A website administrator, also known as a webmaster, is responsible for the upkeep and technical support of a company’s website. His responsibilities usually include working with the website’s programming as well as the organization of text and multimedia files in order to maintain an appealing and up-to-date presentation of information. To be considered for this position, candidates must be fluent in HTML and other popular computer programming languages, as well as be able to deploy web-based applications, databases, and content management systems.
Because of the popularity of the Internet among consumers, every business and organization that interacts with the public must have a website. Websites, as important as they have become, remain on the outskirts of a company’s core business. Because the site required computer programming and graphics skills that were not part of the typical administrative skill set, companies had to create a staff position to develop and manage it. The position of website administrator was created to serve as the point person for managing this company asset.
Websites are made up of three parts: programming, which makes the pages work, graphic design, which makes the site appealing, and content, which provides the information that drives traffic to the site. As a creative project, companies usually hire a website design firm to build the site from the ground up. Once the site is up and running, a qualified staff member is usually assigned to serve as the website administrator, providing ongoing technical support and updating content as needed.
Webmasters are also usually in charge of providing some level of website customer service. When a visitor encounters a technical issue, the website administrator is frequently contacted to determine the source of the issue. Some companies also require the webmaster to manage the site’s forums and bulletin boards, thereincreasing his public interaction. When given this responsibility, he acts as the forum moderator, ensuring that public activity adheres to the company’s terms of service.
Site security is another important aspect of a website administrator’s responsibilities. The webmaster collaborates with a company’s technology department to ensure that customer data collected via the website is handled and stored safely. For companies that use their website for e-commerce activities, this is a critical component of the job.
Analytics is becoming a more important part of a website administrator’s job. Websites have evolved into the focal point of a company’s public relations efforts. The types of visitors who frequent the site, what they are interested in, and how often they visit are all valuable pieces of information. Webmasters are typically in charge of gathering this data using traffic-statistics applications and presenting the results to management for strategic planning purposes.