Web responsibilities and roles: site management

Optional title or role/descriptor

Site Manager

Responsibilities

Defining site strategy and purpose: user needs; business and support needs; communication and marketing needs; budget and resources; publishing policy and process.

Stakeholder relationship management and high-level consultation.

Planning and managing creation and maintenance of site (including subsites).

Determining site presentation, interface design, information architecture, URLs and subdomain names, template development/customisation and implementation.

Initiating and approving new developments. Assigning areas of responsibility to web staff. Coordinating all web tasks. Delegating web tasks where appropriate.

Ensuring quality and compliance: usability and accessibility; copyright and other legal compliance; consistent with University policy and guidelines; best practice.

Monitoring and analysing site and systems performance, web user activity.

Typical skills required

The following skills would be beneficial to a staff member performing Site Management tasks:

• Marketing/communications understanding
• Sound knowledge of site development practices
• Excellent communication skills
• Information Architecture
• Navigation
• Content hierarchy/development
• Accessibility
• Usability
• Writing for the Web
• Metadata

Site Management web tasks are complex and varied. It is recommended that one person be responsible for the holistic approach to web development, management and maintenance per site structure. However, as there are such a large amount of associated tasks within this descriptor, it is possible to create specific areas of site management responsibilities, such as site usability management.

Typical current role

In the present University environment, the following positions and/or hybrids of, would already be taking ownership of the above responsibilities:

• Website Manager
• Web Projects Manager
• Web Projects Officer
• Web Producer
• Online Communications Manager