Who is the Website Manager and What Do They Do?

By Chrissy Clary

Prior to developing a new website it’s important for leadership to devote adequate, professional resources to the project. “The Internet is by far the most important medium for consumers, but companies continue to underinvest in their online marketing efforts (Digital influence Study, 2008).”

In Production:

During the development of a site a skilled manager will act as liaison to the IT department as the team develops the site architecture and physically constructs the site.

To supervise this aspect of the project the site manager must have a strong understanding of the technical aspects of web development, site usability and search engine optimization practices.

Content Management:

Once site construction is complete the site manager’s role may change to content manager. Much like a managing editor in a newspaper newsroom, the site manager will decide what stories should be featured and promoted.

To perform this function the site manager will need to have strong writing and editing skills, and a good sense for what stories are timely and newsworthy.

Site monitoring: 

The site manager will also shoulder the responsibility for monitoring the success of the site using metrics. Metrics will indicate the amount of traffic on a site or a particular page of a site, and the flow of users as they use the site. Monitoring site metrics will assist the manager in identifying areas needing process improvements. Low metrics can indicate that the site has poor usability, bad content or is being inadequately marketed.

The site manager will need to have a strong understanding of web analytics, what the numbers indicate and how to make technical or content adjustments as necessary.