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Since the inbound marketing revolution started, the relationship between website management services and the marketing teams tasked with lead generation got stronger. What was once an occasional date between the two became a sort of arranged marriage, one brought on by opportunity and necessity.
Between the two facets, there's a needed collaboration and it's transforming both departments. But what's becoming clearer is who needs who more. Principally, it's digital marketing teams are feeling the heat: show increased performance—show quantified, qualified leads. That's the inbound mantra and it's getting louder every quarter.
Fact: inbound isn't at its best without website management services.
Marketing side needs to have the technical talent to implement changes and necessary
updates. That or the resources to delegate frequent site development updates.
There always seems to be too much to do and too little time to do it. And these tasks keep piling up. Inbound teams aren't focused on digital functionalities of a site; they're focused on planning, creating, and managing high-quality content for personas.
Marketers are expected to wear many hats but support-oriented WEBSITE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
Websites can no longer be static pages with content that remains the same for years, businesses need to have them updated on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis. This burden is too much for an in-house team to handle, and it can be a big mistake if attempted. The dangers and negative effects of resisting website management services are numerous.
It's a Time Waster.
Developing a digital presence isn't for the faint of heart. It is tedious. It requires keeping up-to-date with the latest web technology and trends. It likely requires the purchase of specialized software and tools, which also need to be learned. The research, training and implementation of maintaining a website can really be a full-time job.
By investing in a website management service, marketers can instead spend their time on reaching out to customers, developing engaging campaigns, and improving marketing methods. No more constant, little updates that have to be added to the website. Website management puts valuable time back in the hands of the marketer.
It Can't Always Be A Priority.
A website is great. But so are social media platforms, newsletters, vlogs, content and so many other forms of marketing. And developing the campaigns and content for these items is what a marketer does best--not updating a website. And these non-website marketing platforms are precisely what bring leads to a company's website. They are what get consumers excited about a brand. This means that marketers need to dedicate themselves to these outlets. However, this leaves the website abandoned and out-of-date.
It is during these long stretches of time that websites stop appearing on Google search, the company phone number on the website becomes obsolete, products that are no longer produced remain on the site, the contact email goes to an employee who has left the company, the news page has dates from several years ago, and the website footer reads, "Copyright 2005." This is exactly how leads slip through the cracks and customers get the impression that a company is out of business. When organizations work with a website management service, these problems don't happen. Keeping the website fresh and updated is the only priority, so it gets done.
You Aren't a Web Development Specialist.
Marketers have expertise in marketing. Web developers have expertise in web development. This may sound like common sense, but sometimes businesses can forget this. It becomes the responsibility of the marketing team to develop and maintain the website. This worked okay when technology was moving at a slower pace two decades ago. Today, it's not so simple. New web techniques are being created every day and it's just too much for a marketer, who already has a whole host of other responsibilities, to keep up with.
A web developer knows how to improve a website's search engine ranking with SEO. They understand Google's algorithm and other requirements. They also understand the importance of making the website mobile-friendly, and they know how to accomplish this. Website managers can create a user-friendly website, get web hosting discounts, fix compatibility issues and bugs quickly, provide regular backups, ensure that no links are broken or orphaned, track the performance and analytics, and just make the website function better overall.
In addition, the look and feel of a company's website has never been so important. Customers care about HTML5, website security, layout, color scheme, and load time. Website management services know how to optimize all of these key indicators. They know how to both make a website work well and look good, not to mention stay up to date with information and with user protection.
It's a Budget Drainer
Website management isn't cheap. As mentioned earlier, it takes up a marketer's precious time and it can require the time and money needed for training and tools. Another option is to hire a full-time website manager. But most businesses can't afford another salary and benefits. Honestly though, a company doesn't need to go to such lengths. Outsourcing is very affordable, and beyond that, there's a significant ROI that will be seen from the influx of new leads and the retention of current customers.
Without a website management service, staff will be distracted from more important tasks, there is the hovering possibility of the website crashing or having a bug that makes it unusable, and the brand image can be tarnished by poor management. With management services, catastrophes are avoided, the staff remains happy in the roles that they are already trained in, and the company's high-quality website emotes an image that consumers want to be a part of. Yes, outsourcing website management services does cost money. But it'll pay off quickly.
Website management is taxing. It's expensive, laborious, and specialized. Unfortunately, in today's economy, with constant competition, it is obligatory. And this is exactly why outsourcing or insourcing these services is the smartest move any business can make.
Nathan Roach, Director of Marketing
Germany-based consumer of old world wine and the written word. Offline you can find him spending time with his wife and daughter at festivities in the Rhineland.
