a great recommendation: the Mr. Coffee Warmer!

Remote Work Technology

You can’t get very far as a remote worker with shoddy technology. You need a computer. You need internet, and it can’t be weak sauce.

“You need strong internet connection,” advises John Hawkins, Client Strategist. “One of the main reasons I rarely venture out to work at coffee shops and other such places is the amount of time I end up wasting trying to secure a solid internet connection. Without that, I find everything becomes a grind.”

Corey agrees, adding that if you insist on being a digital nomad, you should: “Invest in an unlimited data plan with tethering. I very rarely work outside of the house either but when I have, I’ve run into spotty coffee shop internet and found that my tethering speeds are way, way faster.”

Plus, there’s your monitor to think about. As the residential editor/proofreader/blogger at WDS, a simple laptop works for me. But if you’re building  big websites for big brands, you’ll need a whole lot more.

“A second monitor is extremely important for me,” reports Haris Zulfiqar, Frontend Engineer. John agrees, “A second monitor is a big yes for me, too.”

Sound seems to be an issue, as well. You need earbuds to either drown out the noise outside your home office or so you can participate in a video call without having to say, “What?” Imagine exclaiming that to a CEO of a big brand your agency is trying to land. No. Get and use headphones ASAP.

Miscellaneous

Wait. More? Yes, there are just a few more remote work essentials to consider. Backend Engineer, Eric Fuller, loves to keep a notebook handy for notes (and I do, too!). And, Brittney Carter, Client Strategist, says sticky notes are her go-to. Corey advises, that while they’re not limited to remote workers only, computer glasses can make a big difference and are worth looking into.

Honestly, a blog post about remote work essentials could go on for days. Remote work is great, but it’s a challenge, too. Do you manage or work on a team that works remotely? What are your remote work essentials? Please tell us in the comments below!

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