In the dynamic and ever-evolving digital landscape, managing a website goes beyond the technical aspects of coding and design. Experience, garnered through years of navigating the complexities of online presence, plays a pivotal role in ensuring a website’s success. Whether you’re a small business owner, a digital marketer, or a web developer, the wealth of experience you bring to the table can make or break the online presence of your brand. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the various ways experience contributes to effective website management.
1. Navigating Technical Challenges:
Experience equips website managers with the ability to anticipate and navigate technical challenges effectively. From server issues and security concerns to coding glitches, seasoned professionals have encountered a myriad of problems and learned how to address them efficiently. This knowledge is invaluable in maintaining a website’s functionality and ensuring a seamless user experience.
2. Optimizing User Experience:
Understanding user behavior is crucial for website success. Experienced managers have witnessed the evolution of user preferences and trends over time. This insight enables them to optimize the website’s user interface, enhance navigation, and implement features that resonate with the target audience. A well-crafted user experience is key to retaining visitors and converting them into loyal customers.
3. Strategic Content Management:
Content is king in the digital realm, and experienced website managers understand how to create and curate content that aligns with the brand’s goals. They know the importance of regular updates, the impact of search engine optimization (SEO), and the significance of engaging, shareable content. Through trial and error, they’ve honed their content strategy to attract and retain a diverse audience.
4. Adapting to Industry Changes:
The digital landscape is in a constant state of flux. Algorithm updates, new technologies, and emerging trends can significantly impact a website’s performance. Experienced website managers are adept at staying informed about industry changes and adapting their strategies accordingly. Their ability to foresee trends and pivot when necessary is a valuable asset in the fast-paced world of online business.
5. Effective Problem-Solving:
Every website encounters issues, whether it’s a sudden spike in traffic, a security breach, or a decline in search rankings. Experience teaches website managers how to troubleshoot effectively, mitigating potential damage and minimizing downtime. The ability to think on their feet and implement solutions swiftly is a hallmark of seasoned professionals. The truth of the matter is, at some point every website will have issues, and it is important to have a company like RooSites who has been solving problems since 1996.
6. Building Robust Networks:
Networking is a vital aspect of managing a successful website. Experienced individuals have built relationships with industry influencers, fellow professionals, and key players in the online space. These networks provide access to valuable resources, collaborative opportunities, and the latest insights, creating a supportive ecosystem for the website manager.
In conclusion, experience in effective website management cannot be overstated. It encompasses a deep understanding of technical nuances, a keen insight into user behavior, strategic content management, adaptability to industry changes, effective problem-solving skills, and the ability to build robust networks. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the value of experience in website management will only grow, making it an indispensable asset for any online enterprise. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us, we are happy to help in anyway, we can..
I bet you’re wondering why I would write about lessons learned from a golf course? Many things remind of my business (which is helping small businesses succeed via the web). I had an experience this week at a golf course which got me thinking, and I came up with four lessons I learned from a bad experience.
Here is the story:
My wife asked me if I wanted to play golf last Friday. I was busy but decided to take a break and play nine holes at a local par 3 course.
As it was a Friday and a workday, we did not call for a tee time, we figured we’d stop by and see how crowded it was. When we got there, there was nobody on the tee box, and the back nine was empty as well. My wife went in to pay and there was a young man at the desk. He said, the best I can do is get you a tee time in an hour or so. My wife said: “There’s nobody here!” He again said sorry, I can’t let you start for an hour. She again said, there is nobody on the tee or even waiting in the parking lot. Well, he said sorry, you’ll have to wait an hour.
What did we do? We left.
The four lessons I learned from this poorly run golf course:
Turning Down Money Is Never A Good Idea
The course was empty, and they had an opportunity to make a little bit of extra money. Instead, they alienated us, and I won’t be back for a while, if ever. While, this seems obvious, much of my business comes from people who are fed up with web designers and developers who can’t even be bothered to call them back or answer an email about perspective business. It always amazes me when people can’t be bothered and leave money on the table. But this happens more than you think. In this economy, it’s never a good idea to alienate prospective business. This golf course did, and so do many of my competitors. The easiest thing you can do in business is be responsive to your client/customer needs. It cost you nothing to call someone back, or answer a simple email.
Imagine if I stood on the street with a fist full of hundreds trying to give them out, would you take them or would you say no? If you don’t respond to calls and emails, that is exactly what you are doing.
I know, that’s an exaggeration, but it truly amazes me that companies actually turn away money in the form of customers/clients.
Flexibility
The one thing you need in today’s world is to be flexible. If you want to stay in business, you must change with the times and be willing and open-minded about your business. Now, if this course was full and there were groups waiting to go out and play, then I totally would’ve understood. Unfortunately, the dolt they left in charge, was unable to think about the situation logically, otherwise he takes our money and sent us on our way to play. The world has changed, and you have to change with the times and be willing to do things a bit different from perhaps you did in the past. Otherwise, you end up a dinosaur and as you know, they are extinct and now only found at the bottom of your gas tank! Learn more about flexibility in business [↗]
Great Service
One sure way to lose customers/clients is to have poor service. In this case, they left such a bad taste in our mouth’s that we are unlikely to return and will also tell our friends and colleagues about what happen today. In fact, I’ve already told a few people about the situation. What he should’ve done is look for a way to satisfy us. Had he looked out at the 10th tee as an example, he would’ve seen there were no groups even two or three holes away and could’ve easily sent us out. We would’ve been happy at the service he provided and left with a good feeling about the course. Think about it, had he told us we needed a tee time, but then went out of his way to help us, we would’ve been thrilled. This of course would’ve required him to have flexibility, as we covered in number two. Again, I find this in my industry as well. People are rigid and don’t help their clients/customers, and their poor service typically leads to losing business. At Roosites, I have always tried to provide the best customer service I can, and always respond to a request the very same day. This is why we are still in business after over 20 years.
Enable Your Staff
Now, perhaps the kid at the desk was told never to let anyone on who didn’t have a tee time. If this is the case, shame on the golf course. What they should’ve said is, if no one is out on the course and someone comes by, by all means send them out to play. This is something I have learned over the years, you have to enable your people and give them the opportunity to make some decisions. When I work with designers and developers, I try to give them freedom to be creative, and the results are often positive. When you try to be too rigid, people get nervous, and they never do their best work, or as in the case today they leave money on the table.
Bottom line
There are lessons learned everywhere if you pay attention. Unfortunately, most of the time we learn those lessons from watching what not to do. Always put yourself in the place of your customer/client. Think about how you would react to a situation. In Friday’s debacle at the golf course, they did everything wrong and lost potential customers. With Covid, so many things are still up in the air, and you cannot afford to lose any business.
Note: I purposely left out the name of this course, as I am not trying to be vengeful. Hopefully this was a one-time error, but I probably won’t find out in the near future.
