Webmaster

For the Danish cyberpunk comedy film from 1998, see Webmaster (film). For the athletic teams of the University of Cebu, see UC Webmasters.

Definition

A webmaster is a person responsible for maintaining one or more websites. The title may refer to web architects, web developers, site authors, website administrators, website owners, website coordinators, or website publishers.

History

The term "webmaster" originated in the early days of the World Wide Web in the 1990s. It was coined to describe individuals who were responsible for creating and managing websites. The word "web" refers to the internet, while "master" implies authority and control over a particular domain.

The use of the term "webmaster" was popularized during the dot-com boom in the late 1990s, when businesses and organizations began to create their own websites. The role of the webmaster at that time was primarily technical, with responsibilities such as coding, testing, and debugging websites.

As the internet evolved, the role of the webmaster expanded to include a wider range of responsibilities, such as web design, content creation, search engine optimization, and website security. Today, the term "webmaster" is still used to describe individuals who are responsible for maintaining one or many websites.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a webmaster may vary depending on the organization, but typically include:

• Web development: A webmaster is responsible for developing and maintaining the technical aspects of a website. This includes coding, testing, and debugging. They may also be responsible for integrating third-party tools and applications.

• Web design: A webmaster is responsible for creating and maintaining the visual elements of a website. This includes the layout, color scheme, typography, and images.

Content addition: A webmaster is responsible for publishing website content. This includes adding text, images, and multimedia.

• Website security: A webmaster is responsible for ensuring the security of a website. This includes implementing security measures to prevent unauthorized access and protecting against malware and other security threats.

More specific duties of a webmaster may include:

• Creating, editing, and publishing content on the website, either independently or with other content creators
• Content placement
• Managing a website's appearance, user access rights, and navigation
• Ensuring that the web servers, hardware and software are operating correctly
• A/B testing
• Analysing traffic through the site
• Ensuring the website is up to date and functioning correctly, e.g. installing updates, fixing bugs and errors, and optimizing performance
• Optimizing the website's content and structure to improve its ranking in search engines (SEO), e.g. keyword research, link building, and optimizing meta tags and titles
• Keeping the site secure, e.g. installing security software, monitoring for threats, and implementing practices for data protection
• Analytics, e.g. monitoring the website's traffic and performance to make informed decisions about its content
• Customer support, e.g. troubleshooting any issues that users may be experiencing.

Due to the RFC 822 requirement for establishing a "postmaster" email address for the single point of contact for the email administrator of a domain, the "webmaster" address and title were unofficially adopted by analogy for the website administrator. RFC 2142, which turned this common practice into a standard.

Qualifications

Webmasters typically have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, although some may have relevant work experience or certifications. They may be generalists with HTML expertise who manage most or all aspects of web operations. Depending on the nature of the websites they manage, webmasters may be required to know scripting languages such as ColdFusion, JavaScript, JSP, .NET, Perl, PHP, Python and Ruby. They may also need to know how to configure web servers such as Apache and be a server administrator. Most server roles, however, would be overseen by an IT Administrator. They should also have excellent communication skills, as they may need to work with stakeholders, such as content creators, designers, and marketers.

Similar Job Titles

“’Website administrator’ is responsible for the day-to-day management and maintenance of a website. This includes managing user accounts and permissions, troubleshooting technical issues, and ensuring the website is up-to-date and functioning properly. With similar tasks as a webmaster, a website administrator typically has less technical expertise and focuses more on the administrative aspects of website management.”

“’Website manager’, on the other hand, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of a website, including content development, website design, and website maintenance. While website managers may have some technical expertise, their role is more focused on strategy and planning than hands-on website management. These are typically better to have in-house to create a content strategy that stays consistent with up-to-date information, programs and messaging.”

In-house or Outsource

Depending on the size of a company, its budget and its website's needs, either an in-house webmaster fully dedicated to your site or a third-party vendor who manages multiple clients' websites can be hired.

In-house:

• greater control over development
• webmaster solely familiar with site, company's culture and goals
• regularly reports on site's status
• full or part-time employee

Outsource:

• use as needed
• more cost-effective than full or part-time employee
• offers the same skill set

Ultimately, the decision to hire an in-house webmaster or outsource webmaster responsibilities depends on the organization's goals, budget, and resources.

See also

• Chief web officer
• Database administrator
• Postmaster (computing)
• Web design