Top Considerations While Hiring a WordPress Project Manager for Your Agency

Project managers are mediators between the stakeholders and the team. Beyond managing tasks, they must have a special skill set to grasp the overall atmosphere of the project. This includes understanding whether there are  potential problems brewing and addressing any unspoken concerns within the team or the clients. This unique skill set makes project managers valuable assets. They are in high demand and well-compensated (with an average salary of $68,000 annually).

Based on White Label Agency’s expertise, let’s review the top considerations when hiring a WordPress project manager for your agency. We’ll provide the insights we have gained from managing more than 10,000 successful projects.

Essential Technical Skills for WordPress Project Manager

Understanding the WordPress environment is essential for a project leader. The first skill is to know how to navigate the admin panel. It helps project managers to change and manage content, styling, etc. While developers are responsible for fixing the details on the admin panel, project managers oversee the entire development process, ensuring it meets project goals.

Project Management Tools

Being familiar with the right project management tools will help with the workflow. When hiring the project coordinator or a manager, make sure they are well-acquainted with the tools for:

• Design and Prototyping: Tools like InVision, Zeplin, or Avocode allow you to showcase web designs, create interactive prototypes, and collaborate seamlessly with your design team. 
• Task Management and Organization: Trello, a versatile project management tool, can be customized as a Kanban board to manage feedback tickets generated through Usersnap.
• Spreadsheets: Google Sheets offers unmatched flexibility. Use it to experiment with information organization and create checklists before implementing them in your main project management platform.
• Content Planning: Slickplan streamlines sitemap and content creation, even offering direct import into WordPress. 

SEO Principles

Understanding search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is a valuable addition to the website project management skill set.  While project coordinators may still need to make the final call on SEO strategy, having a basic grasp of SEO principles will allow them to collaborate effectively with SEO specialists and make informed decisions that benefit the project’s overall success.

Basic Quality Assurance Tactics

When it comes to a WordPress project manager, a solid understanding of quality assurance practices goes hand-in-hand with SEO expertise, both of which are essential for delivering high-quality websites. Before the client receives the final website, the project manager should have the skills to coordinate the product testing with the QA team.

The Importance of Communication Skills for WordPress Project Managers

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful project management. A well-defined communication plan ensures that everyone who is involved— stakeholders and the entire team—is on the same page, even for complex projects.

Seasoned development managers anticipate and address communication gaps proactively. Their strong communication skills allow them to negotiate solutions when miscommunications create setbacks.

Project managers act as communication leaders, not just for stakeholders, but also within the team. Constructive criticism, with the right formulation, can be the key to team improvement. They can resolve creative differences or miscommunications between developers and designers by facilitating an open dialogue, thus ensuring a comfortable atmosphere for the entire team.

Project Coordination Done Right

Effective project coordination is essential for the success of any WordPress project. Here are some key management tips to keep your projects on track:

Clear Development Briefs

A well-crafted development brief is the key to a smooth and profitable project. It acts as a roadmap to guide both you and your developers toward a successful outcome. A comprehensive brief outlines project goals, scope, and target audience. This clarity minimizes miscommunication and ensures realistic timelines and budgets. Many projects go over budget because crucial details are missing from the initial brief. A strong brief anticipates developer questions and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth. The sooner misunderstandings are solved, the less impact they have on development time and cost.

While experience in WordPress project management is valuable, the core principles are easy to learn. By investing time in a solid development brief, you’ll set your project up for success.

Project Quote Estimation and Resource Planning

While the final quote depends on the complexity of the development, estimating a website’s budget is a vital project management skill. The same principle applies to understanding standard website development time. For instance, a normal website without advanced functionality takes about 4-12 hours per page to code. If an end client wants additional details, such as animation or custom forms, then, the development process adds up to another 4-8 hours for each, or more if they’re complex. 

A WordPress Project manager needs to factor in the time required for various aspects of the website development process, including development, design, content, sales and marketing, etc 

Manage Client Expectations and Requests

• The project coordinator should know the importance of signing off on design files before development begins. This establishes a clear baseline for the project.
• When coordinating, the project manager should be able to clearly outline your change request policy in your client contracts. This reinforces the understanding that additional features will incur extra costs.
• Before quoting a change request, the project manager should consult with the developer and designer. Even seemingly small changes can snowball into significant rework, impacting project timelines.

Ensure Smooth Project Handovers with a White Label Agency

At White Label Agency, we have been an outsourcing leader in the WordPress market for a decade. We take the complexity out of managing your WordPress project, ensuring a smooth and successful journey from start to finish.

For your convenience, your projects will be handled by a dedicated WLA project manager along with the developers. This ensures consistent communication and a clear understanding of your project’s progress. Our WordPress project manager oversees every step of the development process, utilizing established and proven procedures to guarantee a quality result.

Partner with White Label Agency today!