72% of people who signed up for our coaching session said they find design approval difficult, yet 69.9% of those who use Atarim said they find it easy to approve designs.

Not having a proper process for this part of your web design business is where scope creep can lead to making client work unprofitable – the most common culprit being endless revision rounds. 

It’s often the case that, even after the task has been completed, additional requests for changes will come from the client – often because there are several people involved in the process, resulting in these requests arriving in unpredictable batches.

The result of this is inevitably massive amounts of scope creep, which will also result in delays with being paid, and being able to commit to another client, hitting your agency’s profitability targets. Back in our agency days we had some projects that literally took a year to get finished while waiting for the client to finally decide that the website did look exactly how they wanted it.

Today, we’re here to bring that to an end… 

Why A Solid Design Approval Process Matters

We often encounter web designers & agencies that are confident that they can deal with the problem of delayed design approvals and unexpected client requests as they arise – even without an actual plan or process for handling them. So, before we dive in – let’s take a look at why that isn’t a good idea: 

• Scope creep usually arises after the initial design is done. 
• Expecting the client to understand the process isn’t going to impress them when they don’t.
• Aiming to approve the entire website in one go is unrealistic. 
• Clients can potentially lose trust early on (especially if your process made gathering content, and giving feedback difficult for them) – i.e., breaking down the relationship, affecting your credibility and reputation… 

Now, let’s dive in to examine how to manage design approvals the right way.

The Missing Learning Curve

So, the first round of revisions is done (we’ll cover how to define revision rounds in a moment), and you’ve sent the client an email asking them to let you have some feedback.

But there are several key reasons why the process is already at risk of breaking down – and most of these are with regard to the client, because a huge chunk of information hasn’t been communicated adequately to the client at this stage, because there will be essential things they almost certainly won’t know or appreciate.

• Your client is unlikely to be a designer, and so will have less understanding of the processes involved.
• They will clearly want their website to accurately reflect their brand’s image, and so may be hesitant in order to really feel fully comfortable with their new public presence.
• The prototype you created will have already been approved, which means the client will already be fully aware of how the final product will look, so won’t be surprised at the final reveal, and may not have any initial thoughts about changing anything.

There are also many pieces of advice you will want to share with them, including suggestions about how best to use the layout and design (such as having featured products in the ‘hero’ section’, assuming that they will be managing the content, and you don’t have an ongoing maintenance plan in place.

Ideally, to help your client with all of these areas, you would be able to show them very easily using the Atarim platform, allowing you to collaborate visually on the design, adding virtual sticky notes on the website for them to be able to view and respond to.

Explain What Design Approval Actually Means To Clients

Setting Up For Success

Implementing the right design approval approach is vital in order to make sure that the final design meets with both the client’s requirements, and your own vision of what should be a successful and effective outcome.

Part of this process must involve preparing clients by highlighting key sections of the design and helping to explain their purpose. For example, you could identify the hero section of the page, and explain how it should be used to showcase the business’s prime focus and attract potential leads. 

It can be surprising to discover the difference taking the time to provide this information can really make. Your clients will feel that you have gone out of your way to provide the very best service and support, and this can genuinely help to speed up the process of them giving you feedback on that section. 

Design Approval Email Template

This is a template, in other words – feel free to grab a copy for yourself, and adjust it to your business’s needs:

Hey [Client Name],

Hope you’re doing well! We’re ready to move forward to the next stage – Design Approval. 

As we’re approaching the end of the project, I’d like you to go through the pages and let me know if there’s anything you feel isn’t quite as you imagined, or that you’d like us to change.

If you feel inspired with additional requests at this stage, please note them down. We might be able to include them in the next revision, or they can be added as additional tasks at a later date, if out of scope.

Please use the Atarim visual collaboration tool to add your own virtual ‘sticky notes’ to any webpage – just click where you’d like to comment, and write your thoughts directly on the page and we’ll be able to see exactly what you’re seeing!

Click here to access the newly designed home page: [Insert URL to client’s site or development environment]. I have unlocked the commenting and feedback system for 3 working days, during which period you and your team will be able to leave as many comments as you wish.

Following this feedback stage there will be an additional revision round of 3 working days.

If you have any questions about this, please do let me know.

Best wishes,

[AGENCY NAME]

Successful Revision Rounds – Collecting Feedback & Getting Approval

Create An Action Plan & Focus For Each Revision Round

Using a feedback template such as the one above can be a great way of encouraging the client to not only provide meaningful feedback that you can actually use, but of getting them to do that in a timely fashion.

But, it is important to be very clear as to exactly how this feedback will be used. We’ve come across some design agencies that throw emails out to clients like confetti, inviting them to provide feedback over and over again.

It’s essential that both you and the client are on the same page in terms of what is required from the feedback, and what will be done in response to that feedback. In other words, there has to be a clearly defined purpose to the feedback, rather than allowing it to just become a very open-ended exercise.

Over the years, we have often found that the more specific focus that can be given to a round of feedback and revisions, the more effective it ends up being. Conversely, we have also found that where feedback is invited with no particular purpose, not only can this feedback process take a very long time, but it can end up being vague and unfocused, and ultimately unhelpful to you as an agency.

Planning the feedback and revision element of the design approval process is critical in order to avoid the very real likelihood of scope creep beginning to eat away at your profit margin.

How To Execute A Successful Revision Round

Before initiating any revision round, there are three things that you should consider very carefully:

• Timeframe
• Focus
• Goal 

Timeframe – How long does the client have to gather feedback from all stakeholders involved? 

Setting a specific and limited time frame for how long the client has to collect and deliver feedback is vital for keeping the project moving forward and on track. Clearly, your agency is taking their project seriously, and allocating finite and limited resources and time in which to handle it appropriately. So, it is only reasonable to expect that the client should also take the project seriously with regard to time frames and dates.

Set specific dates for when feedback should begin, when it should be completed by, and when the next revisions will begin. This process can be made easier if you’re using the Atarim platform, as you are able to unlock and lock the ability for clients and stakeholders to leave feedback on the website.

If you specify the period of time they have for this process, and then you lock the ability to comment, if the client specifically requests an extension of this phase, then you will be able to decide whether to agree to this or not. If you do agree to provide this extension, then you can justify charging an additional expense, as this will take the project out of scope. Telling the customer that you will be able to unlock the feedback tool for a period of three more days at a specific cost is an effective strategy.  

Focus – What should their feedback be focusing on?

Handing a client a website and saying, “So what do you think?” is a guaranteed way of making sure the feedback you get is vague and largely unhelpful – if you get any feedback at all before it’s time for you to retire.

We strongly advocate providing a specific focus for each revision round. For the first round this may well be focusing on the larger elements, such as the overall layout and basic navigation. As the project continues, the focus for each round may become more specific, perhaps looking at particular design elements, functions, and pages.

Having a clear focus for each round of feedback is something that we recommend considering and integrating into the original project plan right from the start. Don’t make the mistake of leaving feedback to be an afterthought; planned feedback and focused feedback is effective feedback.  

Goal – Once approved, what can no longer be changed?

And most importantly – what is the goal of this particular revision? Is it finalizing the layout, navigation, and content areas? Is it the last revision round focusing on making changes to any design details? 

Make sure the client is aware so that they can comment on the parts of the web design process required, as opposed to wasting time giving you feedback on things that you plan to tackle later on in the next revision round. 

For reference, most agencies adopt this tiered strategy with revision rounds – in which they begin with a focus on the layout and content, then on main design approval, and finally on any smaller tweaks to the design.

This is because it makes sense. Once the layout and content have been approved, you are then ready to move on to the main design (as you know what the goal is for the website). 

The main design involves the homepage and few other key pages such as services, product,s and about pages. This will typically be the longest revision round but once this has been agreed you can confidently move on to the rest of the pages. 

And then, just prior to launch is the third and final revision round that accounts for any other minor tweaks needed to get the website ready for launch. 

Dealing With Out-of-Scope Changes – Your Plan

If your client is aware of the implications, but still wants to go beyond the previously agreed scope, this shouldn’t be a problem. This is an opportunity for your agency to shine, charge accordingly, and get the changes the client now wants done. 

We have a complete guide on dealing with scope creep that covers this topic in detail. In short, similar to a regular revision round, define a clear timeframe and goal for any such extension. In terms of pricing – some agencies adopt a standard, flat-rate hourly fee for any changes that were out of the project’s original scope. We find this to work quite well, especially for Atarim customers who use our built-in time tracking feature to track how long implementing each individual change that they request takes. 

This also reassures clients that they really are only paying for the unaccounted changes that they now requested, and with clear estimates for how long each task can take, they may end up deciding that making the change isn’t going to be worth it for their business after all.

Summary: Better Client Management + Atarim = Streamlined Design Approval

The design approval stage of a web design project can often be the most challenging for many agencies and freelancers, and yet it needn’t be. By planning for feedback and revision rounds well in advance, having a clear focus for each round, and being prepared to charge for feedback requests that go beyond the original scope, you’ll be able to keep projects on track and your profit margins healthy.

But it’s also clear that one of the most effective ways of turning design approvals and feedback rounds into positive, focused, and meaningful Interactions is by using Atarim.

Atarim makes it so easy for you to provide clients with a tool that makes delivering feedback intuitive, natural, and easy. But more than this, the feedback you receive will be more meaningful, easy to understand, and far less ambiguous. This means that you and your team can get straight on with implementing the feedback suggestions in a much more time-efficient manner.

And with Atarim providing additional features, such as the ability to lock and unlock the editing window and automatically time how long tasks take for more accurate billing, the entire design approval process becomes easy, natural, and meaningful.

You can get started with Atarim for free today, and once you’ve discovered just what a difference it can make, bring your team along for just $35 per month.

How important is company culture? In the early 2000s corporate America learned the hard way of the real importance of company culture, fueled largely by the historic collapse of Enron.

This historic event helped to highlight the critical role that company culture has on both the performance and sustainability of an organization as a whole.

Enron’s downfall played a role in reminding everybody how a toxic culture can ultimately bring down even the most seemingly successful corporations.

In the 20 years since, there’s been a marked change in how company culture is seen and understood, and how it is prioritized across businesses of all sizes. it’s gone from being little more than an afterthought or a PR exercise, to being a vital cornerstone of business strategy.

In fact, recent research suggests that an overwhelming 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe that a meaningful and clear workplace culture is essential to the success of the business as a whole. This takes the concept that a positive and vibrant company culture is not just something positive for the work environment, but a vital part of the eventual business outcomes.

Even more than this though – a positive and meaningful company culture is also now considered an essential part of both attracting and retaining talented employees, something which should be taken very seriously given the increasingly competitive labor market.

For any company looking to reduce turnover rates, having a compelling culture that appeals to the values of the workforce is a strong starting point. This isn’t just a vague hope – research shows that 24% of employees will feel much more likely to leave a company if they don’t feel that the culture meets with their own values and expectations.

In the world of web design and web hosting, the markets are so dynamic that it is critical that companies understand the importance of employee satisfaction. This is pivotal in ensuring the company is both resilient and adaptable, and more likely to survive the inevitable changing face of the industry.

What is Company Culture?

Ask 12 company directors, “What is a company culture?” and you’ll probably get 12 different answers. Essentially though, a company culture is a tapestry of shared beliefs, behaviors, and values that together shape and influence the way everybody within the business interacts with each other and makes decisions.

Although it may feel rather intangible, this culture defines the very essence of the workplace and has a very real impact on all aspects of the business, from the most mundane daily routine to large-scale strategies.

Katie Burke, chief people officer at HubSpot, provides her own definition of what a company culture is. She describes it as, “The Promise an organization makes to its candidates and employees about the environment they can expect and the values upon which the business operates.” I think this description helps to highlight the dual nature of a company culture: it is both a promise, and a practice – a way of helping to both set expectations and guide behavior across the business.

A company culture should help to make sure that all individuals within the business field are genuinely valued and understood. it should aim to include all of the attitudes, standards and goals of the company, guiding how all employees interact with each other, and with their clients.

But it’s important to also be aware the culture should not be considered a static and fixed pledge. As the company evolves over time, the company culture should also change, reflecting the new ambitions and personnel.

A company culture is also not something confined to the walls of the business. It is something which should be known more widely, as there is an increase in the number of respective employees actively seeking workplaces based at least in part on the culture. A strong and very positive culture can attract talented individuals who will embrace the company’s values and be enthusiastic about contributing towards its vision.

At the same time, a weak, poorly defined, or even negative culture can significantly put off potential hires, as well as contributing to higher turnover rates. A recent study by Columbia University found that the job turnover rates at organizations with a strong and very positive company culture is around 13.9%, compared to 48.4% in those companies with a poor culture.

But it goes even beyond this, because it has often been found that the company culture can impact on employees’ satisfaction and, in turn, productivity.

A workplace in which everybody feels motivated and positive will inevitably lead to higher levels of productivity and innovation.

So company culture is the heartbeat of an organization, and absolutely vital to the health and longevity of the business. It is dangerous to see the development of a company culture as something little more than a PR initiative; a positive culture is a strategic imperative for any business aiming for success and growth.

Examples of Great Company Cultures

Many people attribute Zoom’s remarkable success in the last few years to the Covid-19 pandemic, but this isn’t strictly true. Zoom has long been committed to employee happiness and flexibility. The company’s stated ethos of “delivering happiness” goes beyond its customers, to include its employees too.

Zoom aims to encourage an environment in which satisfaction and productivity is valued very highly. This is largely the reason why GlassDoor ranks it as one of the best places to work. It isn’t that the pandemic helped Zoom to grow; Zoom’s positive company culture was what allowed it to be adaptive and take advantage of the opportunity to grow, and to meet the global demand for the kind of service it offered.

Patagonia is a company well known for its environmental activism and ethical business practices, and it is at the root of this that its culture of integrity and commitment to the planet is embedded. The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, took the remarkable decision to donate the company to a Trust dedicated to environmental causes. This was directly in line with their mission statement of “We’re in business to save the planet.” Their company culture shows a commitment to sustainability and employee well-being, which includes a range of initiatives such as flexible working hours and paid time off for activism.

Intuit is the company behind tools such as TurboTax and QuickBooks and has a culture dedicated to employee prosperity, including a wide range of benefits that address the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of its employees. Intuit has a highly recognized culture of caring and flexibility, which is why it is widely regarded as a great place to work. The emphasis the company places on being both welcoming and inclusive directly contributes to its particularly high workplace satisfaction ratings. This is a clear demonstration of how a supportive culture within a business can help to both power the employees and increase the business’s prosperity.

HubSpot is known for its people first culture, with a number of policies that demonstrate this approach, such as its no door policy which actively promotes both transparency and accessibility throughout the business. The company’s culture is one that encourages both open communication and collaboration, and significant value is placed on each employee’s input, emphasizing the culture of both trust and mutual respect.

Zappos is another company with an exceptional culture that prioritizes team trust. The online retailer focuses specifically on creating a supportive and engaging environment in which employees are motivated by shared values and a commitment to delivering the very best customer service. Zappos’ approach to company culture is another example of how the successful alignment of both individual values and those of the organization as a whole can have a double success, with both employee satisfaction and successful business growth.

Additional Examples:

Spotnana has annual gatherings in which it fosters a sense of collaboration and a global community across its distributed workforce.

Edmunds has a monthly “Take the Wheel” event, the aim of which is to promote  cross-departmental learning.

Blackbaud Has a culture based on the idea of giving back, bringing employees together in a common cause of supporting non-profits, helping to strengthen team bonds and drive their collective achievement.

The 7 Elements of a Strong Company Culture

It’s crucial to understand that a company culture isn’t just the general ambience of the workplace. Nor is it simply a set of perks offered to the employees. A strong company culture is the backbone of a successful business, and will impact everything from employee satisfaction to the long-term success and growth of the business itself.

Here are the 7 key elements which are absolutely fundamental to developing and fostering a strong company culture.

1. Employee Feedback and Engagement: One of the most important aspects of a positive and effective company culture is having a continuous loop of feedback and engagement with its employees. Having an open dialogue where employees feel that their opinion is valued, and that even criticisms are all to be heard is vitally important. Companies should aim to actively seek out employee feedback, and to act upon this.

2. Leadership’s Role in Culture Building: It is critical to understand that within an organization the leaders are not there to enforce the culture, but to be its embodiment. The behaviors, decisions, and communications demonstrated by the leaders is what sets the tone for the entire organization. It is the leaders’ responsibility to be visible champions of the company’s culture, demonstrating every day the values and behaviors they wish to see throughout the whole organization.

3. Alignment with Company’s Mission and Values: A strong company culture helps employees understand that they are not just working towards individual goals, but are parts of a united team working towards a shared purpose. The culture needs to be grounded in the company’s core values, giving employees a sense of community and purpose. But it cannot be emphasized enough that these values should never just be words on a wall, but are put into practice in the daily operations and decisions of the overall business.

4. Inclusivity and Diversity: Inclusivity is essential for any company wanting to demonstrate resilience, innovation, and appeal to a broader pool of talent. It is vital to ensure that within the organization there is an environment that fosters a sense of feeling welcome and appreciation, with everyone’s unique perspectives and contributions genuinely valued.

5. Learning and Development: A vital part of a strong culture is having opportunities for continuous learning and development, as this demonstrates the organization’s commitment to employee growth. By demonstrating a genuine desire to invest in the professional development of their employees, companies not only enhance their own capability, but also demonstrate a genuine interest in the success and well-being of their employees – not just in the here and now, but for the longer term.

6. Recognition and Reward: We all like to be recognized for what we achieve and contribute to a company, and a positive company culture should definitely make this consistent and fair in order to reinforce the behaviors and values that contribute to the organization’s success.

7. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance: There’s no denying that since the pandemic the working environment has changed considerably, now offering significantly more flexibility as well as promoting a healthier work life balance overall. This also helps to demonstrate an understanding of, and respect for, the diverse needs and responsibilities of all employees – ultimately helping to support their overall well-being, not to mention their loyalty.

By taking into account these 7 points, organizations can help to build a positive and strong company culture that achieves two main things: it can help attract top talent, and it can also help to foster innovation and growth.

A company culture does not just happen by accident, it requires deliberate thought and genuine commitment from all of the leadership.

After Action Report: What Is Your Company’s Unique Fingerprint for Success?

At a time when there is a greater battle than ever for the top talent, and the pace at which technology is changing is accelerating faster than ever, having a strong company culture is absolutely essential.

For design agencies, web hosting companies, and indeed all modern businesses, it is vital to build a culture that both attracts the best talent as well as boosting growth and enhancing productivity.

A company’s culture is its fingerprint – it is unique, and clearly indicates its approach to businesses and people. This culture should positively impact every employee, and their clients. Creating and fostering a strong company culture that accurately reflects your business’s values and goals is an investment that must go far beyond what is often seen as little more than superficial perks. It requires a firm commitment to continuous improvement, open communication, leadership by example, a clear focus on inclusivity, and a positive balance between work and life.

If your company culture includes fostering open communications, positive collaboration, and maximizing efficiency then Atarim has your back.

With Atarim, you can collect, triage, and action tasks on your design projects. Like sticky notes on a webpage, your product UI, or ad creative, but better – Atarim is the visual collaboration platform trusted by industry-leading teams to get more done, faster. Ship your best work without the guesswork.

And you’ll be in great hands:

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders
• Deliver projects in weeks instead of months

Learn more about Atarim, & get started today.

What is a bug report? Well, that depends.

It could be a highly valuable document that provides crucial information that can be used by developers to improve the robustness of their software product…

…Or it could be a massive waste of time…

…Or a lot of interesting data that means nothing to anyone.

Bugs are a fact of life for any developer. You just can’t call yourself a programmer or a developer until you’ve written software with a bug in it. For many of us, that may very well have started right back at the ‘Hello World’ stage when you realized you were using the wrong variable type, the wrong speech marks, missing a semicolon, or failing to perform the correct dance routine for the delight and pleasure of the warped mind that came up with the syntax rules for the programming language you’re using.

So let’s not dream of a world in which bugs don’t exist. And let’s not just shrug them off with the old, “It’s not a bug, it’s an unexpected feature”.

Yeah, right. That’s fooling nobody. ?

Bugs aren’t something to be afraid of really. They can be hugely valuable, showing us how we can improve our code and make it more robust, and a better quality end product.

The truth is that you can’t possibly test software under every possible condition. From hardware differences to software conflicts, and from out of date systems to unanticipated uses – end users are impossible to predict.

So bug reports are a vital way of transforming all of your end users into testers, providing you with a wealth of information that you can use to improve your product.

At least, that’s how it should be.

But that’s only if the bug reports you get are meaningful, useful, and can be used to identify the cause of the issue and allow you to rectify it.

A bug report that simply says, “Software crashes when I try to run it” doesn’t help you at all. Similarly, messages along the lines of “Doesn’t work”, “Crashes when I click the button”, and “Won’t let me go back when I click the button on the screen I was using” are all worthless.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that having a really good, clear, and effective bug reporting system available to support your product helps to instill greater confidence in your product, because it will be clear to customers that you take the maintenance of your product seriously.

If it’s evident that you care about getting a full and proper bug report, because you genuinely want to identify the problem and fix it, then customers are not only more likely to take the time to file the report, but will have greater confidence in your service and software product in the future. Especially if they see changelogs and updates reflecting previous bug reports from others.

So what makes a good bug report?

In this article we’re going to lift up a few rocks, and discover the world of bugs. We’ll examine exactly what a bug report should be, how a good bug report should be designed, what information to include, and share some examples of great bug reports. We’ll also show you how to go about implementing a top-notch bug reporting system.

So slip on your gardening gloves, and let’s get friendly with the mini-beasties. ?

The Anatomy of a Bug Report

Diving into the world of bugs and reports can feel a little like exploring a dense jungle. But bug reports are like maps – properly laid out, and with all of the right information, they can serve as invaluable guides to help us navigate the thickets of software anomalies. So what features need to be included in such a map, and how should a good bug report be structured?

Title or Summary: Your Bug’s Headline

Just like a newspaper headline, the title needs to be clear about the nature of the bug report, its severity, the level of urgency you need to assign it, and perhaps even the team who would be best reviewing it.

Simply having every bug report being submitted with the title “Bug Report” says nothing. Of course, if you only receive one of these every couple of weeks, it wouldn’t matter too much. But what if you have hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of users, potentially filing hundreds of reports every week?

If it’s a new release, then this is perfectly possible, and so the heading or title needs to be considered carefully, for the value it can offer.

Priority and Severity: The Urgency and Impact Scale

When you lift up a rock and spot a bug, there are often telltale signs that tell us right away whether it’s harmless, or something to be wary of. If it’s marked with yellow, it’s likely going to hurt us if we prod it. 

These instant markers are essential in the animal kingdom, and it’s also true for bug reports, because having a clear indicator that tells us exactly how serious the issue is, how dangerous it would be to put it on hold, and how much it could potentially hurt if we do nothing is vital.

Having a clear way of identifying the urgency of a problem, and the impact it could have on the product, business, or brand, is a crucial way to ensure the most serious issues are prioritized correctly. It’s all about managing resources and expectations. And not getting stung.

Environment Details: Setting the Scene

Lift up an old log and you know you’re likely to find pill bugs (or woodlice). And you know that under a rock you’re likely to find ants, millipedes and beetles, and nearer a pine tree it’ll be weevils.

In much the same way, a good bug report should help you identify where the bug lives. Where can you find it? This includes understanding things such as the operating system that was being used, the browser type/version, and any relevant hardware settings.

The more details included in a bug report, the better the chance of narrowing down where the problem lies so that it can be identified correctly, and addressed.

Steps to Reproduce: The Treasure Hunt

This is where a good bug report leads the developer straight to the problem. Just like a treasure map that leads you directly to the golden tortoise beetle (yes, that’s actually a thing), a bug report should identify the specific steps that led to the problem.

These instructions need to be clear and precise, so that the developer can follow the exact same steps, to try to recreate the problem. In combination with the information in the previous step, this should help to reproduce the issue, and allow for a proper investigation into the cause.

Expected vs. Actual Results: Reality Check

It’s easy to joke about the “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature” clause, but the reality is that sometimes it may not always be clear what’s supposed to happen. If it doesn’t match up with expectations, then is it a bug? Or an oversight?

The next essential element to include in the bug report is the provision of critical context – what did the user do, what did they expect would happen, and what actually did happen?

This is where you can identify whether the issue is an actual bug, a case of poor user interface design, an oversight as far as the user experience is concerned, or an actual feature that was planned, but perhaps unwisely.

Visual Proof: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Logs

The power of an image is everything – as evidenced by the success of visual platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

I could tell you why the Chrysina Aurigans is my favorite insect because of its mesmerizing beauty, but you’re unlikely to be impressed… until you actually see a photo of one (go on, Google it now, but be sure to come straight back here!).

A great bug report doesn’t rely solely on words, but also on images – screenshots of the software in action. A screenshot can tell a developer a lot more about the problem, as it will often include details that may seem unimportant or irrelevant to the user, but which help shed light on the cause of the problem to the developer.

Perhaps a particular combination of selected options, the inclusion of unexpected symbols in a text field, the disabling of an option – any of these could help explain what the bug might be, but which may be entirely overlooked by the user when filling in the bug report.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Bug reporting is a tale of two sides – and it’s the combined roles of both developers and reporters that ultimately decide on the effectiveness of the report in helping to drive your product forward.

Developers have a vital role to play in making sure that the bug reporting system works well, and facilitates the most effective means for capturing the essential data, and helping users submit the right information.

For example, we’ve seen too many instances of people submitting bug reports that either allow the user the freedom to submit whatever title they like, or other systems that submit all bug reports with the same title – usually something helpful like “Bug Report”!

If the title option is too open-ended then customers may often start to describe the issue or just include a complaint. Neither of which helps the development team prioritize the issue. Instead, including a list of titles from which the user can choose provides them with more flexibility, but at the same time helping the developer apply a severity rating to the problem, and even have it assigned to the relevant team. Implementing an automated system that does this can really help.

We’ve also come across reporting systems that consist of large text boxes that encourage the user to write an essay. Instead, having a template that breaks the report down into a series of options or questions helps guide the user through the submission process, ensuring that the developers have all of the right information. A bug report that’s missing vital information doesn’t help the developer, and wastes the user’s time.

The other issue with having a bug reporting system that’s too open-ended is that there can be a tendency for subjective language to creep in. Reports that include statements such as “I don’t like how this looks”, “It feels slow when I use it”, or “It’s a bit confusing” all demonstrate a need for further revisions to the product, but don’t provide any real indication of the issue or cause. Again, having a template to complete makes this subjective language much less likely to appear, providing more value to the developer.

For developers looking at implementing or revising an effective bug reporting system, we would advise implementing the following four features:

Template and Guidelines: Provide a structured template for bug reports that prompts users for all necessary information. This can include tooltips or examples for each field to clarify what’s needed.

Validation and Mandatory Fields: Implement a form validation system that requires users to fill out every essential field before the form is submitted. This makes sure that reports aren’t ever too vague or missing key details.

Education and Examples: Offer a brief tutorial or FAQ section on how to write a good bug report. Including examples of both good and bad reports can demonstrate best practices and common mistakes to avoid.

Feedback Loop: Create a system where developers can request additional information from the user without leaving the bug-tracking environment. This not only speeds up clarification but also educates reporters on what information is valuable.

Tools for Bug Reporting

There are a number of bug reporting tools available (a cursory search on Google reveals a quarter of a billion results), but based on our experience, and that of partners and clients with whom we have worked, this is our shortlist of the best bug reporting tools you should consider if you’re part of a developer team keen to do plenty of prompt bug squishing.

Jira

Use as a Bug Reporting Tool: Jira is extremely customizable, allowing teams to create specific issue types for bug tracking. It uses custom workflows that define the lifecycle of a bug, all the way from identification through to resolution. Teams can set up custom fields to capture all of the relevant bug details, prioritize them, and then assign them to the most appropriate team members.

Unique Features: What sets Jira apart is its deep integration with the software development lifecycle. It supports agile methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban, offering boards that track the progress of bug fixes in a visual way. Jira’s extensive marketplace of apps is also a major benefit, helping to suit almost any need.

Cost: Jira’s pricing is based on the number of users, starting from $7.50 per user/month for the Standard plan and $14.50 per user/month for the Premium plan for small teams (up to 10 users). Larger teams need to get a quote for enterprise pricing.

Zoho Bug Tracker

Use as a Bug Reporting Tool: Zoho Bug Tracker allows for bug reporting with an easy-to-use interface that allows for the submission of bugs, assignment to team members, setting priorities, and tracking bugs through to resolution. It supports custom workflows and statuses to match your team’s processes.

Unique Features: Its simplicity and integration with the broader Zoho ecosystem, including Zoho Projects, make it a compelling choice for businesses already using other Zoho products. The ability to set up business rules for automatic actions on bug reports is another notable feature.

Cost: Zoho Bug Tracker is part of Zoho Projects. The pricing starts at $5 per user/month billed annually for the Premium plan and goes up to $10 for the Enterprise plan. There’s also a free version with limited features suitable for up to three users.

Bugzilla

Use as a Bug Reporting Tool: Bugzilla is an open-source tool that’s ideal for tracking bugs and issues. It provides the facility to create detailed submission forms, carry out advanced searching, and set up email notifications. Its flexibility is a key strength, with customizable fields and statuses to adapt to different project needs.

Unique Features: Being open-source, Bugzilla is highly customizable and free to use, making it ideal for companies with the technical know-how to set up and maintain the software. Its robust search capabilities and comprehensive reporting features are particularly noteworthy.

Cost: Free, being an open-source solution. However, hosting, maintenance, and any custom development will still incur costs, based on the resources used and chosen by the organization.

Atarim

Use as a Bug Reporting Tool: Atarim differs from traditional bug tracking tools by offering a visual feedback system directly on websites. Users can click anywhere on a site to leave comments, highlight issues, or suggest improvements, which are then automatically converted into tasks.

Unique Features: The visual feedback and ‘sticky note’ system make it incredibly user-friendly for non-technical stakeholders to report issues. Atarim’s integration into websites for direct feedback collection and the automated task creation from these reports streamline the web development workflow significantly.

Cost: Atarim offers several pricing tiers, starting from $20 per month for the Starter Dashboard, with more comprehensive plans available for larger teams and agencies. 

Examples of Good vs. Bad Bug Reports

We’ve provided general examples of how bug reports can be either helpful, or unhelpful, some specific strategies we would recommend for either developers or end users to consider, and our shortlist of software tools that can help with tracking and resolving bugs.

But what does a good (or a bad) bug report actually look like? Here are two examples, one of each, that we hope illustrate what we’d consider representative of each.

Bad Bug Report Example

Title: Doesn’t work

Description: Tried to use the feature, and it crashed. Doesn’t work at all, very frustrating!

Why It’s Bad: This bug report lacks almost every piece of useful information. The title is vague, the description provides no context or details about what feature was used, how it was used, what exactly happened, or any specific error messages. There’s no information on the environment, steps to reproduce, or expected vs. actual results. It leaves developers with no clear starting point for investigation.

Good Bug Report Example

Title: Cart Update Failure – Items Not Added After Selection on Chrome 90 on macOS Big Sur

Description: When adding items to the shopping cart from the product detail page, the cart fails to update, and items appear not to be added. This issue was observed in Chrome 90 on macOS Big Sur.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Navigate to the product detail page for product XYZ.
2. Click the “Add to Cart” button.
3. Navigate to the shopping cart via the top navigation menu.

Expected Result:

• The cart should display the newly added item, including the quantity and price update.

Actual Result:

• The cart displays as empty, with no indication that the item was added.

Environment:

• Browser: Chrome Version 90.0.4430.93
• OS: macOS Big Sur Version 11.2.3
• Date/Time: April 20, 2021, ~3 PM CST

Attachments:

• [Screenshot of the empty cart after attempting to add an item.]
• [Console log capturing the error message: “TypeError: Cannot read property ‘update’ of undefined at ShoppingCart.updateCart (shoppingCart.js:85)”]

Why It’s Good: This report is specific, detailed, and structured. It provides a clear, descriptive title and includes comprehensive details such as the steps to reproduce the bug, expected and actual results, and the environment in which the bug was encountered. Attachments add huge value by providing visual proof and log data, helping developers to understand the problem fully and start working on a fix more efficiently.

It’s clear that the second bug report provides developers with a much more helpful starting point for replicating the bug and resolving it. It’s usually only by having all of the data needed to reproduce the error that it can become possible to identify what the cause may be, and then start to analyze how to fix it.

In essence, a good bug report, like the example above, should aim to do the following:

• Use descriptive titles that summarize the issue clearly and concisely.
• Provide a detailed description, including what was attempted and any specific error messages shown.
• Clearly outline the steps needed to reproduce the issue to make sure that the developers can see the bug for themselves.
• Distinguish between expected and actual results to clarify the nature of the problem.
• Include the environment details such as the type of device, operating system, browser version, etc., as any of these can significantly impact the bug’s reproducibility.
• Attach relevant files such as screenshots, logs, or videos, to provide additional context and evidence.

After Action Report: Integrate Bug Reporting – And Not As An Afterthought

We hope that, having read our advice and seen our examples, that it’s clear just how impactful a good bug report can be, and what the essential components are that make a bug report something that can help developers make a difference.

But it’s not just about the tools you use, or the structure used to frame the report. It’s about something else: empathy.

The best bug reports are the ones written with the developers in mind, and with an understanding of what they really need in order to resolve any issue the user has come across. Providing detailed information is crucial, certainly. But it’s also essential to think about how that information is presented, the logical order, and the steps needed to ensure the issue is replicable. When users put themselves in the shoes of the developers, and tailor the bug report accordingly, everyone wins in the end.

We like to think of it like this: effective bug reporting isn’t about pointing out what’s wrong – it’s about collaborating with the developers, and contributing to a solution. You may well not know how to fix it, but a good bug report is a starting point for a meaningful collaboration. This is especially true if there is a culture in which developers feel able to respond to users’ bug reports to clarify questions or points. This two-way communication turns bug reports into actionable insights, rather than dead ends.

And on the subject of collaboration…

With Atarim, you can use simple point-and-click collaboration to enable clients to point at what they’re referring to on any live web page, and immediately leave feedback, say what needs to be changed, and so much more. 

If you want to receive feedback that makes sense, make it easier to collaborate with clients, and finish projects in days instead of weeks, sign up to Atarim today – with paid plans from just $20 per month.

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide.
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders.
• Deliver projects in days instead of weeks.

For some people in the business world, feedback is a scary word. Just as in the world of audio, feedback is a dreadful sound no one wants to hear, so too in the business environment, many people would rather shy away from either giving or receiving feedback.

And yet, feedback should never be considered a negative thing, or something to shy away from. It is a vital backbone that fosters the growth and improvement of teams. What’s essential is to strike the perfect balance between honesty, and being too harsh, and between being constructive, without simply being critical.

There are many guides on feedback available, but what we’ve noticed is that many of them are either far too formal, or far too vague, which runs the risk of missing the mark entirely.

This article is our attempt to hit that sweet spot, offering practical advice that’s straightforward, and can help create that much-needed culture of open, effective communication within your team.

Let’s make feedback something people actually look forward to!

FAQs on Giving Team Feedback

We’re going to dive straight in with some of the most common questions we see people ask when facing the challenge of having to give their team feedback. If these sound like questions you’ve asked, or worried about, then you’re in the right place, and far from alone in your concerns.

When is the right time to give feedback?

Always sooner rather than later. The best time to give feedback is while the event is fresh in people’s minds. But it’s also important to be mindful of how the other person is feeling, as well as the environment. If the person is anxious, stressed, or otherwise not in the best mood for receiving feedback immediately then, unless that feedback is overwhelmingly positive, it may be best to wait a little. But always aim to provide the feedback as soon as possible, as the relevance of what is discussed will be more helpful to those concerned, and other relevant details are less likely to have been forgotten.

How can I make sure my feedback is constructive?

Be clear, be specific, and make sure you focus on outcomes. Try to provide examples wherever possible, and be ready with suggestions for improvements. Remember that the feedback should lead to a two-way conversation in which both, or all, parties explore possible solutions together.

What if my feedback is taken the wrong way?

Make it clear that your feedback is intended to provide support and help, rather than be a judgment. Communication is key, and if there is any misunderstanding then quickly clarify what your intentions were, and emphasize the wish to help provide support. Always encourage dialogue so that the conversation is two-way, and do ensure you listen carefully to their point of view, as this could provide valuable insights, and open opportunities for wider growth.

How often should I give feedback?

Feedback should be provided regularly, but of course it’s important not to overdo it. Try to find a balance between not providing enough feedback, and providing so much that the core messages become lost or diluted. Putting into place a system in which regular one-to-ones is a great way to incorporate feedback into your routine.

How do I ensure feedback leads to actual improvement?

Following the feedback aim to set goals that are clear, and achievable, and which are based clearly on what was discussed during the feedback session. Follow up on these agreed goals to see whether there are any hurdles, issues you can assist with, and to see how progress is being made.

How can I encourage my team to be more open to receiving feedback?

The best way to achieve this is to lead by example. Show a clear openness to receiving feedback about your own performance, and create a safe environment in which everyone understands that feedback is a tool for development, not simply a way of delivering criticism.

What’s the best way to give feedback to someone more experienced than me?

It’s important to strike the right balance, respecting their experience and being honest about what you have observed. Try to frame your feedback more as a suggestion for consideration rather than a strict mandate to be enforced. This approach can be very helpful in fostering a sense of collaboration rather than confrontation.

Psychological Safety and Feedback

For feedback to be effective, the environment and atmosphere need to feel safe for team members, otherwise they’re going to naturally hold back from offering feedback and be more closed or defensive when receiving it.

Make sure that everyone knows and feels that they won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up, even if that includes challenging current methodologies, identifying mistakes or oversights, as well as offering ideas and suggestions, or raising concerns.

Creating this kind of environment involves recognizing the emotional and social factors that will influence the degree to which team members actively engage with the whole feedback process.

A popular framework used to help improve psychological safety is the SCARF model, which focuses on five key principles leaders can embed into their feedback routines – Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness.

• Status: This involves recognizing each team member’s contributions, and making sure that their perceived status within the team or organization does not make them feel threatened. You can achieve this by highlighting their strengths and acknowledging their achievements.
  
• Certainty: As humans, we all need clarity and predictability – we don’t like the unpredictable, especially at work. Make sure that in feedback sessions, very specific feedback is provided that is very clear and actionable. with guidelines laid out on expectations and processes to make sure that everything is clear,and that there is little or no anxiety and, therefore, resistance to the feedback.
  
• Autonomy: Giving your team members a sense of control over their work, and the feedback process itself, can be extremely valuable. Try inviting them to set their own goals, or let them choose projects to focus on, as this fosters a sense of openness regarding the feedback process and can encourage much more engagement.
  
• Relatedness: This is about helping to create relationships within the team, creating connections and a sense of belonging. Supportive relationships or connections make giving and receiving feedback significantly easier, as there’s much less fear of any social repercussions.
  
• Fairness: It is vital to ensure that feedback is consistent across all team members, making it clear that it is unbiased, fair, and transparent. This fair treatment will help build trust and make the feedback seem fairer and much less personal.

These five principles together are crucial for creating a psychologically safe environment that is much more likely to encourage open and constructive feedback, which ultimately will help continuous improvement and growth across the whole team.

Strategies for Effective Feedback

Giving feedback isn’t easy, requiring a very careful balance between timing, delivery methods, and personalisation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to navigating this challenging process successfully.

1. Prepare your feedback. Don’t dive straight in to providing feedback off the top of your head. Take time to collect your thoughts and observations, and make sure that you are very specific in your focus on behaviors and outcomes, not on personality traits. By taking the time to plan and prepare your feedback you can make sure that it is both clear and objective.
   
2. Choose the right timing. It’s always best to provide feedback as soon after the event as possible, but it’s also vital to be mindful of when is not a good time or place. Providing feedback to someone who is stressed, or in a public setting is not recommended, in which case wait a while.
   
3. Select an appropriate delivery method. The way you deliver feedback is as important as what you actually say. Should you deliver feedback face-to-face or in written form? The answer is that either could be the right answer. Individuals respond differently, and while some people may appreciate a direct approach, others a more nuanced one. Consider their communication style (do they tend to come and speak with you or send you an email?) and how they have received feedback in the past.
   
4. Focus on growth and development. Try to make sure that the feedback you provide includes constructive suggestions for improvement, as well as appropriate support to help achieve it. Frame challenges as areas for development.
   
5. Encourage a two-way dialogue. Feedback should be a conversation, not a lecture or monologue. Ensure you encourage team members to share their perspectives, ask questions, and suggest their own solutions. This conversational feedback approach can help foster understanding and collaboration on both sides.
   
6. Follow up. Don’t just deliver the feedback and leave it at that. Ensure you follow up later to offer support, assess their progress, and help them work through any new challenges or unexpected hurdles. By demonstrating continuous engagement you show your commitment to their development and growth and their understanding of the value of the feedback process.

Tools and Resources

Within digital organizations, it makes sense to use the right tools and resources for providing feedback and ensuring it is fully effective. Here are a few of our recommended tools that can play a significant part in the ongoing feedback and collaborative environment of the modern business environment.

Atarim

Atarim is a tool that offers a unique platform for agencies to both manage websites and handle client feedback directly on their website. It offers a visual collaboration feature that allows feedback to be left directly on a website, significantly streamlining the iterative process, and helping to improve the clarity of feedback.

Many agencies use Atarim as part of their routine feedback process in-house, with team members providing feedback on various aspects of the website design process, and leaders able to provide feedback in a direct, visual way that includes clear objectives. 

Trello

Trello is a great tool for managing tasks and providing feedback in a visual format. It uses a board and card system which helps to make it easier to organize projects, assign tasks, and track progress. Trello integrates with several other apps, which makes it another ideal tool for providing feedback on projects and tasks.

Slack

Slack is an ideal tool for real-time communication, including the delivery of timely feedback on current tasks. As it integrates well with a range of productivity tools, it helps provide a seamless workflow and a way of delivering feedback in written form either live or as written messages for discussion asynchronously.

Google Workspace

Google Workspace offers a suite of collaboration tools such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides that enable teams to come together and collaborate in real-time. The commenting and suggestions tools make it easy to give very targeted feedback on documents.

Loom

Loom is a video messaging tool that enables users to record their screen and narrate their comments. You can either use this to narrate a walkthrough of a project, task, or document, or include your face if you wish.

This is an ideal tool for working through more complex ideas, or for providing much more detailed feedback that might take too long to write out.

After Action Report

Feedback, when done correctly, isn’t just about improvement. It’s about motivation and connection too. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your feedback – it’s a great way to demonstrate your willingness to accept feedback yourself, and leading by example is always something to strive for.

And don’t forget to celebrate the wins too. Positive feedback is just as important as finding ways to improve. Positive reinforcement is the best way to reinforce the desired behaviors and outcomes, and ensure your team strives for excellence, and relishes the opportunity for growth.

Keeping the advice covered in this article in mind will help you foster a culture of continuous improvement, and build a team that’s resilient, motivated, and fully in alignment with your business goals.

When it comes to providing feedback on web design projects, Atarim remains the number one choice amongst the best industry-leading teams, providing a unique way of working collaboratively through a constant cycle of feedback that is based entirely within a visual framework.

With Atarim, you can collect, triage, and action tasks on your design projects. Like sticky notes on a webpage, your product UI, or ad creative, but better – Atarim is the visual collaboration platform trusted by industry-leading teams to get more done, faster. Ship your best work without the guesswork.

And you’ll be in great hands:

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders
• Deliver projects in weeks instead of months

Get started with Atarim today, and discover how much easier visual collaboration and feedback can be.

The concept of leadership in business has undergone a tremendous transformation over recent years – more so than at almost any other time in history. The idea of a captain at the helm, handing down instructions based on wisdom and experience, is now little more than a relic. As are those teams that fail to embrace new ideals, strategies, and models – in particular, adaptive leadership.

This change in leadership style isn’t simply a trend or a change for the sake of it. It’s a vital way to ensure survival in a world in which change is the only constant factor.

The rapid way in which technology has changed and adapted, alongside global events such as the pandemic, has created a business landscape that has evolved in an unprecedented way. And it is through this new landscape that, for any business to succeed, the ‘command and control’ style of leadership is simply no longer appropriate. A captain at the helm, reading an old, outdated map looking for mythical treasure, is a fairy tale. The reality is now very different.

The concept of adaptive leadership is one that has emerged from need, rather than fancy. It was recognized by many that the complex and often unpredictable ways in which technological changes presented new opportunities and challenges meant that leadership had to evolve to work in a more flexible & responsive way than ever before.

In the past, good leaders have often been seen to be the ones with an almost omniscient command. The best one to make the decisions, the visionary, the one with the answers.

Today, a good leader must instead be one who can harness the collective intelligence, creativity, imagination, and expertise of their entire team. Someone who can take risks. And someone who can admit they don’t always have the answers or know what is best. That can be a very difficult role to play for some, but for those leaders who can achieve success with this approach, collective success as an organization is far more achievable.

This change in leadership is relevant across almost all industries, but within web design, web hosting, and SaaS companies, the rate of technological change has been utterly dizzying, and the ability to adapt quickly is more than just a skill – it’s a crucial strategy for survival.

What Is Adaptive Leadership?

Essentially, adaptive leadership is a strategy that allows organizations to tackle complex problems, challenges, and scenarios in an environment that is changing rapidly.

Traditional leadership is built on an established hierarchy, with authority written into every page of the rulebook. Adaptive leadership, on the other hand, is about flexibility, collaboration, and the ability (and willingness) to adapt to change in a proactive way.

The concept of adaptive leadership was first proposed by Ronald Heifetz in his 1994 book, ‘Leadership Without Easy Answers’. He suggested that this approach was an increasing necessity in the face of modern life and the rapid changes already evident. For those of us old enough to remember the 90s well, it’s clear that the pace of change has only ever grown faster, and so therefore, the need for adaptive leadership has also become more vital.

But adaptive leadership isn’t simply an approach any leader can slip on like an old jumper and start transforming the way business works. To begin with, it requires a leader with a strong character, as well as a high level of emotional intelligence.

These are the four key principles that underpin the adaptive leadership approach:

1. Emotional intelligence: Effective adaptive leaders need to possess a high level of emotional intelligence since empathizing with others is critical, as is the need to understand that teams and businesses are made up of people, and real people can struggle with change, with challenges, and with the demands of a modern, evolving landscape.
2. Organizational justice: A key principle in adaptive leadership emphasis on fairness and inclusivity. The leader’s voice should not be the only one to be heard. All voices should be given the opportunity to be heard, as problem-solving and decision making is reliant upon contributions from the whole team. Diversity of ideas and views isn’t just something to hear – they’re vital for success in solving problems or challenges, and so should be encouraged by a good adaptive leader.
3. Ongoing development: A good adaptive leader understands that the learning and development of every individual within the organization is essential for not only their growth, but the growth and success of the business. Learning, and the opportunity for growth, means experimentation, innovation, and the willingness to step out of a comfort zone and approach problems from new, unique angles.
4. Strong character: The decision-making within an adaptive leadership model needs to demonstrate integrity and fairness, because it is through this understanding that people will trust and respect not just the leader, but the process. It’s about complete transparency within the business when it comes to decision-making and problem-solving, and for some leaders, this can feel daunting.

Adaptive vs. Technical Challenges

Let’s be clear: not all challenges require, need, or would even benefit from an adaptive leadership approach.

There are many tasks that need to be carried out each day which have clear, established, working solutions. These are often straightforward tasks that address clearly defined problems, and can be solved by following established procedures. These are what are referred to as technical challenges.

This is in contrast to adaptive challenges, where there is often no clear path, no easy fix, and no established way of solving the problem. These are complex challenges, often unexpected, unique, or completely new. It’s this type of challenge that requires established beliefs, values, and approaches to be challenged openly, honestly, and by all.

Adaptive leadership is able to use the collective capacity of the organization to explore the problem, experiment with possible approaches, and push the evolution process to move the business into brand-new territory.

A Practical Framework for Adaptive Leadership

So what sort of person makes a good adaptive leader, and how can they cultivate the skills and mindset needed to embrace this new way of handling how teams navigate unpredictable challenges?

The ability to reflect on both failures and successes: Humility is perhaps one of the most significant characteristic traits of good adaptive leaders. Setbacks are not failures or insurmountable obstacles, but opportunities for growth and learning.

Be comfortable with uncertainty: When there aren’t any clear answers, and the possible routes forwards are ambiguous, the ability to embrace uncertainty and experiment, adjusting strategies as situations evolve is crucial.

Value relationships: A good adaptive leader should understand that the strength of their leadership stems directly from the quality of the relationships they develop with their team. Time needs to be spent nurturing these relationships, building trust and understanding, and fostering a working environment in which open communication and collaboration are not just encouraged – they are the norm.

It’s important to be mindful that adaptive leadership doesn’t just happen by accident – it requires a deliberate and sustained approach. So here’s a step-by-step framework for achieving this, especially within dynamic and rapidly evolving sectors such as web design, web hosting, and SaaS companies.

#1 – Cultivate Emotional Intelligence

This needs to start with the leader’s emotional intelligence, ensuring that they can adequately manage their own emotions, and empathize with others well.

#2 – Foster a Culture of Openness and Inclusivity

Put in place clear and effective mechanisms for feedback and dialogue, to make sure that all voices across the entire team can be heard, and at any time. This could include regular forums, anonymous feedback systems, or specific, dedicated times for brainstorming and open discussion.

#3 – Encourage Experimentation and Learning

Put in place policies that actively encourage experimentation, with a clear understanding that failure will be expected. Ensure you put time and resources aside for employees to pursue innovative projects and ideas. You could also provide a platform for everyone to share the lessons learned from both their successes and their failures.

#4 – Develop Adaptive Decision-Making Processes

It takes deliberate effort, but it is crucial to move away from rigid decision-making and adopt a more fluid and flexible approach to the way these decisions are made. This could be helped by having cross-functional teams for problem-solving or introducing agile methodologies that allow for more rapid iteration and change as the immediate situation unfolds and changes.

#5 – Strengthen Relationships and Trust

Introduce team-building activities that enhance interpersonal relationships between all team members, and across different teams too. Building up relationships and trust across all teams and members is a cornerstone of adaptive leadership. Enabling teams to work together in some of the more uncertain situations can often prove to be hugely beneficial, and in unexpected ways sometimes.

#6 – Lead by Example

It is critical for the success of this framework to succeed that the leaders embody every principle of the approach, demonstrating very clearly and openly the willingness to learn, to change, to grow, and to adapt. The behavior and attitude demonstrated by the leaders sets the tone for the entire organization.

Adaptive leadership offers many advantages in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving landscape. The ability to navigate change, improve team collaboration, and have a greater capacity for innovation all ensure businesses don’t just cope with the unpredictable and unforeseen – they thrive. An unexpected challenge is an open opportunity, and those organizations with the capacity, ability, and willingness to take that opportunity are the ones most likely to succeed.

But of course, it’s also fair to note that adaptive leadership does present many challenges. For some leaders one of the hardest aspects is the willingness to relinquish some degree of control, placing far greater trust in their teams to take the lead in problem-solving and decision-making.

It’s entirely understandable that this can make some leaders feel uncomfortable, and it can feel quite at odds with the more traditional and established sense of hierarchy. It’s also true to say that the move from solo-decision-making to collaboration and consensus-building can slow down the process of decision-making.

However, in spite of these challenges, the benefits of adaptive leadership are clear to see, and by harnessing the collective expertise and creativity of the entire organization, it’s a compelling and exciting model for businesses working within fast-paced and constantly-evolving landscapes. By embracing this new approach, web companies and SaaS businesses can place themselves in a position that will allow them to thrive, grow, and be able to take full advantage of every new opportunity.

Dynamic collaboration and openness can turn challenges into opportunities to outgrow the competition. Adapt and thrive – or don’t survive!

After Action Report – Implement Systems That Empower Your Team To Do Their Best Work

Adaptive leadership and collaboration go hand-in-hand.

Why? Well, because you owe it to your team to make sure they have all the tools they need to do their best work. Not only creating a better work “culture” that’s conducive to delivering that work, but the system, workflow, and ultimately software that enables truly great work.

With Atarim, you can collect, triage, and action tasks on your design projects. Like sticky notes on a webpage, your product UI, or ad creative, but better – Atarim is the visual collaboration platform trusted by industry-leading teams to get more done, faster. Ship your best work without the guesswork.

And you’ll be in great hands:

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders
• Deliver projects in weeks instead of months

Learn more & get started today.

Did you know that every 60 seconds 175 new websites launch?

That means that, by the time you get to the bottom of this article (assuming you’re reading it, and not just dashing down there right away!), the world wide web will have grown by the best part of 1,000 new websites.

And, of course, there are (at least, mostly) real people building all these sites – which makes the web design and development industry bigger than most realize. 

The meteoric rise in demand for new websites doesn’t just demonstrate increasing consumer need, growing opportunity, and better accessibility of a wider range of services. 

It also reflects a growing desire in people and businesses to create their own corner of the internet – one that’s unique, professionally designed, and meets the needs of those in its target demographic. The many businesses and organizations looking for websites are in fact, doing much more than this – they’re searching for online platforms that stand out, have unique, bespoke designs, provide robust functionality, and offer their users an experience that will have them coming back for more.

And in such a world of demand and opportunity, the role of web designers and developers has become increasingly important. 

It’s no longer enough to simply be able to build a website. 

It’s now much more about crafting an experience, capturing the unique essence of a brand, and delivering an experience to its users that speaks to them directly. 

As a web design agency or a freelance web developer, it is crucial to understand this shift towards both quality and uniqueness.

So how can you achieve all this? How can you design and build a website that not only looks beautiful, but which perfectly aligns with the goals and needs of your clients? How is it possible to tap into this vast market, and turn an opportunity into a profit?

In this guide, we explore these questions and provide our insights and experience to provide you with a range of strategies that will help you elevate your web design business to succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

Deciding on a Niche

When faced with the vast range of websites already on the web it can be rather daunting knowing where to target your web design business. One of the most effective strategies we’ve seen employed, and which can really aid business growth, is to specialize within a specific niche.

Specialization allows you to tailor your services so that they meet the needs of a particular industry niche, which lets you create a louder voice and more easily recognized presence than trying to be all things to all clients.

By focusing on a specific niche you are able to focus your marketing much more effectively, ensuring your messaging is much more focused, your portfolio more relevant to prospective clients, and your expertise much more apparent and relevant. Whether you choose to specialize in e-commerce, healthcare, education, or any other sector, having a niche makes your services much more attractive to potential clients who are looking for a specialist rather than a generalist.

So the question is – how do you decide your niche? We recommend starting by examining your own skills, interests, and past experiences. Do you have any particular experience with any industries? Which projects have you worked on previously that you particularly enjoyed?

Of course, choosing your niche isn’t just about you – it’s also essential to do some market research. Look at the size of the potential market, the amount of competition, and possible growth opportunities. Ideally, you need to find a combination that combines your own skills and experiences with an identifiable gap in the market.

Once you have successfully identified your niche, it’s important to start tailoring your services to meet the needs (and take advantage of the opportunities) within that sector.

For example, if you decide to target the restaurant business, you might focus on areas such as online menus, reservation systems, food delivery service integrations, and such. Doing this not only makes what you have to offer even more appealing to your target client base, but it also allows you to build a solid portfolio that enhances your appearance as an expert in the industry.

But if you are going to focus on a niche market it will be vital to stay fully informed about the latest trends and technologies emerging. We recommend signing up to newsletters, subscribing to any relevant publications, attending seminars, and networking with other professionals within your chosen field.

Getting New Clients

So now you’ve found your niche, and are starting to get your business fully focused on targeting potential clients. But how do you actually get those clients? There are several strategies we would recommend.

One of the best approaches is to use networking. This can be online, through platforms such as LinkedIn, by attending industry events, and joining groups or online forums. Building professional relationships is extremely beneficial. Not only are you increasingly likely to find clients directly in this way, but word of mouth is also a critical part of this strategy, and by building positive relationships you increase the number of people who may well recommend you, or at the very least, mention you, when discussing projects and needs with other professionals in the market.

Content marketing can also help to present you as an expert in your field. Of course, this also helps greatly with SEO, if done correctly. By building up a library of articles you are able to help market your business, increase your presence in the search results, and strengthen your reputation as a credible expert in the niche market.

Email marketing is another hugely powerful way to build a network, and reach people you might not otherwise be able to. Creating a regular newsletter can not only provide you with a ready list of interested subscribers and potential clients, but also a list of people who may share your content or website address with others in the industry, widening your reach still further.

We are also great believers in partnering with other companies when there’s real value to be had in such an arrangement. Where either the other company is able to add something to what you are offering, or where you can directly add value to their services, this can increase your reach and reputation considerably.

And finally, you might consider offering free workshops or seminars. These can be online, and provide another opportunity to reach a large number of people, set out your stall, and present yourself as a credible professional within the specific market your targeting. Workshops and seminars are also very easy to use as a way to actively engage with people, and nudge them towards the next step in your sales funnel.

Understanding Client Needs

Identifying Client Objectives: Understanding your client’s objectives is crucial. Begin by conducting thorough discussions to make sure you fully understand their business model, target audience, and desired outcomes. Using collaborative tools such as Atarim can significantly streamline this process, ensuring a transparent and efficient communication channel.

A comprehensive interview is vital for the success of the project as a whole, and to ensure that your time is used as efficiently as possible. Prior to the initial client interview make sure that you research their business, and their competitors.

During this interview there are a number of key questions we would advise asking:

1. Business Objectives: “What are the primary goals you want to achieve with your website?” This question helps in aligning the website’s design with the client’s business goals.
2. Target Audience: “Can you describe your ideal customer?” Understanding the target audience is crucial for designing a user-centric website.
3. Brand Identity: “How do you want your brand to be perceived online?” This question delves into the visual and emotional aspects of the brand that the website needs to convey.
4. Competitive Landscape: “What do you like or dislike about your competitors’ websites?” Analyzing competitors can provide insights into industry standards and client preferences.
5. Website Functionality: “Are there specific features or functionalities you want on your website?” This helps in understanding the technical scope of the project.
6. Budget and Timeline: “What is your budget and expected timeline for this project?” These logistics are critical for managing expectations and project planning.

It’s very easy to get caught up on the technicalities of what is said, but we are firm believers in active listening. Always pay attention not just to what is said, but how it is said. Consider tone of voice and body language – these can really help to reveal concerns, wishes, and allow you to gain a deeper understanding of what they need.

Always make sure you keep a record of what was said, and we advise summarizing the key points at the end of the interview, and then sending a follow-up email afterwards, along with the next steps.

Developing a Client-Centric Approach: Adopting a client-centric approach involves more than just acknowledging their requirements. It also means making every possible effort to anticipate their needs. Regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and adaptability to changing requirements are key to maintaining a positive and productive client relationship. Collaborative tools such as Atarim can help significantly with this, providing a much more meaningful way for clients to provide feedback on their website, and create a single channel of communication, regardless of how many collaborators are involved.

Planning and Design

Planning: The planning phase lays the groundwork for a successful project. Begin this process by setting the website’s goals, audience, and key performance indicators. Creating a detailed sitemap and wireframe is essential for visualizing the website’s structure and flow. A structured website project plan keeps scope defined, deliverables aligned, and timelines predictable from kick-off.

Following this, develop wireframes for each page. These wireframes provide a skeletal framework for the website’s layout, focusing on space allocation, content placement, and feature positioning. Using Atarim’s image proofing and collaboration tool can make this much easier, significantly cutting down the time it can usually take to get designs approved by clients.

Design Principles and Aesthetics: In the design phase, make sure you aim to create a balance between aesthetics and functionality. It won’t matter at all if your website looks astounding if nobody can use it! Use contemporary design principles, ensuring the website is not only appealing but also user-friendly.

When thinking about aesthetics, spend some time exploring color psychology, making sure that the color schemes reflect the brand’s personality and evoke the right emotional response from the audience.

Typography should not only complement the overall design but also contribute to overall readability and the user experience. Images such as photos, illustrations, and icons, should all be chosen to resonate with the target audience and reinforce brand messaging.

Consideration of color schemes, typography, and imagery should be in line with the client’s brand identity, and always keep in mind the need to ensure websites comply with accessibility requirements.

User Experience and Accessibility: User Experience (UX) and Accessibility are no longer optional – they are essential. A really good UX makes sure that visitors can navigate the website easily, and be able to find whatever information they need – quickly. Create menus and navigation structures that are clear, and intuitive, as well as including clear call-to-action buttons. The overall layout should be uncluttered, and easy to take in at first glance.

Accessibility is crucial to make your website inclusive. Always make certain that the website complies with the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards. For example, including alt text for images, ensuring keyboard navigability, and using proper color contrast.

Responsive design is a non-negotiable aspect of web design. Your website should look and work perfectly regardless of the devices used by the end users. This responsiveness not only makes a real difference to real users, but it also contributes to improved search engine rankings.

Building the Website

Choosing the Right Platform: Selecting an appropriate platform is essential. Whether it’s a CMS such as WordPress or an e-commerce platform like Shopify, the choice should align with the website’s objectives and the client’s technical proficiency. (It’s worth remembering that Atarim can be used on any website, built on any platform – it’s not just for WordPress websites.)

Customization and Development: While pre-designed themes offer convenience, customization is key to standing out. Tailor themes and use plugins only where absolutely necessary (and even then, only use plugins created by established developers who regularly maintain and update them). For unique requirements, custom coding might be necessary. Throughout this phase, regular testing and client feedback are crucial.

Efficient Project Management: Using project management tools such as Atarim can significantly improve both efficiency and transparency. It allows for effective tracking of progress, resource allocation, and deadline management, ensuring a smooth development process. You can also track hours spent on a project, ensuring you get paid accurately for the time spent. Teams can collaborate visually on live sites and staging links to speed up sign-off.

Testing and Launching

Rigorous Testing: Before launching, always carry out very thorough testing. This includes functionality tests, cross-browser compatibility checks, and mobile responsiveness assessments. Address any performance issues such as loading speed, and optimize for SEO.

Launching the Website: Launching a website is a critical moment. Ensure that all stakeholders are in agreement, and all pre-launch checks are completed. Post-launch, monitor the website’s performance closely to address any immediate issues.

Post-Launch Support and Maintenance

Ongoing Support: Offering ongoing support is vital for long-term client relationships. Be prepared to address any post-launch issues promptly. Regular updates and security checks are essential to maintain the website’s health and performance.

Maintenance Packages: Consider offering maintenance packages as a steady revenue source. These can include services such as regular updates, backups, security checks, and content updates.

Analytics and Optimization: In order to know how a website is performing, it’s essential to  integrate robust analytics tools into the site. Tools such as Google Analytics provide valuable data on things such as user behavior, traffic sources, page views, bounce rates, and so on. This data acts like a sort of pulse check for you to assess the health and performance of the site, and identify what’s working well, and what may need more development.

In particular we would recommend monitoring the following:

• Traffic Sources: Understanding where your visitors are coming from (organic search, social media, direct visits) helps in refining marketing strategies.
• User Behavior: Metrics such as the average session duration and pages per session reveal how users interact with your website.
• Conversion Rates: Track how many visitors are taking specific actions, such as filling out contact forms, making purchases, or signing up for newsletters.
• Bounce Rate: A high bounce rate can suggest issues with the relevance or readability of content, a poor user experience, or slow loading times.
• Mobile Performance: With the increasing use of mobile devices, monitor how your website performs on various mobile platforms.

But having access to this data, and keeping an eye on it, shouldn’t just be a way for you to know how things are performing. Keep your clients informed by providing them with regular reports. Not only does this demonstrate the value of you providing ongoing support, but also helps to keep your brand name fresh in their minds (always good for recommendations) as well as maintaining strong client relationships.

Escaping the Hourly Build Trap: Recurring Revenue via Automated Agency Care Plans

Relying exclusively on one-off website builds traps web agencies and freelancers on an unpredictable income cycle. When every month starts at zero revenue, you are forced to spend valuable delivery hours hunting for the next project rather than refining your service.

Transitioning from a build-and-forget delivery model to recurring care plans turns static client websites into steady, predictable monthly revenue. By pairing proactive performance and accessibility monitoring with automated monthly reporting, agencies provide ongoing, tangible value that justifies retainers.

Structured care plans protect client investments while establishing a resilient foundation for long-term agency growth.

Scale your web agency beyond one-off builds. Manage clients, automate approvals, and deliver recurring value with Atarim. Explore Agency Plans →

Marketing Your Services

Effective Marketing Strategies: Marketing your web development services is crucial for business growth. Use digital marketing channels such as social media, SEO, and email marketing to showcase your portfolio and attract potential clients.

Building a Strong Portfolio: A robust portfolio is your greatest marketing tool. Display a range of projects that highlight your versatility, creativity, and technical prowess. Include client testimonials and case studies to add credibility.

Networking and Collaboration: Engage in networking opportunities within the industry. Attend webinars, workshops, and conferences (such as WordCamp) to stay updated with the latest trends and forge valuable connections.

Pricing Strategies

After everything else is considered, the bottom line is… well, the bottom line. Getting your pricing strategy right is crucial for the success of your business. Being competitive in the market is fine – but you still need to run a business that is profitable, and you need to charge a price that accurately and fairly represents your expertise, value, and experience.

There are several different approaches to pricing. The first is project-based pricing, in which a fixed fee is agreed at the outset, and this is what is paid once the project is completed. The problem with this is that if the project overruns or faces more difficulties than anticipated, your hourly rate can become impractically low.

An alternative approach is to use an hourly rate. While this means the client won’t know accurately how much the project will cost, you will know that your time will be compensated for fairly. This approach will require careful time tracking through, and it will be necessary to provide as accurate a guide to the client of how much time the project is likely to take – something that becomes easier the more projects you complete.

Another alternative is to use value-based pricing. This is where you identify the additional value to your client your services will bring. For example, if your work is expected to contribute to a massive growth in revenue for the client, then you are able to charge a premium. However, for this approach to be viable you do have to have a very deep understanding of your client’s business, and of how you can achieve the high ROI required.

Conclusion

Building websites for clients is a multifaceted profession that requires a blend of technical skills, creativity, and strategic planning. By following these comprehensive steps and continuously evolving your skills, you can create websites that not only satisfy your clients but also contribute to your business success.

One of the best ways to make sure your website design business gets ahead of the competition is by taking advantage of the collaborative tools available with Atarim, allowing genuine, real-time collaboration with clients on any website, on any platform.

With Atarim, you can use simple point-and-click collaboration to enable clients to point at what they’re referring to on any live web page, and immediately leave feedback, say what needs to be changed, and so much more. 

If you want to receive feedback that makes sense, make it easier to collaborate with clients, and finish projects in days instead of weeks, sign up to Atarim today – with our plan at $67 per month.

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide.
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders.
• Deliver projects in days instead of weeks.

WordPress is the most popular content management system.

One in three of all websites on the internet is powered by WordPress. But why?

Source: Zippia

It’s popular, reliable, but most importantly, it’s one of the most customizable Content Management Systems on the planet.

If there’s something you want to do with WordPress, there’s probably a plugin for it. No matter what you’re looking for, from user management to website security – or even SEO, there are plugins available for everything (well, we haven’t found one that puts a fresh coffee on, but we’re sure it’s in development).

With more than 54,000 plugins in the official directory, you can customize every aspect of your WordPress experience.

But let’s talk about agencies.

Specifically, the plugins for WordPress that best help agencies achieve their goals with greater efficiency, accuracy, and ease.

Here’s our list of the top 13 WordPress plugins for agencies for 2023.

1. Atarim

Atarim is one of the best solutions for agencies working with clients – and we’re not saying that just because it’s us!

We created Atarim to help clients work more efficiently on their visual projects, leave feedback directly on a specific section of the website, and eliminate any guesswork.

To use Atarim, our WordPress plugin must be installed on the clients’ website. The plugin allows clients to visually click on any part of their website, including the backend of your website (WordPress admin), and leave comments.

These comments will be automatically turned into tasks, so you can make sure you don’t miss a single suggestion from a client.

Key Features:

• Customizable Kanban boards to view workflows and identify bottlenecks
• Shared inbox for keeping all communications in one place
• Viewing different clients’ websites from a single dashboard
• Overseeing the project progress and user’s activity
• Point-and-click visual collaboration
• Tracking billable hours

Pricing:

We offer a FREE-forever version for one user that lets you add an unlimited number of projects, as well as providing you with everything you need to get on the same page and collaborate with your clients and team.

To add more team members, clients, and collaborators, you’ll need our premium plans.

• Starter: $20 / month
• Expert: $35 / month
• Agency: $50 / month

2. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is one of the most popular WordPress plugins for making your website optimized for the search engines – helping you rank higher.

Having an SEO-friendly website is critical, since it helps you with:

• Supercharging visibility
• Attracting more traffic

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned expert, Yoast SEO equips you with all the essentials for turning SEO challenges into opportunities for growth and success.

It’s a fantastic tool for growing your traffic in the most cost-effective way out there.

Key Features:

• AI title generator in case you can’t come up with a compelling headline
• Improving readability score, so your content is easier to read
• Optimizing meta description, so you can get more clicks from SERP
• Automated technical SEO fixes, so your technical SEO is in check
• Schema.org structured data integration, so search engines can understand your website better

Pricing:

Yoast SEO offers a FREE version with all the essential features for beginners. 

If you’re looking for more advanced features, such as AI title generator, dead links checker, and FULL access to the Yoast SEO academy, you’ll have to hop on their premium plan.

• PRO plan: $99 / year

3. Gravity Forms

Gravity Forms is one of the best form builder plugins on WordPress.

Agencies are often tasked with creating forms for their clients. Using an intuitive plugin like Gravity Forms makes it easy for agencies to quickly create great-looking forms. Their tool uses a drag and drop builder to help agency owners build WordPress forms. It’s also compatible with WordPress Multisite, letting you create and share forms as you see fit.

It’s WCAG 2.0 AA compliant too, which ensures the website is usable and understandable for the majority of people with or without disabilities – so you don’t have to worry about excluding audiences.

The best part about Gravity Forms is that it allows you to securely collect and analyze data to better understand your audiences. You can also route data to different places, such as a CRM, Zapier, or email.

Key Features:

• Allows digital signatures
• You can add calculations within fields
• GDPR compliant
• Supports Google reCAPTCHA v2 and v3
• Integration for popular payment processors such as Square, Stripe, and Mollie

Pricing:

Gravity Forms does NOT offer a FREE version. You will have to hop on one of their three paid license plans:

• Basic: $59 / year
• Pro: $159 / year
• Elite: $259 / year

Alternative: HappyForms is very similar to Gravity Forms, so if you’re looking for a forms plugin, HappyForms is an excellent alternative!

4. ShortPixel

ShortPixel is an excellent image optimization plugin designed for WordPress websites. It automatically resizes and optimizes images to improve website speeds. The ShortPixel plugin lets you optimize images directly from the WordPress Dashboard.

ShortPixel is ideal for agency owners as it lets you quickly optimize past images installed on your clients’ websites. Batch automation reduces image optimization times to a few seconds at most, increasing speeds and reducing bandwidth usage drastically.

Key Features:

• Incredibly fast image optimization
• Converts PNG and GIFs to JPEGs
• AVIF and WebP formats served automatically to compliant browsers
• Large images can be scaled down automatically without compromising on quality
• Load images directly from a CDN to optimize loading times

Pricing:

ShortPixel offers a FREE plan which lets you optimize 100 images a month.

If you’re looking to optimize more images, you’ll need to choose one of their premium memberships:

• Unlimited: $8.25
• Unlimited 5: $33.33
• Unlimited 10: $58.33

5. Members

Members is one of the most popular WordPress plugins for agencies, and for good reason.

It lets you easily manage and edit user roles, instead of sticking with the six predefined roles. With Members, you can easily customize each role and its capabilities, allowing you to set permissions to restrict content for specific users.

It’s very simple to use, and has a very basic UI. Members lets you unlock features that were traditionally available to developers who knew how to code. Since agencies usually work with several users, Members is a great way to manage permissions for your team.

For instance, you can limit content writers from accessing administrative plugins, whereas developers can only be granted specific plugins they need to work with.

Key Features:

• Very simple and effective Role Editor
• Lets you create several User Roles
• Manage content permissions for each user role
• Shortcodes to help you manage access to content
• Integrates seamlessly with other plugins

Pricing:

Members is completely free to use.

6. Advanced Custom Fields

Advanced Custom Fields is a fantastic WordPress plugin that lets agency owners and developers gain full control of their WP edit screens. It allows you to add new fields throughout WordPress.

It can save a great deal of time for agencies that often struggle with the native custom field interface in WordPress. Advanced Custom Fields unlocks greater functionality and lets you create new fields within seconds.

You can always edit settings to see how the field looks. With over 30 field types pre-built, Advanced Custom Fields is just what you need to quickly create new fields for clients.

Key Features:

• Very easy to install
• Lets you easily create extra content fields
• Create customizable ACF blocks to build bespoke solutions for clients
• The Options page lets you add extra admin pages to further edit ACF fields

Pricing:

Advanced Custom Fields has a free WP plugin. However, agencies might want to choose a paid plan to unlock full functionality:

• Personal (1 website): $49/year
• Freelancer (10 websites): $149/year
• Agency (unlimited websites): $249/year

7. Autoptimize

Autoptimize is a godsend for agency owners as it makes website optimization incredibly easy. At its core, Autoptimize quickly aggregates, minifies, and caches styles and scripts.

You can also add lazy-loading to the images on your client’s websites (it supports both AVID and WebP formats).

Autoptimize is an excellent choice for developers, as an extensive API is available so you can easily customize and tailor the plugin to meet the needs of your clients. It automatically concatenates scripts and styles and minifies the HTML code, all of which improves website performance dramatically.

Autoptimize will save you a great deal of time when optimizing sites for your clients.

Key Features:

• Quickly removes unnecessary code from websites
• Lets you lazy-load images
• Preloads fonts in the head to increase speeds
• Cruft removal for removing unused themes or plugins, so you can reduce page size and increase loading speeds
• Aggregates files and scripts to reduce network requests

Pricing:

Autoptimize is a FREE WordPress plugin.

8. PatchStack

In our opinion, Patchstack offers the best security tools for your WordPress website.

You might not realize it, but many plugins you use expose your website to potential security threats and risks.

Patchstack helps you fix all of these threats with their tool!

The best thing about Patchstack is that you can detect and eliminate most of the threats before anything happens.

In fact, their tools help you detect and handle new vulnerabilities in the WordPress core, plugins, and themes 48 hours before they are made public in the database. You can finally stop worrying about updating your site because of the security threats.

Plus, you will receive automatic virtual patches and firewall rules for vulnerabilities found in plugins before they can be exploited and until a security update becomes available.

And if you somehow manage to get hacked or attacked, their experts will jump to rescue.

Key Features:

• Automatic vulnerability detection
• Remote software management
• Real-time protection layer
• Custom protection rules
• Developer reports
• Vulnerability API

Pricing:

Patchstack offers a FREE version that you can use with 10 of your plugins/themes for checking any security threats. You will also get the automatic vulnerability detection and remote software management features.

To get additional features and to be able to check more than just 10 plugins/themes, you’ll need to hop on their premium plans.

• Developer: $99/month
• Business: $499/month

9. LifterLMS

LifterLMS has everything you need to create, launch, and scale courses from your WordPress LMS (learning management system) website.

Their plugin empowers you to easily create beautiful courses, coaching programs, and private communities. You can bring your courses to life, or create captivating multimedia courses using their powerful course builder.

Also, you can offer customizable social learning experiences and private communities on your website. That way, you can grow your online presence faster and get more people to hop on your courses or programs.

LifterLMS handles everything from course creation to managing payments.

You can sell courses, memberships, or any type of training package for either a one-time price, or use any recurring revenue pricing model.  

Key Features:

• Unlimited courses
• Unlimited memberships
• Sky Pilot Theme
• Unlimited students and teachers
• Email marketing & CRM add-ons
• Ecommerce add-ons for Stripe, PayPal, or WooCommerce

Pricing:

You can get started for FREE and create unlimited courses, memberships, as well as having no limits on teachers and students. To get additional features, such as support, themes, or a membership in their mastermind, you’ll have to hop on their premium plans.

• Earth Bundle: $199 / month
• Universe Bundle: $360 / month
• Infinity Bundle: $1200 / month

10. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is an excellent plugin that’ll help you improve conversion rates for your clients. It’s a robust marketing plugin that can help agencies grow email lists for their clients, reduce cart abandonment, and maximize revenue from each visitor.

OptinMonster lets you create interactive forms that are geared for conversions. 

It also offers innovative page-level A/B testing designed to offer improved data analysis for your clients. For agencies, OptinMonster offers a full white-label solution (which removes all OptinMonster branding from the plugin, and allows you to replace it with your own).

You can also create sub-accounts, and manage permissions for each user in your team.

Key Features

• Drag and drop builder
• Geo-location targeting
• Create custom exit-intent popups
• Run targeted campaigns and set specific conditions
• Integrations with all popular apps and marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, Drip, and Salesforce

Pricing

OptinMonster does NOT offer a FREE version of their plugin. You’ll have to hop on one of their paid plans

• Basic: $9/month
• Plus: $19/month
• Pro: $29/month
• Growth: $49/month

11. Elementor, Beaver Builder, Bricks or Oxygen Builder

Page builders are ultimately the best way to build websites these days, and if you’re running an agency, you’ll probably want to consider one of these page builders, as they’re currently the best ones on the market.

Elementor is the most popular WordPress plugin on this list. 

It is the number one website builder that you can use to build websites for your clients. The no-code interface is extremely easy to use, and Elementor is jam-packed with pre-built templates, widgets, themes, and other options.

It’s very versatile, and there are a host of additional add-ons that you can choose from to really enhance your experience with Elementor. If you’re planning to let clients make edits directly on the website, then you’ll probably want to go with Elementor.

Key Features:

• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
• Theme builder for managing and designing every part of your website
• Form builder for creating impressive forms for capturing visitors’ data
• Popup builder for creating effects and animations to grab visitors’ attention
• Motion effects for adding motions and animations to your website

Pricing:

Elemntor offers a robust FREE version of their plugin.

If you’re looking for additional features, such as 100+ pre-made website designs, dynamic content, premium support, or using a pro plugin on multiple sites, you’ll have to choose one of their paid plans.

• Essential: $59 / year
• Expert: $199 / year
• Agency: $399 / year

Beaver Builder is another popular solution for building websites.

It’s very simple to use, but compared to Elementor it is more expensive and has fewer pre-made templates. However, some users prefer not having a ton of options and love keeping things concise, so if this is the case with you, Beaver Builder will most definitely serve its purpose.

Key Features:

• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor with tons of options
• You can use it with most themes and plugins
• Clean code documentation for developers
• Optimized for search engines
• Responsive design

Pricing:

Beaver Builder offers a FREE version of their plugin.

If you’re looking for more advanced features, you’ll need to hop on one of their paid plans.

• Standard: $99 / year
• Pro: $199 / year
• Agency: $399 / year
• Ultimate: $546 / year

Even though it’s technically not a plugin but a theme (and a super fast one truth to be told), Bricks builder is growing rapidly thanks to the amazing results it delivers.

In contrast to other page builders, Bricks is made in Vue – a JS library that lets the browser do the heavy lifting instead of the server. This results in amazing page speed. Without any optimization plugins, Bricks can easily score 100/100 on Google PageSpeed Insights.

If you’re a developer running an agency that focuses mostly on building websites, then Bricks might be just the option for you.

Key Features:

• Easy to use visual editor
• Ready-made templates to speed up website creation
• Easily create your own elements with PHP, HTML, and CSS
• Built-In Search Engine & Social Media Settings

Pricing:

Bricks does NOT offer a FREE version of their plugin.

You’ll have to choose one of their premium plans – unlike most website builders, Bricks has a lifetime subscription.

• Starter: $99
• Ultimate: $249

Last but not least, Oxygen builder is another amazing page builder that had great success in 2021.

Compared to others, Oxygen is a bit more complicated and not so beginner-friendly, but the freedom that it provides proved to be something users really liked, which resulted in Oxygen builder skyrocketing.

Key Features:

• Create custom website headers visually, including sticky and overlay headers
• Write custom PHP, CSS, and JS and make any changes to your site
• Drag element edges to set spacing, or drag & drop to re-order
• Get visual control of every part of your website

Pricing:

Oxygen Builder offers a three-tiered lifetime subscription. Although there is no FREE version, you can try their demo.

• Basic: $129

• WooCo: $149

• Ultimate: $179

12. Akismet Anti-Spam

Akismet checks all comments on your clients’ websites, including submissions via contact forms, and removes all spam. It also protects your website, preventing it from publishing any malicious content that might affect rankings.

All comment spam captured by Akismet can be reviewed from within the WP dashboard. 

If your clients are constantly complaining about spam comments, you can easily install Akismet on their sites to filter such stuff out.

Key Features:

• Automatically checks and filters spam comments and content
• Discard feature that automatically blocks harmful spam, saving disk space in the process
• A status history option is available with each comment

Pricing:

Akismet is free to use for non-business sites. For agency owners, there are several packages available.

• Plus: $8.33 / month, billed yearly
• Enterprise: $41.67 / month, billed yearly
• ​​Enterprise Plus: $208.33 / month, billed yearly

13. HubSpot

The HubSpot WordPress plugin is one of the best CRM, sales, and marketing plugins out there for agencies who are looking to simplify their processes and grow their business as lean as possible.

The best thing about this plugin is that you can integrate it with over 1,030 apps.

This means you’ll benefit from an all-in-one solution that will empower you to simplify data management processes and focus more on improving your product.

The plugin encourages you to use HubSpot’s tools within a WordPress website and if you haven’t heard about HubSpot before, here are some of the features you can get from their tools and with their WordPress plugin.

Key features:

• Email marketing
• CRM and contact management in WP
• Marketing automation
• Live chat & chatbots
• Forms & popups
• Analytics + exit intent

Pricing:

HubSpot offers a FREE version of their tool, but it’s very limited.

We recommend using it only for exploring the tool and getting to know it better. For more advanced features, you’ll need to use their premium plans.

• Starter: $18 / month
• Professional: $792 / month

Conclusion – What’s Your Favorite WordPress Plugin?

These’re some of the most popular and useful WordPress plugins for agencies in 2023.

If you’re looking for more tools, tips, and ways to optimize your workflow and get ahead faster, we definitely recommend checking some of our resources below.

• The Best Image Compression Tools
• 12 Best WordPress Blogs You Should Read & Follow
• 8 Best Design And Creative Approval Software To Use in 2023

These 13 WordPress plugins represent the very best tools for agencies to use.

And of course, whilst we may be a little biased, there’s no doubt that Atarim offers a unique advantage for agencies to make a dramatic difference to their workflow and productivity – perhaps more than any other plugin on this list.

This is because Atarim empowers your team to keep everything organized, eliminate any guesswork, and cut the delivery time of your projects from months to weeks.

We also encourage you to leverage the point-and-click collaboration to allow clients to point at what they’re referring to and immediately leave feedback, say what needs to be changed, and so much more.

If you want to create a seamless workflow and eliminate any friction, we recommend checking out our WP plugin or the Atarim app

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide.
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders.
• Deliver projects in weeks instead of months.

InstaWP is a popular tool for creating WordPress sites in just a few clicks. It can help your developers to test or develop new functionality such as custom plugins for your site, or get new designs from designers – without risking any problems on your website.

This is because instead of making any changes to your current site, you can test everything on a new or mirrored site provided by InstaWP. 

Here is how to use InstaWP to make testing new ideas safer and more effective.

A Quick Primer on InstaWP

InstaWP is highly useful for testing new plugins, tools, or new changes in WordPress sites, all without needing to create a new website, pay for hosting, or buy a domain.

InstaWP eliminates all of the above and lets you create a WordPress site with just a few clicks – and in seconds.

Who Is InstaWP For?

In this section, we will go over the most common scenarios in which your team can use InstaWP to speed up work and deliver better results.

#1: You’re a designer

As a designer, it’s your job to create the most appealing website.

However, it can be challenging to start creating (and mainly testing) new designs. You definitely don’t want to carry out testing on your live site, especially when you have 10+ variations of a design – and aren’t sure which one is the best.  

Or you might be changing a site’s theme, which can mess up the whole layout.

Before InstaWP, you would have needed to create a whole new testing site – which might take hours to set up. 

Fortunately, with InstaWP you can now create a fully-functioning WordPress website in just a few clicks, and test everything there.

#2: You’re a developer

If you’re a developer, using InstaWP is a no-brainer.

It may be challenging to make changes in code without ever experiencing any errors. Unfortunately, if you’re not careful, these errors can completely destroy your site.

(Or you’ll have to load the backup, which can be tedious!)

A much better way is to use InstaWP to create a WordPress site with which you can play.

If anything goes wrong, even if you can’t/don’t want to fix it, you can just create a new InstaWP site and start from scratch.

No risk at all.

#3: You’re Looking to Migrate to WP

To say that WordPress is a popular platform for developing websites would be rather an understatement. In fact, around 810 million websites are built with WordPress – which represents 43% of all websites online.

However, you might be using a different CMS, and are looking to move to WordPress.

If you’re looking to migrate to WordPress, you can create an InstaWP site and play around with it, try to get a feel of it, and figure out whether WordPress is for you. And if WordPress is for you – great, because you can simply migrate the website you’ve just created on InstaWP to any popular hosting provider!

If it’s not for you, at least you haven’t lost so much time creating a site, paying for hosting and a domain, or just migrating to WordPress, hoping it will suit you.

How to Create an InstaWP Site in Seconds

It took us 16 seconds to create an InstaWP account and set up a site. In this section, you’ll discover the step-by-step process of creating a new InstaWP website.

#1: Create an Account / Log In

Head over to https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Finstawp.io%2F and create a new account.

#2: Set Up A New Site

Navigate to the Sites tab and click the ‘Add New +’ button at the top right corner.

From there, you can set up your site, which includes changing the site’s name, adding plugins, and choosing themes.

Hit ‘Create Site’ and the website will be created.

That’s it!

You now have a fully-functioning WordPress website.

You can access all of your active websites inside InstaWP in the Sites section. With a free account, you can create up to 3 active sites.

Note: The websites are temporary and will expire/get deleted after 7 days. You can create permanent sites with a paid membership, starting at $6 a month.

But, There is Much More to InstaWP…

There are many additional features that are highly valuable, especially for developers and designers, which will help you massively speed up your workflow.

Templates

You might have noticed that, as we were creating a WP site in InstaWP → Sites → ‘Add New +’, there was a ‘From Template’ tab at the top.

This can be very handy, and save you considerable time.

Instead of spending 15+ minutes making changes to the default configuration with each of your WordPress sites, you can create a template. That way, you only need to set the whole configuration once (which plugins to install, which theme to use, the site name and tagline) and then just create each of the new sites from that template.

Here’s How To Do It

The first step is to create a new site and configure it (which you’ll later use for a template). 

After you’re done, head over to the InstaWP Sites tab, and next to the website you’ve created, click on the “Save Template” button.

You will then see a pop-up in which you can fill in the name and description of the template. After you save the template, InstaWP will save it in the Templates tab.

When you need to launch a new site from this template, head over to the Templates tab and select the ‘+’ icon next to it. 

The website will be automatically created from the template.

Just like that, you eliminate the tedious process of setting up all new sites manually, which can save you anywhere from 15 to even 30 minutes per site.

Built-in Developer Tools

InstaWP offers a robust set of developer tools that can help you optimize your workflow, allowing you to work faster, including:

• Adminer SQL management script
• SFTP and SSH credentials
• Code editor
• Site log

With these tools, you’ll have everything you need to customize your development environment. Then, you can push your changes to a live audience when you’re ready.

You can learn more about the built-in developer tools from the InstaWP documentation.

Git Integration

You can link your repository from GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket to your development environment. 

Click on your account avatar and head over to ‘Deployments’, and hit ‘Add New’.

From there, you will have to define whether your Git repository is private or public, and paste the URL to the repository, specifying the branch to pull from. You can also consider adding some shell commands to run after cloning the repository.

Once you create a deployment, you can connect it to a template. When you add a new site from this template, the repository will be pulled and automatically merged with the site.

Git integrations is very useful, and can help you save a lot of time by offering:

• Efficient rollback. If a test on your WordPress site goes bad, Git allows you to revert to a previous working state.
• Team collaboration. Git makes it easier to coordinate and share feedback on changes to the testing site by reviewing code or using GitHub Issues. 
• Staging site creation. You can use Git to create staging environments that mirror your original site for thorough testing before implementing changes on the live WordPress website. 

InstaWP Pricing: Which Plan Is For You?

There are four memberships you can choose from, starting from FREE and scaling to $79 a month (although if paying annually you’ll receive two months free).

A Free Plan

A free plan is great for anyone looking to explore WordPress. If you don’t need a permanent site or more than 3 active sites, a FREE plan will be enough.

Paid Plans

Paid plans are for more advanced InstaWP users. 

We highly recommend paid plans to any developer or designer since you’ll probably need more than 3 active sites – and websites lasting more than 7 days.

Which paid plan you choose depends on how heavily you use InstaWP.

The Final Verdict

InstaWP is a highly useful platform for testing new ideas, custom solutions, and designs.

The ability to have a fully-functional WordPress website at your fingertips lets you eliminate so many issues you would have experienced. 

For instance, migrating to a new theme could completely shift your layout, or a plugin might have led to problems with loading of your pages. These errors could be very annoying, and potentially costly or damaging, potentially shutting down your website for a few hours or days.

Having InstaWP removes these risks, and lets you test everything beforehand.

This will completely speed up your workflow, save you so much time, and empower your team to try new things and experiment.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, we highly recommend using InstaWP.

WordPress and Contentful are both great choices if you’re in the market for a content management system. The one that’s right for you is heavily dependent on the use case. In other words, there are fundamental differences you should consider before making a choice that will make things difficult later down the line, should you change your mind. 

Here are some of the main things you’ll want to consider:

• Price
• Flexibility
• Community
• The requirement to go headless (WordPress can do both, not just one or the other)
• Additional team overhead
• Support

In this guide, we’ll talk through our experience with both Contentful and WordPress (the latter being the one that runs the site you’re currently reading this article on).

Introduction to WordPress and Contentful

WordPress is, of course, the leader in the world of content management systems. In fact, not only does it have a 63.1% share of the global CMS market, but WordPress powers 42.1% of all websites on the internet (around 835 million and counting – WordPress is downloaded every 15 seconds, 24 hours a day!).

Although WordPress began life as a traditional CMS, it now offers a headless alternative, offering an ideal solution for those who have existing frontends, and need the content to be managed more easily.

WordPress has enjoyed such popularity due largely to it being open source (free to use, and host where you like), as well as both its scalability and very strong community support. 

It offers an ideal platform for everyone from individuals and small businesses right through to large corporations – including Sony, Meta, Time Magazine, CNN, Disney, Spotify, Microsoft, Etsy, cPanel, and The White House – to mention just a few organizations that use WordPress to power their websites.

With WordPress having been around since 2003, this makes Contentful about 10 years younger (with their official launch dating back to 2013). Their approach is more than just slightly different. They’re focused on a different market segment – primarily serving businesses looking for a headless CMS that can connect to their decoupled frontend (i.e., a frontend built with Next.js, for example, which they have a starter site for).

In a sense, this makes the WordPress vs. Contentful discussion an “apples and oranges” comparison, as one might put it. The more true comparison would be: 

Using WordPress as a headless CMS vs using Contentful

But that would not paint a full picture of WordPress, as it hasn’t been designed from the ground up to be used as a headless CMS. Especially considering that, despite this, it is still more than flexible enough that it can easily be used this way – with headless WordPress becoming an increasingly popular choice. 

To put it concisely – this is a difficult comparison to make. We have tried our best to give both platforms fair consideration, with the overarching note being that they are generally used in very different contexts. And, as usual, this post has been written by a team consisting of one or more people who have extensive experience with both WordPress and Contentful to lean on.

Contentful – Introduction & Overview

Perhaps calling Contentful a contender within the CMS market is seriously underselling what it provides. It’s actually a very powerful infrastructure designed from the ground up to completely change how content is managed and delivered – not just within a single website, but across multiple digital channels. And in today’s multi-platform digital landscape, delivering across several different channels is standard practice.

This is really what initiated the development of Contentful – a growing need for businesses to manage content and deliver it to several different channels. This is why it is not a straightforward CMS that is used to build and run a single website. Instead, Contentful was built with a headless architecture. This is a term that identifies the separation between the front-end presentation layer of a website, and the back-end content management system. Having the two operate separately allows greater flexibility.

Contentful’s focus on delivering a headless content management system allows huge flexibility as all content is stored independently from any one platform, with all content being delivered through APIs. This allows businesses to use their content anywhere, from websites to IoT devices, and from apps to social media and other digital platforms.

Diving into Contentful’s user interface, the initial impression is one that is uncluttered and simple. The dashboard has been designed to offer a seamless experience, and for anyone who has used other content management systems, the one from Contentful will feel like a breath of fresh air.

The initial view provides easy access to an overview of the content currently available, as well as a simple menu at the top that allows users easy access to the media library, apps, and the content model, which allows for the delivery of the content to various specified channels.

When thinking about managing content with Contentful, it helps to think of the process of creating content ‘blocks’ or fields a little, like developing a database, with each field containing a specific item of data or resource. This could be a section of text, an image, a video, or other resources.

This encourages a ‘top-down’ or parent-child approach to both planning and organizing your content. For example, when creating a blog post, you will need to break it down into individual elements, some of which will need to be customized each time (the title, the text), others may be optional (images or videos), and others may well be the same each time (author’s bio). Each of these fields can be created and defined, and then referenced within the blog post workspace (simply referred to as ‘spaces’ in Contentful).

For example, in the screenshot below, we have clicked on ‘Content Model’ in the menu at the top of the screen, which allows us to define our blog post as a ‘content type’.

Once we have created this content type, it’s time to begin adding or defining the fields – the different elements which will assemble to create a blog post, wherever that will eventually be delivered.

Having clicked ‘Create’, we now have the option to define fields by selecting the content type for each field. For example, our ‘title’ field will be ‘text’, our ‘featured image’ will be ‘media’, and our ‘author’s bio’, which itself will be a separate content type made up of several fields, can be added as a ‘reference’ type.

As you can see below, selecting a field type allows us to enter the details for that field, including more specific requirements or restrictions.

After creating the content model with the corresponding field types, delivering that content to a range of platforms is carried out through a powerful set of APIs. These allow for both the delivery and retrieval of content, and allow seamless integration with existing technology stacks, such as React and Angular, or many different e-commerce platforms. This delivery is both efficient and secure.

WordPress – Introduction & Overview

Perhaps given its huge popularity and widespread use, WordPress requires little introduction, but we intend for this article to be a comprehensive and fair side-by-side comparison, so we will offer this introduction to WordPress nonetheless!

Originally, WordPress was developed simply as a blogging platform, but in the 20+ years since its launch, it has evolved into a powerful, comprehensive CMS. The journey from a basic blog platform to a CMS powering over 42% of the world’s websites is due, in large part, to its adaptability and user-centric approach.

WordPress’s core philosophy is based on the democratic nature of content creation. Its original premise was that anyone, regardless of skill, experience, or expertise, should have the ability to create and manage an online presence. This inclusivity has resulted in an interface that is simple in nature, highly accessible to beginners, and yet still powerful enough to meet the demands of more advanced users.

The WordPress dashboard offers a simple-to-understand menu on the left-hand side that provides easy access to the most commonly used features – such as pages, posts, media, appearance, and plugins. For many users, these are the only five tabs they will need to use for the majority of the time, although more advanced users will find a range of powerful tools, from automating backups, optimizing the performance of the site, managing users, and user roles, customizing the security of the site, and managing a wide range of plugins that may provide services such as e-commerce, learning management, and much more.

Diving into the ‘Themes’ menu, users will be able to search for and filter almost 12,000 themes, offering an amazing array of templates and styles to suit almost every need. The majority of these themes will allow for a wide range of customizations, allowing users to create a unique website design that suits their brand image, regardless of skill. Customizing WordPress themes and content does not require any coding and very little expertise.

Similarly, the ‘Plugins’ menu provides access to over 60,000 plugins, providing a wide range of services, from contact forms to learning management systems, e-commerce facilities to photo galleries… and much more!

When creating either a page or a blog post within WordPress, you have a built-in block editor that allows you to drag and drop the type of block you want to use. Clicking on that block then allows you to directly edit the content, including adding text, uploading images, or adding tables. Formatting and customization is available on the right-hand side of the page.

Once your page content is ready, simply click the blue ‘Publish’ button at the top-right, and your content is live, and ready to be enjoyed by the world! Publishing great looking content couldn’t very well be much easier.

But perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of WordPress is actually its community. The WordPress community is a thriving collection of users, developers, and enthusiasts. Because of the open-source nature of WordPress, themes and plugins are developed, used, reviewed, updated, and encouraged to evolve to meet the needs of the users.

But even more than this, the WordPress community is one in which helping each other to learn and grow is a fundamental part of the experience.

The Cost Considerations – WordPress vs. Contentful Pricing

Within the world of digital content management, where every single dollar counts, the pricing debate between WordPress and Contentful isn’t really just about the numbers. It’s about the value and flexibility offered, as well as the long-term strategic investment. Both WordPress and Contentful provide ideal solutions to businesses looking to invest in a suitable digital infrastructure, yet their pricing models and cost-to-value comparisons offer a complex picture.

A very common misconception shared amongst the “anti-WordPress” crowd is the assumption that lower cost = lower value. Yes, the software is free, but this is a misleading point at which to stop and make assumptions. Because of its open-source nature, WordPress offers a very economically attractive proposition, with the costs being associated only with hosting, premium themes, plugins, and perhaps custom development. This means that the primary costs are in the areas that matter, the aspects of the solution that make it unique, ideally suited to the business, and which are also, largely, optional, with plenty of choices available.

Because of its entirely headless design, putting APIs first, Contentful offers a very different pricing model. A range of tiered plans are available, with the cost scaling according to the features required, the usage, and the level of support needed. At first glance, it’s easy to see that even the entry point is a much higher price compared to WordPress. But this is a platform tailored for enterprise businesses needing a robust and highly scalable content infrastructure.

When considering cost, the main factor to consider is the value that each platform can provide. WordPress, because of its versatility and huge plugin ecosystem, can at least equal, if not exceed, the functionalities offered by more expensive solutions such as Contentful. This is one of the many reasons why it has grown to the level of popularity and use it has done today. For many businesses, the flexibility offered by WordPress is a huge draw, providing an ideal balance between functionality, scalability, and budget.

But having said that, Contentful’s higher pricing can easily be justified by its advanced capabilities, offering an ideal solution for companies looking specifically for a headless CMS that can deliver content across multiple channels. This is an infrastructure tailored to be a future-proof approach that aligns perfectly with modern development practices.

Initial costs, however, should never be a deciding factor. Instead, consider the total cost involved, beyond just the initial setup and subscriptions fees. The long-term costs associated with the maintenance, scalability and adaptability for any business that is expecting to evolve over time will be much more significant to consider.

Yes, WordPress offers extremely low upfront costs, but it’s essential to consider any custom development needed, the ongoing maintenance, and any premium themes or plugins required. Of course, whilst these costs can easily add up, the WordPress community does offer a wealth of support, as well as many free resources, and these can be seen to offset other costs.

Contentful’s much higher upfront cost can be off-putting for some, but for those businesses that have more complex requirements and focus heavily on delivering across multiple channels, this initial investment can lead to significant benefits as far as speed, efficiency, and scalability are concerned.

The Learning Curve – WordPress vs. Contentful

As far as the learning curve is concerned, Contentful is significantly more challenging to learn than WordPress, and this could significantly impact on your timeline for release. The difference in the time it will take to learn each platform is not just a consideration – it’s a pivotal factor that will significantly impact any expected or required time constraints. Whereas WordPress was designed from the ground up to be accessible to all, Contentful is designed to meet the complex needs of modern multi-platform enterprises, and so will inevitably take considerably more time to learn.

Since Contentful has an advanced headless architecture and an API-driven approach to content delivery, it’s a much more complex product. This, of course, could be considered a double-edged sword, since, on the one hand, it is complex to learn, but this is because it is such a sophisticated solution for demanding multi-platform content management. If your business needs this type of solution, then it will require dedicated team training, and a planned period of acclimatization.

From setting up content models in Contentful, to integrating various front-end solutions requires not just an understanding of the Contentful platform itself, but also the broader programming and development concepts involved in the content delivery process. This will require a significant investment of time, especially for teams who lack a strong technical background.

WordPress is an entirely different story, having been celebrated for years for its intuitive interface and ease of use. Simply because of its widespread popularity, it is highly likely that team members will already have a certain level of familiarity with it, and perhaps may even already be proficient. The level of familiarity translates directly into much shorter onboarding times, much quicker implementation, and a faster journey towards deployment overall.

But although WordPress is very easy to learn, and offers simplicity, this is not to suggest that it in any way sacrifices functionality. With such a vast range of plugins and themes, it is possible to carry out significant customization and scalability, even without any technical expertise.

Ultimately, for organizations with a highly technically proficient team (or that are happy to invest the time and money in training), the robust capabilities offered by Contentful present a future-proof solution. However, for businesses looking for a much quicker deployment, and a platform that can be managed easily by almost anyone, WordPress comes out as a clear first choice.

Ease of Implementation

When it comes to implementing a CMS, the ease with which it can be integrated into your existing setup is crucial. Both WordPress and Contentful offer unique advantages in this regard, but their differences in design and architecture make a significant difference when it comes to implementation.

WordPress’s greatest strength lies in its versatility. Originally designed as a traditional CMS, it has evolved to offer headless capabilities as well. This versatility allows businesses to use WordPress not only for managing and presenting content with its own front-end, but also as a headless CMS, where the content is managed in WordPress but displayed using different technologies.

This flexibility is a significant advantage. For businesses looking to revamp their website without overhauling their entire content management system, WordPress provides an ideal solution. It allows for gradual transitions, where the front-end can be updated or changed without needing to migrate to a new system for back-end content management.

Contentful, on the other hand, was built from the ground up as a headless CMS. This means that the platform is inherently more suited for managing content across multiple channels, such as websites, mobile apps, or IoT devices. For businesses that need to distribute content across multiple platforms and devices, Contentful’s implementation provides a streamlined, efficient approach.

However, this specialization means Contentful is less flexible than WordPress when it comes to using it for a traditional CMS setup.

Scalability

Scalability in content management systems is essential for any growing business. To support expansion in the future, the chosen platform needs to be robust and flexible. When comparing WordPress and Contentful, it is crucial to consider how each platform scales to ensure the growth and evolution of the business won’t be restricted further down the line.

Contrary to popular belief, WordPress is not just for small sites. Its scalability has been proven time and time again by large-scale implementations, such as the case of Vox.com, among other major newsgroups, which last year made the move across to WordPress as they wanted their creative and development teams to focus on experiences and content, rather than platforms. This demonstrates that with the right setup, WordPress can efficiently handle high traffic volumes and complex site structures.

However, challenges in scaling WordPress can arise when it’s used in traditional setups, particularly for dynamic content delivery. That isn’t to suggest that WordPress can’t meet these kinds of demands, as they can be managed very effectively by partnering with leading hosting providers such as Rocket.net, Convesio, and Servebolt. These providers offer specialized WordPress hosting solutions that enhance performance, security, and scalability, making WordPress a viable option even for large, content-heavy sites.

Contentful’s scalability is built into its architecture from the ground up, with its design as a headless CMS. Its API-first approach makes it naturally scalable, capable of handling a wide range of content distributed across multiple channels and platforms.

Teams using Contentful often have a higher degree of technical skill, something that, as we’ve touched on previously, is necessary given its much steeper learning curve. This technical proficiency usually helps in allowing them to maximize Contentful’s scalability potential more effectively, especially in complex, multi-platform environments.

Security

When considering CMS platforms, security is clearly a paramount concern. However, when comparing WordPress and Contentful there are often quite a few misconceptions.

WordPress’s immense popularity inevitably means that it is often under the microscope regarding security. A common misconception is that, because WordPress is open source and has a vast user-base, it is therefore inherently insecure. However, this is a very misleading verdict.

As discussed in Patchstack’s recent article, “Is WordPress Safe”, open-source software such as WordPress can actually be more secure, because of the very large and extremely active community. This community is well-known for actively identifying and addressing any vulnerabilities, and WordPress’s structure makes it very easy for updates and patches to be implemented quickly and easily. This means that WordPress benefits from a proactive approach to security, rather than merely reactive. Of course, it would be foolish to suppose that any software was 100% bulletproof, but as WordPress benefits from very regular updates and a very active community, this means that its security is of a very high standard.

Contentful’s security benefits largely from its very nature, as a headless content management platform. As the content and the delivery are ‘decoupled’, this inevitably reduces some security risks, since vulnerabilities are less likely to cross over from one side to the other. Contenrtful’s approach to security is robust, with features such as role-based access control and SSL encryption, as well as industry standards such as GDPR and SOC2.

Ultimately, however, the main security challenge for both WordPress and Contentful is not with their core software, but how they are implemented and maintained. For WordPress, the risks are largely associated with third-party plugins and themes. It’s essential to implement regular updates, strong password policies, and a cautious approach to plugins and themes.

With Contentful, a different approach is needed. The security largely centers around managing the API access, and ensuring the integrations with other systems are secure. This more technical approach to security will require a high level of technical expertise to manage effectively, but done properly it can offer more control, as well as a centralized security management approach.

Customer Service & Community

In the world of CMS platforms, the type and quality of support can be a deciding factor for many businesses. The choice between WordPress and Contentful isn’t just about the availability of customer service – it’s about understanding the type of support each platform offers.

Contentful provides dedicated customer support, which is a significant advantage for brands that need a reliable and consistent support team, especially when dealing with the more complex, headless CMS architecture. Contentful’s support team is able to handle a range of technical issues, so for companies that depend heavily on their digital presence and need a direct line to technical support, Contentful is an excellent choice.

WordPress, in contrast, operates on a very different support model. It boasts an incredibly supportive and huge global community of developers, users, and enthusiasts. This community is an invaluable resource for troubleshooting, with countless forums, blogs, tutorials, and guides all available entirely for free. Perhaps the real strength of WordPress lies in this communal knowledge base, where solutions to problems are easily shared and accessible – no matter how simple or complex the issue is.

However, it’s important to note that for any specific technical issues, especially those related to hosting, the responsibility will usually fall to the hosting provider. Choosing a reputable and capable hosting service for your WordPress site is crucial, as they become your primary line of support for technical issues related to site performance and security. We recommend providers such as Rocket.net, Convesio, and Servebolt.

Conclusion

When it comes to managing digital content, picking between WordPress and Contentful isn’t just about personal likes or dislikes. You’ve got to choose a platform that not only fits well with your business’s needs and tech know-how, but also supports where you’re headed in the future.

So, when you’re mulling over this choice, think beyond just what these platforms can do right now. Consider their impact down the line. For many, WordPress often edges out a bit ahead, mainly because of its ease of use and massive popularity. It’s user-friendly and has a ton of resources, making it a solid choice, especially if your team is not too technical. Contentful certainly has its perks, especially with its sophisticated, headless structure, but WordPress generally feels more accommodating, especially for those long-term projects.

The ideal CMS for you is one that doesn’t just tick boxes for your current situation but also sets you up nicely for the road ahead.

Looking for an effective way to manage projects?

With Atarim, you can leverage point-and-click collaboration to enable clients and stakeholders to point at what they’re referring to on any live web page, and immediately leave feedback, say what needs to be changed, and so much more. 

Plus, you can also create milestones, divide them into tasks, and monitor performance.

If you want to receive feedback that makes sense, make it easier to collaborate with clients, and finish projects in days instead of weeks, sign up to Atarim today – with paid plans from just $20 per month.

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide.
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders.
• Deliver projects in days instead of weeks.

WordPress and Webflow are both popular content management systems.

They’re both a great choice – fast, secure, and easy to work with, but there are some fundamental differences you should be aware of before choosing your go-to CMS. 

Note: this decision may seem trivial – as though it’s easy to swap your CMS out later down the line, but – on behalf of someone who has been a part of such migrations – trust us, it’s not as straightforward as you’re probably thinking it will be. 

Plus, even if it were easy, you wouldn’t want to make a choice without exploring your options and hearing what I have to say about them, right? ?

Read on to find out which platform and content management system is the right one for you…

A Quick Primer on Webflow

Webflow is a website design platform, packaged as a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription. 

They make it incredibly easy to build a website using their drag-and-drop builder. Some amazing sites are built with Webflow (and if you’re anything like us browsing the web with the Wappalyzer (or BuiltWith) extension installed to see which technologies power sites, you’ll have come across a fair few big companies/brands using Webflow). 

And rightfully so, it can be a great experience & they have done a good job of building an ecosystem of software and services around their platform – I’d argue possibly better than any other CMS on the market. 

A Quick Primer on WordPress

I’d be very surprised if you haven’t come across WordPress before. 

Why? Well, for starters, it powers a more significant portion of the internet than any other platform in the world. And, in our view, this is for good reason. We’re big supporters of open-source software. But, open-source software comes at a cost. As Jason Cohen has put it on Twitter (X) – “open source is free like a puppy is free” … more on this later. 

Open source is free like a puppy is free.

— Jason Cohen (@asmartbear) January 8, 2024

The last thing we’ll say about WordPress for now is that it powers the website you’re reading this post on. 

Note: This post was written by a team of one or more people who have extensive experience with Webflow and WordPress. There is inherent bias in everything, but both platforms have their place & can be the right choice in certain circumstances.

Now – onto the comparison:

Pricing – WordPress vs. Webflow

Pricing is, and, as with any choice in business, should play a role in the decision of which CMS & website platform to commit to using. 

Regardless of what your budget is and whether it feels important right now – the costs and, perhaps more importantly, pricing model of the service should be a consideration. 

WordPress

WordPress (WordPress.org) is an open-source content management system. 

Sidenote: All mentions of WordPress in this article are referring exclusively to WordPress.org, not WordPress.com. WordPress.com is a hosting service for WordPress.com backed by Automattic, the team behind Jetpack, WooCommerce, and other products in the WordPress industry. 

This means that the direct cost to download it is completely free. 

But, this also means that you are responsible for hosting it – which for most means choosing a suitable hosting provider. Some recommendations: 

High-Performance / Enterprise: 

1. Rocket.net
2. Convesio
3. Servebolt
4. WP Engine
5. Kinsta

Shared / Affordable 

1. Hostinger
2. WPMU DEV
3. GoDaddy
4. SiteGround
5. Cloudways

Self-Managed / Own Your Infrastructure (w/AWS, UpCloud, Vultr, etc.)

1. CloudLinux
2. SpinupWP
3. RunCloud
4. ServerPilot

We have partnerships with some of the above hosting providers via integrations with the Atarim software suite, but none of the links above are affiliate links and/or influenced by this, i.e., our own site is hosted on Rocket.net, and after this was already the case, we just so happened to also enter a partnership with them. This is a great example of the beauty of the WordPress community.

The cost associated with hosting your site depends on the hosting provider you choose to go with, as well as the plan that your site will need, depending on the traffic, type of site, and a few other factors. Costs will range greatly, starting from as little as $10-15 per month and going up to $250 per month. Any more than $250 per month, and you’ll have a very high-traffic (and likely also revenue-generating) site on your hands, at which point you would expect the costs associated with running your site to go up (because it’s more expensive to host a site that has visitors & customers than one that has little to no traffic). 

Depending on your needs, the expenses for a WordPress website can vary. For instance, premium themes, plugins, and high-quality hosting may involve additional costs. This can easily make a WordPress website more expensive than a Webflow one.

Depending on the level of complexity, because WordPress is more flexible, i.e. we are not putting limits on what you can build with it – all costs considered, a WordPress site can cost more than setting up a simple site on Webflow. 

However… The important distinction here is that you are not at the mercy of a SaaS pricing model such as Webflow’s which can change at any time, and specific features can become paid ones later on down the line.

If this does happen (and we’ve seen it happen with other companies in the past many times), it presents website owners with a real difficulty – accept the new, higher price, or try to move their website to somewhere more affordable. 

With WordPress, you have almost complete control over how much you pay. 

If your web hosting company puts their prices up, you can easily just move your website to a different hosting provider – and with WordPress, this process is easy.

Webflow

On the surface, Webflow offers a package deal – you don’t need to purchase additional services such as a domain or web hosting. 

Instead, you get all you need to get started with their pricing plans.

Webflow lets you choose between five different pricing plans. The plan you choose depends solely on your needs and preferences.

Their most basic plan is completely free.

This plan lets you create a website, add 2 guests, and get to know Webflow better. However, the free plan doesn’t allow you to publish your website on your own domain – you’ll have to use the webflow.io URL.

If you want a custom domain, you’ll have to hop on to one of their paid plans. This alone already starts at $18 per month. 

Back in October of 2023, I put out a Tweet (X) on the topic of Webflow’s pricing that went viral – or, let’s say, “semi-viral” – not to give myself too much credit:

Welcome back to WordPress folks ?

I know a few Webflow agencies that are already making plans…

What can I say … you were warned.

Now here’s your 13th reason not to build on platforms you have zero control of. pic.twitter.com/sUgqLugzdq

— Alex Panagis (@alexjpanagis) October 7, 2023

The topic clearly hit close to home for people in the community who build sites with either platform as software companies, agencies, freelancers, small businesses, and everyone in between.

However, many misunderstood the premise of the conversation surrounding pricing. Webflow’s pricing model is very realistic in some senses, and it’s a great deal. 

I know a lot of big companies that happily pay for Webflow without questioning it. 

But as someone who has heavily invested in open-source for the better half of their life – some of the changes they’ve made tend to be a reminder about why open-source provides more control, and ultimately builds an ecosystem that is more customer-friendly. 

You have options. You have choices. You are not locked in. 

The cost itself is not the “topic”, it’s the pricing model itself and the fact that there are countless businesses I know built on top of Webflow who have received emails asking them to upgrade to a plan that costs $40,000 USD per year.

This happens when users hit the 10k CMS item limit (more in their community thread here) – something that can happen quite easily to large content sites.

Long story short: we like Webflow, we have no problem with their pricing itself, and know lots of people who are more than happy to use it. But… we tend to understand the concern with using it being the fact that there is even a chance (regardless of how small) that people will be hit with an unrealistic bill at some point or later, and be forced to transition away and spend even more money moving over to another platform.  

WordPress vs. Webflow: Ease of Use

Ease of use is vital, especially for less technical designers.

There’s no reason to choose a CMS platform that offers hundreds of features if you can’t use any of them because it’s too technical.

WordPress

WordPress offers a balance of customization and user-friendliness.

Since WordPress is a much more robust platform, there is a slightly longer learning curve, compared to Webflow. But once you master it, you’ll appreciate the creative freedom and the amount of customization WordPress offers.

Also, if you’re a non-technical person, there are thousands of user-friendly themes and plugins.

While there might be a bit more involved in getting set up with WordPress, it provides you with more creative control over your site. The ability to customize themes and layouts lets you tailor your online presence to match your brand’s style.

Webflow

Webflow is definitely easier to learn than WordPress.

It’s very intuitive, features a drag-and-drop editor, and offers plenty of tutorials that can help you get your website up and running quickly.

You can also choose from many templates – there’s no need to start from scratch.

However, this ease of use and convenience comes at the expense of customization. Also, the dashboard can be a bit misleading or difficult to navigate.

But, if you’re after ease of use and don’t mind less customization, Webflow is great!

Customization – WordPress vs. Webflow

Having full control over the customization of your site is essential for every designer.

The right platform should let you have creative freedom, add personal branding, and have the flexibility you need to build your dream website.

WordPress

WordPress allows for significantly more customization options with your site.

This is especially useful if you’re looking to create a website that represents your personal brand in a unique way – you can replicate the exact design you have in your mind! 

You can change virtually anything on your website, including:

• Fonts
• Colors
• Layouts

And because WordPress is open source, you can, if you wish, dive right into the code, and change anything you want to. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, there are plenty of developers who will be able to help.

Of course, you may well feel you don’t need anything changed quite that dramatically. Most themes allow you to make a whole range of dramatic customizations, ensuring your site has a unique look that matches your brand image perfectly.

Webflow

As we said before, Webflow offers plenty of pre-made templates.

Although they make it very easy to get started, switching templates is tricker. This is because if you’re looking to switch templates, you’ll need a new Webflow project.

Unfortunately, this means you’ll have to manually migrate data from one project to another.

(This is very time-consuming and inconvenient.)

But if you don’t plan to switch templates, you’re good to go.

Modifying the template you choose is fairly straightforward – making it easy to add your personal touch to any template you choose.

So, try to pick a template and stick to it! 

Security – WordPress vs. Webflow

Every website is vulnerable to security risks, no matter what CMS platform you choose.

In fact, 50K websites are hacked daily – which means that there’s an attack on a website every 39 seconds. 

Source: Patchstack

Let’s now compare both WordPress and Webflow’s security, so you can find the platform that offers the level of protection that you’re looking for.

WordPress

With WordPress, you’ll be using multiple plugins to run your site.

However, each of these plugins can present a security threat – so it’s essential to choose plugins that are secure.

The more complex your site becomes, the more open you are to vulnerabilities.

But we don’t want to scare you away!

WordPress is an open source platform, and there are millions of developers that are constantly working on making this platform secure.

Plus, you can add security plugins such as Patchstack to stay out of trouble.

If you’re looking to run a secure WordPress website, we recommend using security plugins, and staying away from low-quality, non-trusted plugins. 

Webflow

Webflow is based on Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosting – an industry leader in secure web hosting.

Plus, Webflow uses strong encryption to keep all of your data secure.

All that security is built-in with Webflow. The only downside is that you don’t have control over your website security, and are completely dependent on Webflow.

(Unlike with WordPress where your website security depends on the plugins you choose.)

WordPress vs. Webflow: Performance

The performance of your website is critical.

In fact, it takes as little as a one-second delay to decrease your sales by 7%. Not to mention the bounce rate getting sky-high with every additional second of load time.

Source: Section.io

And, according to Google’s data, you’re losing 40% of your customers if your website takes longer than three seconds to load on mobile.

WordPress

A WordPress website’s performance is influenced entirely by your choice of hosting provider and configuration. Unlike with Webflow, you’ll have to look for a third-party company that offers a hosting solution for your WordPress website.

However, this may be an advantage, since you’re not limited by any pre-specified providers.

Plus, with WordPress, there’s the potential to implement various optimization techniques that may be offered by certain hosts, such as caching, content delivery networks, and performance-focused plugins. 

This lets you fine-tune your website’s speed based on your requirements.

Webflow

Webflow’s high-performance hosting makes any of their websites fast.

Although you do have less control and flexibility over what happens in the codebase on Webflow sites, this is not a common complaint among businesses who use Webflow. There are things that can be done to improve site speed, and there are obviously things that negatively impact it that you need to avoid should you choose to build your sites with Webflow. 

We’ve never experienced any issues with website performance, and every site ran smoothly and quickly – with amazing PageSpeed Insights scores:

Also, images use lazy loading by default, which is great for designers.

But, we’ve also seen Webflow sites that are very slow – having only a 17/99 PageSpeed score.

However, this is usually because the website owners didn’t seem to have paid attention to the size of their website and the amount of elements they use.

So make sure you don’t go overboard with the visual elements – they’ll slow down your site considerably.

Conclusion – Which Platform Is Better for You?

WordPress and Webflow are both great content management systems – there’s no clear winner between the two. Which one you choose depends solely on your preference and needs.

To learn more about design and web development tips, take a look at these resources:

• Designing for Colour Blindness
• What Makes a Good, Accessible, Easy to Read Font?
• The Best Image Compression Tools (Real World Testing + Comparison) 

Looking for an effective way to manage projects?

With Atarim, you can leverage point-and-click collaboration to enable clients and stakeholders to point at what they’re referring to on any live webpage or graphic to leave feedback, say what needs to be changed, and speed up design projects. 

Plus, you can also create milestones, break them into tasks, and monitor performance.

If you want to receive feedback that makes sense, make it easier to collaborate with clients, and finish projects in days instead of weeks, sign up to Atarim today – with paid plans from just $20 per month.

• Integrated into the leading visual collaboration platform trusted by 13,000+ agencies (web dev, design, and beyond) worldwide.
• Supporting project delivery for 1,200,000+ of their clients and stakeholders.
• Deliver projects in days instead of weeks.