A web manager, whether male or female is the person responsible for maintaining, designing or developing a website. The specific definition of this position can vary depending on the area in which the person is designated to work. For example a web manager could be assigned to work strictly on the content of a website, while another is in charge of the operation, programming and maintenance of the website. A web manager can have many responsibilities including increasing the websites authority via proper search engine optimization and marketing. Depending on the size of a website and the responsibilities involved the seasoned web manager can handle all the essential responsibilities of managing a website themselves or they may employ others to handle the daily tasks required so they may focus on the important ones.
Please note that there is a difference between a webmaster and web manager. The main difference is that a webmaster could be the owner of the website and would essentially hire a web manger to manage their websites. A webmaster is usually responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the web server and hosting. A web manger’s tasks involve everything that is not server or hosting related, that pertains directly to the management of the website itself and its progress online. Although a webmaster could also be a web manager of their own website, for the purpose of this article we will separate the web manager from webmaster.
The first web mangers in 1989 with the advent of the world wide web were system admins who had the knowledge to code in html. However as the internet grew, the role of the web manager adopted new responsibilities which were not so technical in execution and were more content related. In recent years the function of the web manager has changed to generating content, performing optimization tasks to a website in order to rank higher on organic searches and in turn make the website more profitable. Now days the creation of a website has become something a 10 year old can do with the help of content management systems (CMS). Although the design and development of a website can be part of a web manager’s role it is becoming increasingly less and less.
Tasks of a Website Manager
A web manager’s responsibilities are defined by the amount of work assigned, and by the knowledge they possess. For the sake of discussion lets call this Full website management and Partial website management. A full website manager would have in depth knowledge of almost every aspect of managing a website, from the hosting and server management to designing and development and content management and search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing (SEM). Where as partial website management would include only a few of those things, usually one or two at best. It would be a focused effort on a particular aspect of web management.
The work of a web manager is multidisciplinary due to the large number of tasks performed and the complexity of the skills to execute. That being said it is very important to constantly be up to speed on current trends and training. There are some basic points that all web managers should know to do a better job. A webmaster should develop skills in problem analysis, have a capacity for abstract reasoning, creative visioning and problem solving. A web manager does not require great mathematical ability, but it is very useful to have some ability to analyze and solve problems. A great web manager should be a master of developing content and have some graphic design skills. Another great skill for a web manager to have is the ability to communicate with the owner of the website in a clear, concise and most of all honest manner.
Hiring a skilled and experienced web manager can help any website grow in size, authority and popularity. This becomes a great asset to any small or large organization because the world is online today and any business that doesn’t get online is missing out on a majority of its prospective customers. It’s not enough just to build a website, you have to manage it like a normal day to day business. Completing daily or weekly essential tasks, such as site updates and backups. That’s where having those mentioned skills above would come in very handy. Anyone who has launched a website from scratch and maintained and improved it for a period of at least one year will tell you it’s a lot of work.
Good web managers should always follow a code of ethics. They should show respect for their profession and industry by providing honest service and ethical practices in terms of search engine marketing. Build an ongoing relationship of trust and goodwill with users of their services with balance, restraint and constructive cooperation. Have a work ethic in the most structured and competent approach as possible when requesting a professional service or seeking employment. Protect the intellectual property of others relying on them. Rely on their own efforts and innovation capabilities, ensuring that the benefits are granted to their employer. Always work with your development team if you have one and coordinate the views of the company.
WEB MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES
A web manager has one of the most stressful responsibilities. At times running a website can be like running a business and at times it is exactly like running a business. Many seasoned web managers know where to outsource their work and where their direct input is needed and can manage the daily operations of a website smoothly. The key point here to realize is the value of hiring a web manager for any business can be huge, especially if your business relies on a strong online presence. Even if you business doesn’t rely on a heavy online presence a good website manager can build your authority online tapping into the online pool of prospective customers. Either way you look at it the position of a web manager is starting to become more and more of an essential service these days.
To learn more about hiring a web manager contact us at info@repeatbusinesssolutions.com or go directly to our contact page here.