Why do I need a webmaster?
Being involved in an Internet business for quite sometime, I
have had many instances where I need to explain to a client why
exactly it is that they require a webmaster or web maintenance
and I'd like to put it into simple terms which are easy to
understand.
I get this question so often, "Why do I need a webmaster?"
If you are running an online business there are a few things you
need to understand. Once you begin to add functionality to a
website, it becomes more of a responsibility and a worry than
your ordinary website in HTML. As soon as you start adding
programming to your site in php, asp, etc, you begin to create
what I like to call "doors". Once these doors are installed you
must always make sure that these doors remain locked. People
will try to unlock these doors, or "break in". In most cases
they do this to access your server to send spam email. Sometimes
they just do it for fun. They are "hackers" and they really just
want to break your things. These programming systems which are
sometimes classifieds, forums, shopping carts, etc, become a
problem only because of hackers.... Each manufacturer must
update their versions of software when new hacks or
vulnerabilities are discovered.... Sometimes vulnerability
requires an upgrade. Sometimes your modifications need to be
done over. It's never a put it there and it's there forever
deal. Once you add functionality to a website, you must pay more
attention to what is happening on the servers and always making
sure no-one is opening the doors.
Another point that seems to be misunderstood is the fact that
data is valuable. One of my clients whom I built a shopping cart
for didn't realize that it was important to have a webmaster
keeping an eye on things. This particular client thought that a
web site was similar to the digital voice recorder he bought at
RadioShack a few months back. He thought that whenever he needed
his website, that it would be right there where he left it
months ago. "Why do I need to watch it?" He thought, "I bought
it and put it on the shelf so I can use it next time I need it?"
Well this client in particular thought he did not need a
webmaster. "I'll just send the orders out when they come in." He
said. So one day the orders stop coming. This sparks a phone
call to my office. "I'm not getting any orders and I looked for
my website and it isn't there." A little checking into things
and I discovered that his credit card was expired, he wasn't
checking his email, and his entire website including his
database was gone! The hosting account was past 60 days and the
MySql database was erased.
Here is where we begin to understand the value of data.
Every order that was placed, email that was saved, and product
that was photographed, was gone. Now you may be thinking that
surely he had backups, where are the backups? If he had a
webmaster, more than likely they would have been saving hard
copy backups periodically, just in case, but no, all he had was
what was backed up at the hosting company and after 60 days of
not paying your bill or answering your emails you can kiss them
good-bye.
The point that I would really like to make here is that once you
decide to go into business on the Internet, it is important to
take it seriously. Like anything else, what you put into the
business, is what you will get out.
I had to explain to him again, why it is that he needs a
webmaster. This time he listened with a bit more understanding.