What is a website manager & why you need one

As a small business owner, does this quote sound familiar to you?:

“I didn’t understand the importance of maintaining my website and what was involved in it. I have resisted as I thought it was a waste of money and [my website] will manage itself because it is “technology”.”

You can’t blame yourself when you don’t know what you don’t know. Luckily, Karen found a website manager, and shares how this has made her more confident in her website:

“My website manager has taken the time, and patience, to help me understand what website management is and I can see the results… I understand that my website is NOT going to look after itself and needs some attention by an expert to keep it at the forefront…” – Karen Marner, HR Consultant

You don’t have to become a professional expert to make your website successful, but you should invest in having the support of one.

I reached out to Canadian business owners and asked them to share a little more about why they work with a website manager. Find out how website management contributes to their business’ growth through real-life examples!

What is a website manager?

A website manager is someone who maintains and monitors the health, security, technology, or content of a website, including the integrated third-party accounts and necessary configurations.

“I was looking to give myself more time to focus on running my *actual* business. I rely on my website to be my best point of contact for my clients and customers, and while I was curious, and believe in life-long learning, I just didn’t have the time to learn how to do all the things [that a website manager does].” – Lis Dam Lo, Science education facilitator

What is the role of a website manager in a small business?

A website manager helps small business owners by:

1. Monitoring the website for applicable security or functionality revisions,
2. Making sure the web server, website theme, and plugins are tested and updated,
3. Troubleshooting and finding a solution to any website issues as they arise,
4. Uploading content, media, and files, ensuring they are optimized and properly formatted, and
5. Acting as a technical contact for third-party service providers like domain registrars and hosting companies.

“I learned that having experts handle the parts of my business that are not in my wheelhouse is the best decision ever.” – Trina MacPhee, CEO, Principal Interior Design Consultant

What is a website content manager?

A website content manager is responsible for the graphics and copy that is populated and maintained on a website.

Website managers and website content managers can be two entirely different roles. In some of my client’s cases they are their own content managers.

While these individuals conceptualize, write, edit, and manage their own website content and blog posts, Website Managers then offer population and on-site optimization of this supplied content.

“I’d been fine updating content on my own, but had been extremely leery of messing with any of the features. One, I didn’t have the aptitude to work with the backend infrastructure tools; and two, I’d already “broken” at least one feature that I couldn’t seem to fix. Having a website manager means way more flexibility for my site, which in turn lets me explore more intuitive ways to express what I need, and an overall better fit for me in regards to website features.” – Sandra SG Wong, Author and Podcast Host

In some cases though, a website manager can be experienced and skilled in professional content management services. This often occurs because over the course of our careers we have to gain a great understanding of other areas of running a business, and work closely with:

• Copywriters and Copyeditors
• Marketers and Advertisers
• Web and Brand Designers and Creatives
• Developers and Programmers
• IT, Communications, and Project Managers

Those of us who are freelancers running our own businesses share the experience of needing these services ourselves; We learn a LOT along the way.

By increasing your monthly budget to account for things like content strategy, copywriting, or other creative proficiencies, you can leverage your website manager as a consultant too.

“I have the luxury of having someone on my team to whom I can say “I don’t know what went wrong, but I know it isn’t working right, so can you please make it work again?” – Lis Dam Lo

What is a website project manager?

A website project manager usually steps in before any phase of the website process begins. Unlike website managers a project manager may not have technical website experience, rather they are skilled in the organization, communication, record keeping, administration, and other non-technical aspects of managing any product or team.

I believe that a great website manager should also be a good project manager.

Managing the website is more than clicking an update button and reporting or fixing any nuances that happen to occur. Most of the soft-skills needed to be a resourceful and effective project manager transfer to website management.

“If we need a website as part of our professional careers or business, we need that website to run smoothly, to remain current and viable as needs change, and to stay secure. We each have knowledge and experience in our own areas of work, but if that work’s not in websites, then we need a website manager.” – Sandra SG Wong

Why business owners invest in website management

When I asked business owners why they invested in a website manager, these were the top 5 reasons they gave me:

1. Lightens the load, eases stress
2. Builds confidence
3. Saves time, and money overall
4. Keeps things running smoothly
5. Provides expertise

“Running a film festival is a huge task. With all the minute details that abound, having the support and expertise of a qualified website manager, makes all the difference. It lightens the load, lightens the stress, and builds confidence that our website is well-maintained and secure.” – Geraldine Carr, President & Festival Producer

A website manager lightens the load, and eases stress

When you are already being pulled in too many directions your website becomes a last-minute thought. Having someone you trust assigned to your website, keeping it a priority, and simply nudging you as needed can alleviate stress, and let you focus on what you do best.

“Having a skilled website manager gives me a level of confidence I hadn’t realized I’d been lacking with respect to my old site. Whenever I have questions about how, and whether or not, to add or delete a feature, or if I’m uncertain about best practices or broader web strategy, it’s a huge relief to be able to ask someone with expertise, whom I trust. That’s been the biggest, and most welcome, surprise.” – Sandra SG Wong

A website manager builds your confidence

There is a lot of advice out there, not all of it is going to apply to your website or your specific needs, but some of it will. A website manager can help you make the right decisions for your unique goals and purposes.

“My website has never had a major crash and any minor problems were fixed within a day (as opposed to weeks if I tried to do it myself). The time saved alone makes it all worthwhile.” – Marty Chan, Author and Presenter

A website manager saves you time, and money overall

You may have already learned this the hard way, but abandoning your website for extended periods of time without updates to the technical back-end or front-end content isn’t recommended.

Quite simply, it can leave your website in a vulnerable position in which you’re better off rebuilding it. And if search engines don’t crawl any recent updates they’ll likely stop ranking your site in their search results.

“Website management is like yearly furnace maintenance. When everything is running smoothly, you don’t think you need it. But your website manager is the reason why everything is running smoothly.” – Marty Chan

A website manager keeps things running smoothly, and provides expertise

WordPress releases core updates approximately 3-4 times a year, and minor security and maintenance updates as-needed, monthly at the very least.

“I looked for a website manager because I knew that building and maintaining my own website the way I wanted it to be was beyond my capabilities.” – Alicia Chantal, Editor, Proofreader, and Consultant

Open-source platforms like WordPress offer a lot of custom features by nature, allowing developers to release themes and plugins to the public directory or sell extended, licensed versions to consumers to install and implement on their own websites.

While integrating multiple tools provides an ideal, custom website experience, each instance of a WordPress application should be tested for compatibility issues that may occur after installation and activation.

“I looked for a website manager because I needed a website created and managed, and I did not have the skills, knowledge, or time to make one myself.” – Trina MacPhee

Would you recommend a website manager to someone you know?

When I asked Lis Dam Lo if she would recommend having a website manager to someone she knows, she answered,

“I would, and in fact, I have [recommended a website manager]. 

• If you need things to work, if you need someone who sees the bigger picture, and can give your website the flexibility it needs to grow and upgrade, you need a website manager. 
• If you need someone who knows what questions to ask when you say “I need a website”, you need a website manager. 
• If you want to learn a little about how the Web works, and how it can work for you, at a pace of your choosing, you need a website manager.”

Which companies offer website manager services in Canada?

If you’re looking for a Canadian company that offers website management services, BE3Designs has monthly WordPress Maintenance, Website Management, and Blog Management packages available for individuals, and small to medium businesses and organizations.

When you’re looking for a website manager consider these three things:

1. Time zones and availability,
2. Included services vs add-ons or extras, and
3. Account management options.

Here are some final tips to keep in mind when making your decision to work with a website manager:

Be honest with yourself about your website expectations and goals.

💡 Tip: Depending on your own schedule and priorities, working with a website manager in a different timezone could be beneficial. Communication can be maintained when it works for both parties, and updates could be reflected in off-hours or while you sleep.

However, if you are relying more on the consulting or training services that your website manager provides you may want to work with someone in the same area or timezone to better reflect your schedules.

💡 Tip: If you anticipate a lot of last-minute requests, short deadlines, or additional work completed in conjunction with your website requests, you may be better suited to work with an agency versus a freelancer. 

While it will be a higher expense to work with an agency, more than one individual will be responsible for services rendered, giving you more hands-on-deck to complete the work, faster.

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There are many influences to a website and you should be clear on what is included in your management contract.

💡 Tip: If you are comfortable updating your own website content, you could choose to work with a developer who will only manage the technical, back-end updates for you. However, your website manager’s expertise likely includes processes that make it worthwhile to have them manage your content too.

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A lot of people invest in a website manager to alleviate account management of the technical services or products they don’t particularly understand. You should both have sufficient records of any and all website-related accounts, credentials, expiration dates, and billing information. 

💡 Tip: A lot of service providers will allow you to assign team members or technical contacts to accounts that would enable your website manager to manage your account with their own credentials. If you part ways in the future, this will ensure you maintain control and ownership of your domain, hosting, and any affiliated accounts without having to track down who has the usernames and passwords.

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“I honestly didn’t expect the process of hiring a web manager to be so… personal. Over the years, [my website manager] has gotten to know me and my business and has been truly responsive to what I’ve needed. She just gets it. It’s wonderful to have someone who isn’t afraid to show personality, while still being professional, work on highly technical elements and make it look easy.” – Alicia Chantal