I’ve seen thousands of site migrations go sideways because of one thing: poor project coordination.
Site migrations and other WordPress projects usually suffer from the same core issue: scattered communication and missing steps.
A migration might involve developers, designers, clients, hosting providers, and sometimes third-party services. Without clear coordination, critical steps get missed.
We’ve worked with agencies managing hundreds of client sites. The successful ones all share something in common: they keep everything in one organized system.
Web project management tools are your insurance policies for complex projects. For this post, I’ve reviewed the best options for you!
Here are the key takeaways:
- Poor coordination kills WordPress projects: Scattered communication and missed steps derail site migrations more than technical issues
- Web project management tools solve three main problems: Lack of task clarity, poor client communication, and reinventing workflows for each project
- Recommended project management tools: Asana (complex dependencies), Monday.com (multiple projects), Atarim (visual collaboration), Basecamp (client communication), Trello (simple entry point), Notion (custom systems)
- Key benefits: Single source of truth, automated task tracking, consistent client experiences, and reusable project templates
- Time investment: 4-6 hours to set up proper templates pays for itself after 2-3 projects
Table of Contents
Think of a web project management tool as mission control for your WordPress projects.
Instead of juggling emails, Slack messages, shared Google Drives, and sticky notes on your monitor, everything lives in one central hub. Your tasks, files, client feedback, deadlines, and team conversations all exist in the same space.
This is about being organized and creating a single source of truth.
When a client asks, “What’s the status of the homepage redesign?” you don’t have to dig through email threads from three weeks ago. When your developer needs the latest logo files, they don’t have to interrupt your design call.
When you’re planning a site migration, every stakeholder can see exactly which steps are complete and which are still pending.
A good project management tool replaces the chaotic mix of communication channels that cause projects to derail. It becomes the one place where your entire team (and your clients) can get accurate, up-to-date information about any project.
From our experience supporting thousands of WordPress professionals, three problems kill more projects than technical issues ever will. Good project management tools will solve them.
Problem #1: Clarity (or the lack of it)
Who’s responsible for updating the privacy policy? Did someone test the contact forms on mobile? Is the staging site ready for the client to review?
Without clear task ownership and status tracking, critical work gets missed.
We’ve seen entire site launches delayed because everyone assumed someone else was handling the SSL certificate. A project management tool makes it impossible for tasks to fall into the void between team members.
Problem #2: Poor Client Communication
Email is where good feedback goes to die.
A client sends design changes via email. You forward it to your designer. The designer asks clarifying questions in Slack. You screenshot the Slack conversation and email it back to the client.
Three weeks later, nobody remembers which version of the logo the client actually approved.
Project management tools keep client feedback attached to the specific task or deliverable. When the client comments directly on the header design task, there’s no confusion about context.
Problem #3: Reinventing the Wheel
Every WordPress project follows roughly the same pattern: discovery, design, development, testing, and launch. Yet you might start from scratch each time, trying to remember all the steps that made your last project successful.
Project templates change everything. Once you build a master workflow for WordPress projects, you can duplicate it for every new client.
New team members can see exactly what needs to happen and when. Clients get consistent, professional experiences. You stop forgetting to back up databases before major changes.
We’ve tested dozens of project management tools for our own projects and through feedback from the agencies we work with. These consistently deliver postitive results for WordPress professionals.
- Asana: Best for complex project dependencies and timeline management; ideal for site migrations with sequential tasks
- Monday.com: Perfect for agencies managing multiple simultaneous projects with powerful automation features
- Atarim: Visual collaboration tool where clients click directly on sites to leave feedback
- Basecamp: Simple, client-friendly interface prioritizing communication over advanced features
- Trello: Easy Kanban boards perfect for freelancers and small teams wanting immediate setup
- Notion: Highly customizable “digital LEGOs” for teams willing to invest time building custom workflows
Asana excels when your WordPress projects have complex dependencies, which most do.
The Timeline view can save countless headaches during site migrations. You can see immediately that “Database Migration” must complete before “DNS Update” can begin, and “DNS Update” must finish before “SSL Certificate Installation” can start.
When one task runs late, Asana automatically adjusts all dependent tasks. This dependency tracking is crucial for WordPress projects where sequence matters.
You can’t test the contact forms before the developer installs the plugin. You can’t launch the site before the client approves the final design. Asana makes these relationships visual and automatic.
The free tier handles up to 10 team members, making it accessible for small agencies. The interface takes some learning, but once your team adapts, the structured approach prevents the confusion that derails projects.
Monday.com calls itself a “Work OS,” and that description fits. It’s built for agencies managing multiple projects simultaneously.
The dashboard view is where Monday.com shines. You can see every active project, its current status, upcoming deadlines, and team workload at a glance. You won’t have to worry if a team member is overloaded with three site launches this week while another person sits idle.
The customization options are extensive. You can create automations like “When task status changes to ‘Client Review,’ send notification to client and move due date forward by 3 days.” These automations have eliminated manual follow-up work for agencies we know.
Atarim is purpose-built for teamwork, and it shows.
With Atarim, clients can click directly on a live staging site to leave feedback. Click on an element, leave a comment, and Atarim automatically creates a task assigned to the appropriate team member.
This eliminates vague feedback that kills productivity. Instead of “the blue section needs work,” you get “make the testimonials section background darker” with the exact location marked.
Atarim also includes basic project management features like task boards, time tracking, and client portals. It’s not as feature-rich as dedicated PM tools, but the visual collaboration makes it valuable for agencies focused exclusively on website projects.
Basecamp prioritizes simplicity and client communication over advanced project management features.
Each project gets its own space with different tools, including a message board, real-time chat, task lists, calendar, and documents. It’s all in one place, so you won’t get lost in feature complexity.
You’ll see recent activity for the project. This will keep everyone on the same page.
The client experience is Basecamp’s strength. Clients receive a single login that gives them access to all their projects, messages, files, and schedules. However, you can also limit what they see if you need to.
Trello remains the best entry point for WordPress freelancers who need something simple that works immediately.
The Kanban board system (cards moving through columns) matches how most people naturally think about project progress. They can see their project moving through stages without needing training or extensive explanations.
Trello’s limitations become apparent with complex projects or larger teams. There’s no native time tracking, basic reporting, and limited automation options.
But for solo freelancers or small teams managing straightforward WordPress projects, Trello gets you organized without the learning curve.
Notion is digital LEGOs for project management—you build exactly the system you want.
We’ve seen agencies create comprehensive project dashboards in Notion that include the client brief, wireframes, design files, development notes, plugin databases, task boards, and launch checklists all on interconnected pages. Everything links to everything else.
The flexibility is both Notion’s strength and weakness. You can create a project management system perfectly tailored to your WordPress workflow, but it requires significant upfront investment to build and maintain your setup.
Notion works best for teams with someone who enjoys building systems and can dedicate time to creating templates. Once built, these custom systems often outperform generic project management tools for specific workflows.
The learning curve is steep, but the payoff is a project management system that works exactly how you think.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much time should I spend setting up project templates?
Plan to invest 4-6 hours creating your first solid WordPress project template. This includes mapping your typical workflow, creating task dependencies, setting up automation rules, and testing with a real project. The time investment pays for itself after 2-3 projects when you stop forgetting steps and clients start receiving more consistent experiences.
Can these tools help with ongoing WordPress maintenance, not just new projects?
Absolutely. Many agencies use project management tools for maintenance workflows: monthly security updates, content updates, plugin management, and client check-ins. Create recurring task templates for routine maintenance and use the same client communication features for ongoing work. This ensures maintenance doesn’t become forgotten or inconsistent.
Build Better WordPress Sites with Smarter Project Management
The WordPress projects that succeed aren’t necessarily the most technically complex; they’re the most organized.
Project management tools replace chaos with clarity. They turn scattered communication into focused action. They give your team documented decisions and clear next steps.
Whether you choose Asana’s dependency tracking, Trello’s visual simplicity, or Notion’s infinite customization, the tool matters less than the commitment to organized project management. Pick one, build your workflow, and stick with it.
Professional project management leads to better websites, happier clients, and more profitable projects.
Speaking of professional workflows—WordPress project management should include organized site migrations and backups. When you’re ready to add drag-and-drop migrations, one-click restores, or cloud storage to your site, take a look at what Duplicator Pro can do.
While you’re here, I think you’ll like these other hand-picked resources:
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.
