Webmaster Responsibilities

Webmaster Roles and Responsibilities

The term Webmaster originated from the early days of the Web. Once considered more technical, the early Webmasters like the “postmasters” of a much earlier day were responsible for sorting and routing the mail. The role of the Webmaster has evolved. In some circles, the role of the Webmaster is still considered the person that manages the hardware and software that manages the Web.

Today, it is generally agreed that the Webmaster is the “catch all” term for the person or persons that create, manage and or maintain all aspects of the Web. The Webmaster is often described as the general contractor of the Web managing all aspects of the Web. Like the general contractor in the construction trade, the Webmaster understands all aspects of the Web but often relies on specialties within the trade to assist him or her to complete the various task. In the small business environment the Webmaster is required to wear many hats and serves as a generalist.

The not-for-profit World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) further defines the Webmaster roles into three distinct categories:

* Webmaster Apprentice
* Webmaster Associate
* Professional Webmaster

Apprentice Webmasters understand the basic breadth of topics that fall under Webmastering. Apprentice Webmasters know about the majority of subjects within the Associate Webmaster criteria, but with less depth into the individual topics.

Associate Webmasters are proficient at blending the art of HTML-coding with the visual arts to create pages that are content-rich and visually pleasing. They are proficient at page layout, image creation and manipulation, interactivity, content creation, project and business management.

Professional Webmasters are practitioners of web communication. They are responsible for all aspects of an organization’s web presence, including web content development, technical operations, and business management. They may have specific areas of expertise, but are most valuable as generalists who can manage all aspects of web operations.Note! The Certified Professional Webmaster exam (CPW) is achieved either by passing the four Associate-level certifications or by passing the CPW exam directly. These certifications are meant for experienced industry professional who have been working in this field.