Todays mini series of things you can do right now covers checking and fixing dynamic content alerts. Let’s get into it:

Why it Matters:

• Accessibility Impact: Dynamic content alerts play a vital role in ensuring that users with disabilities, particularly those using assistive technologies like screen readers, are aware of important changes or updates on a web page.
• User Experience: These alerts improve user engagement by providing timely information, enhancing the overall user experience.

Quick Check:

• Manual Inspection: Begin by manually reviewing your application for dynamic content alerts. Look for notifications, messages, or updates that appear or change dynamically. The example below shows an alert that dynamically appears after a user clicks a link.

• Automated Testing: Utilize accessibility testing tools such as Axe or WAVE to identify any dynamic content alerts that may be missing accessible labels or attributes.

• Screen Reader Testing: Test your application using a screen reader to experience how dynamic content alerts are conveyed to users who rely on auditory feedback. If you close your eyes and you don’t understand there was a content change or alert you’ll need to add a fix.

Quick Fixes:

• Use ARIA Roles and Attributes: Ensure dynamic content alerts are properly marked up using Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) roles and attributes. For example, use role="alert" on error messages or when a form is submitted to convey urgent notifications indicating to screen readers that it is important and should be announced immediately.

 class="alert">
  Error: Please enter a valid email address.

• Focus Management: Implement focus management to ensure that screen readers announce newly appeared content to users and focus is appropriately set to the updated element. This can be achieved by adding a tabindex attribute with a value of -1 to make the element focusable, and then calling something like a focus() method on it. This simple step ensures that screen reader users are alerted to the presence of new content.
• Keyboard Accessibility: Ensure users can dismiss or interact with dynamic alerts using keyboard controls alone, without relying on mouse input if needed.

Testing:

• Thoroughly test your application post-fix to ensure all dynamic content alerts are properly announced, understood, and accessible to users.
• Consider writing an Axe test using aria rules to ensure the proper attributes exist.

describe('Accessibility tests', () => {
  test('Dynamic content alerts have proper ARIA attributes', async () => {
    const { container } = render(<YourComponentWithDynamicAlerts />); // Replace with your component
    const axeConfig = {
      rules: {
        'aria-roles': { enabled: true },
        'aria-allowed-attr': { enabled: true }
      }
    };
    const results = await axe(container, axeConfig);
    expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
  });
});

By following these quick steps, you can quickly enhance the accessibility of dynamic content in your application, contributing to a more inclusive online environment for all users. Accessibility is an ongoing journey, so start making a positive impact today!

Helpful links
Free A11y tools:

• NVDA Screen Reader
  
• Axe DevTools Chrome Extension
• WAVE Browser Chrome Extension
  
• Web Developer Chrome Extension
• ANDI Accessibility Testing Tool
  

A11y Info:

• WCAG Standard Guidelines
  
• A11y Project
  

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Elevate Your URLs with the “URL to Il Converter” by Binary Il

https://binaryil.github.io/

In today’s digital landscape, the need for both style and security in our URLs is more important than ever. Introducing the “URL to Il Converter” by Binary Il – a versatile tool that not only transforms your URLs into a stylish “Il” format but now also generates convenient redirect links for easy sharing!

The Invention of “Il” Format: A Visualy and Secure Solution

The “Il” format was ingeniously invented by Binary Il to address a common issue: the visual similarity between the capital letter “I” and the lowercase letter “l”. By replacing every “1” with an “I” and every “0” with an “l”, the “Il” format not only adds a touch of flair to your links but also enhances their security by obfuscating the original characters.
I thought of it and created it. I had thought about the similarity glitch in my school childhood but I created something now because I know programming now !
This is Just for fun and also useful for many people.

How Does it Work?

Using the “URL to Il Converter” is as simple as it gets:

1. Enter your URL into the converter.
2. Click “Convert” to transform the URL into its stylish “Il” format.
3. Share the “Il” formatted URL anywhere with confidence!

New Feature: Redirect Link Generation

But wait, there’s more! The “URL to Il Converter” now offers a powerful new feature – the ability to generate convenient redirect links:

• Simply input your “Il” text into the decoder.
• Click “Decode” to reveal the original URL.
• Then, with one click on “Generate Redirect Link,” a new link appears that will redirect to the original URL!

Why Choose the “URL to Il Converter”?

• Style Meets Security: Enhance your URLs with style while adding a layer of security.
• Convenient Redirect Links: Generate easy-to-share redirect links with a single click.
• User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive design makes converting and generating links a breeze.
• Versatile Applications: Perfect for social media, emails, websites, and more.

Real-World Examples:

• Original URL: https://example.com

  • Il Format: lIIlIllllIIIlIlllIIIlIlllIIIlllllIIIllIIllIIIlIlllIlIIIIllIlIIIIlIIllIlIlIIIIllllIIllllIlIIlIIlIlIIIlllllIIlIIlllIIllIlIllIlIIIllIIlllIIlIIlIIIIlIIlIIlI

• Redirect Link: https://binaryil.github.io/lIIlIllllIIIlIlllIIIlIlllIIIlllllIIIllIIllIIIlIlllIlIIIIllIlIIIIlIIllIlIlIIIIllllIIllllIlIIlIIlIlIIIlllllIIlIIlllIIllIlIllIlIIIllIIlllIIlIIlIIIIlIIlIIlI

  • Redirects to: https://example.com

Get Started Today!

Experience the power of the “URL to Il Converter” by Binary Il and take your URLs to the next level. Transform them into stylish “Il” format, generate convenient redirect links, and share them with confidence and also obviously this technique doesn’t gives full proof security for hiding URL or String or Text. It just hides your text to an Interesting formate.

Visit Binary Il – URL to Il Converter to elevate your URLs today!

Transform. Redirect. Secure. Elevate with the “URL to Il Converter” by Binary Il.

The post Binary Il – Convert URLs to Il and Secure it – Redirect It 🚀 appeared first on ProdSens.live.

This week’s Sunday Rewind is a look back to a report from 2021 in which we spoke to a number of seasoned product people for an in-depth look at how to build a successful product team. Read more »

The post SUNDAY REWIND: How do you build a successful product team? appeared first on Mind the Product.

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Pull the Ubuntu Docker Image:

First, download the official Ubuntu Docker image from the Docker Hub by running the following command:

docker pull ubuntu

Start an Interactive Container:

Create an interactive container based on the Ubuntu image:

docker run -it ubuntu /bin/bash

You’ll be logged in as the root user inside the container.
Update the Container: Update the package lists within the container:

apt-get update

Install Python: For Python 3.x, run:

apt-get install python3

Exit the Container: Type exit to leave the container.

The post How to install python in a docker container. appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Organizations are always looking for ways to improve. It’s how they stay relevant and, more importantly, profitable. But you don’t get better just by desiring it. It takes strategy, and then a model to implement that strategy.

No surprise, there are models to accomplish this called strategic planning models. They’re great for businesses, big and small, and assist in project planning and implementing organizational goals in a thorough and structured manner. Once you have decided on an objective, then you must plan a model that will execute it successfully.

There are quite a few strategic planning models, and they can be very different from one another. Often the type of organization will dictate which strategic planning model is used. After a brief explanation, we’ll dig into five of the more popular ones. You’re sure to find a strategic planning model among them that works for you.

What Is a Strategic Planning Model?

It’s easy to define what a strategic planning model is because the definition is embedded in its name! A strategic planning model is how an organization takes its strategy and creates a plan to implement it to improve operations and better meet its goals.

How they get to this point requires identifying what the company wants, and how it hopes to achieve those goals in the near term. Once they have that target clearly defined, then it’s a matter of working backward to figure out how to get there.

This, of course, is easy to say and extremely difficult to do. Sometimes the complexity involved in trying to put together a plan to strategically meet your goals can feel like it needs a strategic planning model all its own! That’s why there are classic models already in place to help you accomplish your goals.

Get your free

Strategic Plan Template

Use this free Strategic Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better.

Download Word File

Do You Need a Strategic Planning Model?

If all this sounds like a fancy way of saying you need a plan to achieve your goals, well, you’re right. But that doesn’t dismiss its usefulness in achieving those objectives. No matter if you’re a startup or an established, market-dominant brand, if you don’t have a plan to reach your goals, you’re bound to fail. That could be losing market share or shuttering, neither of which is a path forward for a viable enterprise.

The benefits of having a strategic planning model are manyfold. For one, it provides a clear path that the organization uses for operational planning which determines what work will be done by everyone on the staff. Having all departments work together for a common goal is powerful. The opposite is disastrous. You can’t hit your target, whether it’s a year or five or 10 years in the future if everyone doesn’t know what it is and how you plan to get there.

Think of it as being focused. There are a lot of distractions that occur every day in every business. Knowing what your topline is helps you prioritize and keep your energies directed on the overall strategy for the company and the right strategic initiatives.

Another positive of having a strategic planning model is that it improves your knowledge of what works best in the organization. You know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as get a clear picture of where you are in the marketplace. It even helps you get a clear idea of who your competition is and how you can differentiate yourself from them.

Best Practices for Strategic Planning Models & Frameworks

We’ll get to the examples in a moment, but regardless of which you choose as most appropriate for your needs, there are best practices to make sure you succeed. When doing the research, assemble a group that is diverse but also appropriate for the goal. Diversity brings more ideas to the table. You’ll want between six and 10 people.

Once you start, give it time. The team needs to come up with creative solutions, and then season them, to make sure they’re the right course of action. You might want to remove the team from the work site. A change of environment, without the distractions of the office, can help them settle into a more contemplative state where they can come up with better ideas.

Of course, you need to get buy-in from the team or else your hard work will be for naught. Once you have them fully on board, build trust. You want everyone to participate, and to do so in a free and open discussion. That means from the boss on down. It might help to hire an outside facilitator to manage the process.

When you have a plan, it must be realistic. If you can’t execute it, then you’ve not done your job. Therefore, it must be actionable, with clearly defined goals, tasks, responsibilities outlined, accountability, deadlines—and all this must be clear to everyone involved. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible. Plans change, so it’s best to not be rigid about it.

Finally, don’t think of creating a strategic planning model for your business as a one-and-done process. Not only must your plan be open to editing as internal and external forces demand, but these meetings should be regularly scheduled. Think of it as a process. Meet monthly if you can, or at least quarterly. You can discuss how the plan is being executed and hold people accountable for what they’ve been tasked to execute. This is how you make sure your plan becomes a reality.

Strategic Planning Models

As we said, there are many models, and we deeply encourage you to go down that rabbit hole. You never know what you might find. But for our purposes, let’s narrow the scope down to five with proven results.

1. Alignment Model

This strategic alignment model (SAM) is among the most used. It’s made up of two parts—strategic fit and functional integration. What that means is that the model aligns business and IT strategies. To do this requires identifying the key goals of an organization and then what the steps are to reach those goals. The plan must maximize the process to best achieve those goals.

There are four perspectives to guide you in this model:

• Strategy execution, which is when the business strategy is driving the model.
• Technology potential, which also sees the business strategy as the driver, but with an IT strategy to support it.
• Competitive potential deals with using emerging IT capabilities to create new products and services.
• Lastly, there’s the service level, which is focused on creating the best IT system in the organization.

Here, business strategy is important, but only the launching pad.

2. Balanced Scorecard

The balanced scorecard (BSC) is made up of clear communications on what is being accomplished. It aligns the work with overall strategy, and prioritizes, measures and monitors progress. The idea is that the model balances strategy with financial measurements. One of the reasons to use BSC is that it helps you see the connections between various parts of your strategic management and planning.

Using BSC means exploring four different aspects of your organization.

• One is the financial performance of the company and what financial resources have been most effective.
• You also want to gauge the performance of your stakeholders or customers and how you serve them.
• Internal processes should be judged on their efficiency, too, but also on quality.
• Then there’s the organizational capacity, which looks at your personnel, infrastructure, tech, culture and whatever else can be used to meet your goals.

We’ve created a free balanced scorecard template for Excel to help you get started with this tool.

3. Basic Model

Also called the simple model, this one is often used by newer organizations that don’t have a history of strategic planning to help guide them in making decisions. But it’s also a fine model for any organization that doesn’t have the time or resources to spend on deep and extensive strategic planning.

First, you establish the mission statement for your organization, if you don’t already have one. That is a summary of your goals that is created to inspire and transform the organization. Next, you want to figure out what goals must be achieved in order to fulfill the mission statement. From that, break down the tasks that will reach those goals. Schedule, monitor and report on your progress.

4. Blue Ocean Strategy

The blue ocean strategy is designed for taking your product to a market where there is no or little competition. Therefore, the research is heavily tilted towards finding a niche that can be exploited for profit, such as where there are few businesses offering a product people have expressed an interest in, and there is little to no pricing pressure.

Unlike red ocean strategy, which describes a market that is saturated and products are threatened by pricing pressure that could threaten the business, blue ocean strategy looks for markets where there is room to grow. You’re looking to capture new demand, where your product is either unique or so much better as to make competition irrelevant.

5. Issue (Or Goal) Based

The issue-based model (also called goal-based) is the next step up from the basic strategic planning model. It builds on the basic model and is intended for businesses that are more established. Thus, it’s more in-depth and possibly the most popular of all the models we’ve highlighted.

To begin, use a SWOT analysis, which is an acronym standing for Strengths, Weaknesses and Threats Analysis. It helps you identify and analyze internal and external factors that impact your business, product or service. Next comes the mission statement, then planning, creating a budget and a schedule to implement it. After a year, you’ll want to monitor the results and report on its progress, making adjustments as needed.

6. PEST Analysis

A PEST analysis consists in identifying any political, economic, social and technological factors that can affect a business. It’s especially useful for larger organizations, such as multinational companies whose strategic project management initiatives are the most affected by these types of issues.

It’s important to conduct a PEST analysis before or as you create a strategic plan, so you don’t fail to acknowledge any significant political, economic, social or technological risk that could affect your organization and its ability to achieve its goals.

7. Hoshin Kanri

This is a strategic planning model that ensures that all levels within an organization understand what the organization’s strategic objectives are. Then those strategic objectives are broken down into specific goals and action plans for employees in all levels of the organization, from executives to production floor employees.

Another important aspect of this strategic planning model is that it involves constant performance tracking and communication between employees and their supervisor which helps track the completion of strategic goals and evaluate their feasibility. This strategic planning model is mostly used by manufacturers who implement lean manufacturing best practices, but it can be used by any type of business.

8. Porter’s Five Forces Model

This is a fundamental strategic planning model that should be used by any business. It allows business owners, executives and other decision makers to understand the competitive forces that shape an industry and what they mean for a business.

This model analyzes the rivalry among existing companies, the threat of substitute products, threat of new competitors, the bargaining power of suppliers and the bargaining power of buyers. Together, these five variables create the business environment to which your organization’s strategy should adapt to.

Strategic Planning Tools

Now, here’s a quick overview of some tools that can help you as you go through the process of planning your organizational strategy.

1. Strategic Plan

A strategic plan is the document that describes the strategic direction of an organization by outlining its vision, mission and long term strategic objectives. It’s a fundamental tool when defining the strategy of your organization for the next three to five years.

The main purpose of a strategic plan is to provide high-level goals for the organization as a whole, known as strategic objectives, which will guide the efforts of the various departments within the organization.

This free strategic plan template for Word helps you capture some of the most important elements of your strategic plan such as your business goals, mission and vision statements, a SWOT analysis, and the operational actions that will be taken to achieve your objectives.

2. Strategy Map

A strategy map is a tool that can help you visualize the strategic objectives of your organization, the relationship between them and group them into the four balanced scorecard perspectives: financial, customer, internal business processes and learning and growth.

These four categories help you establish the relationship between strategic objectives. For example, a strategic objective that’s related to improving your internal business processes will have a positive impact in the customer and financial areas.

3. Strategic Roadmap

A strategic roadmap is a tool that can help you turn your strategic objectives into action plans. To create a strategic roadmap, you’ll need to think about all the different tasks that your team will need to execute to reach its strategic objectives.

Next, you’ll need to estimate the duration of each of those tasks and based on that information, create a timeline. Strategic roadmaps are usually created with Gantt charts, which allow you to create a visual timeline that shows all the different actions your organization will take to achieve its strategic objectives.

4. SWOT Matrix

A SWOT matrix is a simple yet effective strategic planning chart with four quadrants that allow you to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your organization. These four categories describe the internal and external factors that may affect your business’ ability to compete in the market either positively or negatively. Here’s what they mean.

Strengths refer to the internal capabilities of your business which might give it an advantage over its competitors, such as, for example, lower production costs or intellectual property. Weaknesses on the other hand describe the areas of improvement for your business, which can be anything like having higher operational costs than your competitors or lack of brand awareness.

Opportunities refer to the positive external factors such as an underserved market niche or reduced costs of supplies and finally, threats are negative external conditions such as new technologies or new competitors that might replace your product. You must consider these factors before making the strategic plan of your organization so you don’t steer your business in the wrong direction. Our SWOT analysis template helps you document the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your business or project.

5. VRIO Framework

VRIO stands for value, rarity, imitability and organization, which are the four lenses the VRIO framework uses to determine whether your organization has a competitive organizational strategy. It can help you audit the competitiveness of your business and find weaknesses in your operational strategy.

By analyzing your organization from these four perspectives, you’ll be able to determine whether your business provides value to customers in a way that’s rare and costly to imitate for your competitors. If so, you have a competitive business strategy that can be sustained over time.

6. Ansoff Matrix

An Ansoff matrix or product-market expansion grid is a strategic planning tool that can help you gauge the risk-reward ratio of growth strategies that involve new products and new markets. It’s got four quadrants that show four different strategies: market penetration, product development, market development and diversification.

It’s a great tool to help you decide which of these strategies is the best for your business. You can create a separate Ansoff matrix for different business units or product lines.

7. GE Matrix

A GE matrix or McKinsey matrix is a tool that helps executives and other decision makers prioritize which business units within an organization should be invested further and which should be divested based on the industry attractiveness and strength of each business unit. It can also be used for prioritizing what projects are approved and executed by an organization, which is a decision that’s done by executives and board of directors, as adviced by project managers and project management offices (PMOs), who are responsible for their success and ensuring they bring the benefits that are expected.

In simple terms, a GE matrix contrasts the potential benefits of an industry with the current positioning of a business unit to determine whether it will be profitable to invest in it. To do so, you’ll need to analyze variables such as the market size, growth rate, competition level and industry trends. It’s ideal for aligning your projects and business strategy.

How ProjectManager Executes Strategic Planning Models

Now that you know about strategic planning models, and have chosen one to reach your organization’s objective, you have a lot of work ahead of you. ProjectManager is an award-winning tool that organizes strategic plans, so you can execute, monitor and report on their progress.

Start Planning In-Depth with Gantt Charts

You have decided on your target, now you need to know how you get there. That’s as simple as breaking down the goal into realistic tasks, or steps, that end at your objective. You can use a work breakdown structure or collect them on a spreadsheet. Now the fun starts. Upload your tasks into our software, and you get to the planning part of your strategic planning model.

Add duration to your tasks, and they instantly populate the Gantt chart tool timeline. Now, you can see your whole project from start to finish. Add priorities, so your team knows what’s important, and break up the project into phases with our milestone feature. There’s a space on each task to write descriptions that guide your team, and they can collaborate by commenting with one another at the task level to facilitate productivity.

Multiple Views to Tackle Your Projects

There are many ways to work, and we have many tools to get that work done. Besides the Gantt, you can use a task list, calendar or kanban board to manage your work. The board view is especially helpful, as it breaks production into phases and provides transparency into the process, so you can keep traffic flowing and avoid costly bottlenecks.

Monitor Your Progress With Real-Time Dashboards

Part of any strategic planning model is not just the planning and execution, but monitoring progress to make sure you’re hitting your targets. We have a real-time dashboard that tracks several project metrics, including project variance, which automatically calculates your planned vs. actual progress.

To keep management updated, we have one-click reporting, which can be easily filtered and shared, so stakeholders get only the information they’re looking for.

Related Strategic Planning Content

We’ve created dozens of blogs, templates and guides on project management, operational managemnet and strategic planning. Here’s some content that relates to the strategic planning models and tools we explored above.

• How to Create a Strategic Roadmap for Your Organization
• Operational Strategy: A Quick Guide
• Strategic Project Management: Planning Strategic Projects
• A Quick Guide to Strategic Initiatives

ProjectManager is online software made to help teams and projects get better organized. We help you deliver on your strategic plan with tools to help you through every phase of the project. See why tens of thousands of teams are already using our software and take our free 30-day trial today.

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Year summary

It is good time these days for year summary. I would like to recommend books which I read in 2023 and which I believe
made me better engineer. I had more books in my hands but these one I find to be most valuable from my point of view.

“Five lines of code” by Christian Clausen

Book link
This is great book about refactoring. Very clear tips on how to start and where to go with the refactoring process. I think the most
valuable for me are simple tips like: “do not use switch statement”, “do not use abstract classes” and my favourite “avoid inheritance”.
All this tips are coming with TypeScript code showing the practical appliance of the refactoring rules. Actually, as a side effect, I got interested in TypeScript after reading this book. I very much like cognitive constraints described which are related to every human and the way they affect our code understanding.
In the past I often had troubles with understanding the code which spread across many classes like with 4-level of inheritance. Now I know this is not my low level of expertise but badly written code.

“Effective software testing” by Mauricio Aniche

Book link
Systematic testing approach here. One can use this book as checklist of which test design techniques to use and in which order. This dismisses the uncertainity we often have when dealing with new testing problem. Requirement based testing, structural testing, contract based testing explained.
New thing for me was properties based testing which is part of this book as well. I was somehow not aware about this kind of approach before.
I very much like and agree with author encouraging to be systematic in this area.

“Functional thinking” by Neal Ford

Book link
Functional programming doesn’t seem to be common these days. At least not for everyone just as it was not familiar to myself. I found out about about the set of basic functions which are there in all languages which support functional programming: filter, map and reduce. Currying and memoization as well as optimization which
is there behind built-in functions is explained. Author is supporter of applying specific programming paradigm in certain areas which I find very useful and which I often see in other books: write functional code in the core of your application and be more imperative (oo) when going to the edge of the system (controllers, UI).
This turned out to be very important book for me: I started to think about functions as something aside of object oriented programming and I use them conciously since then.
Finally, I know what I exactly have in my functional toolbox and when to lean towards functional paradigm.

“Code that fits in your head” by Mark Seemann

Book link
This book is the most recent one on my virtual bookshelf. It turned out to be kind of summary of all 3 previous ones.
It talks about cognitive constraints, proper testing approach and it also mentions functional paradigm when coding the core of the application.
However, it has additional advantage, at least for me. Author has the ability of expressing his thoughts in very clear way and so it is like listening to the expert in the office at his desk, getting answers on how to deal with specific problems properly.
The are numerous of them addressed there: how to start application from the scratch, when to send feature branch to review, what to write in commit message, how to write the class, method so that it is clear. I very much like fractal architecture proposed by the author.
Also, teamwork aspects like code reviews are mentioned. There is great piece of information about human short term and long term memory and how does it affect our code understanding. All of these aspects are explained basing on the code of restaurant application.
This is most important book I read last year and so I very much recommend it.

What next?

I am now looking more towards devops related stuff, I plan to take a look at very much recommended “The DevOps Handbook” by Gene Kim and others. However, maybe some of you also have recommendations of important sources of information from IT area?

The post Year summary – books I recommend appeared first on ProdSens.live.

The landscape of work has undergone a seismic shift, particularly in the world of engineering and technology. As we come close to the end of 2023, the trend of remote work is not just a temporary adjustment but a permanent transformation. For engineers and senior engineering leaders seeking new horizons, this shift opens up a plethora of high-paying remote and freelancing opportunities.

Join Me

Read more about Engineering Culture in Meta (Facebook), Newsletter, Twitter and Linkedin for more Career, Leadership and Growth advice.

Why Consider Remote Work?

Remote work isn’t just a trend; it’s a strategic shift. Here’s why:

• Work-Life Balance: Juggling personal and professional lives is easier when you eliminate the commute.
• Higher Productivity: Many engineers find they can focus better away from the distractions of a traditional office.
• Reduced Absenteeism: Remote work facilitates better health and well-being, often leading to fewer sick days.
• Better Flexibility: Tailor your work environment and schedule to suit your needs.
• Cost Savings: Companies save on infrastructure, and employees save on commuting and wardrobe costs.

20 Platforms for Remote Engineering Jobs

1. RemoteOK – A comprehensive job board for remote opportunities.
2. JSRemote.jobs – Specialized in JavaScript roles.
3. JustRemote – Offers a variety of remote positions.
4. AngelList – Perfect for startup enthusiasts.
5. JustJoin – A hub for tech jobs in Europe.
6. PowerToFly – Focused on empowering women in tech.
7. FlexJobs – Renowned for its curated remote job listings.
8. Uplers / Email Uplers – A unique platform for digital services.
9. EPAM Anywhere – Offers global tech opportunities.
10. DailyRemote – Daily listings for remote jobs.
11. Freelancer.com – A vast freelance marketplace.
12. PeoplePerHour – European-centric freelance jobs.
13. Fiverr – Great for starting your freelance journey.
14. Outsourcely – Connects startups with remote workers.
15. Dynamite Jobs – Curated remote job opportunities.
16. Working Nomads – For the digital nomad.
17. peoplefirstjobs.com – Jobs from companies valuing people over profits.
18. remoteindex.co – A newer, growing remote job board.
19. weworkremotely.com – One of the largest remote work communities.
20. remotebear.io – Tailored for tech remote jobs.

Bonus: Companies Embracing Full Remote Work

Read more in my Engineering Bolt Newsletter >

The Big Question: Will This Trend Continue?

The momentum towards remote work shows no signs of slowing down. Tech giants and startups alike are recognizing the benefits of a remote workforce, not just in cost savings, but in accessing a global talent pool. This paradigm shift is particularly advantageous for engineers and tech leaders who are often at the forefront of adopting new ways of working.

Final Thoughts

As an engineer or a senior engineering leader, the opportunities in the remote job market are vast and varied. Whether you’re looking to join a startup or a multinational corporation, there’s a platform or a company out there that fits your career aspirations. The key is to stay adaptable, continuously learn, and leverage these platforms to find your next big opportunity.

Don’t forget to share your thoughts and experiences with remote work in the comments. Your insights could help others

Join Me

Read more about Engineering Culture in Meta (Facebook), Newsletter, Twitter and Linkedin for more Career, Leadership and Growth advice.

The post Navigating Remote Opportunities for Engineers and Tech Leaders appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Landing pages may be the equivalent of making a good first impression, but thank you pages are the final memory you leave a website visitor with before they go.

They’re often the final opportunity to engage your site visitors and leave them with a warm, fuzzy feeling about their overall experience on your site.

Like any website page, good thank you pages require careful consideration across design, layout, copy, and calls-to-action (CTAs).

If you’re struggling to make your thank you page work for your visitors and website goals, check out these nine examples to get inspired.

Table of Contents

• What is a thank you page?
• What is the benefit of a thank you page?
• Thank You Page Examples

What is a thank you page?

A thank you page is what your customers and leads are redirected to immediately after completing a form or making a purchase on your web page.

Its primary purpose is to acknowledge the website visitor’s action, whether that’s a purchase, a sign-up, or a request for information.

While thank you pages perform a similar function to a confirmation email, viewers don’t have to choose to open it.

Think of a thank you page as both the last step in your conversion process and the first step for customer retention.

The thank you page presents a prime opportunity to turn a lead into a customer — or a customer into a brand advocate. The best way to do this? Make the next step(s) in the buyer or user journey:

• Obvious and clear.
• Immediate.
• Exciting or desirable.
• Value-driven.

This means clear and concise copy, good layout, and taking the opportunity to add value for your website visitors.

What is the benefit of a thank you page?

Think of it this way: You may never have an easier, more natural opportunity to give a customer something that pleasantly surprises them and precisely fits what they want.

How do you know what your customer wants? They just told you exactly what they want by following a CTA on your site.

After someone follows the CTA on a landing page, take them to step two in their journey before they click away. Show customers you’re ready to deliver value time and time again.

For instance, if a customer makes a purchase on your site, use the thank you page as an opportunity to add value through additional resources or content — which will build trust and delight customers.

Alternatively, you might use a form thank you page as an opportunity to provide leads with the next steps. If the lead downloaded a Social Media Calendar ebook, the thank you page can list out alternative social media resources you’d like to provide.

Thank You Page Examples

1. Contact Form Completion

Confirm to your customer that they completed their intended action successfully — and remind them what you will (and won’t) do with their information. Build trust and let them know you’re on their side.

Let consumers know you’re interested in delivering value … and won’t be emailing them just for the sake of it. While you have them engaged, take the opportunity to highlight what they can expect from speaking with you and what else you can offer them.

This is your best chance to convince consumers your brand is different, and it comes long before they run across one of your messages in their inbox.

Best Contact Form Completion Thank You Page

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Rocket Agency does an excellent job of reinforcing its brand, providing other offers, and highlighting its achievements with previous clients on the thank you page for their Contact Us form.

The page flawlessly mixes and matches valuable offers like a digital marketing guide and their ongoing podcast with social proof such as award wins, partners, and customer logos.

Best of all, they provide their direct phone number in case the visitor wants a faster touchpoint.

2. Resource Download Thank You Pages

You likely have an ebook or other lead generation downloadable sent automatically via email. However, it’s still best to offer a download link to the originally-requested item right on your thank you page, as well.

This can keep your customer engaged on your site and increase the likelihood they’ll open and engage with your materials right away. It also gives you the opportunity to continue nurturing them towards a higher-intent conversion action on the site.

Best Resource Download Thank You Page

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One of the best ways to extend the value of a content download is to combine it with your subscription process so you can continue nurturing your leads.

That’s exactly what Smart Passive Income does before leading you to a thank you page where you can access the resource you wanted to download.

The thank you page also welcomes you as a subscriber and fosters a sense of trust and community. Users can customize their content preferences according to their biggest challenges, download other relevant resources, and see upcoming events.

Most importantly, the page contains a CTA to purchase an all-access pass to Smart Passive Income’s extensive training material.

3. Purchase Confirmation Pages

The post-sale confirmation page is an often-missed opportunity to surface similar, related, or complementary products.

To increase effectiveness, you’ll want to customize these recommendations with an aligning offer — such as a coupon or a rewards program.

If customers can create an account on your site but also have the option of checking out as a guest, the confirmation page is a great opportunity to prompt a free account creation.

Best Purchase Thank You Page

Few companies can even begin to approach the level of customer data that Amazon collects, stores, and leverages across their businesses.

This quality of information — and the company’s essentially limitless supply of items and store listings — makes the purchase confirmation page incredibly effective (and, as a consumer, quite difficult to resist).

Amazon frequently uses its thank you page to encourage further purchases of related products or drive users to other offerings like Amazon Prime.

4. Appointments and Reservations

When you’ve got someone newly signed up for an appointment, the thank you page provides a ready-made opportunity to expand or extend the conversation with them.

Encouraging viewers to follow or engage with your organization on social media is a natural next step.

As your follower on social, they’ll get frequent reminders about your brand, including any specials or deals you have on offer. If you’re a business that relies on repeat custom, this is a huge win.

Best Thank You Page for an Appointment or Booking

OpenTable incentivizes users to download the app once they’ve made an appointment so they can track and modify changes from within the app itself.

The thank you page also includes helpful notes about what to know before arriving at the restaurant.

5. Account Creation Thank You Pages

This is a prime opportunity to usher your lead seamlessly into your onboarding or account setup process.

You’ll want to make it so easy they don’t even think about clicking away.

The thank you page for account creation provides an opportunity to move your new users a step or two along in the customer lifecycle and increase retention.

You can offer resources to guide them through your product or platform or provide prompts to fully complete their account set-up.

Best Account Creation Thank You Page

Backlinko goes above and beyond in laying out the next steps for their leads.

They’ve infused their page’s messaging with urgency, but also friendliness and approachability.

6. Donation Thank You Pages

A donor isn’t “buying” a product in the same way most other customers are, but they’re undoubtedly looking for some element of reassurance, affirmation, appreciation.

Or — at the very least — some confirmation that their contribution is making a positive impact and being well spent.

For nonprofits, political campaigns, and other donor-soliciting sites, use the thank you page to provide a window into each donation’s impact, right from the start.

Additionally, it never hurts if you can anticipate and answer questions about your efficacy before they’ve even asked.

Best Donor Thank You Page

Save the Chimps nails the impact of storytelling on their donor thank you page, putting the chimps — the organization’s beneficiaries — front and center.

7. Consultation Booking

Many businesses rely on an initial consultation with their prospective customers to seal the deal, whether the consultation will take place in-person or virtually.

From tattoo and beauty parlors to B2B marketing agencies, free consultations are an ideal lead magnet. The trick is to make sure your thank you page is effective at keeping your new prospect engaged so that they’ll show up for your consultation appointment.

Best Consultation Booking Thank You Page

Cayk uses an embedded form on their site so prospects can book a time and date that’s most convenient for them without waiting to hear back from a salesperson.

Once the appointment is confirmed, a thank you message is displayed along with reminders about what the prospect will gain from the meeting.

Cayk also takes the opportunity to highlight their value propositions and what sets them apart from competitors.

8. Newsletter Subscription Thank You Page

If someone decides to sign up for your newsletter, it’s likely you’ve already impressed them with the content and quality of your website and resources.

So, why leave a bad taste with a poor newsletter subscription experience?

A well-designed thank you page here can make sure your subscribers stay engaged, not just on the site at that moment, but with any subsequent content that lands in their inbox.

Best Newsletter Subscription Thank You Page

Consumer Reports does a fantastic job on the newsletter subscription process and the thank you page. Upon signing up, users can select exactly which topics are relevant to their interests to customize their newsletter experience.

Once that’s done, the site confirms the sign-up process is complete and presents visitors with relevant content to keep them browsing on the site.

9. Event Registration Confirmation

Whether you’re encouraging visitors to sign up for a webinar or an in-person event, your thank you page helps to set the tone of the event.

You can use the thank you page to set expectations, provide important details, and keep users engaged until the event itself rolls around.

Not only does this provide a great user experience, but it also increases the chance of the registrant showing up — a particularly relevant concern if your event is free to attend.

Best Event Registration Thank You Page

MarketingProfs runs a lot of virtual events and webinars as part of their content strategy. When users sign up for an event, they’re taken to a thank you page that confirms all the event details, including the price, start time, and duration.

Registrants can also use social and email buttons to share the event with friends and colleagues to help boost sign-ups even further.

MarketingProfs also takes the opportunity to provide some FAQs about the webinar experience, how to access the session, and what happens if a registrant misses the event.

Saying Thank You

Thank you pages let you express gratitude and show appreciation towards visitors who have taken action on your website.

By acknowledging their interest, you create a positive relationship with potential customers, increasing the chances of building long-term brand loyalty.

So, start expressing your thanks so you can feel the love long term.

The post 9 Thank You Page Examples to Improve User Experience appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Looking to grow your company’s reach? Education marketing is the answer. Here, you can grow demand for your product, services, or institutions as more people choose online education. The data speaks loudly: The global e-learning industry is set to reach $457.8 billion by 2026.

How do you develop your first education marketing campaign? How much money and time do you need to invest? What is the whole range of benefits?

In this guide, you’ll learn the fundamentals of education marketing. Understand the steps of building an education marketing strategy, as well as get actionable tips.

Table of Contents

• What is education marketing?
• Why education marketing is important?
• Building an Education Marketing Strategy
• 4 Tips for Education Marketing

What is education marketing?

Education marketing is the practice of promoting educational institutions, programs, products, or services to prospective students (aka clients), thus increasing student enrollment.

Let’s dive into an example. A nearby community college is seeking to increase the number of students enrolling in its vocational training courses, with a specific focus on healthcare programs. To achieve this, they create target ads, social media posts, and testimonials from past students who got rewarding careers.

Additionally, they host webinars and virtual open days to engage with prospective students and answer their questions by highlighting the high demand for healthcare professionals.

Note: Education marketing is often confused with education-based marketing. The latter is a specific marketing strategy used to educate potential customers on a particular topic by creating demand rather than directly pushing toward a sale.

Why Education Marketing Is Important

The online and offline education sectors are highly competitive. Here is why education marketing matters to stand out in today’s saturated market.

It boosts brand recognition.

Successful marketing campaigns lead to a strong and recognizable brand identity for educational institutions. They also have strong associations with specific qualities, values, and attributes.

An example may be a heartwarming welcome video, like one from Stanford.

It helps reach a broader audience.

Education marketing helps such institutions reach a broader and more diverse audience, including international students, non-traditional learners, and remote learners.

For example, non-traditional learners often require information about how the institution’s programs can fit into their busy lives and career aspirations. Effective marketing helps convey this information and demonstrates that the institution understands and supports its educational journey.

Invite world-known speakers to prompt students to enroll in the institutions. Here is the motivational speech from Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios.

Back in 2005, at Stanford University‘s 114th Commencement, he delivered a speech urging graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks.

It allows educators to learn about the needs of their students.

Education marketing is not only about students, their families, or institutions themselves. There are also other stakeholders, such as educators.

Katie Stoddard, a former educator turned education marketer, sees marketing as a key piece of the education ecosystem.

“In a world where decisions on instructional materials and professional learning largely happen due to past relationships, marketing is a way for educators to learn about other solutions and tools that meet the needs of their learners,” Stoddard says.

Stoddard is the founder and managing director at Ed2Market. She notes that marketing allows small companies to compete with the legacy providers in the space.

“And most importantly, it’s the start of the cycle that gets the absolute best products and services into classrooms across the globe,” she says.

It helps student families get involved.

Education marketing should cover any possible information that the students and families might need, showing them what their options are, what they can expect, and why they should pursue education at a given academic institution.

Students and their families can easily access information by reading testimonials, watching videos, or taking virtual tours. This is true at all levels of education — from elementary schools to universities to online academies.

According to the RNL’s latest report, parents preferred to get important information via email. The same report suggests that parents are open to getting emails from different universities if they contain the following information:

• Cost (tuition, accommodation, etc).
• Academics (programs, subject area info).
• Admissions requirements, deadlines, and timeline.

Building an Education Marketing Strategy

Here are six fundamental steps to build an effective education marketing strategy.

For each step, we’ve sourced real examples of campaigns.

1. Understand your target audience.

First, define your audience. In this case, decide who is receiving your educational offer. By this, we don’t simply mean prospective students.

Think about their families, too. Parents or relatives most often have the final say in their educational choices.

Have a clear understanding of the goals and expectations of both parties and make sure your educational offering is a great fit for them.

Pro tip: Conduct surveys and anonymous reviews to collect feedback on your target audience. What do they value, what factors impact their decision-making, and what expectations do they have from institutions?

Knowing the answers will help you find common ground to offer courses and programs that meet their needs.

2. Articulate your unique selling points.

Define what sets your educational institution or program apart.

Highlight your strengths, such as academic excellence, unique programs, experienced faculty, or special facilities. Recognize the qualifications and expertise of your faculty members.

For example, mention any faculty members or notable alumni who have received awards, grants, or recognition. If you possess modern facilities, laboratories, or other resources that provide exceptional learning opportunities, feature them prominently.

In the example below, Oregon State University uses pieces of concrete information to get visitors’ attention. The copy focuses on science and research.

The statistics further reinforce a positive impression.

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3. Choose social media channels to connect with the audience.

Social media channels are extremely popular among millennials and Generation Z, the members of your target audience.

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn are the most used social networks, each with its specific characteristics.

From the beginning, stick to 2-3 social media platforms where your audience spends most of their time. Make sure to keep consistency across all your social media channels.

Central Michigan University posted an emotional video on TikTok showing the graduation ceremony where the brother of one of the graduates surprisingly came to congratulate her sister.

The video generated more than 5.5 million views despite having just 14,000 followers.

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4. Roll out an email marketing campaign.

Education-related emails have an open rate of 35.42%, indicating that old-fashioned email marketing is still effective in education.

Create a monthly or quarterly newsletter communicating your institution’s most important activities. Each email should have a clear and compelling call to action (CTA), such as “Enroll Now,” “Learn More,” or “Register Today.”

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Use email automation tools to send targeted emails based on recipient actions, such as welcome sequences, nurturing campaigns, and event reminders.

Send follow-up emails, provide how-tos, tips, and tricks to engage with candidates, and nurture them through the enrollment or conversion process.

Pro tip: Use HubSpot’s FREE email tracking tool to get notifications as soon as someone opens your emails and keep an eye on their interactions.

Try our email software today.

5. Invest in digital advertisement.

Digital advertising will help you reach not only local but also international students who are interested in studying abroad or taking online courses.

Digital advertising platforms, such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, and social media ads, offer precise targeting options.

Set up advertising campaigns based on geographical, demographical, or interest-based targeting. Experiment with various ad formats, such as search, display ads, video, or social media ads.

In the image below, there are several search ad examples. All include the degree program as the title, as well as relevant CTAs prompting you to explore more.

6. Track the metrics and optimize.

Track the metrics to calculate the ROI of your marketing efforts. Understand what‘s working and what’s not so you can optimize your resources and use them wisely.

Depending on your objectives, the list of relevant metrics and KPIs may vary.

Tips for Education Marketing

How to succeed in education marketing? Here are a couple of actionable tips to implement in your education marketing campaigns.

1. Focus on informational content.

The key to educational marketing is to provide value at every stage. Identify the pain points and needs of your target audience throughout their user journey and create informational content around them.

The latest education marketing trends indicate that the most popular types of content include:

• Long-form articles.
• Case studies.
• Newsletters.
• Testimonials.
• Press releases.
• Checklists.
• Ebooks.
• Videos.
• Webinars.
• Podcasts.

Want an example?

At HubSpot, we built a comprehensive academy that provides teachers and university instructors with the opportunity to access inbound education marketing resources and sales training materials, such as guides, templates, ebooks, and webinars.

As members of the academy, educators can use HubSpot’s software for free and become part of a community.

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2. Use subject spotlights to let students try before they apply.

How do you make sure that prospective students have a good perception of their desired program? Subject Spotlights is the answer.

Created by Springpod, it provides an interactive, cinematic course taster experience, which enables institutions to attract, engage, and inform prospective students about their course offerings.

Using this tactic, you also spot courses with low interest to promote them more.

3. Leverage student reviews.

Actively solicit reviews from current and former students, parents, and alumni. Address both positive and negative reviews and identify areas for improvement.

Create engaging video testimonials featuring students, alumni, and faculty members sharing their experiences and success stories. Incorporate them into your marketing materials, such as brochures, website content, and social media posts.

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4. Grab students’ attention with events.

Host days where prospective students can explore your campus, interact with faculty and current students, and get a feel for the educational environment.

You can also create a community with past students and organize events such as yearly reunions. Invite renowned guest speakers, industry leaders, or alumni to share their experiences and insights with students.

Get creative and host career fairs to introduce students to potential employers, internships, and job opportunities. This is especially beneficial for higher education institutions.

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Here is a podcast from Education Marketer: Learn how to use events to grab students’ attention in detail.

Leverage Education Marketing to Maximize Your Institution’s Potential

Education marketing plays a pivotal role in the success and growth of educational institutions across all levels, from schools and colleges to universities and online academies.

To overcome shifts in student expectations, combine different education marketing strategies, gain insights, and optimize your campaigns accordingly.

The post The Complete Guide to Education Marketing appeared first on ProdSens.live.

A car fire ignited a viral marketing moment for the Stanley brand.

On November 15, TikTok user @danimarielettering posted a video showing the aftermath of her car catching on fire. Though the car was totaled, her Stanley Quencher tumbler was intact and still had ice in it.

The video quickly went viral and has gone on to rack up more than 84 million views.

Two days later, Stanley President Terence Reilly stitched Danielle’s original video offering to send her some new tumblers and to replace her car on behalf of the brand. This response has earned over 32 million views, quickly becoming the feel-good story of the season.

The comments to Reilly’s response are filled with praise for the brand, with TikTok users saying:

“This is awesome, definitely buying a Stanley now!”

“They responded, that’s freaking awesome. I’m gonna have to buy a Stanley now.”

“Do I need a Stanley, no. Am I going to buy one on principle now, yes.”

While the circumstances of this marketing moment are unusual, the Stanley brand is no stranger to TikTok virality.

Becoming a viral water bottle brand

Over the years there have been various trendy water bottle brands including S’well, Hydroflask, Yeti, and now Stanley.

The Stanley brand has been around for over 100 years and was best known for goods that could stand up to outdoor activities. However, the brand’s target demographic began to shift after the introduction of the Quencher tumbler in 2017.

That same year, bloggers behind The Buy Guide began sharing links to the Quencher introducing the cups to a new audience that wasn’t familiar with Stanley’s outdoorsy roots. However, in 2019 Stanley stopped listing Quenchers on its website to prioritize other products.

The Buy Guide founders felt there was a greater opportunity to market the tumblers to women, and worked with Stanley on a wholesale arrangement to begin selling the cups on their own site.

According to The New York Times, they quickly sold out of their initial run of 5,000 tumblers in 2019. The success of this initial run led the Stanley brand to reintroduce the Quenchers on the brand’s official site in 2020, offering more colors and an intentional influencer marketing strategy to attract more female customers.

These tactics worked. By 2022 Stanley tumblers continued to gain momentum on social media as the viral item to have and frequently sold out. Last year, sales for Stanley tumblers increased by 275%.

What began as an unfortunate accident, resulted in well over 100 million impressions and positive PR for the already social-savvy brand.

The post The Car Fire That Sparked Millions of Impressions for Stanley appeared first on ProdSens.live.