Nowadays, it is clear that AI has significantly influenced many fields, from medical to education and e-commerce, and advertising and marketing are no exceptions. We have collaborated with advertising and marketing agencies from the USA and Europe for over 20 years. This networking has allowed us to study the current challenges and strategy changes in this niche, so let’s delve into it.
When giants like Meta and Google introduce advanced AI tools to automate ad creation, strategy, and placement, the impact is immediate and deeply disruptive. For marketing and advertising agencies, these changes aren’t just about new technology. They signal a shift in how value is created, delivered, and priced.

Agencies are now asking:

“If AI can generate campaigns in minutes, where does that leave us? And more importantly, what should we do next?”

This article explores the key challenges posed by AI-driven automation and provides practical, specific advice for agency leaders aiming to thrive and remain competitive.

The Core Disruption: Commoditisation of Creative and Strategy

Agencies were hired for their creative skills, strategic planning, and technical expertise. Campaigns took time, involved many people, and were priced accordingly, usually by billable hours or media spend percentage.
But with the rise of AI-powered tools like Meta’s Advantage+ or Google’s Performance Max, a large part of this work is now automated. Brands can generate ad copy, images, headlines, and even test variations, with minimal input and cost. In some cases, the entire media buying process is handled by algorithms.
The value chain is changing from craftsmanship to commoditisation.
On one hand, we save plenty of time, but on the other hand, that creates some real problems.

What Problems Will Agencies Face?

1. Clients Expect Faster and Cheaper Services

When platforms offer ad automation for free (or included in ad spend), clients start questioning why they’re paying thousands to agencies for the same outputs. Expectations are shifting, and agencies relying on hourly work are under pressure.

2. The ‘Human’ Value Is Less Visible

AI tools can now produce average-quality creative in seconds. That makes human-made content look slower and, in some cases, harder to justify even if the quality is better. Many clients can’t tell the difference until they see the results.

3. Difficulty Differentiating Services

When AI produces similar creative and strategy across industries, it’s harder for agencies to stand out. Especially small or mid-sized agencies that don’t have proprietary tools or big-brand status.

4. Outdated Billing Models

Billable hours and % of media spend are becoming irrelevant. Clients now prefer fixed fees, performance-based pricing, or even in-house AI solutions. Agencies with rigid billing systems risk being left behind.

By identifying problems early, we can effectively prevent them. Let’s examine the development and transformation ideas proposed by experts in the advertising and marketing industry.

So… What Should Agencies Do?

The situation isn’t hopeless!  In fact, it’s an opportunity. But survival depends on reframing the agency’s role and doubling down on what AI can’t do well (yet).

1. Shift From “Executor” to “Strategic Partner”

AI excels at producing, but struggles with thinking. Agencies must pivot from being implementers to being growth partners: helping clients with positioning, messaging, long-term strategy, and integration across channels.

You’re not just “running ads.” You’re driving business outcomes. Make that clear in every proposal and conversation.

2. Productise Your Expertise

Package your services into value-focused offers. For example:

• “E-Commerce Growth Blueprint (6 weeks)”
• “AI-Assisted Campaign Launch with Human Oversight”
• “Brand Strategy Sprint”

This gives clients clarity and gives your team repeatable systems. 

3. Focus on Human Strengths: Emotion, Empathy, Judgment

AI tools don’t understand people – they understand patterns. That’s why emotion-driven storytelling, nuanced brand tone, and culturally sensitive messaging are still your competitive edge.

Put people at the centre: use customer insights, interviews, and lived experience to develop creative that connects.

4. Update Your Pricing Model

Move away from hours. Consider:

• Outcome-based pricing (e.g., paid on leads or conversions)
• Tiered value packages
• Retainers for strategic advisory + execution
  

Clients are willing to pay, but they want to know what they’re paying for.

 5. Use AI Yourself, But Transparently

Don’t fight AI. Use it to:

• Speed up initial drafts
• Generate ideas
• Run fast A/B tests
• Analyse data faster

Always position your team as the final quality check and finishing touch. Clients should feel that they’re receiving AI efficiency combined with human brilliance. Monitor results and demonstrate impact. Clear reporting fosters trust. AI can generate content, but if you can illustrate how your work boosts sales, retention, or brand value, you remain indispensable.

Why Expanding Your Services Matters More Than Ever

In today’s competitive landscape, it’s not enough for marketing and advertising agencies to offer only ad campaigns, branding, SEO optimisation or social media strategy. To truly stand out and provide end-to-end value, agencies should consider expanding their service range, for example, by offering fast, high-quality website creation or optimisation tailored to each client’s specific business goals. A well-performing website remains the backbone of any digital campaign. 

A wise choice is to outsource the technical part, such as web development, performance audits, or security fixes, to a reliable partner. By avoiding the stretching of internal resources, you will save a significant amount of money and time. And, last but not least, this allows the agency to focus on core strategy and creative work, while still delivering a full-service experience that drives measurable results.

Human-Centred Agencies Will Win

The rise of AI in advertising is real, fast, and here to stay. But while the tools are impressive, they’re still just tools. The agencies that will thrive are the ones that redefine their value, evolve their business model, and embrace both technology and humanity. Clients don’t just want faster campaigns. They want results, confidence, clarity, and creativity. That still requires people who are more innovative and more strategic. All information that is available to AI is something that was once invented by a human. AI is a fast assistant, but the human remains a creator!

Key Takeaways:

• AI is disrupting ad agency workflows and pricing models
• Agencies must evolve into strategic partners, not just executors
• Productized services and updated billing models are key to survival
• Human creativity and empathy remain unmatched by AI
• Diversifying with web development and performance services adds value

Perfect, right?

Except 7 of 10 will never complete the purchase. Not because of price. Not because they changed their mind. But because your checkout process got in the way.

It happens more often than most E-Commerce businesses think. In fact, cart abandonment rates average over 70%, and a significant chunk of that is caused by complex or forced checkout experiences.

In this article, we’ll explore why this seemingly small issue leads to big losses – and how to fix it with straightforward, customer-first changes.

What Makes a Checkout Process “Complex”?

A checkout doesn’t need to look broken to be broken. If it’s:

• Too long (multiple pages, unclear steps)
• Too demanding (asks for unnecessary info)
• Too rigid (forces account creation or doesn’t support autofill)
• Too vague (hides shipping or total cost until the end)

…it’s creating obstacles. And obstacles kill conversions.

It’s not just about UX design – it’s about trust, effort, and user psychology. The moment someone feels your checkout takes more effort and time than it’s worth, they quit.

And in 2025, with endless alternatives a tap away, most customers won’t give you a second chance.

The Business Cost of a Complex Checkout

Let’s put it into perspective:

If your store gets 50,000 monthly visitors and 2,000 of them add something to their cart, but only 500 check out, that’s a 75% drop-off at the final step.

Now, imagine that improving your checkout experience boosts your completion rate by just 10%. That’s 200 more sales a month, without spending an extra penny on ads. It’s not a traffic problem. It’s a Checkout problem.

Problem: Forced Account Creation

From a business point of view, asking users to create an account seems logical. You want their email, their purchase history, and their loyalty. But here’s what many e-commerce founders forget: most first-time buyers haven’t earned that level of trust yet.

Being forced to register feels like a commitment, and people avoid commitments during casual shopping. Especially on mobile, where every extra step feels heavier.

Better approaches:
– Let them check out as a guest. Then offer to save their info after the purchase, when they already feel good about your brand.
– Offer frictionless checkout with social logins (“Continue with Google” or “Sign in with Apple”), which reduces drop-offs, especially on mobile devices.

What a Hassle-Free Checkout Looks Like

Great checkouts don’t ask you to do too much. Here’s what the best brands are doing in 2025:

1. Guest Checkout First

No sign-up walls. No mandatory logins. Give customers the freedom to check out on their terms.

2. Social sign-in

Single Sign-On (SSO) – if we are talking about a single authorisation between several services. Log in with Google/Apple/Facebook.

3. Minimal Fields, Maximum Clarity

Only ask for essential information. Use autofill, address lookup, and clear input labels. Show a progress indicator if there are multiple steps. Consider ways to encourage people to register on the site, such as offering discounts for loyal customers, ​​rewards programs or additional perks.

4. Transparent Pricing Early

Show shipping costs, taxes, and total price before the final click. Avoid “surprise fees” – they’re conversion killers.

5. Fast & Mobile-Friendly

Make buttons thumb-sized, reduce page loads, and integrate payment options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, or Shop Pay.

6. Trust Cues Everywhere

Secure payment badges, return policies, and social proof close the loop. Reassure customers they’re making a safe choice.

But the Real-World Fix: The 3-Field Rule! Cut the number of fields.

Try this rule: Name, Email, Payment.
That’s it – everything else is optional or auto-filled.

You can still collect more data after they buy, but don’t lose the sale by overwhelming them upfront.

Conclusion

In E-Commerce, your website is the storefront, and the checkout is your cash register. If that final step creates stress, slows people down, or makes them think too much, they’re gone. And with rising acquisition costs, every lost conversion hits harder.

Here’s the good news: Optimising your checkout is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow revenue. Unlike ads or SEO, this is a lever you fully control. Take a fresh look at your checkout today. Try it out yourself. Ask friends or colleagues to use it and ask: Where did they encounter any bottlenecks? Would they complete this purchase, or would they abandon it? Then simplify. Streamline. Remove the friction.

Because successful sales don’t just depend on what you sell. They depend on how easy you make it to buy. Customer care is the key.

Many E-Commerce brands assume they need more traffic (through SEO, paid ads, and social media marketing), but often, they just need to fix the leaks. Attracting visitors to a website is only half the battle. The real challenge is converting those visitors into paying customers. This is where Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) comes in—a data-driven strategy that enhances user experience and encourages potential buyers to take action. According to industry reports, the average e-commerce conversion rate is

• 3.4% North America 
• 3.2% Europe 

This means that for every 100 visitors, only 3 or 4 will complete a purchase. Improving this metric, even slightly, can lead to significant revenue growth without increasing marketing spending.

This article is not just about theory. It’s a practical guide that will explore what CRO is, why it’s critical for E-Commerce success, highlight key strategies, and provide actionable insights. explores what CRO is, why it’s critical for E-Commerce success, highlights key strategies, and provides

Key Strategies for Effective CRO

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) focuses on designing websites to be clear, functional, and user-friendly. This allows users to achieve the goals of conversion that you want to meet, as well as those they desire. The key advantage of user-centric CRO is that it benefits both parties: when users convert, you are pleased with the outcome, and customers enjoy a positive experience. Here are key strategies for its optimisation:

Enhance Website Navigation and Mobile Experience

A well-structured website facilitates easy product discovery and seamless purchasing. 

Businesses should:

•   Use clear categories and filters to simplify product searches.
•   Ensure fast loading times (less than 2 seconds).
•   Optimise for mobile, as mobile traffic accounts for over 73% of e-commerce visits.

Optimise Checkout and Reduce Cart Abandonment

Cart abandonment is a major issue, with rates reaching 71.3% on average and up to 77.2% on mobile. 

To reduce abandonment:

• Offer guest checkout options to avoid forced account creation.
• Minimise form fields – only ask for essential information.
• Provide multiple secure payment options.
• Show shipping costs early to prevent last-minute surprises.

Leverage A/B Testing

A/B testing (split testing) compares different versions of a webpage, product description, or CTA to determine which performs better. 

Businesses can test:

• Button colours, text, and placement for CTAs (e.g., “Buy Now” vs. “Add to Cart”).
• Product descriptions and images.
• Different discount offers (e.g., percentage vs. fixed amount off).

Personalisation and AI-Powered Recommendations

Businesses can:

• Suggest products based on browsing history and past purchases.
• Send personalised email offers and reminders.
• Display targeted pop-ups for discounts when users show exit intent.

Use Social Proof and Trust Signals

Customers trust peer reviews more than marketing claims. To build credibility:

• Display customer reviews and testimonials prominently.
• Add trust badges for secure payments and return policies.
• Use influencer or customer-generated content to showcase real-life product usage.

Enhance Pricing and Offer Strategies

You can try:

• Experiment with limited-time offers and scarcity tactics (e.g., “Only 5 left in stock!”).
• Offer free shipping thresholds (e.g., “Free shipping on orders over $50”).
• Test different pricing structures to see what resonates best with customers.

The Benefits You Get With Conversion Rate Optimisation

Maximising ROI from Marketing Efforts

CRO ensures that more visitors take the desired action, increasing the return on investment (ROI) from marketing efforts.

Reducing Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)

Businesses can increase revenue without having to spend more on customer acquisition. A higher conversion rate means that the same number of visitors results in more sales.

Enhancing User Experience (UX) and Customer Satisfaction

A smooth, easy, intuitive shopping experience is essential for keeping customers engaged. Slow-loading pages, complicated checkout processes, and poor mobile optimisation can deter users. 

Increasing Revenue Without Increasing Traffic

If an e-commerce store receives 50,000 monthly visitors and has a 2% conversion rate, it will generate 1,000 sales. By increasing the conversion rate to 3% (+1%), sales will rise to 1,500 – a 50% increase in revenue without any additional traffic costs.

2025 Trends in CRO for E-commerce 

User Experience That Converts

Maximise performance where most traffic happens. Improve steps before purchase (signups, saves). Optimise the full journey, not just the endpoint. One-click checkouts, Lightning-fast load times, and Mobile-first UX.

AI and Machine Learning

AI will continue to enhance personalisation, dynamically adjusting pricing and recommendations based on user behaviour.

Voice and Visual Search Optimisation

With the rise of smart assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant) and image-based search tools (Google Lens, Pinterest Lens), businesses will need to adapt their CRO tactics for voice and visual commerce.

Augmented Reality (AR) Shopping

More brands are integrating AR features that allow customers to visualise products before purchasing, improving confidence and reducing return rates.  

Sustainability and Ethical Shopping Influence

Increasingly, consumers prefer brands that align with their values. Highlighting sustainability initiatives can positively impact conversion rates.

Summarize

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is a necessity for E-Commerce success. Businesses can significantly increase sales and customer satisfaction without spending more on traffic acquisition by focusing on improving website usability, refining checkout processes, personalising experiences, and leveraging data-driven testing.

Investing in CRO is an innovative, cost-effective way to boost revenue while delivering a superior shopping experience that keeps customers coming back. Whether you’re a small E-Commerce startup or a large online retailer, optimising your conversion rates will ensure you stay competitive in the ever-evolving digital marketplace.

When communication with business owners and the development team, there can be misunderstandings and problems. In this article, we want to consider the main  communication issues in the workplace that may arise when speaking with developers and offering solutions for these problems, and how to make your work as prosperous as possible for both parties.

What Communication/Relationship/ Understanding Problems Exist Between Developers and Business Owners?

Various Focuses and Priorities

Developers and business owners see solutions differently. The owner wants to make their website attractive and easy to use. And the developers, first of all, want to make it faster and safer. A successful business includes all these qualities, but there can be much a controversy.

Solution: Tell the developer your goals and requirements so he understands your priorities and what needs to be addressed. The development team can help you analyze all your ideas and will do their best to share your vision, offering suggestions and improvements. In this way,, you can find a solution for your store and establish a stronger and more trusting relationship with your development team.

Problems With Understanding

The developer needs help explaining   his actions or the proposed solution in understandable language. He describes all his suggestions and improvements in complex technical terms, gets nervous, needs help understanding how the other person can not understand and refuses to start regular communication.

Solution: Look for a team that “speaks your language, and impresses you”.  Try to communicate through a project manager who eases  this issue and helps build communication. Business owners, developers and managers have very different roles in a project, but each part is essential, and with proper communication, you will achieve dizzying results.

Another Way of Thinking

The developer may have a different worldview and image of SOAP from yours due to their  culture and background; the more dissimilarity to begin with , the more significant the differences between people will be.

Solution: The easiest way to solve this problem is to work with developers from a similar culture. When looking to outsource tech work , offer this job to a company based in your country or a neighboring country, with a culture  similar to yours and, then  the work will be much easier.

The Language Barrier

The developer may be a native speaker of another language, and there is a chance that you will not be able to understand each other. Of course, it is accepted that the language of developers is English. Still, the level of English proficiency may differ depending on the specification of the project or on the country. Unfortunately, having an insufficient level of English, it will not matter what communication skills the developer has and what kind of professional he is.

Solution: Find a team that speaks the same language as you, or choose a technical team in English-speaking regions. Another solution is to talk to the people you plan to hire ahead of time and see if they can have a meaningful conversation in English.

Communication Quality and Quantity

Developers needing more communication with the business owner/client may  need clarification. The developer may need to understand your vision entirely, or it could lead to errors, delays and inability to deliver the right product. It is optional to communicate with the developer, but recommended. The optimal frequency of communication is once a week.

Solution: Keep in constant contact with your partners, ensure you do it correctly, check that you have covered all the details, structure all your ideas,  and send them to the developers in a presentation or email. To make sure you get the most out of your thoughts, you can create diagrams for various processes or use project management tools to make it easier for the team to understand what they need to achieve and when. In this way, you can be sure that all participants received all the information you wanted to convey and that there is no room for misinterpretation.

The Developer Doesn’t Care About the Idea

The developer writes the code rather than delving  into the business problem and the project’s goals—- they do not start from the problem being solved by some feature but write  the code.

Solution: Set goals, communicate with the developer, and explain  the problem and goals you set for yourself. In this case, the developer will select the best  options and delve into the specifics of your business.

As you can see, a customer of services can face many problems, and you already know how to solve them; we want to help you choos a web development team. Picking the right development team for your business can be a daunting task.

How to Choose the Right Development Team?

Below are some guidelines on choosing the right web development team; following these tips, you will find your ideal team.

Take a Look at the Team’s Portfolio

First of all, pay attention to the level of expertise of the future team, and ensure that the team has enough experience to complete your project. After looking at the portfolio, you can evaluate the work done on ready-made projects, functionality, usability, design, and all other functions that interest you.

Ask for The Contact Information of Previous Clients

You can ask for the contact information  of existing customers and chat with them. You can learn more about the experience of working with the development team of your choice. If previous clients are happy, you can rest assured that you are in good hands; if not, it is better to find another team.

Read Company Reviews on the Clutch Platform

The folowing  excellent method is to read reviews from previous clients. For IT companies, use Clutch. This site specializes in collecting reviews of IT companies around the world. You will be able to find out what businesses the company has worked with before, learn about the merits and awards of the company, and how widespread the team is among colleagues in this area.

Evaluate the Quality of the Company’s Website

A company website can say a lot about a company’s quality standards. Analyze the site, social networks and the quality of the published content, and you will be able to conclude whether you like the site’s design, its functions and the quality of the images. Pay attention to modernity and the use of the latest trends.

Speed of Response to Your Emails

The speed of response to your requests is also essential. The optimal response time to your request is 24 to 48 hours. The team is interested if the team responds quickly and answers your questions.

Summing up, the main thing is quality communication will be able to give you an accurate assessment of the project.

That being considered, a good estimation is challenging. It could be challenging to predict everything that you’ll run into during development. However, if you have the right knowledge, you can simplify things and come to a more accurate result, saving time, energy and inconsistency.

A good estimate requires effective communication between client and team, a clear outline of the job, and enough experience to understand what it will take, both regarding work and time. The job has to be broken down into components so we can make a clear action plan and set up a reasonable schedule. Here’s a look at how we go about estimating a project and a few tips to ensure the process goes smoothly.

What Is Estimation?

An estimate is an overview of the project. We communicate with the client to find out what they want and need on their website. Look into the details, get an idea of the functionality required, and explore what it’s going to take to get the job done. When the estimate is finished, you’ll have an action plan for building the site and a reasonable idea of the timeframe required to make it happen.

Project Management Estimation: Best Practices

The most important aspect of an estimate is information. There are four steps to an estimate. We have to look into the size of the project, the workload, the schedule, and the expenses. In the process, we’ll go from a rough idea about what’s required to a clear and detailed layout of the steps required to create the site. This gives us a chance to think through the challenge points, find out how many people will be involved and what skills will be needed.

The first step is the size estimate. To estimate the size of the project, we have to visualize it. We have to take the structure of the website into account, consider the potential obstacles, and look into bottlenecks. This means talking to the client. Each site is unique, so it’s important to find out what the client wants and needs. All of the aspects of functionality should be made clear so that the estimate is based on solid ground. This is also when you look into the required documentation. It’s best if this step is documented in written form as well so that changes can be tracked and all required features are laid out clearly.

After you have an idea of what the project will need, the next step is to get an estimate of the workload. We look into the labor required for design, documentation, client interaction and process organization. We also have to take into account quality assurance and, if necessary, prototype implementation. As mentioned above, it’s important not to underestimate the time and work required. This could lead to missed deadlines, overworked technicians, and a lower quality product. None of that is good for the client’s successful website launch. At the same time, it’s unwise to overestimate too much. If you put forth too large a time frame, that won’t correspond to the reality and break up the loyalty and trust.

The third step that should be taken is to move on to the schedule. Since you have a clear idea of the steps involved in implementation, you know the number of people involved and how long it takes to complete each step. This lets us make a reasonable estimate of how many hours will be required for each task and then match that with availability. When this is done, we can set the project to calendar dates. This means that we can arrange a time for when the website is expected to be live.

Finally, you need to look into the expense involved to create the site. At this point, it’s important to remember that the cost of developing a website includes more than just development. Since many people are involved, a project manager is required to coordinate the workflow. Plus, it will need to be tested by the quality assurance to make sure the functionality is on track.

The expense estimate should reflect the value the team puts into the project plus it depends on the pricing model that was agreed before. If it is a fixed price, there should be a certain project cost. As for the dedicated team or outstaffing, there is a need for the development part, but not necessarily a project manager.

Our Estimation Approach

Here’s our approach on how to estimate project cost and time. It begins with an Analysis of Client Requirements and a comprehensive review of documentation gathered by the project manager. The developers, team leader, and project manager cooperate to provide a complete workup of what will be required to complete the project. They evaluate the project and set up a quote. This is done by setting up a task in Redmine. All client information is gathered, and a detailed description is created. The development team and team leader then studies the project carefully. It’s broken up into tasks, which are then evaluated and fit with estimates. A min-max plug is also provided by the development team.

Then, we move on to the next stage, putting together the commercial proposal. The client will receive a file listing the tasks and the hours required for each. The client reviews this and gets back to the project manager regarding the estimates and budget.

Once the client approves the estimate, the project manager prepares the Commercial Proposal (CP). This document describes the project terms and company information. It includes an overview of the project, the platform involved, description of the scope, and the cost of the project. The additional aspects are the technical solutions, terms of payment, and details about our own company. The client is given everything they need to know to communicate effectively with the company and understand the development process.

How We Estimate Client’s RFP?

When a company needs to contract services for a project, they will create a document known as an RFP, or request for proposal. This gives the scope and details of the project and solicits bids from contractors. The RFP also contains a list of criteria by which a proposal will be evaluated. For the client, this helps them to find the right company for the job. For the contractor, the RFP will give us a rough idea of what’s required, so we know what to ask and how to approach the project.

In order to get a clear view on how to move forward, the next step is to ask questions. Once we receive an RFP, we’ll review it and then consult with the client about the details. We’ll have to refine our understanding of the functionality required and specific details regarding each portion of the project.

Once we have enough information and have gone over all the essential details, we can provide an initial software development project cost estimation. We can go over the points and provide a solid response to the RFP, but a solid estimate will still require further communication with the client.

What Would Cooperation Look Like?

Once you’ve decided on a service provider, the next step is cooperation. When you work with us, the first thing we do is request parameters for budget and costs, as well as detailed information regarding the features and functionality of the site. This lets us know how many people will need to be involved and how to budget development expenses, and it provides an overview of the desired end product.

Our development team goes through this information, breaks the project down into functional pieces, and then provides estimates for each piece. This estimate effort project management is then sent back to the client for review. All quotes are discussed and we put together a solid estimate for both time and expenses. If the project requires a dedicated developer, we will then send you a list of CVs and arrange interviews so that you can be sure you have the right person for your project.

After getting the game plan solid, we launch into it. We set our developers to the task, coordinate them with the project manager, and then have our quality assurance department test each portion as it is finalized. We regularly consult with our clients on the development process, arranging planning sprints, delivery dates, and other relevant factors.

Each team member is encouraged to share openly about potential challenges, new developments, and anything else that might impact the final product. If changes in the estimate are necessary, they are published in-house and options are discussed with the client. The project is only complete when your site has all the functionality you need when it looks and works as you want it to. Finally, we provide site support after completion to work out any bugs that might have slipped under the radar and ensure complete client satisfaction.

Development Estimation

The developers, though not the only element in the development process, are still one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. They are the ones that do the coding, that understand the requirements to create the necessary functionality, and have the experience required to give accurate estimates for each portion of the project. Developer or a team can provide an excellent project estimator for the more technical aspects of site creation.

One of the keys to a good estimate is knowing how to break the project down into its parts. This is where the developers are helpful. They will know what is required for each step of the project. They’ll be able to look at each feature and aspect of functionality and divide it into workable tasks. Once the project has been broken into tasks, it can be effectively assessed to generate a solid estimate.

Project Management Approval

At this point, it’s pretty clear why cost estimation is important in project management. Cost estimation is actually the process that shows all of the elements involved in developing the project. This lets PM tap the appropriate personnel and set reasonable timetables.

The project manager is the one responsible for the eagle-eye view of the project. Each developer handles their own small piece of the puzzle. However, the PM puts the puzzle together. They are the conductor of the symphony, arranging all the bits so that they fit together into a team. This is why project management approval is key to providing a solid estimate, both in terms of time and cost. They can look at all of the elements involved so that the overall project can be coordinated on schedule and within budget.

You often hear people talk about the effectiveness of management for any type of project. You can define a project as a unique continuous task usually undertaken to achieve certain goals set within a given time frame, costs and other limitations. But, what are the key components of project management for the development? About the results, you can have a successful project if the goals that set were achieved due to the instructions that were laid out initially. Also, if the project was done within the agreed timeframe, under the detailed budget, you will come with great results. To run a smooth program, the project manager must be involved, or a team to whom everyone was participating in the assignment should be reporting to. He is responsible for every operation taking place within the project.

Different Approaches to Project Management

Below are some approaches often used in project management.

Agile Project Methodology

This is among the recognized methods used in project management. It is usually a good choice for an accumulative kind of project. This methodology involves a mechanism whereby the progression of the project depends on the chosen groups working together with the clients.

This methodology was initially made to assist in developing software systems as a way of making up for the inadequacies that the waterfall method had. Having sealed the loophole left by the waterfall approach, i.e., it lacked the flexibility to be able to change the project design, made this the most efficient methodology hence the popularity among different organizations.

It is the most popular project management approach that helps to break work into small parts, test each stage and provide flexibility in the development process. Project managers work with a team directly, providing constant communication, update information regarding all the steps of delivering the project from the beginning till the end. This approach helps to learn when and how the team is going through tasks. That is why the team works with a more focused and qualitative approach.

Scrum

This is also another approach used in managing projects. It comprises 5 core aspects. These are; focus, respect, commitment, courage, and openness. The main aim of using this particular approach is always focused on developing, delivering and sustaining complex tasks through continuous progress, accountability, and collaboration.

The Scrum methodology is different from the Agile approach by the way it works with certain production programs, roles, and activities set for the project.

Waterfall

If you read more on the traditional approaches used in project management, then most certainly you will find out this methodology. It follows a linear and straight design structure where the progress is unidirectional and only flows downwards.

The waterfall was originated from the construction and manufacturing industries. However, because of the tools involved, this methodology became more expensive hence lacking flexibility regarding changing the design structure during the initial stages of the project.

This saw the introduction of an agile approach, to deal with design issues, less customer feedback and probably a delayed testing time.

Lean

Another project management approach that promotes the maximization of customer value and minimizing the waste is lean. The approach is aimed at utilizing a few resources to increase client value. It originated from the Japanese manufacturing industry and works on the principle that quality should improve, waste removed and reducing both the cost and time.

Lean is also used for startups. The Lean Startup methodology was created by Eric Ries in 2008. It became an essential guide for startup founders and those who want to develop innovative products without losing a significant amount of investments. The idea lies in the creation of MVP – minimal viable product, testing the interest level from the early adopters and possible outcome on the market after you launch it.

Technical Project Management

From the definitions we’ve seen above, you can describe technical project management as the act of managing or overseeing projects that need web development or just technology initiative involved from the concept stage and sustaining it all through until a concrete outcome is archived.

To do this, the project targets must first be clearly set followed by a well-defined scope put in place before the project starts.

Web Development Project Management Process

You might probably be thinking the main thing towards developing a website involves coding alone, right? Well, coding is just part of it. However, there is a certain procedure that is always followed towards ensuring a successful project.

This is usually known as the website development life cycle with steps usually varying from 6 to 8 but usually the same thing. Below are the seven main steps:

• Gathering the requirements
• Planning
• Designing
• Development
• Testing and Review
• Deployment
• Maintenance

But that’s not all. To control the development process, give additional tasks and get feedback from the client, there should be a set of project management tools to work effectively.

Web Project Management Tools

Web development is an industry that requires a lot of interaction or collaboration thus it requires a good project manager with great project management skills. Well, the manager should also be able to keep his team together by organizing everything and making sure no one is left behind. This is why project management tools are important to control the workflow. They increase the interaction level within the team and a client thus improving the collaboration among all the members.

Web Project Management Software

Project management software is also a part of the project management tools. It is mostly used to bring some ease to the workflow by improving communication between the team members and the managers. Below are some that can help you with web development management.

Jira

This is an issue tracking software. Jira can be used when tracking errors in a project and also a good tool for Agile methodology.

Slack

Slack is another software used for managing projects and focusing mostly on improving collaboration among the team. It is a great messenger and communication channel.

Github

Have you ever heard about a version control system called Git? Well, Github is the software responsible for offering all the management functionalities of the version control system, Git.

Zeplin

Zeplin is a sketching tool. It’s an important software especially when it comes sketching up the designs to be implemented in the project.

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustator is a graphics editor software that can usually be used for creating mockups or designs during a web development project.

All these tools are important because, in one way or another, they help to facilitate the development of the project by increasing the level of interaction. This results in easy workflow within the team.

Define RFP

A request for proposal is a document needed to describe project specifics such as price and scope and ask potential service providers to come back with their bid for the work. Generally, it will help you to save your time, finding the right specialists, compare them and define the best one.

Usually, we receive a request from clients with their task on the project assessment. We are happy to get an RFP from our potential clients as we can move further and discuss the project. However, the most common situation is when we get a request, but we can’t define the concrete description to assess the project.

What Is Going on Next?

After we’ve received a request, we make a review on it and give it back with questions for each part of the project. In the end, this assessment, as well as the project scope, will have a gap with the final version. This will case lack of time, misunderstanding and weak communication process between client and service provider and a motivation loss.

In reality, you don’t need to put all your forces to get the correct assessment. You also don’t need to have in-depth knowledge in web development or read additional literature to send the right data.

We’ve collected the list of the essential points; then if you will follow them, you will get the most detailed survey and consultation from our project managers and developers, and it will be the best RFP response that you expect.

RFP Examples

The task usually consists of the number of desired features that could be included in any online store. We will provide you with an example of this process:

Almost all features from this list are included in the Magento® out-of-the-box, and it is difficult to assess the task from the request without details. Pure feature out-of-the-box counted as 0 hours, and you buy it with Magento CMS. Feature customization, i.e., custom programming is the paid hours for the development. The development from scratch also counted as a time for the developer’s work.

That is why our first advice is to try to look at your project functionality by your customer’s eyes, for example, when he is making a purchase, and to write a description, as follows:

This table shows exact information about how the user will pay off for the purchase. In this case, we know that custom functionality should be added to the local payment system and your assessment will be more concrete.

Other Requirements of Magento Store Functionality That Affect on the Total Project Cost

As well as standard feature, you can have individual elements that you think will be useful at your online store. As well as just a feature description, you should make the exact notes about the customization or the ways how you would like to use this feature. This will help you with a question how to write a request for proposal.

Offline Store

If you have a physical store, you need to mention it, because we should predict the way how we will add data of your offline customers to the customers base.

If you use any CRM or other additional systems for collecting and analyzing customers data, we need to connect it with Magento. For this purpose, we use API that should be written before the integration with the additional systems.

Blog and Content

Magento is a platform for eCommerce business, that is why to add a blog to your store, you need to download an extension. Think about do you need a blog and how it should look like. If the blog is not the primary sales channel, perhaps you can wait a couple of releases to find the best option for your future blog.

Design

Depending on which design will be at your online store will impact the price significantly. There are two ways: to make your design unique or to set up a ready theme.

Unique Design

The way of creating an exclusive look of your site is better than a ready theme that is why the customization could cost more. It includes designer’s working hours, as well as frontend and backend developers that will implement created mockups.

This approach will be in-demand for those who want to get an online store that will be matching your targeted audience, including visual identification of your brand. Custom design includes website development, in case if it will be extended, then you will get the right architecture, improved usability, and clean code.

Ready-to-Use Theme

Ready themes include a particular set of page templates. They can be downloaded, set up and used. The website will look average; yet, the customization will have its borders.

Limitations – are ready-to-use templates. If you want to change or add something to them, it will be custom code and extra expenses afterward. A theme will be restricted not only technically, but also in design. In particular, you can change UI theme frames: colors, block, swatch, and add own content.

Problems occur when developers add something custom, and their quantity becomes far too much. That is why a ready theme is good to go for the quick start of the project and further you should think of redesign.

The idea of having a successful long-term business means that you will have not only to find customers to buy your products and services but customers that will stay with you for a long time. Most money is not made on the initial sale, but rather on the backend and from repeated business with same clients. Younger people will live for longer and will also be buyers for much longer if you manage to bring them in. But targeting the Generation Z couldn’t be as easy as it sounds. There are a lot of things you need to keep in mind if you are going to have success.

Define Generation Z Characteristics

Regarding Generation Z there is some market analysis to prove that it is the right time to refer your marketing and overall strategy to make them your next big audience.

Population. In the US, Generation Z makes up 25% of the population. In fact, they are the largest generation in the world right now, which means they are the biggest audience you have available to market to.

Year of birth. Generation z includes people born in the mid-1990s onwards. These people are still in high school and college and are in some cases only now getting out into the work.

Market share. Concerning money to spend, they aren’t usually in a position to make up a big part of the economy yet. However, in a few years’ time, they will be the dominant audience when it comes to spending.

Money spent. Generation Z already represents $143b a year in buying strength, and this will only continue to grow. The sectors receiving the biggest boost from Generation Z coming to the fore buying wise are tech, cosmetics, and online shopping. However, the vast majority of fields are seeing significant increases in funds as the influence of young people’s spending grows.

Online presence. The early Generation Z trends show that they are a lot more likely to make purchases online than through traditional stores. As more information gets compiled about their consumer behavior, this generation will become a big target for all businesses in every field. If you want to make sure you are ahead of the game, it is essential for you to get in there now.

Engaging Generation Z

Engaging Generation Z is not going to be straightforward, but there are some trends and tips that you can try out to increase their engagement with your store. Below are some very key points you need to keep in mind when you think about marketing to this audience.

New Concepts in Shopping Experience

With online shopping, home delivery, and all the other amazing innovations that have occurred over the last decade or so, the shopping experience that Generation Z is growing up with is entirely different from what the generations before used to have.

Generation Z brings different challenges to marketers, and they represent a whole new set of ideas when it comes to shopping. With Gen Zers being so big in the online shopping space, there are some factors marketers have to be wary of and focus on.

Generation Z has come to expect quick delivery times, high levels of visual marketing, and also the luxury of having a lot of evidence of the quality of the product or services. This comes through the thousands and thousands of reviews they get to sift through, as well as technologies that may let them experience a taste of the product before they buy it, like AR tools.

Social Media Power

Social media is huge in this modern age, and it is by far the biggest online marketplace available. If you want to go about engaging Generation Z, then social media is a tool you must utilize.

There is no better way to make a lot of money than by going viral on social media. Not only is social media great for getting your content in front of potential buyers, but it is incredible at allowing you to get a better idea of your audience.The stats generated by sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can be a huge help to marketers.

Facebook, for example, has a feature within its ad campaigns called lookalike audiences. If you plan to advertise there, you can set a Facebook pixel on your site that will collect data of all the visitors who bought your products. Then when you get to Facebook and want to run an ad, you can use lookalike audiences to target the same people who were finding interest in your services on your site. This type of cross-marketing can be extremely effective.

Influencers Engagement

There have always been influencers that dictated trends and influenced the actions of the public. In the past, they were actors or performers, but nowadays anyone with a decent following on social media can become an influencer.

The fact that these influencers are so commonplace and have such a strong influence on their young audience is significant for businesses as it opens up many more avenues of promotion.

Visualization

When you want to think about what Generation Z is interested in, a big thing that has been gleaned from research over the years is the effect that visuals have.

Video has been proven to improve viewer retention, engagement significantly, and also convert better than traditional text or image-based media. There is a reason that all the major brands are putting a lot of money into their video departments, as the medium is the most effective one out there right now.

In this era of short attention spans, great visuals that grab a viewer are possibly the greatest tools a marketer can have. Businesses need eyes and to get the eyes of generation z, you need to be very visual and very appealing.

Delivery Speed

As just mentioned, attention spans across Generation Z tend to be low. This means your delivery has to be not only truthful but fast. Both in promotions and in the actual delivery of goods and services.

Life moves fast, and no one has time to waste. Being a fast mover, both in implementing your promotion plans and in involving Generation Z as buyers, will be extremely vital to the success of your business.

Mobile-Friendly Approach

Everyone has a mobile phone these days, and most people can’t go a minute without them. In fact, it’s a pretty popular stereotype that one of the standard Generation Z characteristics is that they are addicted to their phones.

While that may not necessarily be, it is true that people in this generation are very in tune with their phones. Marketing directed at phones and phone usage can be very useful if implemented correctly.

If your business is not mobile friendly and is not finely tuned to take advantage of the current mobile phone usage landscape, you should think about building a new app for your online business or creating a PWA.

Are You Ready to Get More Gen Zers as Customers?

You have now learned a lot more about how to define Generation Z. So the question is, are you ready to go out there and bring in some more customers? Remembering that they will be customers that will ideally stay with you for a long time and keep buying from you, again and again, you will focus building the right strategy to keep up gathering your new clients – Generation Z.