Effective communication with your webmaster is key to not only ensuring that your website stays healthy, but also that you get the best possible value from having webmaster support. Here are five of my best tips to help you communicate better, not only with your webmaster, but with any team member:
Consider the context of your working relationship
Effective communication with your website support contact depends a great deal on the service agreement you have in place. Do you only reach out a few times per year, or does she play a integral role in your daily operations? If you’re only working with someone briefly or occasionally, it’s important to be proactive in providing more details when you need help with a project. Conversely, a fractional webmaster will likely be far more involved in day-to-day operations and will better understand what’s needed to get results you’re looking for quickly.
Take a moment to clarify what you’re asking for before reaching out.
There’s no need to know all the jargon, but you can avoid misunderstandings and wasted time by getting clear on what you’re asking for before contacting your team member. Emailing and saying “the web page is broken” will only prompt additional questions. Including the link to the affected page and maybe providing a screenshot would help speed a resolution, saving all from an email back-and-forth. If forwarding an email, include a few notes to explain the context.
Be open to suggestions
Your webmaster is a professional with valuable insights and experience. Be open to her suggestions and consider her advice. She might have ideas that can improve your website and even save you money! While it’s important to communicate your needs, also respect her professional judgment. Sometimes website ideas that sound great can be a case of “just because you can doesn’t mean you should”.
Use the suggested communication channels
In most cases, an email sent to the correct address is all you need. If your team has a project management tool like ClickUp or a messaging service like Slack be sure to include your webmaster in your group. If you’re asked for requests to be sent via email or via a webpage form, do so to reduce the chance of something falling through the cracks. Unless a situation is urgent, a phone call is generally not that helpful, as it’s harder to provide the information needed to update content or address a technical issue.
Reply promptly to your webmaster’s questions and requests
Everyone feels inundated by email and messaging, but your webmaster’s alerts and questions are important to respond to in a timely way. If you don’t understand what’s being communicated, simply ask for clarification. This is especially true with issues like hosting and domain account management and security alerts.
Wrapping up…
By following these tips, you can build a strong working relationship with your technical team members, leading to a more cost-effective and successful website. If you’re exploring the idea of having an experienced webmaster join your team, I’d love to chat with you!