A webmaster is a skilled expert who oversees the management of a website, and they may create content for it, register its domain name, address site errors and approve site design and functionality features.
Merriam-Webster claims the first known use of the word “webmaster” was in 1993, years before Google even existed. However, the term is becoming archaic, and according to the data found in books, its use is in sharp decline. These days, the term webmaster isn’t quite as common as it once was — you might see job titles like “website administrator”, website designer, or “web developer” used instead.
Webmasters use their knowledge of software development and their soft skills, like communication and adaptability, to interact with clients and manage different websites and resolve their issues. They may also use their knowledge of web development, such as user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), to design high-quality, functional sites for businesses.
What does a webmaster do?
Webmasters manage websites to ensure that they continue to function properly. Over time, websites can become outdated and take a longer time to load web pages, and it’s the responsibility of a webmaster to keep their websites up-to-date and functional. Webmasters can perform several duties, including:
Approve site content
Webmasters approve website content for publication, such as blogs, video content, photos, articles and embedded digital resources. They also oversee the production process and ensure publishers meet deadlines and create quality content. They might also remove old content or broken links as needed and make recommendations to the site’s authors.
Perform website maintenance
Webmasters also perform website maintenance to manage the functionality of the website. They address errors, perform regular maintenance checks and update and identify website issues. For example, they might assess page load speed and determine how to improve it to increase site visitors.
Maintain the server
Along with maintaining the site itself, many webmasters are responsible for maintaining the website’s server or the location where the website stores its information. Servers typically require regular maintenance to ensure connectivity, efficient loading speeds for the individual websites and good security. Webmasters configure web servers and function as server administrators, which might involve upgrading hardware and software.
Scale sites and servers
Webmasters can also help companies scale or increase their websites and servers to accommodate more traffic or plan for future increases. This can mean increasing server capacity or redesigning a site to become more responsive when there’s heavy traffic. Scaling can enable more site visitors and increase the site’s overall market.
Skills for webmasters
Webmasters have a variety of soft skills and technical skills that they use to perform their job duties effectively. Their typical skill set can include:
Coding
Webmasters often understand one or more coding languages, which they use to program websites, solve issues and improve server performance. Strong coding skills allow them to fix site errors with greater ease. Some programming languages that can be beneficial for webmasters include HTML, SQL and JavaScript.
Computer science
To perform their duties effectively, it’s important for webmasters to understand the science of computers, computer networks and servers. This includes computer architecture and maintenance knowledge, hardware knowledge and software skills. Their understanding of computer science allows them to handle routine site maintenance and assist with website design and development tasks.
Cybersecurity
It’s important for webmasters to understand the basics of cybersecurity and how websites maintain security for users. Having strong cybersecurity knowledge allows them to better understand server maintenance and implement security measures to prevent breaches. It can also help them reduce the risk of malware or other cyberattacks.
