Web management, website solutions, web content management, website maintenance, CMS – when it comes to website management a lot of different terms are used to explain the services that exist to maintain your website.

For small and medium businesses, the question of whether you should manage your own website or employ a professional website management service to do it for you can seem complex.

Like any innovation in technology that takes the world by storm, websites have evolved quickly from a reference tool filled with text to an interactive form of entertainment. Once simply comprising text about one subject, websites today are busy hubs of multiple activities.

According to theguardian.com: ‘a good website has great content, is regularly updated, intuitive, easy to use, and, ideally, has a good visitor-customer conversion rate. However, many businesses struggle to build and maintain a successful website, because they lack the knowledge required.’ 

Any aspect of business needs to be effectively managed and maintained with expertise and passion – your online business is the same. Without proper maintenance, your online business will not survive. The skills that it takes to manage an online business are varied and demanding, an ever-changing landscape it requires time, expertise and technical know-how.

Let’s have a look at what website management is and how it can help your business.

What is website management?

Just like a manager of a physical business, a website manager is a manager of an online business. Neither a physical manager, or a website manager own the website, instead they are employed by the website owner to maintain the website.

In the same way that a physical shop or service needs to be looked after, the maintenance of a website involves looking after every aspect of your website to ensure that it continues to run smoothly.

So your website manager will look after the inner workings of your site, such as website ranking, updates, SEO optimisation, back ups, website speed, errors, testing, coding, troubleshooting that sort of thing – all the technical tasks that need specialist knowledge of I.T.

As an owner of a physical business, you would expect your manager to do more than just keep the premises of your business in good working order, you would expect your manager to make sure that your business: attracts new customers, creates an outstanding experience for visiting customers, keeps your business looking attractive etc.

The expectations for website management are exactly the same. Your website manager will make sure that your website is: attracting new online customers, providing an outstanding experience for existing customers and continues to look appealing.

These tasks are defined as growing your online traffic, appealing to your target audience and maintaining your web content.

What are website or web solutions?

Additionally, they will solve any problems related to your business – for your web manager, these are your website or web solutions.

What is a web content manager?

Everything that the customer sees is called the content of the website. Working in the CMS software (the website content management system software, such as WordPress) A website manager will look after all of the content of your website for you, so that it is appealing, up to date, interesting, accurate and fresh for every customer that visits.

A couple of decades ago, a website contained text, today websites are multi-purpose centres of entertainment containing: copywriting, images, videos, links, backlinks, social media buttons, reviews, comments, blogs, communities, online stores, downloads, ebooks, webinars, email sign-ups, newsletters and so much more.

All of this content needs to be created, uploaded, maintained, edited, updated and refreshed by the content manager.

Content without any visitors is obviously pointless. You wouldn’t build a physical store and not expect any customers. Therefore a content manager will also do all of the work that is required to gain and keep your target audience.

From advertising to email marketing, growing your traffic, branding and networking with your customers, your content manager will do everything that is needed to ensure that your online business flourishes and grows.

Can I manage my website myself or do I need to employ a website manager?

Like any decision involving delegation, it is a question of time and knowledge.

Do you have the time and expertise to create, upload, edit, update and refresh all of the different content, advertising, networking and maintenance that is required to manage the contents of a website and run all of the other aspects of your business?

Can you keep up with the constantly evolving world of website management?

For most businesses today, the answer is no. Without up-to-date, fresh, relevant content and consistent initiatives to grow and maintain your website traffic, your website and online business will fail.

Therefore most businesses today, employ a website manager to manage their website properly because the mammoth range of tasks and pace of change has simply become too big.

Whether you decide to employ a website manager or manage your website yourself, website management is central to the existence of your online business. The purpose of the role is to ensure that your online business remains successful and continues to grow.

How do you manage your website? Do you employ a web content manager or a website management service? Tell us – we would love to know!