So You Want to be a Webmaster - More Technical Skills
(Page 4 of 4 )
Logically connected to learning how to choose and set up a shopping cart, a webmaster needs to know what to look for in a merchant account and payment gateway. You can probably start with PayPal; you might even be able to use it for a while, given some of their new options (here is where research skills and getting a good feeling for what the business needs come in handy).
Another area of expertise a good webmaster should have some knowledge of is search engine optimization. This is the art of making a website appear early in the search engine results pages for particular keywords. Some of the things involved in SEO include finding the right keywords and knowing how and where to use them; getting inbound links for your site; and importantly, avoiding the techniques that could get sites banned from search engines. Related to this field, it helps to know how to write online copy that will both grab web surfers and get properly indexed by search engine spiders. You can check out seochat.com for more information about these and other SEO-related topics.
Even if you already have a brick-and-mortar business, the web is a new medium. As a webmaster, if you want to get the word out about your site, you need to know web-specific advertising and marketing techniques. Again, seochat.com has some information that will help get you started, with articles and an active set of forums.
Of course, once you have the business and the website set up, you can’t just sit still. Your competition surely won’t. While most people think webmasters are sitting on the sofa watching the money roll in, they’re really analyzing website statistics to learn more about their visitors and how to better serve them; keeping up with web development and SEO techniques; generally trying to stay ahead of the competition; and of course, responding to customer queries and actually selling some of those products and/or services promoted on the website.
Yes, being a webmaster has its rewards. But don’t let anyone fool you into thinking it isn’t a full time job. You will work hard for every dollar you earn…but you just might like it a lot more than whatever you’re doing now.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
/ 12 
