WebMasterTips
What is a WebMaster?
A professional who creates and/or maintains web pages.
Webmasters have the ability to capture, store, and transmit information in the form of text, graphics, sound, animation, and video in a manner that allows interactivity with the end user.
The term "Webmaster" usually just refers to someone who maintains a website - but this can be easily split into different expertise depending on the content of the website you're maintaining or building:
1. Web Designer / Graphics Designer / Video Editor
2. Web Developer
3. Online Marketer / SEO Manager
4. Copywriter
5. Creative Director / User Interface Director / User Experience Director
Not all of them would require the skills listed below individually, but a Webmaster would have to encompass all the skills here.
Requires a working knowledge of the following:
- Computer Fundamentals
- How the Internet Works
- Computer Graphics.
- Multimedia
- Computer Communications
- Programming Skills
- DataBase Design and Construction
- Writing Skills
- Online Marketing
- Search Engines
What do WebMasters Know?
A WebMaster needs to know at least the following:
Computer Fundamentals
Basic concepts of what makes up a computer, its hardware, RAM, ROM, Disk Drives, and how it interacts with its environment such as with monitors, printers, and even other computers. Basic concepts of software. What is an operating system and why is it needed. What are application programs. How to interact with software, store it, copy it, delete it, change it, and move it from one place to another. Some working knowledge of WordProcessors, SpreadSheets, DataBases, and Presentation Packages (such as Microsoft's Power Point).
A working knowledge of Microsoft Windows operating system and the Apple OS are a plus. A working knowledge of Linux systems even better.
How the Internet Works
How the Internet is constructed. A brief history of its development and use. How it got to be where it is today.
An understanding of the Internet protocol. What is TCP/IP, why is it needed and why does it work.
A knowledge of how to connect computers to the Internet. How to find and work with an Internet Service Provider.
The ability to use and work with Internet search engines.
A working knowledge of the various Internet protocols such as FTP.
A working knowledge of how domain names and web hosts are purchased, setup, and configured to work correspondingly.
Knowledge in setting up backups for a website and how to restore them.
Computer Graphics
A working knowledge of one or more of the popular graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop.
Must know the difference between vector and bitmap images.
An understanding of various picture file formats for storage, Internet transfer and decoding.
Knowing how to convert picture file formats.
A knowledge of graphic resolutions and color depth and their effect on graphical quality and Internet transmission.
Multimedia
Knowledge in knowing best file picture format to use in the platform being used.
Being able to capture, store, format and transmit various audio file formats.
An understanding of video file capture, storage, and transmission.
An understanding of video file hosts, sharing, embedding, and use in a webpage.
An understanding of various video file compression techniques such as MPEG, MOV, WMV and other video formats.
Computer Communications
An understanding of the difference between digital and analog transmission.
The relationship of frequency, period, bits per second, bandwidth, and other basic communication terms.
Knowledge of various transmission techniques, such as fiber optics and satellite communications.
Programming Skills
An understanding of the relationship between programs called "web browsers" and Internet instructions used by them.
A working knowledge of hypertext markup languages (HTML) and their relationship to the decoding capabilities of web browsers.
A working knowledge of new and emerging programming languages accepted by web browsers such as JAVA, XML.
A working knowledge of web programming languages - whether open source or proprietary language (i.e. PSP vs ASP) and the like.
A working knowledge of CSS and jQuery.
DataBase Design and Construction
Understanding the difference between database design and database construction.
A working knowledge of SQL.
An understanding of the use of CASE tools in the design of databases.
A working knowledge of database terminology such as key fields, foreign keys, and normalization of databases.
Understanding web-database interaction issues, such as the reasons for CGIs and other similar interfaces.
Writing Skills
The ability to write clearly and distinctly.
The ability to be able to research substantial and significant information for the copy for the website.
A working knowledge of word processors.
The ability to type at a reasonable and accurate rate.
Online Marketing
Must have the ability to research what niche the website is trying to reach.
Must be knowledgable where and what websites the target niche goes to in order to place an ad for the website.
Must be knowledgable in conversions - turning a website visitor into an actual buyer.
Must be knowledgable in the use of social media and directing traffic from social media sites to the business website where conversions happen.
Must be knowledgable in A/B page testing.
Search Engines
Must be knowledgable in competetive keywords the website can use in order to attract search engine traffic.
Is knowledgable in the advantage of paid adwords and running campaigns.
Must be knoweldgable in using tools like analytics and similar traffic tracking applications.
Must be familiar in organic and sponsored search engine results.
Must be familiar with ethical and non-ethical techniques in SEO.
