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CPC is the amount you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. Know its pros and cons plus how to lower it. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employees can’t move on after I yelled at them I do not deny I have yelled at some of my employees out of frustration. I am in my 60’s and had several strokes and my demeanor is short. I have apologized, but the group of employees cannot get past the fact that I yelled and are now holding it against me. I know that I am out of touch with the younger generation, having grown up in the late 60’s and early 70’s and in a military household I would like to say, “Knock it off and get over it,” but I know that would make things worse. As an engineer, I am black and white with no emotions….kind of “shut up and get the job done.” Any advice on how to address the employees to get them past my past harsh yelling? Normally I’d say to sincerely apologize and vow you’ll treat them more respectfully going forward … but that’s not going to sound genuine if you don’t really see what the big deal is and still think your employees should just “get over it.” Yelling is abusive and it’s not reasonable to be frustrated that they won’t just get over it. I’m skeptical that you’ll be able to move past this unless you can find a way to see their point of view … and to do that, you have to be sincerely interested in learning, not just in trying to make the problem go away. Part of what you need to learn is why your employees — and most employees, particularly people with options — won’t tolerate being spoken to abusively. The other thing you need to learn is better management skills; you yelled out of frustration, which means you don’t know how to get what you need as a manager. That’s a skills deficiency on your side, not theirs — and this won’t get better unless you learn how to get things done without losing your temper. More advice here and here. 2. My boss found out I’ve been hiding mistakes from her I work at a pharmacy. At the interview, my boss said that she demands one thing: to tell her when I make any mistakes. I’ve been there for a year, and I didn’t tell her that I forgot I’d left the keys to the pharmacy attached to the outside doors three times. In fact, she discovered that after my colleague found them attached to the door at closing. She then talked to me (with no yelling) and said that this should not be repeated. Fast forward to two months after that, I made a mistake by not telling a patient that they should pay an additional fee and didn’t tell her because I planned on paying the fee myself, and by that I would be solving the problem without her knowing. My colleague again told my boss, and she got mad at me. I talked to her, and she repeated her words but didn’t mention anything about firing me or repercussions. But I noticed that she and everyone at the pharmacy are ignoring me. I really love working there and I respect my boss and love her so much. What should I do ? This is my first official job after graduating. However, I worked while studying in a toxic environment for two years where hiding mistakes and trying to fix them yourself was done at a daily basis. Leaving the keys in the door outside a pharmacy is a really serious mistake; it’s giving access to a bunch of controlled substances to anyone who wanders by! Humans make mistakes, but if it happened three separate times, you’ve really got to figure out what’s happening that’s allowing that. Two times would be bad! Three is … very bad. I’m not trying to berate you, but I can’t tell from your letter if you realize that so I’m flagging it. The thing about not telling your boss that you messed up a fee and instead planned to pay it yourself — when she specifically told you the thing she cares about most is that you tell her about mistakes — is also bad. Strategizing to deceive her is a big deal! She needs to know because there could be consequences she’ll need to deal with. (For example, off the top of my head, if that patient is charged the correct fee in the future and is confused about why she wasn’t charged it previously, people need to know what happened. It could also point to a need for more training, which is info she’s entitled to as your boss.) It’s smart to identify that you’re carrying over behaviors from an old job where hiding mistakes was normal, but in this environment, it’s a dysfunctional behavior. Your boss sounds like someone who won’t respond harshly to mistakes themselves, but cover-ups could get you fired. To make this right, talk to your boss and explain that you used to work somewhere where mistakes were handled very differently but you understand how important it is to be open and up-front about mistakes at this job, and you’re committed to doing that going forward (and say you know that you’ve handled it wrong up until now). But you have to really mean that — if you cover up another mistake, it’s likely to be impossible to come back from it. Related: how to rebuild your credibility after messing up at work 3. When I provide info to a coworker, he forwards it as-is without warning me I have a coworker who is intermediating between me and other people (clients, our superiors, etc.). Several times now he has asked me for some information, and then followed-up with, “Okay, I’ll pass it on like that.” This feels really weird to me. I was writing my messages to him specifically, and I assumed he would repackage that information accordingly (possibly with a more formal message, or also with other data), before informing others. If I knew my message would be going directly to another party from the beginning, I would have written it very differently! Am I off-base here? It’s definitely not unusual to write differently for one audience than another; you might be much less formal with a peer than with a client or a manager, or you might use shorthand with the former that you wouldn’t use with the latter. That said, your coworker may be judging that what you provided works fine as-is for his purposes. Either way, now that you know he does this, just start assuming that it may get passed on exactly the way you say it and write it accordingly … or you can explicitly say, “If this needs to go to a client or higher-up, I’d like to express it a bit differently so please let me know if that’s the case.” (Or you can even ask that before responding.) 4. Are colorful tights okay for work? I work in government and there is no real dress code in my office. People wear polos and tees or blouses and dresses. Some people wear jeans. I like to be a little more dressed up and was wondering if I wear a pair of lilac tights under a white sweater dress would this be appropriate for the office. What do you think? Yes! 5. How can I reject a job offer and still be considered in the future? I just got my first adult job offer after finishing school. The job itself is perfect — the people are nice, the hours and workload are better than 90% of similar positions I’ve seen in this field, the compensation and benefits are great. I even felt like I clicked well with my potential colleagues. My problem is the location. The position is in a small town an hour away from a big city. The winters are known for being cold and gloomy, which I am normally okay with, except I would be moving by myself (I’m single with no children and no family in the area) and anticipate it could get very lonely quickly. I was originally planning to live in the city so I could more easily meet other young single professionals, but I don’t think the commute would be feasible with this type of work (I tested the drive when I flew in for my interview). I do know some of my potential colleagues from previous training, but one is my ex, and while we are on good terms, I don’t think it’s smart to have my main support system be my ex (especially if one of us starts dating someone new who isn’t comfortable with our friendship). If I declined the job offer at this time, is there a way to make it clear I still love the company and would happily reapply if my social situation changes? (I would happily move to the small town where the job is at once I’m married/have a partner, especially if we have kids. It’s an ideal family town, but not so ideal for singles.) How would I communicate that now and in the future, and without burning bridges? I wouldn’t make it about your social situation — that’s a little too much information. Instead you could say something like, “I really like the company and its work but after a lot of thought, I don’t think I’m ready to make the move right now. So I’m declining, but I’d love to leave the door open for the future if a move does become possible for me.” View the full article

At a point when businesses are so technology-driven, manual timesheet methods sound like a thing of the past. It brings to mind your first job at a grocery store 20 years ago when you had to punch in and out on one of these bad boys. But believe it or not, 38% of U.S. employees The post Hidden costs of manual timesheet methods: A closer look at productivity drain appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Construction contracts are legally binding documents between two parties outlining the terms and conditions of the working relationship between them, usually awarded after a construction bidding process. In this blog, we’ll explore the components, pros and cons of a cost reimbursement contract. What Is a Cost Reimbursement Contract? A cost reimbursement contract is an agreement between parties in a construction project that guarantees the owner reimburses the contractor for costs incurred while they work on the project. Reimbursement, however, is not unlimited. There is a ceiling. The contractor is not paid solely for the costs but is also guaranteed an additional payment. This additional payment will be the contractor’s profit. The contract will still include an estimate for the total cost of the project. Unlike a fixed-price contract where the overall price for the project is agreed on before the work starts and the price is final (and thus, the risk lies mostly with the contractor,) the cost reimbursement contract places risk more squarely on the project owner. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other risks, such as scope creep, where requirements are unclear. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/construction-gantt-resources-costs-150-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpgMonitor real-time costs with ProjectManager’s cost control features. Learn more! When to Use a Cost Reimbursement Contract A cost reimbursement contract is particularly beneficial when used in certain scenarios, such as when: The project scope is uncertain and changes will likely be made as the project is being executed, such as when executing larger, complex projects. The project owner wants to control costs closely and audit the contractor, which is typical for government-funded projects. A long-term project is executed, as their costs are hard to forecast in advance. The contractors don’t want to assume the risk of a fixed-price contract due to factors that might increase costs beyond their forecasts, such as volatile prices of materials, labor or equipment. What Should Be Included in a Cost Reimbursement Contract? Construction contracts must be detailed so the parties involved can clearly understand their obligations. Below are some of the most important components of a cost reimbursement contract. Parties to the Contract This section identifies the entities involved in the contract including the buyer (client) who seeks the deliverables and the seller (contractor) responsible for providing them. Clear identification ensures accountability and defines roles to help prevent disputes or misunderstandings during contract execution. Scope of Work The scope of work specifies the tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities agreed upon by both parties. It serves as the foundation for performance expectations to ensure both the client and contractor understand the project’s boundaries and objectives. Type of Cost Reimbursement Contract This section outlines the nature of the cost reimbursement agreement, specifying whether it is Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF), Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee (CPIF), or Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF). It defines how reimbursement and fees are calculated and managed. Allowable Costs Allowable costs are those eligible for reimbursement under the contract. This section defines these expenses, such as labor, materials, and overhead and often references guidelines like FAR Part 31 for compliance with standards. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cost-reimbursement-contract-template-featured-image.jpg Get your free Cost Reimbursement Contract Use this free Cost Reimbursement Contract for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File Payment Terms This outlines how and when the contractor will be reimbursed, detailing the frequency (e.g., monthly, milestone-based) and the documentation required (e.g., invoices, receipts, reports). The clearer the terms, the smoother the financial transactions. Fee Structure The fee structure specifies how profit, incentives or fees are determined. It may include fixed fees or performance-based incentives that align the contractor’s earnings with project success metrics. Cost Ceiling A cost ceiling establishes the maximum amount reimbursable under the contract. It prevents unapproved over-expenditure and ensures financial control, requiring the contractor to get approval for exceeding this limit. Reporting Requirements Reporting requirements mandate cost tracking, financial reporting and audits. Regular and transparent reporting means the client can monitor expenditures and progress, maintaining accountability throughout the project. Change Management Process This section defines the process for controlling changes to the contract’s scope, cost or timeline. Clear procedures reduce disputes and ensure that both parties agree upon and document any adjustments. Dispute Resolution Dispute resolution outlines methods for resolving conflicts between the parties, such as arbitration, mediation, or legal proceedings. It provides a structured approach to address disagreements without disrupting the construction project. Termination Clauses Termination clauses specify the conditions under which the contract may be ended by either party. They outline the process and consequences of termination to protect the rights and interests of both parties. Compliance Requirements Compliance requirements ensure adherence to relevant laws, regulations, and standards. This section helps maintain legal integrity and outlines the obligations contractors must meet to avoid penalties or contract breaches. Cost Reimbursement Contract Example To better illustrate what a basic cost reimbursement contract should look like, here’s a cost reimbursement contract example you can download for free. Imagine a scenario where an individual needs to hire a contractor to build a custom single-family home. In this case, the general contractor can execute all of the scope of work without needing to hire any subcontractors. The project owner and contractor have agreed to use a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) cost reimbursement contract. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cost-reimbursement-contract-example.png Disclaimer: The cost reimbursement contract examples in this blog are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered legal or financial advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney or contract specialist to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations when drafting or entering into a contract. What Are the Four Types of Cost Reimbursement Contracts? There is not a one-size-fits-all cost reimbursement contract. There are actually four distinct categories: Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) A CPFF reimburses the contractor for all incurred costs, plus a fixed fee. This additional fee is included regardless of the contractor’s performance of the project. The customer, then, bears the risk. These contracts are often used in high-risk projects where it might be difficult to get bidders to compete. The incentive is that the contractor is protected from risk. There are two types of CPFF contracts: Completion, in which a goal or product the contractor must deliver to receive their fee is identified Term, where the contract specifies a time period and level of effort the contractor must achieve Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) The CPIF gives the contractor a reimbursement for all incurred costs, and then adds an incentive based upon achievement of certain agreed-upon performance objectives, which are defined in the contract. The two parties will agree on a formula to determine what the incentive price is. The risk in this type of contract is with the customer (but less so than with a CPFF,) and the incentive motivates the contractor. Usually, the incentive is a percentage of savings both parties share. Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) The CPAF gives the contractor an award fee when they meet certain performance metrics outlined in the contract. This type of contract differs from the CPIF because the award is not based on a formula defined in the contract, but instead on the customer’s satisfaction. Therefore, it’s a subjective decision and cannot be appealed by the contractor. Cost Plus Percentage of Costs (CPPC) The CPPC awards the contractor all costs for the project and a percentage of those costs. This is not a popular choice with project owners unless they trust the contractor, as it shifts the risk to the owner. There is a risk of costs being artificially increased to profit the contractor. These contracts, therefore, have greater regulations applied to them to avoid such risks. Pros and Cons of a Cost Reimbursement Contract A cost reimbursement contract is best for projects where the scope is uncertain and risk is high, as the risk is being shouldered by the customer who pays for all costs. But a cost reimbursement contract is not always the best type of legal course to take between parties. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a cost reimbursement contract: Pros Contractors have little incentive to cut corners Ideal when quality over costs is the objective Final costs are typically lower because there’s no need to inflate prices to cover contractor risk Cons Final costs are not certain Needs oversight to make sure only those agreed-upon costs are paid Further oversight is needed for making any award or incentive fee fair Less incentive for efficiency There are reasons to use a cost-reimbursement contract over, say, a fixed-price contract, but all contracts have their pros and cons. It’s best to understand the scope and risk of the work to determine which contract is best. How ProjectManager Helps You With Cost Reimbursement Projects ProjectManager is award-winning software that allows you to create a budget, keep up with costs and report on those costs. If you use a cost reimbursement contract, you need to have a handle on what you’re spending. The less reimbursement needed, the more likely you’ll receive the incentive award and avoid breaking the price ceiling set up in the contract. Create Budgets You can create a budget at any time in the project, though it is most likely this will be done when you are in the planning stages. Your budget, however, can be changed at any time throughout the project’s life cycle. Once set, the project will be displayed on your real-time dashboard and accessible in reports to keep track of your costs. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dashboard-IT-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png Manage and Track Costs Manage both types of costs in our tool, both resources and general costs. Resource costs are automatically calculated as your team logs hours on their tasks when you set their hourly rate. This is all shown on the Gantt and sheet view, where you can organize all your tasks and create a schedule by seeing the whole project laid out on a visual timeline. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Gantt-Light-Mode-Timeline-Focus-1600x858.jpg Create Instant Reports One-click reporting gives you even more data on your costs and budget. You can get this information from reports such as the portfolio status, which is color-coded to easily see if you’re over or under budget. Project status, project plan and task report also give you cost figures. All reports can be filtered to zero in on just what you want to see and then shared to keep stakeholders updated. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Reports-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png ProjectManager is online software that tracks costs in real-time to help you stay on your budget. Use our tool to manage every phase of your project from planning to closure. Get live data to make better decisions and use our collaborative platform to help everyone work better together. See what we can do to add efficiencies to your project by taking this free 30-day trial today. The post Cost Reimbursement Contract: A Quick Guide appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Managing construction projects is complex and stressful. You may stick to your schedule and budget, but if your project doesn’t meet quality acceptance criteria, then you’re not just going to upset your stakeholders; you might face lawsuits. Quality means different things to different people, which is why you should adhere to construction quality control. It’s a quality management system that allows you to define what quality is, track it and make necessary changes to ensure those benchmarks are met. What Is Construction Quality Control? Construction quality control is a management system aimed at ensuring the final deliverable meets the standards and guidelines set by the client. That includes completing the project within the scope of work and avoiding disputes throughout the life cycle of the project. Quality is defined by the client, regulatory agencies and environmental and policy guidelines. All these quality assurance requirements and procedures are documented in a construction quality management plan. Construction quality is controlled by good monitoring and tracking of your project. ProjectManager is online project management software that delivers real-time data, so you can catch issues before they become problems. Try ProjectManager free today! /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Construciton-dashbord-light-mode-CTA-1600x918.jpgProjectManager lets you control quality with better monitoring using a live dashboard. Learn more Before further defining the construction quality control process, it’s important to understand the difference between construction quality control and construction quality assurance. Construction Quality Control vs. Construction Quality Assurance There are two aspects of project quality management in construction: construction quality assurance (QA) and construction quality control (QC). Quality assurance sets the quality management expectations and standards, while construction quality control focuses on establishing procedures to measure whether those quality standards are being met or not. The construction quality control manager drives this construction quality control plan throughout all phases of the project. What Is a Construction Quality Control Plan? A construction quality control plan is a document that highlights the specific processes and procedures a construction team uses to ensure project quality. This is an essential part of construction project management as it helps meet (and exceed) client expectations, reduce risks and costs, improve efficiency and enhance safety. As a result of this document, construction teams can significantly improve their quality of work and build a respected reputation in the industry. What Should Be Included in a Construction Quality Control Plan? When putting together a construction quality control plan, you need to address quite a few things. Here is a list to keep you from missing any of the important steps: 1. Project Specifications In this section, outline the technical requirements of the project as this will be the foundation for quality control. This includes construction plans, design drawings and detailed specifications for materials, workmanship and finishes. State all applicable codes, standards and contractual obligations. If there are project-specific requirements like sustainability certifications, be sure to include them here. 2. Quality Objectives and Standards This is where you define the quality assurance standards for the project, which is done by collecting client specifications and expectations for the quality of the finished build. The objectives may include ensuring that the materials meet industry standards, regulatory requirements and client specifications. The materials should also achieve defect-free construction and minimize rework. Safety and environmental standards should also be considered in this section. Having clear quality objectives helps guide the team toward consistent outcomes while minimizing defects. But you’ll also want to go beyond their needs and address specifications from building codes and industry standards. Lay it all out so there’s no confusion on why the work was done the way it was done. 3. Quality Control Roles and Responsibilities In this section of the construction quality control plan, define the roles and responsibilities of the personnel involved in quality control. This includes roles such as the quality control manager who implements the plan as well as inspectors who oversee daily compliance. Subcontractors, suppliers and construction project managers should also understand quality control obligations. In many cases, an organizational chart is included to help clarify who is responsible for what. Below is more detail on each of these roles. Quality Control Manager: Choose someone to lead the effort—a quality control manager. The client needs to know who this person is and why they’re qualified for the position. The quality manager leads all quality management work and is responsible for the day-to-day field operations. The construction quality control plan needs to define the quality manager’s responsibilities and how they work with the rest of the crew. Quality Control Inspectors: These inspectors play an important role in ensuring the quality and safety of the project. They enforce building codes and standards, monitor construction activities, perform inspections and document findings for reports. If needed, they communicate with stakeholders as well. Subcontractors and Suppliers: First, inform your client of the suppliers and materials in use. Since these are organizations outside your governance, you need to add selection criteria for suppliers and subcontractors to your construction quality control plan. This includes price, naturally, but also if they’re delivering on the quality you expect. Quality Control Procedures Quality control in construction can’t happen without quality control procedures in place. In this section, outline the actions and processes needed to ensure quality at every stage of the project. This includes an inspection test plan (ITP) that notes when key inspection and testing activities will take place during various stages. During this stage, procedures for conducting quality control inspections, tests and audits are outlined. All of these processes work together to ensure the project has consistent quality management. Inspection Test Plan: Create an inspection test plan (ITP) to decide what is inspected, the construction quality control methods that will be used and let the team know when it’s inspected. Also, there must be a person responsible for carrying out the inspection, whether that’s someone in your crew or a third party. Quality Control Inspections and Tests: Inspect each phase of the construction as part of the overall construction project management of your build. Conduct tests to verify the quality of material used or the functioning of quality management systems. List the inspections and tests you will perform over the life cycle of the construction project, including the forms and test results you’ll use. Quality Control Audits: This is a systematic and independent examination of an organization’s quality management system (QMS) or the processes within it. This is a critical tool for organizations that want to ensure product quality, services and operations. Corrective Actions: No construction project ever goes completely as planned. When things go wrong, you need to have corrective actions in your plan in order to maintain the overall quality of the project. There should also be a record documenting these changes and how they were implemented, such as a decision log. Punch List and Final Walkthrough: This is where you outline how the final construction quality control inspection will be conducted, including what the punch list will look like and how the final walkthrough with the client will be conducted. Surveillance: Have monitoring be part of your construction quality control plan. You need to let your client know how you’ll monitor quality. Decide on the frequency of surveillance as well as how and what you’ll be monitoring. Detail this in the construction quality control plan. Materials and Equipment Quality Control In this section on quality control in construction, the focus is on ensuring that the used materials meet the requirements for safety, strength and durability. This includes material selection and testing, material handling and material inspection. We’ve broken down various aspects below. Material Submittal and Approval Process: Contractors will submit information about the materials and products they intend to use in a project to the design team for review and approval. Usually, the materials to be used are described in a bill of quantities document. Material Testing: This involves looking at the physical and mechanical properties of materials to ensure they meet the needed standards and requirements. On-site Material Storing Protocols: This is essential for safety, efficiency and overall project success. It ensures that all materials are stored securely and properly to reduce the risk of injury and follow compliance with regulations. Calibration of Equipment and Maintenance: Periodic equipment calibration and a clear maintenance schedule help ensure that construction tasks can be completed accurately. Vendor Quality Audits: This is a systematic evaluation of a vendor’s ability to consistently deliver the products or services that meet the needed quality standards. Communication and Reporting Quality control should be part of the discussion between the project owner and whoever is executing the construction project from start to finish, whether that is a general contractor or multiple subcontractors. Quality control should be part of the reports, test results and any inspection data. Your construction quality control plan must have a communications guideline to explain how, and with what frequency, this communication will occur. Some examples of construction quality control reports include: Non-conformance reports (NCRs) Corrective action reports (CARs) Root cause analysis reports Quality audit records Testing logs Final inspection report /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Quality-control-template.jpg Get your free Quality Control Template Use this free Quality Control Template for Excel to manage your projects better. Download Excel File Construction Quality Control Checklist After making a construction quality control plan, it’s still important to prepare a quality control checklist to make the process of inspection thorough and less likely to overlook items. A good construction quality control checklist should summarize the contents of the construction quality control plan in a much simpler and easy-to-read format. Here’s a comprehensive construction quality control checklist to help you manage quality as your construction project is executed. Conduct preconstruction quality meetings Inspect the site conditions and create a site inspection report Review project specifications, drawings and plans Confirm that all permits and approvals are in place Create an inspection test plan Ensure equipment is well maintained and works properly Check material deliveries to ensure they meet quality standards Establish best practices for material and equipment storage Implement various construction quality control inspection methods as applicable Perform daily or weekly inspections at the job site Document all quality defects using non-conformance reports Keep project stakeholders informed on quality inspections Use a punch list to ensure all quality defects are fixed Prepare a final quality report and submit documentation to the project owner Why Construction Quality Control Matters Your project isn’t a success if your client isn’t satisfied. Construction quality control is important because it improves client satisfaction. A happy client will work with you again, and even give recommendations to others. More practically, doing quality work means less rework. Not needing to redo work that should have been done right the first time reduces costs and keeps you on schedule. This is also a way to keep the morale of your crew high, which in turn means they’ll work more productively. Most important, though, is that construction quality control leads to a successful project. Everything done in construction project management rests on the quality of your work. Focusing on quality means fewer problems and changes, while also saving time and money. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-construction-ebook-banner-ad.jpg Construction Quality Control Inspection Methods Here are the some of the most commonly used construction quality control methods to ensure materials, workmanship and other aspects of a construction project meet quality objectives: 1. Non-Destructive Testing This is a collection of techniques that evaluate the properties of materials, systems, components and other project resources without causing permanent damage. It helps in areas such as safety, quality control, cost savings and maintenance. Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Radiographic Testing (RT) Magnetic Particle Testing (MPT) Dye Penetrant Testing (DPT) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) 2. Destructive Testing In quality control in construction projects, destructive testing includes subjecting materials or components to conditions or stressors that could cause failure or permanent damage. These tests are designed to offer important data on the material’s strength and behavior under extreme conditions. Compressive Strength Tests Tensile Strength Tests Pull-Off Adhesion Tests 3. Structural Load Testing In this aspect of construction quality control, the structural integrity and capacity of buildings (or other structures) are verified. This may include design verification, identification of defects, static load tests, proof load tests, etc. It can lead to improved safety, reduced risk and improved quality. 4. Sample and Laboratory Testing This helps ensure the quality, safety and performance of construction projects. The process involves collecting samples of materials from the construction site and putting them through tests in a controlled environment to determine if they’re suitable for their intended use. The goal is to verify material quality, prevent failures and ensure compliance. 5. Visual Inspection Methods Visual inspection is a widely used method to assess quality in construction. This approach typically involves the human eye that’s aided by simple tools to look at the materials, components and work in progress for defects or irregularities. This happens to check for material inspection, workmanship inspection and safety inspections. 6. Mock-Up Testing This is used to evaluate the design and construction details in a real-world environment. The key purpose is to offer visual and aesthetic review, functionality and performance testing, problem identification and resolution and collaboration. It helps reduce the risk of expensive rework and change orders, improves quality, increases safety and improves client satisfaction. Quality Control Template This quality control template is ideal for managing the quality of deliverables in a construction project. You can use it to log any quality management issues that are found at the job site, including who found the issue, the date when it was found and its priority level among other important quality management information. /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Quality-control-template-screenshot.png We offer a variety of free construction project management templates for Excel you can use to manage all aspects of your project. How ProjectManager Helps With Construction Quality Control Managing the quality of construction projects involves close monitoring of the work. To streamline this process, you’ll want to use construction project management software. ProjectManager is online software that gives you the real-time data you need to respond and meet your client’s quality expectations. Organize Construction Plans on Gantt Charts Organize all the tasks associated with your construction quality control plan with an online Gantt chart. ProjectManager lets you link dependencies, set milestones and filter for the critical path. Then you can set a baseline to compare actual progress against the planned effort. The Gantt can be easily shared with your client to keep them updated. Track Your Plan’s Progress on Dashboards ProjectManager’s live dashboard gives you real-time data on several project metrics, so you can catch any irregularities that might impact the quality of the work. There’s even a portfolio dashboard if you’re managing several projects at once. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Portfolio-Summary-Dashboard-Home-Screen-Light-Mode-1600x872.png Create Reports for Stakeholders in Seconds If you want to take a deeper dive into project data, use ProjectManager’s one-click reports. These are especially helpful for clients that don’t want to get granular but want to know if you’re on time, within budget and are meeting quality expectations. Share reports by email or print them out, depending on what the client prefers. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Reports-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes tasks, teams and projects. Use ProjectManager to foster communications and control the quality of your construction project. With resource management, timesheet and task management features, ProjectManager can help you create a construction quality control plan, quickly find problems and resolve them before they impact time or costs. Try ProjectManager free today. The post Construction Quality Control: Essential Tips for Managing Quality appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Search engines help users find webpages related to specific search terms (called queries). Understanding how search engines work can help you make your pages more accessible. And ultimately direct more potential customers to your site. This guide explains how search engines discover, store, and rank content. You’ll also get tips on how to increase visibility in search results. How Do Search Engines Work? Search engines provide users with a list of relevant webpage results related to their search queries (i.e., the words they type into the search bar). They accomplish this by following a three-step process: Crawling: Discovering and downloading the content of webpages Indexing: Analyzing and storing that content in a database Ranking: Ordering results based on their relevance to a user’s search query Each page must pass through these stages to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs). Discovering Webpages Search engines use web crawlers (also called bots or spiders) to follow links across the web and find new URLs. When a crawler discovers a new URL, it downloads the page’s text, images, and other elements. The crawler then follows links on that page to find more URLs. If your site relies heavily on JavaScript, Googlebot will take additional rendering steps to ensure it sees all of your content. Some situations prevent successful crawling. For example, website owners can use meta robots tags to block crawlers like Googlebot. Server errors can also prevent crawlers from accessing content. Crawl Budget Crawl budget is the amount of time a search engine’s crawler spends within a specific time frame. Two main factors influence crawl budget: Crawl demand: How popular and fresh the site’s content is Crawl capacity: How quickly the site responds to crawler requests Large websites with many pages may see slower crawling. Small sites usually have enough crawl budget for all pages. Sitemaps A sitemap is a file listing important pages on a website and guides crawlers to key content. This is a sample of Backlinko’s XML sitemap: Including important pages in a sitemap can help search engines index them faster. To learn how to create a sitemap, read our guide to the top sitemap generator tools. Pro tip: Semrush’s Site Audit tool can help you identify and address crawl budget issues or sitemap errors. Organizing Web Content After crawling, search engines analyze pages to understand their topics. They store processed information in a large database called the index. All search engines follow the same general process for indexing. They record details like keywords, metadata, and page quality signals. They also note technical factors such as Google’s Core Web Vitals and country associations. What Prevents a Page from Getting Indexed? Search engines don’t index every page they crawl because they only want to show users high-quality pages. A page might not be indexed if: The page is low-quality or violates Google’s content policies The page returns an HTTP status code error (4xx or 5xx) The page design creates issues for successful indexing The site owner has requested the page not be indexed (via a noindex tag) Among other possible reasons. Indexing isn’t guaranteed, so make sure your pages meet Google’s search quality standards to increase your chances. How to Get Indexed by Google To get indexed by Google, you have two options: Wait for Googlebot to discover your pages naturally Submit your site for indexing in your Google Search Console account Both options can take days or even weeks. To learn more about URL inspection, check out our Google Search Console guide. Determining Which Content to Rank Ranking determines the order of results that appear in response to a search query. Each search engine uses proprietary ranking algorithms and updates them frequently. Search engines use a variety of ranking factors to determine the order of search results, but some are more important than others. Google weighs the following factors heavily: Keywords: Terms that represent the page’s main topic Search intent: The user’s purpose (e.g., answering a question, finding a product, etc.) Location: The searcher’s geographic location User history: Past searches and visited pages Other factors like backlinks, page load times, content quality, and some meta tags are also used in ranking. For a comprehensive list, see our ranking factors guide. Why Search Results Change Over Time Search engines want to show users the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, which may lead to changing the order of search results. For example, “best restaurants near me,” results change as you move locations, new restaurants open in your area, or customer reviews change. Also, changes to ranking algorithms may reorder search results drastically. When Google updates its algorithms, it usually offers guidance to site owners in its Search Central Blog. Presenting the Best Answers Search engines show more than simple links. They display special SERP features to present answers quickly and enhance the user’s experience. For example, a user searching for “sugar cookies” may be looking for recipes, nutritional facts, or a list of ingredients. Google returns varied results to satisfy all of these potential intents. But a user searching for “buy sugar cookies” has transactional intent. Google returns product results to make it easier for users to locate key information about the product. SERP features can make the search experience more enjoyable for users. Common types include: Popular Products: A list of products with key information like price, reviews, and shipping information Organization: A knowledge panel with key information about a business like founders, history, social media profiles, and more Local Business: A knowledge panel featuring key information about a local business like address, phone number, and hours of operation FAQs: A list of questions and answers about a topic Paid search results may also appear at the top of the SERPs. To qualify, sites need to set up Google Ads campaigns and bid for specific keywords. AI Overviews, featured snippets, and People Also Ask boxes often appear for informational searches. Like this: These features deliver quick answers and can increase visibility for pages that earn these placements. Turn Your Search Engine Knowledge into Rankings While many factors could be at play, understanding how search engines work is an essential first step to helping your content rank higher for the keywords that matter most to your audience. Armed with this knowledge, you can boost your site’s visibility and get your pages in front of the right people. The next critical step? Making sure your website’s technical foundation helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and rank your content. Check out our technical SEO guide to optimize your site for better search visibility. The post How Do Search Engines Work?<br> (Quick Guide for Beginners) appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

Scheduling tasks to meet deadlines, assign resources and estimate costs are fundamental to the planning phase in project management. One of the most important tools for project managers to accomplish this is project timeline software. We review the best project timeline software, listing pros, cons, pricing and more to help customers make an informed decision. Use this guide to help find the right project timeline software for your projects. What Is Project Timeline Software? Project timeline software is designed to help project managers, teams and stakeholders visually plan, track and manage the project schedule. It provides a timeline view of tasks, milestones, deadlines, dependencies and progress to ensure projects stay on track and meet its objectives within the allotted time. This type of software has many benefits. It visually displays project tasks over time, offering a clear view of the entire project. This allows stakeholders to easily track progress and for project managers to identify potential delays or issues before they become critical. It also improves team communication. The software helps allocate resources, whether human or nonhuman, by allowing project managers to see who’s working on what, ensuring that no one is overburdened or underutilized. This also helps avoid resource bottlenecks. It can also help with risk management by identifying risks early. There’s also the benefit of using the tool to monitor progress. What Features Make the Best Project Timeline Software? Before reviewing project timeline software products, it makes sense to understand the key features they should have to be effective. The following is a list of those features that customers need to be aware of when looking for the right software. Project Scheduling: Allows users to define tasks, assign them to team members and set up deadlines when managing projects. Dependencies: Visualizes the relationship between tasks, showing which tasks must be completed before others can start. Gantt Charts: Most project timeline software includes Gantt charts, visually representing the project timeline with tasks displayed as bars along a horizontal time scale. Milestone: Marks key points or events in the project timeline to indicate significant achievements or deadlines. Resource Allocation: Helps manage human and nonhuman resources and their availability over time. Critical Path Analysis: Helps to determine the critical path of a project timeline to help estimate the project’s duration and shows which tasks have slack and which don’t. Time Tracking: Provides features for tracking the completion of status of tasks, such as timesheets, helping to monitor progress against deadlines. Collaboration: Many tools allow team members to collaborate in real-time, making updates, commenting and sharing documents. Customizable Views: Depending on the software, users can customize the timeline view to focus on specific details like tasks, deadlines, resources or milestones. 2025 Best Project Timeline Software Rankings There are a lot of project timeline software products on the market. The tyranny of choice could almost make a customer throw their hands up and just randomly pick one. That would be a mistake. There are good, bad and ugly tools out there. We’ve done the dirty work and below are the best of the best in descending order. 1. ProjectManager/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/auth0-pm-logo-dark.png ProjectManager is award-winning project timeline software and much more, which places it atop our best-of list. It’s collaborative, with real-time email and in-app notifications, document management, global search and version control, plus unlimited file storage. That should be a given in any software like this, but we’ve hardly started to heap our praises on this product. The software has multiple project views, which means that when projects are scheduled on timelines the team can execute them across kanban boards to visualize workload or task lists that can have attachments, prioritize, tag and more. There’s also a calendar view for stakeholders to get a monthly overview of progress. Plus, there’s a free 30-day trial to try it out. Schedule With Gantt Charts Now, let’s get to the meat of this product. Unlike many other project timeline software products, this one has one of the best Gantt charts we’ve ever used. It does everything a timeline can do, from organizing tasks, adding milestones, assigning resources and cost tracking, but has more advanced features. For example, this Gantt chart can link all four types of task dependencies. Many other timelines have dependencies, but only one or two. ProjectManager has them all to help avoid delays and cost overruns. There’s also a filter that shows the critical path without having to go through the lengthy and complicated calculations by hand. On top of that, once the schedule is done, users can set a baseline to track the plan against actual progress in real time. Monitor and Balance Resources The Gantt chart schedules human and nonhuman resources. Other tools track those resources to keep them productive. First, during the onboarding process, project managers can set the team’s availability, including PTO, vacation and global holidays, as well as skill sets, which helps when making assignments. Once that’s done, there’s a color-coded workload chart showing who is overallocated or underutilized. Workload can be balanced from this page to keep everyone working at capacity and avoiding burnout. There’s also a team page, which collects all the team members and their assignments, progress on tasks and more, across one or multiple projects. The team page can show a daily view or a weekly view. It can be further filtered to highlight progress, priority and more, which provides valuable insights into resource allocation and utilization. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Team-Light-2554x1372-1.png Track Progress, Performance and Costs in Real Time This Gantt chart tracks progress by shading in the task bar as the task is being completed. However, other tools provide more detailed information. For a high-level overview, real-time project and portfolio dashboards collect live data and display key performance indicators (KPIs) on easy-to-read graphs and charts showing time, cost, workload and more. When project managers want more data, they can use customizable reports. There are status and portfolio status reports, plus, reports on variance, workload, timesheets and more. These reports can be quickly created and filtered to show only the data users want to view and can be shared with stakeholders to keep them updated. Then there are the secure timesheets that streamline payroll, but also give project managers a window into labor costs to help keep projects from going over budget. They also track the time team members are spending on their work. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/timesheet-lightmode-good-version-lots-of-tasks.png Other features that moved ProjectManager to the top of our list include risk management tools to identify risks, including a risk matrix to measure impact and likelihood, which also tracks issues until they’re resolved. There are custom and automated workflows to reduce repetitive tasks so teams can focus on more important work. Task approval settings ensure those deliverables maintain quality standards. There’s even a mobile app for Android and iOS that allows users to log hours anywhere and at any time. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software ProjectManager Pros & Key Features Online Gantt charts Resource planning, scheduling and tracking tools Dependencies management Critical path analysis Time tracking Mac-friendly Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS ProjectManager Cons & Limitations Limited customization features No free plan ProjectManager Pricing Team: $13/user/month Business: $24/user/month Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote ProjectManager Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “ProjectManager works very well with both large and small-scale projects. Being able to use this with anything from a project involving only two members of staff, to hundreds, has been invaluable.” Peter W – from Capterra “We used to manage our projects, resources, and reporting in different systems. Enter ProjectManager. We have consolidated systems and work more efficiently.” Jeffrey M – from Capterra “Having the full scope of activities and who is responsible to do it, plus the time tracking is excellent.” Flavio M – from G2 “It has an excellent accounting system capable of calculating the time that a person has used to develop a task that was assigned to him. I like being able to collaborate with all my colleagues in the Finance sector through ProjectManager.” Jesus C – from G2 “The UI of the application is user-friendly, and it helps to identify what we are looking for with minimal effort.” Pavan H – from G2 2. Microsoft Project/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/MS_Project_Logo-600x600.png Microsoft Project is project timeline software. It has Gantt charts that visualize tasks over time, with task dependencies, critical path analysis and resource management features. It’s a popular tool with larger organizations and a good fit for those who want software that seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products. There is also detailed reporting that allows users to generate reports on project progress, resource utilization and timeline performance. Related: Best Microsoft Project Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Microsoft-Project-Gantt-chart-example.png Using Microsoft Project means carrying some uncomfortable baggage. It’s notoriously complex and the interface can feel overwhelming, especially for those unfamiliar with the tool. Then there’s the high cost of using the tool. It’s prohibitively expensive for smaller businesses and larger ones have to deal with the mounting licensing fees as they add users to the software. For collaboration, users have to purchase Project for the Web or Project Online, adding to the expense. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Integration With MS Tools Microsoft Project Key Features & Benefits Ideal for those familiar with Microsoft solutions Gantt charts with task dependencies, critical path analysis Free plan and free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Microsoft Project Cons & Limitations Complicated to learn and overwhelming interface Depends on integrations and paid add-ons, for collaboration Expensive, especially adding more licenses Mobile app has only basic functionality Microsoft Project Pricing Standard: $5/user/month (billed annually) Premium: $10/user/month (billed annually) Enterprise: $17.50/user/month (billed annually) Microsoft Project Reviews G2 review: 4/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It’s a powerful tool for managing complex projects, offering detailed features like task scheduling, resource allocation, and progress tracking.” Mazhar A – from Capterra “I love the automatically generated gantt charts and the timeline feature.” Eric B – from G2 3. Monday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Monday_logo.png Monday.com is a popular project timeline software due to its user-friendly interface. Users can create Gantt chart-like view to track project progress. The timeline view specifically gives a clear visual representation of tasks, deadlines and milestones. This is also a highly collaborative tool where teams can share real-time updates, comment on tasks and discuss project details. There are also automation features to simplify repetitive tasks and resource management tools. Related: Best Monday.com Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/monday.com-gantt-chart-2.webp Monday.com might look nice, but users will pay for that pleasant design. It can prove an expensive choice, especially for smaller teams or startups. There is a free version, but advanced features, such as the timeline, are locked behind premium pricing plans. A pretty interface doesn’t mean ease of use. There’s a learning curve to learn the various features and customization options. There’s also limited advanced reporting beyond basic project tracking. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for User-Friendly Interface Monday.com Key Features & Benefits: User-friendly interface Gantt chart-like tool Free trial and free plan Mobile app for Android and iOS Monday.com Cons & Limitations: Steep learning curve Expensive, especially for small teams and startups Lacks advanced project reporting features Free version lacks advanced project management features Monday.com Pricing Free: $0/user/month (maximum of 2 users) Basic: $12/user/month, billed monthly Standard: $14/user/month, billed monthly Pro: $24/user/month, billed monthly Monday.com Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I truly recommend using Monday to small to medium scale enterprises because of its ease of use.” Vikas G – from G2 “I really like the monday work management interface.” Luiz Fernando J – from G2 4. Asana/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/asana-logo.svg Asana is another popular project timeline software with a timeline feature. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate. The timeline is basically a Gantt chart, though without advanced features. It can, however, track task dependencies. This is a collaborative platform, as with most of the tools reviewed on this list, and offers real-time updates. But the tool is mostly a task management software, with task prioritization and milestone tracking. Related: Best Asana Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/asana-gantt-timeline-1.png The issue with its Gantt chart is that there is no critical path analysis, cost management and resource tracking features, which will be a hard pass for some customers. While having a free version is a plus, the lack of advanced features makes it less attractive. Like other tools lower on this list, it has limited reporting capabilities, such as custom dashboards. More troublesome is that there is no time tracking built in. That will require third-party apps, which add costs and might put this out of reach for many customers. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Task Management Asana Pros & Key Features Friendly user interface and easy-to-use tools Timeline with milestones and dependencies Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Free trial Asana Cons & Limitations Timeline lacks critical path, cost management and resource tracking features Free version lacks advanced features No built-in time tracking Limited reporting capabilities Asana Pricing Premium plan: $13.49/user/month, billed monthly Business plan: $30.49/user/month, billed monthly Asana Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I can create tasks, set their dates, routines, collaborate with my teammates, see their tasks, private my tasks, and so much more.” Shivam K – from G2 “The dashboard view is the main benefit; it helped me organize the work into stages and gave me a clear picture of how far along the team was.” Carrie C – from G2 5. GanttPRO/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GanttPRO-600x72.png GanttPRO is project timeline software with an intuitive Gantt chart interface to easily visualize and track project timelines, tasks and milestones. It creates task dependencies and features a critical path view. The tool is also collaborative. Users can add comments, attach files and tag team members. It provides progress tracking, which helps monitor the project’s overall health. There are also robust export options so users can turn Gantt charts into PDFs, Excel files and PNG files. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GanttPro-gantt-chart.webp Users have complained about the cost of this project timeline software. There is a free trial, but the paid plans are expensive compared to others on this list. There’s also a free plan but with limited features. Another problem is the lack of integrations. It works with Google Drive and Dropbox, but not nearly as many others as customers would expect. Then there’s the steep learning curve that might not be worth considering these limitations. More troublesome is the lack of task prioritization and the absence of time management features. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Small Teams GanttPRO Pros & Key Features Download files in a variety of formats Tracks timelines, tasks and milestones Progress tracking Has a free 14-day free trial GanttPRO Cons & Limitations Free plan is limited Lack of integrations No task prioritization No time management features GanttPRO Pricing Basic: $9.99/user/month, billed monthly Pro: $15.99/user/month, billed monthly Business: $24.99/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: Contact sales GanttPRO Reviews G2 review: 4.8/5 Capterra review: 4.8/5 Highlighted User Reviews “The ease of moving your projects along the timeline to accommodate changes in priorities as time passes is the most invaluable feature in my opinion.” Andree C. – from Capterra “Milestones, timelines etc are relatively straightforward to set up, and it looks good.” Josephine L. – from Capterra 6. Notion/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Notion-600x218.png Notion is used for note-taking, documentation and task management, but it can also be a project timeline software. It is customizable and allows users to build workflows and create custom templates, databases and layouts. It calls itself an all-in-one workspace, combining notes, tasks, calendars and project timelines. It enables real-time collaboration, adding comments, mentions and sharing content. /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/notion-gantt-chart-1.png It is not, however, a dedicated project management tool. It can handle project timelines but lacks Gantt charts, detailed reporting or deep task dependency management. The timeline feature isn’t advanced. It’s based on databases, so it can create simple timelines, but doesn’t feature advanced capabilities. There’s no built-in time tracking, which will require the purchase of third-party tools. There are some automations, but they also require third-party integrations. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Notetaking Notion Pros & Key Features Task management Notetaking Database creation Real-time collaboration Notion Cons & Limitations Limited advanced project management features No built-in time tracking Automation requires third-party software No Gantt charts Notion Pricing Free Plan: $0/user/month Plus: $12/user/month, billed monthly Business: $18/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: Contact sales Notion Reviews G2 reviews: 4.7/5 Capterra reviews: 4.7/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It is versatile and user-friendly. I like it as a note-taking and planning tool.” Haocheng L. – from Capterra “Ease of use and cross-compatibility with other software like Asana, etc.” Laura S. – from Capterra 7. ClickUp/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ClickUp-logo1-600x231.png ClickUp is versatile project timeline software that helps with task management, collaboration and tracking projects. Its timeline view helps visualize tasks and deadliness across a project. It’s not an exclusively timeline-focused software, it does have multiple project views, task dependencies and is highly customizable. Built-in time tracking allows users to log time spent on tasks while automation helps streamline workflow. Related: Best ClickUp Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gantt___All_Folders___ClickUp__Gantt_.jpg Due to its range of features, this software can be difficult for new users to get a handle on, with a steep learning curve that might require training and time to master. It’s not great with larger projects as users have complained of performance issues, especially when working with many dependencies. The timeline is also limited and unavailable to users of lower tiers. The free version has limited functionality. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Team Collaboration ClickUp Key Features & Benefits: Document editing and whiteboards for brainstorming with teams Multiple project scheduling views, including timeline Mobile app for Android and iOS Free plan and free trial ClickUp Cons & Limitations: Not project management software Steep learning curve Performance issues with larger projects Timeline not available in lower tiers ClickUp Pricing Free: $0 user/month Unlimited: $10/user/month, billed monthly Business: $19/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: Contact sales ClickUp Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: 4.7/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Good for operational tasks and customer support.” Hovhannes G – from G2 “Overall, my experience with ClickUp has been highly positive. It has streamlined project management tasks and improved team collaboration significantly.” Paula L – from Capterra 8. Wrike/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/wrike-logo_color_black_RGB-600x120.png Wrike is another popular project timeline software. It has Gantt charts that allow users to map out tasks, milestones and deadlines. The software links task dependencies, shows the critical path and tracks progress, which makes it useful for complex projects. Real-time collaboration lets teams comment, share files and more. Customizable dashboards and reports track key metrics. There are also task and resource management capabilities. Related: Best Wrike Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Timeline_Snapshot_Wrike.png Wrike’s price might scare off customers. It can be expensive, especially for teams that need advanced features like Gantt charts, reporting and time tracking. The free version, as one might expect, is limited. The interface looks cluttered, which might turn some customers off. There’s also a steep learning curve for the advanced features. The permissions systems can be complex and difficult to manage. Plus, it lacks built-in communication tools. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Complex Projects Wrike Pros & Key Features Maps out tasks, milestones and deadlines Has task dependency features 14-day free trial Mobile app available for Android and iOS Wrike Cons & Limitations Expensive Limited free version Cluttered interface Lacks built-in communication tools Wrike Pricing Professional plan: $10.00/user/month Business plan: $24.80/user/month Wrike Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Wrike has become essential in my day and keeps me organized and on top of my tasks.” Paige T – from G2 “Productivity has been enhanced by removing essential but repetitive chores.” Denise S – from G2 Related Project Timeline Content Project timeline software is only part of the larger topic of project timeline management. For those interested in learning more about timelines, such as how to create one in a variety of formats, check out the handful of links below. Project Timeline Maker: How to Make a Project Timeline Online 10 Must-Have Timeline Templates How to Create a Timeline in Excel (Free Templates Included) How to Make a Timeline in PowerPoint (Template Included) Free Google Sheets Timeline Template: Create Plans Online ProjectManager is online project timeline software that connects teams whether they’re in the office, out in the field or on the job site. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 8 Best Project Timeline Software of 2025 (Free + Paid) appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Last week we talked about malicious compliance — times when someone purposely exposed the absurdity of a rule by doing exactly what they were told to do. Here are 14 of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The requisitions I worked for a fairly large, regional bank that covered about three states with nearly 9,000 employees. The CFO decided that everyone was wasting money on frivolous things like office supplies. He mandated that ALL requisitions for any supplies must come through him. ALL OF THEM. This of course held up the process so even getting a needed pen could take over a month. Some of the managers got together and quietly decided to do just that — send him a requisition/ request for every single box of pens, box of paper, box of toilet paper, single toners, etc. One box/item at a time. It lasted two weeks. 2. The jacket It’s not nearly as maliciously compliant as the teal polo guy, but I had something similar at an office where I worked where we had to wear these (ugly) button-down jacket things so we would all look neat and presentable for clients. It was in the employee handbook that you had to wear the jacket, closed, at all times. At one point I was pregnant and I knew it wouldn’t fit me much longer, so I emailed HR explaining the issue and asking if I could get another one in a bigger size or if I could stop wearing it. I was told no and no. Ummm. So I kept wearing it, even as it started stretching at the buttons (I wore a t-shirt underneath). Eventually there were certain buttons in the middle I couldn’t button (it was a long jacket), so I left those middle buttons open. I looked absolutely ridiculous. This lasted until one day in my eighth month, when HR came marching over to my desk to tell me I shouldn’t wear the jacket anymore. 3. The insulin pump I’m a type 1 diabetic, and I have an insulin pump. It beeps to alert me to issues, but different beeps mean different levels of urgency. After the first beep, I tend to pull my pump out of my pocket and silence it and/or immediately address the issue, depending on the level of urgency. My point is, it’s both lifesaving and as unobtrusive as possible. My ex-boss Dan knew about my insulin pump, but would often publicly chastise me for “checking my phone” with a weird smirk. Maybe he thought being diabetic was embarrassing? Not sure. His remarks often drew more attention than me just trying to fix my pump, which is obviously not what I was going for. Urgh. We had an internal meeting once where Dan was extremely strict about no phones in the room, to show our grandboss how focused and productive we were, or something. Because it apparently understands comedic timing, my insulin pump starts beeping halfway through this meeting. Adhering to the no phones rule, I shrug and keep talking through my slides. Beep-beep-beep-beep. My coworkers are starting to get anxious, because they all know (thanks, Dan!) that I should probably be fixing that. BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP. I finish my presentation. Any questions? Two different coworkers ask me to sit down or if they can get me anything to drink. Someone asks if I need an ambulance. I’m totally fine – I know my urgent beeps from the non-urgent ones! – but I’m enjoying watching Dan squirm when his boss freaks out that he has coached me to ignore medical emergencies in favor of arbitrarily phone-free meetings. 4. The “accommodation” My last boss maybe broke the law by telling me I couldn’t work remotely for a few days while recovering from a complication of my disability. It’s an invisible disability and she was a jerk. She told HR that due to the nature of my job I couldn’t be out for consecutive days, which was patently untrue. When they denied my request and instead offered me one additional WFH day per month, I explained that this would be like telling someone who had a mobility issue that sure, they could work remotely for the next month — but only for half of each day. It needed to be consecutive days home for recovery, but I was still able to work. They said to just use up all my sick leave. When I accepted another job offer, I didn’t immediately put in my notice. I had that sick leave available and, as luck (?) would have it, the fussy nerve in my foot was ever so slightly acting up. So, what did I do? Explained to them that I was experiencing a mobility issue and wouldn’t be able to come into the office until it was better. And darn, I guess I won’t be able to work from home even though it’s crunch time due to their policy. I enjoyed a week off, came back on a Tuesday, put in my notice, and left that Friday. 5. The travel reimbursements This was many years ago. When traveling for work, I discovered that I couldn’t get reimbursed for customary tips on transportation (taxis, group airport shuttles). When I complained, it was just “too bad.” Only a few dollars here and there, but I was peeved. Why should I be out money while on work travel? I read the travel policies closely after this and realized I could get reimbursed for car rental and parking. Flying in for a client meeting less than two miles from the airport? Car rental. Spending a week downtown in an expensive city for which I didn’t particularly need a car? Car rental plus over $50/day in parking fees so the car could just sit there until I needed to drive back to the airport. Did this for all work travel for the remainder of my time there. 6. The write-up When I worked in a now-bankrupt bridal store as a supervisor, the assistant manager and district manager pulled me into a meeting about receipts that had gone missing from a Sunday in March I worked. They alleged that the whole day’s worth of receipts had gone missing, they checked the schedule and knew I worked / closed that day, and were writing me up. I was appalled, and asked for the date. When they gave it, I said, “Oh, I know what happened!” They didn’t want to hear it. I tried several times, until the DM told me they didn’t want my excuses, but if I had any kind of rebuttal I could fill out a paper to submit with the write-up. I just said OK and filled it out. They made me fax it to corporate myself from the front desk, admonishing me the entire time for my carelessness. Before I pressed send, I asked ONE LAST TIME if they wanted to hear my side. No. OK, off it goes! About an hour later I was talking to another associate at the counter, the assistant manager standing right next to us. My friend asked what the meeting was about, and I told her. She asked what date that was, I told her that too. She frowned, checked the calendar, then said, “But that was Easter! The store wasn’t even opened!” “I know,” I said, “but ASM and DM didn’t want to hear it. I put it on my rebuttal sheet, though.” Big smile at ASM as I said it, who looked horrified. Less than a week later, I was issued an apology from both of them. In writing. 7. The hours I had an employee get sick and need to go to the ER. I took her, stayed with her, waited until she got checked in, swung by drive through for lunch, and came back to the office. My manager blasted me for taking so much time off of work (about two hours). So I kept to my 9-5 schedule and cut the extra 20-30 hours a week I had been working. But I sure was in the office 40 hours a week just like he asked. And then I left and he got fired for not being able to do his job. His career has sunk over the years, with him taking lower and lower positions at each company. 8. The sandwich with “everything” I used to work at a small mom and pop sandwich shop. We had a lot of options for condiments and toppings. Every single day I’d take multiple phone orders along the lines of “I want a turkey sandwich with EVERYTHING on it.” When I tried to clarify, the customers would often get snippy and rude – even when I politely explained that we had four kinds of mustard, three kinds of mayo, three different hot peppers, two types of pickle, avocados, carrots, olives, and various other things that most people don’t want on a turkey sandwich. Inevitably it would turn out they meant something like turkey with regular mustard, mayo, lettuce, maybe some cheese or tomato. Not even close to “everything.” On my very last day, one of these rude customers called in yet again and demanded a turkey sandwich with EVERYTHING on it. So I said “Yes ma’am,” and made one. Alas, I clocked out before she picked up her turkey sandwich with EVERYTHING on it. 9. The Spanish speaker Year ago, I worked for a university that ran a busy healthcare clinic. I was the only Spanish-speaking person in our department. There happened to be a position open and my boss quickly hired the daughter of someone who worked at the university’s main campus. We had begged and begged beforehand that another Spanish-speaker be hired because we served a huge population of Spanish-speakers. If I was out sick or something, the clinic was screwed. So this gal gets hired and my boss says that she speaks Spanish! Great! It’s on her resume and everything. I introduced myself in Spanish and tried talking to her a couple of times. She responded with kind of a non-committal “si” or mumbled something and pretended to be busy. My spider-sense went off. I asked my boss and she assured me that the new person speaks Spanish. “Are you sure? Because she doesn’t…” “I’m sure!” So … I started forwarding about half my Spanish-speaker calls to her phone and started calling her to the front desk to help with interpreting. It only took about a week for her to angrily admit that she doesn’t actually speak the language. 10. The overshare At the Big Bookstore, our (nitpicky) district manager one day decided that the Information kiosk should never be left unattended. Not for one single second. On my first day back after a super-fun bout of food poisoning, I was assigned to the kiosk. I had to make a break for the restroom at one point, and returned to find the district manager, the day manager, and a line of about three people. Rather than helping the line, the district manager demanded to know — at the top of his lungs — why I was “abandoning my post and ignoring the needs of our valued customers.” Not quite at the top of my lungs but still very audibly, I said, “In the future, I will remember it’s preferable to vomit in the kiosk rather than leave it unattended. Can I help the next customer?” Surprisingly, none of those customers needed my help after all, and I got to go home early that day after the red-faced district manager left. 11. The flights I used to work for a major multi-national company in a division which did engineering work for ships. Headquarters came out with a rule that we always had to book the cheapest possible flights if we had to travel for a job. Most of us booked sensible flights, ticked the “out of policy – business needs” box and carried on as normal. One of the service technicals was booking flights for a job and found the cheapest option offered on the travel booking system was some crazy combination of five flights, via places like Istanbul and Amsterdam. He promptly booked the flights, spent three days in transit, and by the time he got to the dockyard the ship had sailed. He was very smug about it. 12. The physical My job involves some pretty physical field work, so we have to go through annual physicals for insurance purposes. Kind of a hassle, but whatever. Except for a few years ago, when a new staff doctor took over administrating the physicals and approvals, and anyone with any kind of psychiatric prescription got phone calls asking extremely detailed, frankly invasive questions about their medication, medication history, symptoms, how well each medication treated your symptoms, your side effects, the list went on – and if you’ve ever been prescribed anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications, you know that you usually have to try out quite a few to find the right fit. It became quite apparent that this person did not want to approve anyone on any of these medications for field work, which was about 70% of our job description. I got my call on a Friday afternoon, about 10 minutes before the end of a shift that started at 3:45 am. I was beyond over it. I was over EVERYTHING. I was so far over it I had broken through the atmosphere into a peaceful void of zen and mild heat exhaustion. The new doctor started out asking questions about my experience with Zoloft, which I had taken for six weeks over 20 years ago. I asked why that was relevant. She said it was important information to assess my fitness for field work, tell me about the side effects you experienced with Zoloft. I said, “Oh, well if it’s important information–” And then I became an unskippable cutscene. I experienced a lot of side effects with Zoloft. They were … gastrointestinal in nature, and I spent 40 minutes describing them in excruciating detail. I invoked all five senses and every colorful metaphor my sleep-deprived brain could come up with. Every time she tried to break in, I just said, “No, no, I want you to have all the information you need! It’s important!” When I finally ran out of steam, she decided we didn’t need to discuss the rest of my medication history. I went home, slept for something like 11 hours, sent an email to HR asking for clarification on why the staff doctor was asking about my full medication history, which wasn’t in my employment physical paperwork, since I hadn’t signed any releases for the rest of my medical records, and went back to bed. On Monday, I was informed I was cleared for field work. It was a different doctor administering physicals the next year. 13. The $20 My company uses a travel agency’s booking platform that invoices departments directly for costs. However, it doesn’t allow conference-rate bookings, which require going directly to the hotel’s website with a special code. So, employees can book outside the platform—but only if they’re willing to float the cost. On my first work trip, I booked a conference-rate hotel using my own card to save the company hundreds. My flight home wasn’t until evening, so I paid a $20 late check-out fee to work from my room instead of squatting in the loud hotel coffee shop. A month after submitting a reimbursement request for the travel charges, my entire request was denied because late check-out was “not a required business need.” Cue frustration: I’m now floating over a grand on my card for hotel charges because of a $20 fee. Determined, I enlisted ChatGPT to draft a multi-page thesis proving that $20 was, in fact, a legitimate business expense—complete with productivity analyses, co-working space cost comparisons, and detailed documentation of the work I was able to complete from the hotel room. Must have been compelling; Finance approved the reimbursement. But I didn’t feel great about eating the credit card interest incurred while waiting for reimbursement, which Finance didn’t want to cover. Out came ChatGPT to draft another exhaustive (exhausting?) argument, including opportunity cost analyses. 2 for 2, I got the interest charges reimbursed too. Now? I book everything through the travel agency’s platform, no matter how absurdly overpriced it is. All because they refused my entire reimbursement request over the $20 late check-out fee. 14. The twist In my first role ever managing people, I was a student “account executive” at the on-campus design shop that made posters for the on-campus clubs and activities. One of the designers I managed worked a completely different schedule than I did, due to class hours. He was consistently late on his projects and deliverables. So I asked him to start giving me a rundown of the projects he worked on during his shifts. I explained it just as a “I worked on projects X, Y, and Z. I’m almost done with X and Y, Z will be a little longer because of Reason. I will connect with client for project K on Tuesday.” Really brief and standard status updates. He responded with malicious compliance and gave me essentially a minute by minute reporting of what he did during his shift. Obviously trying to overwhelm me with detail so I’d stop asking. I responded – yes perfect. More of that. And just made him give me that level of detail for a week. I did finally catch him and tell him to knock it off and give me the correct level of detail. But I let him make himself miserable with his own “malicious compliance” for a week first. View the full article

In this guide, you’ll learn how to connect Asana projects to ServiceNow, allowing you to automatically sync data between the two tools. This no-code Unito flow will automatically create new ServiceNow records and Asana tasks, keeping fields up to date in both tools. This can allow support teams to seamlessly escalate relevant tickets, project managers to report on customer support data, and more. By the end of this ServiceNow-Asana integration guide, you’ll be able to: Create new Asana tasks automatically based on specific ServiceNow records. Create new ServiceNow records synced to Asana tasks. Update fields in real-time with 2-way sync whenever manual changes are made. In this article: Setup in ServiceNow Step 1: Connect ServiceNow and Asana to Unito Step 2: Choose a flow direction for new records and tasks Step 3: Set rules to sync specific Asana tasks and ServiceNow records Step 4: Set field mappings between ServiceNow and Asana Launch your ServiceNow-Asana integration Setup in ServiceNow In order to sync ServiceNow records, you must connect to Unito with a ServiceNow account that has CRUD rights (create, read, update and delete) for the records and tables you plan on syncing. For example, if this is an ITSM use case, you’ll need an account with the ITIL role in ServiceNow. If you’re not an admin, you can ask your IT department’s ServiceNow admin to create a service account for you with the right permissions. Connecting ServiceNow to Unito for the first time A ServiceNow admin needs to connect your account to Unito. From there, you have two options: connecting using OAuth 2.0 or using a username and password. Here’s how to connect Unito with OAuth2.0. Make sure you have this information on hand: ServiceNow Domain URL: https://INSTANCENAME.service-now.com OAuth 2.0: An OAuth Client ID and Secret Username: Your ServiceNow username and password Step 1. Connect ServiceNow and Asana to Unito Sign up for Unito. Click +Create Flow in the Unito App. Click Start Here to connect ServiceNow and Asana. Click +Choose account for each tool and complete the authorization process. Choose a specific type of ServiceNow record to include in your flow. Click Confirm. Once your tools are connected, click Confirm. First time connecting tools to Unito? Check out our in-depth guide. Step 2. Choose a flow direction for new records and tasks When you create new ServiceNow records or Asana tasks, Unito can automatically create synced versions of these work items in the other connected tool. Flow direction determines where new work items are automatically created by Unito. Here are your options: 2-way: ServiceNow records and Asana tasks are automatically created to match what you create manually in each tool. 1-way from ServiceNow to Asana: Asana tasks will be automatically created by Unito to match ServiceNow records you manually create. Unito won’t automatically create new ServiceNow records. 1-way from Asana to ServiceNow: ServiceNow records will be automatically created by Unito to match Asana tasks you manually create. Unito won’t automatically create new Asana tasks. Here’s a full guide to how flow direction works in Unito. Step 3. Set rules to sync specific Asana tasks and ServiceNow records Rules allow you to set the conditions your Unito flow will look for before syncing Asana tasks and ServiceNow records. This allows you to control which work items your flow will sync, as well as automating a few other types of actions. Here are just a few examples of what rules can do: Only sync ServiceNow records with a Date field after a specific date. Only sync Asana tasks with certain Assignees. Automatically create Asana tasks in a specific section to match ServiceNow records. To create your rule, click Add a new rule. Then you can set the conditions for that rule, such as which sections Unito will look in for work items to sync and what to do with them. In this example, only records in the Application Development assignment group will sync to Asana. You can learn more about setting up rules here. Step 4. Set field mappings between ServiceNow and Asana Field mappings pair fields in ServiceNow records and Asana tasks so data always ends up in the right place. You can also tailor flow direction on a field-by-field basis, so that even a two-way flow, automatically creating new work items in both ServiceNow and Asana might only sync data from specific fields in one direction. You can choose to let Unito map your fields automatically or map them manually from scratch. How to map a field manually Here’s how you can add a new field mapping to your flow: Click +Add mapping to add new pairs of fields. Choose a field from the dropdown under each tool. Since virtually every field in ServiceNow can be customized, you’ll most likely need to set up the majority of your field mappings yourself. Most fields are automatically mapped for two-way updates, but you can change this as needed. How to configure field mappings Some fields, like status or dropdown fields, have gear icons next to them. These fields can be customized further after being mapped, allowing you to map individual inputs for those fields. NOTE: If you’re syncing statuses, be sure to add every relevant status option for your Asana tasks and ServiceNow records. Here’s an overview of status syncing in Unito. You can learn more about field mappings here. Launch your ServiceNow-Asana integration That’s it! You’ve just built your flow! If you’ve followed the steps above, your flow will now: Create a ServiceNow record automatically for every Asana task in your specified project. Create an Asana task for every ServiceNow incident or record. Allow teams to work across tools without any copying-and-pasting, extra meetings, or data requests needed. Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out! Our support team is ready to jump in and help you get your flows working exactly as needed. See if this integration is right for your team Book a demo Ready to sync the rest of your tool stack? Check out some of our other walkthroughs to sync ServiceNow and Asana to every other tool your teams depend on. Smartsheet to Asana Asana to Airtable Asana to Jira Asana to Azure DevOps ServiceNow to Jira Service Management ServiceNow to Azure DevOps ServiceNow and monday.com ServiceNow with Google Sheets ServiceNow and Salesforce View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: The small company where I work offers good pay, generous PTO and other benefits, a fun and friendly environment, and good work-life balance. It also has an excellent product with a lot of growth potential. Generally, it’s considered by employees to be a great place to work. The problem for me is that apart from the good pay and friendly coworkers, I mostly miss out on the perks that others enjoy. To be clear, there is a spectrum within the company: some of my coworkers are more overworked and stressed than others. But I’m an outlier: I’ve been assigned responsibility for a lot of the most mission-critical and inflexible work that requires my attention every day without fail, so I cannot take any of my PTO. On top of that, I’m relied on for a lot of precise design and problem-solving that requires intersections of expertise no one else has, and it’s difficult to find interruption-free time for that kind of deep work, so that work gets pushed into my weekends. Meanwhile, everyone else gets to take vacations and have some time to chat and take breaks during the workday, while I have to maintain 10 to 12 hours of being on-task, and even that is not enough to keep up. A pattern has emerged over the years: when I call attention to my workload and how it’s creating key-person risk for the company as well as unsustainable conditions for myself, I get promises of relief and sometimes actual improvements, but my circumstances backslide before long. I might get approval to hire additional staff and things start functioning better, but then something else goes awry: upper management overpromises to a client, a key employee quits, a supplier falters and we have to plug that gap in-house, etc. Because I have a broad skill set and am seen as reliable, I’m usually the person assigned as the rescuer of whatever situation comes up, so it’s only a matter of time. Thus far, I’ve stuck around for the job security, pay, and potential for early retirement if our stock options pan out. But I’m also being required to bear a much heavier cost than my coworkers for the same upside, and I’m always teetering on the edge of burnout. Furthermore, the company is so heavily depending on me for crucial functions, much of that growth potential could evaporate if I quit or even just reduced my productivity to an average level. Upper management seems to have convinced themselves (despite what I’ve said) that I am so emotionally invested in their mission that I will endlessly sacrifice the rest of my life to keep their gears turning. That’s the story they tell other people, while also telling me that I should take my PTO, while also telling me, “We know you’re super busy but we really need X and Y and Z done ASAP!” Is there a plausible strategy for breaking this cycle of the company occasionally listening and improving, but then quickly forgetting and singling me out as the fixer for the next crisis? Or does this sound like a lost cause? You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today. Head over there to read it. View the full article

Hours worked aren't a badge of honor. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Hours worked aren't a badge of honor. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Don’t let them dictate your workflow. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

Don’t let them dictate your workflow. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

But still “far from perfect.” By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

But still “far from perfect.” By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I went on a work trip and thought it went well. On the last day, I woke up to hear my senior teammate bashing me. We shared a wall, and it was paper-thin. I snore, and it’s something I’m embarrassed by, but there’s nothing I can do to control it. My teammate said he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep for the whole trip and accused me of doing it on purpose so I could transfer off the team. I don’t know where that came from — I’ve never indicated I wanted to leave. He also called me weird and nasty. I was shocked. Up until that point, he had been pleasant, engaging, and polite. My concern isn’t with him; it’s with his influence on the team and senior leaders. I love my job. It’s complex, fast-paced, and I’m always learning something new. It feels like my sweet spot. But he has a lot of influence and more time in the company than I do, and I’m worried I’ll be blackballed or not invited on any more work trips. This incident feels like the culmination of some insecurities I’ve been feeling. My personality doesn’t seem to be landing with the group. I’ve tried to make headway socially, but it feels like I’m hitting a wall. I also worry that certain things are being viewed in a bad light. For instance, I have a sensitive stomach that’s affected by stress and changes in schedule, so I didn’t hang out with the team every night — only two out of the four. This is new territory for me because, at my other jobs, it wasn’t expected. Everyone just did their own thing. But given my teammate’s strong reaction, I’m starting to think this may have added fuel to the fire. I’m bummed. I love the job and the team, but I don’t see a way forward. I strongly believe I’ll be forced out or iced out. Do you have any advice on how to interact with my teammate? We work together on a lot of programs, so I can’t avoid him. Usually, I don’t sit at tables where I’m the next topic when I get up, but in this case, it feels unavoidable. FYI, I am not having any performance issues, which may be the only thing that saves me. Well, wait — you’re giving way too much power to someone who sounds like an awful person. The idea that a colleague would intentionally snore loudly as some sort of plot to be able to transfer off the team is Incredibly Weird. It’s really unlikely that other people would hear what he said and think, “Wow, Snorer is a real jerk to do that.” They’re far more likely to think, “WTF? No one snores as a strategy to bother someone in a neighboring room; what a bizarre thing to say.” Truly, any sane person who heard your coworker accuse you of that is thinking there’s something wrong with him, not with you. Or, in the most generous reading, that he was just cranky after not sleeping well and was lashing out unreasonably. No one is going to think you were strategically snoring as an act of anti-social aggression. I suspect you’re giving this so much weight because of the rest of the situation — that you feel you’re having trouble meshing with the group. But even there, it’s worth questioning what you’re basing that on. Did anyone actually respond poorly to you for only hanging out two nights out of the four (which was a perfectly reasonable thing to do, by the way)? Or are you feeling anxious about the situation in general and assuming that may have been one more way you aren’t fitting in with them? It’s definitely possible that you’re not clicking well with the group. That’s really common! But it doesn’t usually mean the person who’s not fitting in gets pushed off the team. It just means things aren’t as socially comfortable — which isn’t ideal, but is a world away from being iced out or losing your job. It’s possible there’s more going on that didn’t make it into your letter — concrete signs that things aren’t going well in a way that could jeopardize your job. But it’s also possible that this is all an anxiety reaction — that your brain is catastrophizing in a way that doesn’t reflect anything that’s likely to happen. Would you feel comfortable talking to your boss about how things are going overall? That will give you more data to put all of this in context — and you might hear that as far as your boss is concerned, everything is fine. As part of that conversation, you could also say that you’re not sure you’re meshing well with the group and ask if she has advice on that — but whether that’s useful to do will depend on your relationship with her and your sense of how skilled she is on picking up on things like that. I’d also seriously consider talking to the coworker whose unkind remark you overheard. There’s no reason you can’t say to him, “I overheard you say my snoring kept you up, and I’m horrified — I had no idea that would be an issue, and I feel awful that you didn’t sleep well. For future work trips I’ll plan to ask for a room further away from the rest of the group so that doesn’t happen again.” Maybe that will jog him into realizing he was being a jerk, but if nothing else it’ll at least get you on the record as Not Snoring At Him … and also as someone who handles issues professionally and maturely, unlike what he’s chosen to do. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ You've probably heard whispers about Venmo scams. Despite being a convenient and generally secure way to send and receive money, it’s a favorite playground for scammers who devise clever ways to trick people out of their cash. At Moonlock, MacPaw’s cybersecurity division, we’ve dug into the world of Venmo scams to help you stay one step ahead of scammers. Below, you’ll find the most common schemes, how they work, and ways to protect yourself. Venmo scams and how they workVenmo scams come in all shapes and sizes, but the goal is always the same: trick you into parting with your money. Scammers use phishing emails, fake texts, spoofed calls, or even paper checks to create believable ruses. Here’s a rundown of the most common scams and how they catch people off guard. Venmo upgrade account scamIn this scam, you get an email claiming your Venmo activity becomes limited until you pay a one-time fee to “upgrade.” It might look and sound official, but it’s pure fiction. The scammer will happily take your $250, or however much they think they can squeeze out of you, and disappear. Venmo x Facebook Marketplace scamFacebook Marketplace is a treasure trove for secondhand finds, but scammers are lurking there, too. They’ll post fake listings and insist you pay upfront via Venmo. Once the money’s sent, the item you’re expecting will never arrive, and neither will the refund. Venmo support scamIf someone claiming to be from Venmo calls or texts you, proceed with caution. Scammers spoof phone numbers to make them look legit and then ask for your login credentials or account details. Once they have that information, they’ll drain your account in no time. Accidental transfer fraudA scammer uses a stolen credit card to send you money, then claims it was an accident, and asks you to refund it. You oblige, thinking it’s harmless, but when the stolen card is flagged, the original payment gets reversed. At the end, you end up without the money you “refunded.” Phishing scamsThese scams arrive as urgent emails claiming your Venmo account has an issue that needs immediate fixing. The email includes a link to a fake website designed to steal your credentials or infect your device with malware. Fake prizesYou’ve won something amazing! All you have to do is pay a small fee via Venmo for shipping. Spoiler alert: there’s no prize, and your shipping fee goes straight into the pocket of scammers. Overpayment scamYou won’t believe it, but scammers can even send you a paper check for this one. They pay you in exchange for a purchase or a service, but the amount is more than you requested. Then scammers demand that you refund the difference via Venmo. Once you do, the original payment is reversed and scammers keep your refund for good. Does Venmo have built-in protection?Unfortunately, Venmo doesn’t offer much recourse if you’ve been scammed. Once the money is sent, it’s out of your hands unless the recipient willingly refunds it. You can report scams through Venmo’s Help Center, but the chances of getting your money back are slim. To be on the safe side, it’s better to enable security features like Face ID and PIN codes to lock strangers out of the app. You can also turn on two-factor authentication on your account to ensure that no one uses your account other than you. Another option is to turn on private mode, so only your friends and connections will see your account. This way, scammers will have less personal information about you to use in social engineering tactics. Signs of Venmo fraudScammers are crafty, but they often follow predictable patterns. Here’s how to spot the red flags. A stranger contacts youIf someone you don’t know emails, calls, or messages you claiming to be from Venmo, be cautious. Venmo rarely initiates contact and never asks for personal information. A sense of urgencyScammers thrive on panic. Their messages are designed to make you act fast and without thinking by emphasizing urgency or danger. Spelling and grammar mistakes Professional companies rarely send messages with typos or awkward phrasing. Sloppy writing is often a giveaway of a scam. Requests for personal information or moneyEvery scam has a purpose, and it usually comes down to one of two things: stealing your personal information or taking your money. If someone asks for anything along these lines, consider it a glaring red flag. Final thoughtsScams can be unsettling, but a little caution goes a long way. Keep an eye out for suspicious messages, links, and calls, and always double-check before sending money or sharing personal information. The best way to protect yourself is to stay vigilant and take proactive measures: Turn on two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security. Features like Face ID, Touch ID, or PIN codes can also help keep your account locked down.Never send money to strangers. If someone you don’t know requests money, think twice before sending it. Scammers rely on impulsive decisions.Maximize your privacy and security settings to limit who can see your activity and account information.View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ You've probably heard whispers about Venmo scams. Despite being a convenient and generally secure way to send and receive money, it’s a favorite playground for scammers who devise clever ways to trick people out of their cash. At Moonlock, MacPaw’s cybersecurity division, we’ve dug into the world of Venmo scams to help you stay one step ahead of scammers. Below, you’ll find the most common schemes, how they work, and ways to protect yourself. Venmo scams and how they workVenmo scams come in all shapes and sizes, but the goal is always the same: trick you into parting with your money. Scammers use phishing emails, fake texts, spoofed calls, or even paper checks to create believable ruses. Here’s a rundown of the most common scams and how they catch people off guard. Venmo upgrade account scamIn this scam, you get an email claiming your Venmo activity becomes limited until you pay a one-time fee to “upgrade.” It might look and sound official, but it’s pure fiction. The scammer will happily take your $250, or however much they think they can squeeze out of you, and disappear. Venmo x Facebook Marketplace scamFacebook Marketplace is a treasure trove for secondhand finds, but scammers are lurking there, too. They’ll post fake listings and insist you pay upfront via Venmo. Once the money’s sent, the item you’re expecting will never arrive, and neither will the refund. Venmo support scamIf someone claiming to be from Venmo calls or texts you, proceed with caution. Scammers spoof phone numbers to make them look legit and then ask for your login credentials or account details. Once they have that information, they’ll drain your account in no time. Accidental transfer fraudA scammer uses a stolen credit card to send you money, then claims it was an accident, and asks you to refund it. You oblige, thinking it’s harmless, but when the stolen card is flagged, the original payment gets reversed. At the end, you end up without the money you “refunded.” Phishing scamsThese scams arrive as urgent emails claiming your Venmo account has an issue that needs immediate fixing. The email includes a link to a fake website designed to steal your credentials or infect your device with malware. Fake prizesYou’ve won something amazing! All you have to do is pay a small fee via Venmo for shipping. Spoiler alert: there’s no prize, and your shipping fee goes straight into the pocket of scammers. Overpayment scamYou won’t believe it, but scammers can even send you a paper check for this one. They pay you in exchange for a purchase or a service, but the amount is more than you requested. Then scammers demand that you refund the difference via Venmo. Once you do, the original payment is reversed and scammers keep your refund for good. Does Venmo have built-in protection?Unfortunately, Venmo doesn’t offer much recourse if you’ve been scammed. Once the money is sent, it’s out of your hands unless the recipient willingly refunds it. You can report scams through Venmo’s Help Center, but the chances of getting your money back are slim. To be on the safe side, it’s better to enable security features like Face ID and PIN codes to lock strangers out of the app. You can also turn on two-factor authentication on your account to ensure that no one uses your account other than you. Another option is to turn on private mode, so only your friends and connections will see your account. This way, scammers will have less personal information about you to use in social engineering tactics. Signs of Venmo fraudScammers are crafty, but they often follow predictable patterns. Here’s how to spot the red flags. A stranger contacts youIf someone you don’t know emails, calls, or messages you claiming to be from Venmo, be cautious. Venmo rarely initiates contact and never asks for personal information. A sense of urgencyScammers thrive on panic. Their messages are designed to make you act fast and without thinking by emphasizing urgency or danger. Spelling and grammar mistakes Professional companies rarely send messages with typos or awkward phrasing. Sloppy writing is often a giveaway of a scam. Requests for personal information or moneyEvery scam has a purpose, and it usually comes down to one of two things: stealing your personal information or taking your money. If someone asks for anything along these lines, consider it a glaring red flag. Final thoughtsScams can be unsettling, but a little caution goes a long way. Keep an eye out for suspicious messages, links, and calls, and always double-check before sending money or sharing personal information. The best way to protect yourself is to stay vigilant and take proactive measures: Turn on two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security. Features like Face ID, Touch ID, or PIN codes can also help keep your account locked down.Never send money to strangers. If someone you don’t know requests money, think twice before sending it. Scammers rely on impulsive decisions.Maximize your privacy and security settings to limit who can see your activity and account information.View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ Freelancing often occurs in the digital realm, where safeguarding personal information is essential. National Data Privacy Week, celebrated from January 27 – 31, serves as a timely reminder to take control of our data. Online activities leave a significant digital footprint, so understanding how to manage and secure this data is more important than ever. MacPaw is dedicated to empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge to take control of personal and professional data. What Data Privacy Week is about?Data Privacy Week, initiated in 2022 by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, is an annual campaign highlighting the importance of data protection and privacy in our increasingly digital world. The week reminds us how much personal information is collected by websites, apps, and services, often driven by advertising goals. This data usually goes beyond browsing habits; it might include highly sensitive details like Social Security numbers, health records, or addresses. In charge of the dataThe easiest way is to stop using technology – but let's take a trickier solution where we don't have to give up on the internet. Even though it's almost impossible to control all the bits of data collected, we can choose what to disclose. It's not rocket science; repeatable, simple steps can make a difference in protecting our personal information. We must understand the trade-offs between convenience and privacy, make informed decisions on what data to share, and use the right tools. Data Privacy in PracticeHere are some tips to safeguard your data privacy: Accept or decline?Before accepting all the data processing a website or app asks for, make a quick check. Be mindful when granting permissions and understand why certain data might be necessary. After this practice, you might want to alternate some apps that require a lot of unnecessary information. Settings update tooRemember to check the privacy settings of your apps and devices. Make sure that apps only access essential data. If they ask for too much, you have all the power to align permissions. Browse safeVPN is an effective way to enhance online privacy, and ClearVPN is an excellent choice. It ensures your connection is secure and private with top-tier encryption and concealed IP and upholds a strict no-logs policy. It allows your online activity and personal information to be safe. Getting rid of unused appsCheck your app list. If you haven’t used an app in a while, it is likely time to delete it. CleanMyMac will be handy for this case. Regularly reviewing the apps both prevents unnecessary apps from collecting data and allows you to free up memory on your device. Protecting Your Digital WorldData Privacy Week is an ideal time to reflect on how we manage our digital footprint and take steps toward stronger data protection. By adopting mindful online practices and utilizing trustworthy tools, we can make meaningful progress safeguarding our personal information. Your data is valuable—take charge and protect it. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ Freelancing often occurs in the digital realm, where safeguarding personal information is essential. National Data Privacy Week, celebrated from January 27 – 31, serves as a timely reminder to take control of our data. Online activities leave a significant digital footprint, so understanding how to manage and secure this data is more important than ever. MacPaw is dedicated to empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge to take control of personal and professional data. What Data Privacy Week is about?Data Privacy Week, initiated in 2022 by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, is an annual campaign highlighting the importance of data protection and privacy in our increasingly digital world. The week reminds us how much personal information is collected by websites, apps, and services, often driven by advertising goals. This data usually goes beyond browsing habits; it might include highly sensitive details like Social Security numbers, health records, or addresses. In charge of the dataThe easiest way is to stop using technology – but let's take a trickier solution where we don't have to give up on the internet. Even though it's almost impossible to control all the bits of data collected, we can choose what to disclose. It's not rocket science; repeatable, simple steps can make a difference in protecting our personal information. We must understand the trade-offs between convenience and privacy, make informed decisions on what data to share, and use the right tools. Data Privacy in PracticeHere are some tips to safeguard your data privacy: Accept or decline?Before accepting all the data processing a website or app asks for, make a quick check. Be mindful when granting permissions and understand why certain data might be necessary. After this practice, you might want to alternate some apps that require a lot of unnecessary information. Settings update tooRemember to check the privacy settings of your apps and devices. Make sure that apps only access essential data. If they ask for too much, you have all the power to align permissions. Browse safeVPN is an effective way to enhance online privacy, and ClearVPN is an excellent choice. It ensures your connection is secure and private with top-tier encryption and concealed IP and upholds a strict no-logs policy. It allows your online activity and personal information to be safe. Getting rid of unused appsCheck your app list. If you haven’t used an app in a while, it is likely time to delete it. CleanMyMac will be handy for this case. Regularly reviewing the apps both prevents unnecessary apps from collecting data and allows you to free up memory on your device. Protecting Your Digital WorldData Privacy Week is an ideal time to reflect on how we manage our digital footprint and take steps toward stronger data protection. By adopting mindful online practices and utilizing trustworthy tools, we can make meaningful progress safeguarding our personal information. Your data is valuable—take charge and protect it. View the full article

At Ahrefs, we have a team of extremely skilled (and very human) designers, but not everyone has that luxury. I wanted to know: are AI image generators useful for spinning up quick social media posts, creating blog post graphics, or…Read more ›View the full article

Uncertainty is an understatement when it comes to TikTok's future in the United States. After users in the U.S. were unable to log in to TikTok the day the TikTok ban took effect, TikTok restored its service the following day. After which, the White House issued an executive order on January 20th, 2025, granting a 75-day extension to delay enforcement of the TikTok ban and pursue a deal involving a U.S. ownership stake in ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The 75-day extension will give ByteDance until April 4th, 2025 – when the extension is set to expire – to divest ownership of the company. The legal situation between TikTok and the U.S. is still unfolding. As it stands, TikTok is available in the U.S., and Buffer users with TikTok connected to their accounts should be able to post as usual. If that is not the case, please reach out to our team. Several legal factors are in play, so we expect this situation to evolve over the coming weeks. We will continue to update this blog post and inform Buffer users of any changes that may impact their Buffer accounts. The TikTok ban and your social media strategyIf you work in social media, it’s nothing new to adapt and change your strategy based on the ever-changing algorithms and the rise and fall of social networks. (Who else was on Vine? 🙋🏻‍♀️) But, of course, we wish you didn’t have to. TikTok has become one of the most widely used social media platforms, with over 170 million users in the U.S. alone, and is credited with impacting trends and cultural shifts. Though the TikTok ban is expected to be temporary, it's a great time to consider expanding and diversifying your social media strategy. The good news is that you've already done most of the work if you've been consistently creating video content for TikTok — our data shows that video is far and away the best type of content on all social media platforms for reach and engagement. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are the most similar to TikTok, and Facebook Reels is also a promising channel to explore. LinkedIn, too, is expanding its video features, so you may want to look there as well if it makes sense for your target audience. TikTok being unavailable in the U.S is also an unfriendly reminder of the importance of growing an audience on the platforms and services you have more control over. It’s a good time to keep your website up to date, get set up with a link-in-bio tool, and ensure you’re leveraging your newsletter to its fullest potential. This situation is still in flux, and we don't know what the outcome will be. For now, the best thing to do is stay informed. We’ll keep this blog post updated as we learn more. View the full article

The start of the year is always a good moment to start or update your SEO roadmap. This is a structured collection of tasks you plan to do to enhance your site’s performance. If you already have one, great! If not, read this article to find out what you can do and why you need an SEO strategy. Table of contents What is an SEO roadmap? Why do you need an SEO roadmap for that? How to create an SEO roadmap Define your goals and priorities Audit your website Estimate time and resources Review and adjust A roadmap is the groundwork for SEO success What is an SEO roadmap? An SEO roadmap is a strategic outline for enhancing a website’s visibility in search engines. It consists of all the SEO tasks you wish to perform in a given period of time. These tasks encompass keyword research, content strategy, and technical SEO. We need a plan showing how people find our product or business. Once we know that, we’ll need to write content strategically targeting these people. At the same time, we’ll find a way to improve our website’s technical aspects to ensure it performs flawlessly. The goal is to connect your SEO plan to the broader business goals. This will help you focus on the right things for the desired results. Of course, this isn’t just about performing better and properly managing your resources. It helps allocate time and budget effectively to areas with the most impact. Setting up and managing an SEO strategy has many benefits. It provides a solid framework for tracking performance and fine-tuning it where necessary, helping you target the right people and stay ahead of the competition. Why do you need an SEO roadmap for that? While it’s easy to jump right into the SEO work you need to do, it’s better to have a roadmap. An SEO roadmap helps your decision-making process. It helps you prioritize the activities that drive the most value. And it gives you a sense of direction. Setting up such an SEO roadmap will help you increase your website’s visibility in search. It will also help you target the right audiences and reduce costs by focusing on high-impact areas. Your new strategy should support the overarching business goals. Often, that’s increasing sales. By increasing organic traffic, you can boost sales and revenue. It could also support brand awareness. Enhancing your brand’s presence in search engines makes it more recognizable. Plus, you’ll want to engage customers. Building a solid, holistic SEO strategy also keeps you agile. You’re much more on top of things and able to respond to changes in search history trends or market conditions. This is another thing that gives you a leg up over a slightly less well-prepared competitor. How to create an SEO roadmap Before creating an SEO plan, you need to collect some insights. Clearly define what you want to achieve, and audit your site to get a feel for the issues you must fix. Then, the budget and availability of resources must be figured out to get the updates done. When you have everything, you can build out your SEO roadmap. Define your goals and priorities Creating a successful SEO roadmap begins with setting clear goals and establishing priorities. This step helps focus all efforts and align them with broader business objectives. Set SMART goals The most important thing is to work in a structured manner. You need a framework to verify if the work you’re planning is feasible and measurable. Here’s how to effectively define your goals and priorities using SMART criteria. Set SMART goals: Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework ensures clarity and direction. Specific: Clearly describe what you want to achieve. For instance, instead of saying “increase traffic,” specify “increase organic traffic by 20%.” Measurable: Use metrics to track progress and evaluate success. Example: “Reach 50,000 monthly page views by the end of Q2.” Achievable: Make sure the goals are realistic. Think about your resources and constraints. Consider current performance as a baseline. Relevant: Align goals with business objectives. If brand awareness is your number one goal, focus on increasing visibility in search engine results. Time-bound: Set a deadline to create urgency. Example: “Achieve a top 3 ranking for targeted keywords within six months.” Of course, there are many other options. Consider frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. This method helps you prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, sorting them into four categories: do first, schedule, delegate, and don’t do. Use this matrix to categorize SEO tasks, focusing first on urgent and important ones, like fixing critical site errors. Align with business objectives Your SEO goals should fall in line with your overall business strategy. This way, SEO efforts will help your company achieve its goals. For example, if your company wants to grow its market share in a particular area, you should focus on local SEO. This means targeting local keywords and directories. Not all tasks are created equal, so determine which ones will have the biggest impact and put them on your SEO roadmap first. Look for tasks that are easy to do and give you quick results, like fixing high-traffic pages. Also, focus on projects that match your main business goals, even if they take more time and resources. Remember to meet with all the important people to ensure that your SEO goals are what they want and that they fit with the whole company’s goals. Talk to the marketing, sales, and product teams to understand what they want and how SEO can help them achieve it. Audit your website Conducting a thorough website audit is critical in creating an effective SEO roadmap. This process helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. You can add the audit findings as improvement tasks to your roadmap. Do a content audit Most of the time, people find your website through your content. As such, it’s an essential part of your SEO strategy. But your content might have become a tangled mess if you’ve been at it for a while. A content audit can help inform your SEO roadmap and help you untangle that mess. Review your existing content and see if it (still) meets user needs and aligns with your goals. Then, look for content gaps to determine whether your audience is interested in a topic you haven’t discussed on your site yet. If you find these or other opportunities, add them as tasks on your roadmap. Don’t forget to check the on-page SEO of your key pages. You can do a proper content audit by hand, but tools like Semrush and Ahrefs make this process much more manageable. Do a technical SEO audit A technical audit will help uncover performance issues with the site. These issues might prevent search engines or users from properly accessing your site. First, crawl your website using tools like Screaming Frog to see if it can be accessed properly. Uncover crawl errors and find out what’s happening on pages that are not available — accidental or not. Check for broken links or 404 errors and add these to your task list. Evaluate and improve page load times, as speed affects user experience and rankings. Don’t forget Google’s core web vitals. Also, check that your site is responsive and functions well on mobile devices. You should add those tasks to the roadmap if you find technical issues on your site that you want or need to fix. Check the user experience Every year, user experience is getting more important if you want to perform well in search engines. Make sure that your site is easy to navigate. It should have a logical structure that helps users find information quickly. Analyze site bounce rates and time to identify pages needing improvement. Again, if you find improvements to be made, add them to your SEO roadmap as tasks so you can work on them in a structured way. Analyze the backlink profile The web is built around links, and while links have become slightly less important over the years, they’re still an important topic for search engines. In your audit, please look at your backlinks and see if you can acquire high-quality, relevant backlinks. Unless you have a manual action for spam from Google, it probably isn’t worth your time to disavow all the toxic links pointing to your site. Estimate time and resources Before you fill out your SEO roadmap, you need to estimate accurately the time and resources you have available to you. Doing so helps set realistic timelines to achieve your SEO goals. Evaluate team strengths and capabilities When working with a team, assess the skills available to determine who can handle specific SEO tasks. Also, understand the workload your team can handle alongside other responsibilities. Budget planning While you need enough people for your project, you also need a budget. Find the tools and technologies you need for SEO and budget accordingly. Also, decide if you need additional expertise, such as hiring freelancers or an SEO agency. Set realistic timelines It’s important to set realistic goals and timelines for the project. Give each task in your SEO roadmap a deadline. If you’ve looked at your tasks in detail, you know how long it would take. Do consider delays, as things will likely have a different duration than you thought before — even if you thought it through. Don’t forget to plan work for different teams in advance so they know when to come in. Prioritize tasks based on resources Look ahead and see if you can mix quick wins with long-term projects. It’s good to have successful moments during the project, not only at the end. Focus on optimizing existing high-traffic pages first while planning a longer-term content strategy. Make sure that the most critical tasks receive proper attention and resources. Review and adjust Your SEO roadmap is never set and done — there are always things to adjust for whatever reason. It’s important to review and adjust your strategy regularly. This helps you refine your plans and jump on new opportunities. Or, you can finally fix that pesky new thing that keeps popping up. Schedule regular reviews Don’t just wait for reviews to happen — plan them in advance. Conduct in-depth reviews every quarter to evaluate the overall effectiveness of your SEO strategy. In addition, you should hold monthly meetings to discuss ongoing tasks, recent results, and anything that needs priority. Analyze performance data Analyze all data thoroughly before making decisions. Examine all relevant data, including traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates, to get a complete picture of performance. From that data, identify your successes and failures. Determine which strategies are working well and which need reevaluation. Get feedback from stakeholders Ask your teammates for their views on what’s working and what’s not. If possible, hold feedback sessions to develop new solutions for issues. When necessary, ask customers or executives for insights on how you can make sure that the SEO plan supports overarching goals. Refine goals and strategy For all your research, refine your goals to reflect the necessary changes. If you performed better than you thought, why not take those goals up a notch? If not, see what you can do to improve. Also, don’t forget to place manhours in areas that need the most help. Implement changes and track impact When you’ve collected all your insights and know what you need to do, you should develop a plan to implement them. For example, you could update your content strategy or invest in different platforms to compete. Of course, you need to monitor the effect of the changes you made to your SEO strategy — and adjust if necessary! A roadmap is the groundwork for SEO success This guide provides the steps needed to develop an effective SEO plan. It helps you find long-term success for your roadmap while aligning it with broader business objectives. Be sure to work diligently on the tasks in your strategy and analyze and adjust if needed. Do you need help keeping up with SEO? Be sure to sign up for one of our SEO webinars! The post How to create an effective SEO roadmap appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Redirects are important for your site‘s user experience and SEO. Learn how to redirect URLs on WordPress. View the full article