“Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools” plus 2 more

Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools
Are You Ignoring this Important SEO Strategy?
Blogging for Business – Why it Works

Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools

Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:43 AM PDT

This is a guest contribution.

Every time we encounter the phrase “project management”, the very first thought you might have is that only businesses undertake projects for managing their needs. In reality, time-bound activities can be dealt as a project, irrespective of size. A wedding, opening a small store in a city, renovating an old home or a dumped caravan are all projects. They all require planning, have limited time, have cost and have a deliverable or objective. So, if we consider some of our daily personal activities or blog work as projects, we can apply principles of project management to enable us to measure success in our life, derive personal satisfaction, have better blogs, be better planners, and happier human beings.

Top 10 useful tools for enhanced management and tracking of personal projects:

Basecamp

Tasks needing to be performed in a personal project can be properly listed through to-dos in Basecamp. These tasks can be assigned to different people participating in a project and can be checked off on their completion. It is so easy to view which activities happened in a project in a given time span. Relevant files and documents can be attached to threads. Important emails like bills can be forwarded to Basecamp, making it easy to search them from the heap of emails. Text documents help to track things which keep changing frequently with time like menus, gift cards, etc. Basecamp lacks time tracking, so it cannot be precisely known how much time was spent in executing various tasks in a project, which can be cruscial knowledge.

ProofHub

Personal projects can be smoothly managed with this online collaboration and project management tool. Important events like birthdays and anniversaries can be effectively planned and conducted as scheduled. People subscribed to events receive reminders in advance. Recurring events like get-togethers can be arranged on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. As tasks can be assigned to multiple people, so it becomes far easier to assign and distribute work among a group of family members or friends. This way everyone is clear about his respective tasks in a celebratory event. Labels like “in-progress”, “completed” and “high priority” can be assigned to the tasks, which helps to plan and track them in an easy manner. Deadlines can be set for tasks, so these can be performed in a time bound manner. Collaborators in a project can conveniently discuss matters concerning them. They can better share their views and ideas, and images. Any number o f people can be added as contacts into a project.

Asana

Asana allows creation of separate workspaces for personal and professional projects, making it great for organizing all types of projects. Have calls to make? A shopping list? Throw it all in a workspace or project. Each project has its own sharing controls, so you can have a party shopping list with your roommates while organizing a wedding party with your family. You can even make your projects public. The Asana mobile applications make it even more easier to access your shopping list on the go and your friends busy in other arrangements, can easily track activities within seconds.

Trello

Trello is great for personal use. It consist of boards comprising one or more named lists to keep track of all the tasks. Trello's power lies in assigning multiple people to a board. Comments can be added to the cards, allowing discussions on various topics. This tool does not provide the chat feature that could have facilitated communication and collaboration among people, though.

Teamwork

Assigning tasks to collaborators involved in a personal project can be properly done with this tool. The priority for a specific task can be set and it can be known how much percentage of a task has been completed. Task reminders can be set. Recurring tasks can be created and tasks can be rendered private if required. Time spent over tasks can be recorded. Tasks can also be rescheduled. Collaborators participating in projects are able to communicate smoothly through messages. They can attach files. Improved task management and smoother communication enables successful accomplishment of personal projects.

Podio

People are able to collaborate on Podio over personal projects through workspaces which can be rendered open or private. Tasks can be better defined and assigned to concerned people. Reminders can be set to know if tasks have been completed within the defined time. Recurring, shared and personal tasks can be created. Files can be shared from any remote location. Distantly located collaborators have more clarity over tasks assigned to them. So they are able to execute their tasks within the limited time frame. This tool is quite useful for organized management over projects.

Wrike

The highlight of this project management tool is that tasks can be easily created from emails and can be discussed upon with ease. Priorities can be set for tasks and these can be executed in a scheduled manner. Progress achieved in a project can be precisely monitored in real time. So projects can be better organized and managed. Collaborators in personal projects are able to execute their assigned tasks in an orderly and scheduled manner. They can know the exact percentage of progress achieved in projects. This tool's limitation is that it incurs a lot of time and effort in learning how to use it properly.

AtTask

Tasks can be better managed, organized and viewed at the same place through this task management software. Tasks and their due dates can be easily edited. Resources can be properly allocated to people in personal projects, so they do not get overloaded or underloaded with work. They are able to communicate smoothly. They can access documents from the same location and share them. Through feedback, they can be lauded for good work done by them. Reports help to keep everyone updated in projects without putting strain on the inbox. Time spent in projects and tasks can be accurately logged which enables accurate billing. The disadvantage of AtTask is that though users can comment on specific tasks, but there is no earmarked area solely for discussions.

Comindware

This work management software improves collaboration among people working together in projects. Messages, attachments and actions in a project can be arranged in a structured manner in group discussions. This improves organization over projects. It also has the mobile feature, so users can participate in discussions while on the go. So personal projects can be better organized, managed and executed. Users can readily share documents with each other.

Smartsheet

With this tool, personal projects can be effectively managed through simple task lists. People participating in such projects are able to attach files and set alerts. Due dates for tasks can be set. Tasks can be viewed and edited in calendar. Status details or brief notes can be added to tasks for more clarity over them. People participating in a personal project are able to collaborate in real time. Status of tasks can be viewed and updated even on the go through mobile app. The disadvantage of this tool is that it offers no solutions for time management.

In summary, on encountering the word project management, we naturally think that only businesses need to manage projects. In reality, big or small activities can be dealt as projects as they all require planning, got limited time, have cost, deliverable or objective associated with them. By considering our daily activities as projects, principles of project management can be applied on them. So we can be better planners and happier human beings. Project management tools like Basecamp, ProofHub Asana, Trello, Teamwork, Podio, Wrike, AtTask, Comindware and Smartsheet can be employed for improved management and precise tracking of personal projects.

What type do you use and recommend? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comment section.

Kanika is a freelance content writer who likes to delve deep into writing about technology tools. In her spare time she enjoys sketching, cooking, travelling and spending time with her family and folks.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools

Are You Ignoring this Important SEO Strategy?

Posted: 01 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT

This is a guest contribution from Al Gomez.

So, you have a new business – a new product to market. So now what’s next? Perhaps you are thinking about getting traffic, or how to have more visitors to your website? If so, then expect that your mind will be abuzz with terms such as social media, SEO, AdWords, videos, banner ads, articles, etc.

Or, it will be empty and blank.

Focus.

Search Engines are what you need, despite all the buzz about social media. Google, Yahoo, and Bing remain a main source of traffic for many people. SEO can help you get there, simple as that. However, SEO is often confused with different technical tactics. If you are a search engine marketer,the tactic sounds technical, spammy, and secretive – it’s not worth your time. One great SEO strategy that works best in search engine marketing is making your website a valuable resource. But, before going into it deeper, let me discuss first the importance of having a good SEO strategy.

SEO Strategy and Its Importance

SEO is the first concern when talking about traffic- despite the presence of social media. But what can you do and how are you supposed to do it to have the traffic you’ve been wanting for a long time?

It has been a common trap to get caught up in various tactics. These tactics, for the most part, may hurt your reputation, and worse – won’t work. If you focus on pleasing the people as your prime concern, you’ll end up ignoring SEO strategy and still be fine. But, this is not what search engine marketing is all about! Getting to grips with SEO the right way is a major help. There is no need to complicate things, just don’t ignore them. Among the many strategies that Search Engine Marketers employ to take the business higher, one of the most ignored is to make the website a valuable resource – making the website a one-stop spot for everyone and let users leave satisfied they found everything they wanted.

The Strategy: Make the Website A Valuable Resource

The best SEO geeks at present focus on how they can please the people first, then, the search engine. The key point is that, you can actually do well in SEO by creating content that people would want to save, bookmark, share, comment on, and make as a reference. When you can make this happen, this would indicate that they see your content to be useful and they want it to be a reference for future use. This is what the search engine is looking for and in return, it will reward your content with higher rankings.

Custom Google Analytics

To intensify this strategy, you can make use of custom Google Analytics to give you an idea of your useful content and make a difference by serving as a reference material that will be of great help in solving your readers’ concerns and needs. Being reference material is good for ranking, given that it is likely to be shared, clipped, and linked to – a long-term value for your website.

Additionally, being a valuable resource will serve as a foundation for your content marketing strategy. Being a "valuable resource" may not sound as sexy as "engaging content" or "going viral", but sure thing, it is a much better way to spend your time on, more so when you are just starting out.

Investing a significant amount of time on using SEO the right way is a must. There might be so many strategies around, but not all of them will be applicable to what you can offer to the people. It’s time to be picky – make sure that you’ll stay immortal on the web and people will always be craving what you have in store for them.

Al Gomez is an SEO Expert – working as an SEO consultant and strategist for the last seven years. He focuses on improving website visibility across different industries, including e-commerce websites, health and technology, legal and law, consulting firms, real state, SEO in Los Angeles, and many more. He has also acquired extensive experience in the field of Online Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Google Adwords (PPC), Email Marketing, Web Development, and other SEO strategies. Know more about Al Gomez by visiting his blog.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Are You Ignoring this Important SEO Strategy?

Blogging for Business – Why it Works

Posted: 28 Aug 2014 09:38 AM PDT

This is a guest contribution from Maria Mincey.

Based on study by HubSpot, the companies that run a business blog have 97% more inbound links. Now, that’s a statistic that should set rolling the blogging mills of enterprises – be them startups or multinationals.

Official blogs have had proven benefits for businesses. The very fact that they jazz up the monotonous tone with which a brand is communicating to its audience, and replace it with a line of communication that is much core connective and personal, is what makes business blogs a priceless asset.

There are several ways blogs benefit businesses, two of which are more than obvious:

It Maximizes Reach

A blog helps companies reach a much broader customer base than their website would. Let’s be honest, how many people bother going to the website of a particular brand or a product they have been using? The websites of companies have to be restricted to providing business-centric information and advertise the offerings of the company. Every bit of information provided on the blog is static, and that is the singularly most relevant reason for your visitors to be totally disinterested in the website, even if they liked to navigate through it on their first visit. Having a blog makes your site dynamic as you keep giving newer insights to the readers and tell a story about your brand.

It Boosts Incoming Traffic by Not just By Intriguing Readers, But also by Enhancing the SEO Aspects

Naturally, when the blog section of your site is offering your readers something new to read, you are bound to get more number of repeat-visits; not to mention the greater number of unique visits as the blog gets shared and liked across the web. But another contributor to this increasing traffic is the optimization of the SEO capability of the website. When you are making quality writers write content for the blog, they know how to write interesting articles while injecting the relevant keywords that is identifiable for your target audience and also let the search engines crawl your website with a greater degree of eagerness and direct a higher volume to the site. You can add only so much of keywords to your product website.

Which Blogging Platform to Use?

There isn’t a dearth of highly popular and effort-worthy blogging platforms out there. However, if you wish the blog to click into the top gear right away, there is no need to look beyond WordPress. Acc. to more stats:

WordPress is the most sought-after CMS as more than 19% of the self-hosted websites are running on it.

More than 17% of Alexa’s top million websites use WordPress.

Now Before You Start, Why do you want to Blog in the First Place?

There are also brands who fail to get the desired results they’d expected their blog to pour in for them. Reason: their blogging strategy was too haphazard and there was hardly a plan into the place regarding who are they targeting and how many numbers they hope to achieve. Apparently, the blogs were headed for doom from the very first day due to the lack of insightful approach.

Here are the questions you, as a company blogger or entrepreneur, need to as yourself:

Who is your target audience?
What percentage of that blog audience is prospective buyers?
What do they really want to read (what should be the mix of company related info, the industry related info and the interesting bits that only remotely connect to your brand)?
What should be the frequency of your posts?
How good is your networking?

Unless you have a clear-eyed answer to each of these questions, it is advisable to wait

Know What You Have to Write

It is understandable if you find yourself scrambling for topics to write on or deciding on how to structure your posts. But there are several things to be tried out:

Create the "best of …." style posts. Such posts do command attention and get a lot of clicks. If written in a qualitative manner, they also get shared over the social media.
Post reviews, but not just of your products. Let’s say you are running a blog for a job portal. You can post a review of some movie that has released recently that is themed around careers and accounts for some relevance to what you represent.
Interview the influencers in your industry. People love to read interviews, and they are going to do their bit to boost the traffic.
Crowd source your content. When you ask your readers to be your contributors, and if and when they contribute, they are going to boost the site visits by sharing their own content among their circle.

Have some really interesting titles and subtitles for the articles in order for them to take hold of the readers. There is a large section of Internet users who like to just scan the content by reading only titles and subtitles – and more often than not, they only segue onto the subsequent content if they find the subtitle intriguing enough.

Again, on the Internet, shorter paragraphs would mean more attention span.

Do make sure that you break your post into bullet points in order to make it more readable.

Get some Professional SEO Help

If you haven’t realized it yet, it’s seemingly impossible to attain high volume of traffic without resorting to SEO. The SEO professionals know how to make your website more visible across the web, how to create relevant backlinks and at which places. Getting a good page rank for your site is extremely important, and that’s one area SEO professionals are able to address successfully.

Getting an appreciable number of organic visits a day is what dictates the success of your blog at the end of the day. When visits from Google start pouring in, you can be rest assured that your blog is one the right track to empowered traffic.

Some of the keyword tools that can be used include:

Keyword Planner

Word Tracker

The keyword tools can help you know what are the keywords that get most searched by the audience of your industry. The meta tags and meta descriptions are arguable very important for any website to place its targeted keywords in a manner most reachable for the search engine crawlers. The meta descriptions can be up to 140 characters – so you have a fairly good scope of including the keywords into them. But what works bets is when you place the keywords at the very beginning of the description.

The Images of the Post

The images in your post not only make them more readable by telling a story and moving it forward, but images make a great SEO tool as well. Do not let your image files’ name sbe gibberish. When you name them appropriately, there is a greater chance of them cropping up in the Google image search results. Also, do fill out all the fields. There is a field, "Alternate text". It will serve you well if you don’t leave it blank and write something in four to five words that describes the content.

Make Sure the Keyword Density is Just Right

When you are sure of the keywords you are including are relevant and will do their bit in bringing in the traffic, the next thing you need to be sure of how densely you spread them across the content. Experts say it should not exceed more than 2%, since Google might penalize you for forcing the keywords into the content. And when you are including keywords in any post, make it certain that those are visible within the first two lines of the post.

Banality may more often than not find a room in business blogs since they are presenting information about an industry that already has voluminous literature dedicated to it. But giving your writeups a spin that is unique – both in terms of technical bits and the language – is what helps you stand out from the herd.

Maria Mincey is a blogger who loves to share everything about web development and new web design technologies initiatives. She currently works as a chief writer for WordPrax , a PSD to WordPress Conversion company and has a quantum experience to share. Follow her on Twitter: @mariamincey64

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Blogging for Business – Why it Works

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“Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools” plus 2 more

“Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools” plus 2 more