Do you find that things around the office are a little hectic? Is there an ever-looming end-of-the-month scramble to get work done? Is your only way to remember things the occasional ping from your Google calendar? You don’t have to live like this. Invest in a project management tool today.
Project management tools are great for getting a slightly unruly office in line. You can track who’s accountable for what, place firm deadlines, and have an easy way to organize your work. But in a world full of options, how do you go about finding the right service?
There are a lot of apps out there, many of which fulfill the same basic functions. Trying all of them is going to be too time-consuming to be practical, so let’s try and rule some out right off the bat. Here are three pretty general rules that will stand true for almost any app, regardless of what specifically you’re using it for.
If It Costs Too Much—If you notice how much you’re paying for a project management app, it probably costs too much. “Cost” here meaning both financially and in work-hours. These things are supposed to supplement your work process, not become the entire work process, so if you’re relying on them to ease the chaos of bringing your campaign together, you probably need to get your house in order in ways the app can’t solve.
If You Use Less than Half the Features—If you’re paying for a bunch of features that you aren’t using, toss that app out. These things can get pricey and if you aren’t taking full advantage of it you’re not making good use of your money. See if there’s a free version of the app with limited features you can work with or a less expensive service you can use.
If It Makes You Need Additional Apps—Additionally if the app you’re using doesn’t have enough features: lose it. If the deficiency of the app you’re using makes you need to use a second app just to accomplish one or two things, it’s not the service for you.
Now, on to the specific. How can you choose the best APP (singular, just one) for your business? It should be pretty simple to narrow it down once you’ve answered the following questions:
- What do I need out of this app? What issue is going to solve/how will it ease the workflow process? Am I using it primarily for communication or for organization?
- What are the best project management tools? Which ones are reviews pointing towards? Which ones are my fellow marketers using?
- How will it work for my company? Does it allow me to take a free trial so I can test drive it and see whether or not it’s practical for my business?
- Does my team like this? Do they think they’ll be able to get used to it and navigate it daily without hassle? What concerns do they have about the service that might present a difficulty or work against the reason you’re using the app in the first place?
- Finally—is it within your price range?
Choosing a good project management app is one of those small decisions that will make a big impact on your company. Choose wisely and it could be the boost your business needs to help it run like a well-oiled machine. Go for the cheapest or free options and it could present yet another hassle for you to deal with.
As a business owner, keeping track of your marketing campaign and trying to execute it all on your own is a lot to put on your already full plate. Hand your marketing goals over to the pros at The Go! Agency (our project management tool is top-notch).
