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A quick and dirty guide to website management

January 8, 2009 · 1 comment

Quick and dirty guide to website managementWebsite management is not just about what happens to your website once you launch it.

To build a website you can manage easily and affordably, website management needs to be taken into consideration before your site is even built.

If you’ve been following along with my website planning series of posts, you’ll already have a good idea of what your website is going to do, and who it’s going to do it for, so planning your website management should be pretty easy.

Research now or pay later

When you’re about to embark on your new Internet venture, ask your web designer to answer these questions:

  1. Who’s going to update my website once it’s built?
  2. Is there a content management system with my website to let me manage the site myself?
  3. Is the design of the site modular? Will we be able to add new bits to it as the site evolves?
  4. If there is a content management system running my website, how easy is it to use? Can you show me how easy it is to add/edit/remove a page, insert content and images, or make changes to the site’s design?
  5. How much do you charge per hour for website maintenance and how long would it take you to insert a piece of content?
  6. What’s your turnaround time if I send you website updates to be done?
  7. Who is going to be in charge of Search Engine Optimisation when the site is built? And how long is it going to take to see decent results?
  8. Will you provide us with analytics reports each month? How about a report showing the number of RSS subscribers or email subscribers to the site?
  9. And my all-time favourite question: What happens if you get run over by a bus? Will another designer be able to manage the site? What server-side language are you planning to use? (once you know the answer to this, do a Google search for e.g. freelance PHP coder. If you get decent results, you’re OK).

At the same time, you should discuss the website with your partners, your staff or your boss to decide:

  1. Who is responsible for the website?
  2. What is our annual budget for website management?
  3. What is the primary objective of the website (the one thing that matters above all else)?
  4. Who is the primary contact person for website enquiries? And how quickly will you respond to enquiries? (quick tip: respond within an hour. You’d be amazed at how a quick response impresses potential customers).

Moral of the story: You should be spending good money on website development. A well thought out website can work for you for years to come with nothing more than a few cosmetic changes once in a while. Rather than taking your web developer’s word for it, research your requirements, speak to other web developers or speak to me. A few hours now will save you money later.

What has your website done for you lately?

October 7, 2008

This rather short post isn’t directly related to website management, but it might just get you thinking about the opportunities your online business is missing out on.

In the past 6 months I’ve used my website to:

  1. Build a client base. 6 months ago I started from scratch with a new direction and a new target market. I’m making money, even when I’m on holiday.
  2. Help people grow their own businesses. I don’t take this lightly. People put their trust in me and I do my best to make sure I don’t let them down.
  3. Build a database of subscribers. It’s not huge, but I now have the ear of some good people who actually care about what I have to say.
  4. Prove to 2 web design companies that I can manage their client websites on their behalf. This brings me some additional income without any marketing costs.
  5. Get a couple of Google #1 rankings. Which in turn bring me more traffic. Which in turn cuts my marketing costs even further.
  6. Meet some really interesting people. You know who you are.
  7. Get back in touch with some old friends. This hasn’t helped my business directly, but I suspect something interesting is about to happen.
  8. Get hired as a WordPress consultant.
  9. Learn a lot about what I do for a living, all while getting paid.

Obviously my business goals are different from yours, but without this website I’d be spending a lot of time cold-calling and a lot of money on advertising.

So ask yourself, what has your website done for you in the past 6 months? If you can’t list any important achievements, it may be time to hire a professional.

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