Don’t get me wrong—I love IT guys—and gals. They keep our hardware running and all of us connected. We are the right and left brains of online everything. But just because they’re good with computers, it doesn’t mean an IT guy should be your website manager. It’s Insane!
I see it all the time. Clients use their IT team as their first line of defense when website updates are needed. Why?
Because they lump anything related to the Internet and IT together. They know IT people are pretty handy with code so naturally, they can handle a website. And they think it’s cheaper. It isn’t. It’s going to cost you lost clients. That’s insane!
- IT is left-brain work and involves hardware.
- Design and Marketing are right-brain and involve concept and design.
Thinking your overworked IT guy should double as your Website Manager just isn’t going to work. The priority for IT Managers is your hardware. Website updates will take a back seat.
Here are 4 sane reasons to have a Website Manager on your team:
IT Managers and a Website Managers Think Different
The reality is that IT and marketing are two very different skill sets.
- IT is focused on technology, hardware and server administration. If it has a wire or a plug, call the IT folks.
- Design and Marketing are right-brain and involve concept and design in order to grow revenue. If it involves emotion and sales, call a brand designer.
Our friends at Syzygy3 define what an IT company does:
…We look at where you work, how you work, who you work with, and what is most important when it comes to your business. We use those data to determine the technology that makes sense for your business and your users – without an agenda of our own.
Does this sound like a job for a Design and Marketing team?
This is the definition of Marketing from Wikipedia:
Marketing is communicating the value of a product, service or brand to customers, for the purpose of promoting or selling that product, service, or brand.
Very different.
Marketing techniques include:
- Identifying target markets
- Market analysis and market segmentation
- Understanding consumer behavior
- Advertising a product’s value to the customer
Does this sound like something an IT person should do?
Right, that would be insane.
Website Updates are a Chance to Improve Your Marketing
When it’s time to update your website, there’s usually a reason why. These are some of the most common:
- The technology of your site is outdated
- Your company is rebranding (Read more about brand strategy here)
- Your content is written like a Physics Thesis
- Services have changed
- You want to begin blogging in earnest
This is an opportunity to look at what’s working and what isn’t. A Brand Audit might be a good idea to see if your voice is reflected in your website. How’s your content? Be honest, is it boring? Are you blah-blahing about yourselves or entertaining the people you want to sell to? Do people see the value of your product or service?
Update with a purpose. This is a great time to bring in a Website Content Writer who knows how to tell your story in a compelling, engaging way.
An IT guy isn’t going to help you very much with this.
Left Brain and Right Brain Skills Differ—A Lot
Both of these jobs require a high-level skill set in order to perform at the highest level.
Asking an IT guy to redesign your Home Page, design an ideal client profile or create new page content is like asking our Marketing Manager how to install 50 computers or lay out a cabling plan for them. It’s insane!
We have seen the results of website updates done by an IT team. The content may be there, but it’s typically about the specs more than the value. Nor is the page laid out properly. It is usually inconsistent with the rest of the site. There’s often no call to action, nor images to support the content. Not only that, people think an IT guy knows SEO. They don’t.
It’s not their fault! They just don’t think this way.
Marketers Understand Website Management Better
The team who designed your brand, your website and wrote your content should be doing the updates. Who knows your brand better than the people that helped you create it? Who knows the style guide, the tone of the writing and can continue to evolve and adjust the website? Who would you choose to communicate the value of your product?
Website Management belongs in the hands of a marketing team.
One requires left-brain problem-solving skills and the tech know-how to keep things running and secure. The other requires right brain creativity and the ability to communicate in a way that grabs people’s attention and keeps it.
Sound like a job for one person?
We partner with many IT companies and work very nicely together. Because they handle the hardware, we handle the marketing and website updates. Left brain and right brain. Plus, they usually can’t provide the level of client interaction that’s needed. That does bring sanity to a complex web design project.
Wrapping It Up
IT and Marketing are both indispensable skills for any company doing business on the Internet. And who isn’t? You might be lucky enough to have an equally right and left brain balanced IT Manager that can do both. But then, there’s time and priorities. Give your Website the love it deserves.
Don’t expect us to hook up your iPhone or set up your laptop. We’ll send you to a great IT Company. But certainly do ask us how to lower your bounce rate or increase search traffic. That we can do.
Thinking of having a Brand Audit done? Great, let’s talk.
