The Key to a Stunning Website Lies in the Team That Powers It
In today's digital age, the importance of a well-structured web team cannot be overstated. A recent survey reveals that less than half of a company's web team is typically part of the marketing organisation, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and collaborative approach.
The emergence of the WebOps director is a response to the increased complexity of websites, overseeing a cross-functional team responsible for co-creating a website that drives organisational velocity and performance. This team integrates various functions such as brand storytelling, ecommerce, communication, data collection, content, and customer communities.
The "right people" for a web team are passionate about advancing the site and able to take the reins. While the minimum number needed is usually a developer, designer, and content specialist, the web team should be the organisation's most inclusive and collaborative team, including people from various departments like IT, HR, subject matter experts, and external agencies with expertise in areas like SEO, paid ads, and app development.
A successful web team is more than just people and tools; the goals you set and track are critical to the team's understanding of whether they're hitting the right marks. Metrics such as form completions, quality of leads, and conversions are more valuable from a business perspective, rather than getting caught up in vanity metrics like the number of visits.
In the early days of the internet, a "webmaster" was responsible for everything from web development to design to IT and technical maintenance. However, today, outsourcing technical functions allows internal teams to be agile and keep the momentum going while big builds and routine tasks are taken care of externally. On average, in-house web teams handle 11 of the 16 most common functions, but often outsource more technical functions such as UI/UX design, infrastructure development, and web development.
The essential roles needed in a modern website team for digital progress include a Product Manager, Project Manager/Tech Project Manager, Software Architect, Software Developers/Engineers, UX/UI Designers or Product Designers, Quality Assurance/Testers, Digital Strategist/Transformation Leader, Data Analysts/Subject Matter Experts, Engineering Manager or Team Lead, and Content/SEO Specialists. Each of these roles plays a crucial part in driving digital transformation, delivering not only a functional website but a strategic digital front that supports business growth and adaptability in the digital economy.
Empowering stakeholders with solid style guides can enable them to design on-brand experiences that are executed seamlessly. During pandemic lockdowns, many companies had to quickly pivot to digital-first offerings, including a web presence that could withstand increased demand.
WebOps success can be divided into three categories: credibility (core website performance), productivity (delivering on time and within budget), and impact (achieving results essential to the business). A Japanese research institute had a partner to monitor web demand during a spike in traffic caused by media coverage of its pandemic shifts, preventing the site from going down, demonstrating the importance of these categories in ensuring a website's success.
Building a team that is highly invested in advancing web work is critical for digital progress. Focusing on the right metrics, having a cross-functional team, and outsourcing technical functions when necessary are key strategies for creating such a team.
- The WebOps director, responsible for a cross-functional team, targets a website that propels organisational velocity and performance, integrating functions like brand storytelling, ecommerce, communication, data collection, content, and customer communities.
- A successful web team goes beyond people and tools; it emphasizes setting and tracking strategic goals like form completions, quality of leads, and conversions, which hold more value from a business perspective.
- In today's digital age, outsourcing technical functions grants agility to internal teams, allowing them to maintain momentum during big builds and routine tasks performed externally.
- The essential roles required in a modern web team, crucial for digital progress, include roles such as Product Manager, Project Manager/Tech Project Manager, Software Architect, Software Developers/Engineers, UX/UI Designers, Quality Assurance/Testers, Digital Strategist/Transformation Leader, Data Analysts/Subject Matter Experts, Engineering Manager or Team Lead, and Content/SEO Specialists.
- Empowerment of stakeholders with solid style guides enables on-brand experiences that are executed seamlessly, aiding companies in digital transformation, especially in rapidly changing situations like pandemic lockdowns.
- WebOps success is categorized into three dimensions: credibility (maintaining core website performance), productivity (delivering on time and within budget), and impact (achieving results essential to the business), as demonstrated by a Japanese research institute that prevented its site from crashing during a traffic spike caused by news coverage.