October 12, 2009 – The talk on the street these days is the hectic pace of life here in the Nation’s capital, now that the Fall season is in full swing. It’s well known that Washington has among the worst traffic in the nation, the most pressured school children, and the most stressed-out professionals struggling to keep up with their Twitter, text messages and Internet. Is it any wonder that the French are ranked #7 in the world for life expectancy, while the U.S. comes in at #35?
Sure, red wine can help, but that won’t clear the inbox or fix your website. Here at J Street we are finding more companies and associations feeling tremendous pressure to stay on top of their web presence. Instead of a labor saving tool, owners and executives are finding their website is a constant chore. “24/7” doesn’t just refer to customer accessibility – those are now your working hours. For some – particularly membership based organizations - the Internet has become an unruly beast that must be fed.
The challenge is not so much in finding or creating content. Web designers are available. And, websites rarely “go down” for hours on end, as they did a decade ago. It is the management of the process of web development and content creation that business leaders are finding so hard to control.
One executive recently said “I feel like the website is now controlling us. We were an events driven organization for years, but now the web has become THE event. If it’s not on the website, right now and done right, then as far as our members go, it doesn’t exist.”
We have found the key to staying ahead is to first recognize the problem – and the realities – of Internet management today. Professionals (trained, and continually updated) need to be brought in to manage a website of more than 50 pages. The more individuals in the organization, the more a professional staff is required. So a large organization with a website of 40 pages may need several “web masters” just as a small shop with a 500-page online retail presence needs a cadre of experts.
Secondly, a “webmaster” may no longer be the right position. A web editor or “managing editor” is a more accurate job title. The managing editor produces and checks content, coordinates information gathering, and ensures timely and accurate postings from all departments. This is a senior position, managing and coordinating other staff who are developing original content. The technical position of web design and IT support is a more junior, supporting, role.
Finally, posting to the web is not enough. Even small organizations need to think about tracking results. Beyond search engine optimization (SEO), there are tools to help understand better what your members or customers read, what they like, and what works for your bottom line. There are a number of commercially available services to help refine your approach to Internet offerings.
It’s not about the web, and it’s not so much about the content. The right direction lies in focusing on the management of your team, and the strategic organization you set to meet your goals.
Of course, once your Internet organization is complete, a little red wine for your web team couldn’t hurt.
Jim Wolfe
J Street Consulting
CEO & Founding Partner
