Website Maintenance: What Does it Take to Manage Your Website?

Every action has a beginning phase where you launch your activity, a middle period in which you must sustain and develop it and a conclusion. Many people set up a website enthusiastically but then they find that they don't have the skills or knowledge to maintain and develop it. So, what are the challenges in this middle phase of a website's life and how can you meet them?

Updating the site: The beauty of a website is that it is not static like a brochure or printed document. You can change it to reflect new products or new developments in your enterprise. You can launch new campaigns, and at any time you can add more content.

The problem for some companies and individuals is that after they have paid a good amount of money to have their site built, they do not have any personnel who can make changes to the website, such as adding new text or photos etc. One solution to this is to make sure you have a good maintenance plan included in the contract or agreement you make your with your web designer, so that minor changes can be made by your original designer

Another solution, and one that gives you more flexibility, is to train someone in your organization to be able to work with an html editor (like Frontpage, Dreamweaver, or other similar programs). While not everyone has the skills to design a site from scratch, someone who is able to use the normal word processing programs can learn how to modify text and upload files to the server.

Promoting the site: If you just sit on your hands you cannot expect your website to live up to its promise. Many web designers do not have a clue about things like search engine optimization or submission, and the new website owner is left with a nice looking site, but no traffic. Furthermore there are other website related promotional tasks such as reciprocal linking, newsletter editing and mailing list maintenance which do not fall into the duties normally performed by the site's original designer.

Once again check with your web designer or developer and see if they can perform any of these tasks economically or give you some help. If not, then some of these activities may have to be outsourced. Search engine optimization and submission, and even reciprocal linking, the activity of finding link partners, can be contracted from among the hundreds of companies offering such services.

You or a designated member of your staff can learn some of these tasks by reading online tutorials, e-books and newsletters (like this one!). Though this takes time, again it gives you flexibility and an ability to work at your own pace and within your budget.

Finally if you can't afford the outside services needed to maintain and develop the site, and if you are not sure how to train yourself or your staff, a third solution exists in the form of Ken Evoy's Site Build It (http://buildit.sitesell.com/webpromote2.html). In which powerful hosting, design, maintenance and promotional tools are provided along with step-by-step guidance enabling complete beginners to build, develop and manage effective websites.

Even before you start your website you should be thinking one step ahead, so that you can develop the site intelligently and vigorously, and ultimately be successful in your web project.

About The Author

Donald Nelson is a web developer, editor and social worker. He has been working on the Internet since 1995, and is currently the director of A1-Optimization (http://www.a1-optimization.com), a firm providing low cost search engine optimization, submission and web promotion services.

support@a1-optimization.com

---

Offshore Web Design and Development - Use Great Opportunities

Sooner or later every small or medium business owner realizes... Read More

How To Make It Easy For Your Web Designer To Build Your Website

You have an idea for a website and you are... Read More

Website Background Colors and Graphics: What You Need to Know Before Designing Your Website

Designing your website means you have to be creative, plan... Read More

Tips for a Successful Website for Any Organization, NGO or GO

Most NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) don't understand these important aspects of... Read More

10 seconds is all it takes? (How to grab the attention of your audience with your web site)

FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off... Read More

Designing Your Web Site For ALL Browsers

Let's face it. Building a web site that browses consistently... Read More

Is Your Site Too Slow? Why Image Optimization Is Critical

Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Increase Web Sales - Part 1

You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More

Custom Icons For Your Specific Brand

Developing a software application is not easy at all; apart... Read More

Tableless Web Designs: Why I Switched

Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a... Read More

Website Maintenance: What Does it Take to Manage Your Website?

Every action has a beginning phase where you launch your... Read More

Using Graphic Design on Your Website

Almost everything is available on the web? products, services, e-books,... Read More

Simple Lines and Shapes for Your Logo Design

Geometric designs come in all shapes and sizes? and lines.... Read More

Service Professions: Does Your Website Follow These 5 Simple Rules For Getting More Clients?

There are literally thousands of different options, styles and formats... Read More

Website Design Firm

Website design firms come in all shapes and sizes.When choosing... Read More

Why Ugly Sites Sell More Than Pretty Ones

What the heck is going on lately? Most internet websites... Read More

Content - the Key to Long Term Success

Every day internet marketers are inundated with the latest fad... Read More

Make Artistic Graphic Designs

Are you a student of graphic design? If you have... Read More

404 Error - The Page Cannot be Found

A "404 Error" happens when the web server you are... Read More

How To Create A Stunning Drop Capital Effect On Your Web Pages

Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More

How to Convince Your Visitors to Return Often

One visit does not make a sale. Be sure to... Read More

Explode Your Homepage And Replace It With Something Dynamite!

You know that I'm always extolling the virtues of an... Read More

Give Your Web Site a Small Business Marketing Tune Up

Your web site is like your car. Both are significant... Read More

10 Things All Webmasters Should Know

Geared Up with a website and lots of energy to... Read More

Web Design - 7 Key Things to Avoid

A search for "web design" on Google returns more than... Read More

Professional Web Design Companies - How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off

Building a website that is exactly what you want and... Read More

Why Web Pages Appear in the Wrong Location after Uploading to my Website?

If your are a new web designer, you may face... Read More

Web Production And Design Tips

You have identified that to have an internet prescence would... Read More

Orient Your First-time Web Site Visitor

Imagine spinning someone around so profoundly and for so long... Read More

Website Design: Secrets Of Professional Website Designers Revealed

What colors do you have at your website?Can they make... Read More

Keyword Density

We can't emphasize enough the importance of including keyword-rich content... Read More

Make Your Site Quick To Load!

The time it takes to load your site can make... Read More

How a Custom Designed Website Can Help Your Business

Over the years, the internet has grown into a marvelous... Read More