These are the key staff functions required to run an effective Web marketing program. People will often combine these tasks, which can lead to poor results. The key challenge is to ensure that the right people are handling tasks based on their level of expertise in that area. A common mistake in Web marketing is to delegate tasks to individuals who do not have the proper experience because it is considered a Web-related program. The most common example of this is having a technical person responsible for the design of a Website or the marketing of the site.
These tasks can be handled internally or outsourced, based on the available talent and expected results. Some of these tasks are best outsourced because of the level of expertise needed to run a successful program. This is especially true in the area of search engine marketing. It is also a good idea to outsource tasks where the organization can benefit from the combined experience from a variety of clients’ Web marketing programs. These eight areas are very distinct from one another and should not be merged without careful analysis and a clear division of roles and tasks.
These are the hats people wear on an Internet marketing team:
1. Internet Marketing Director/Manager – This person is responsible for the overall direction and strategy behind the organization’s Web marketing efforts. This individual who reports to upper management is part of the company’s senior marketing team, sets strategy, and prepares a budget for the Website. The director should have the final say on Web marketing programs and the site’s development process. It is important not to make Website marketing a democratic process and provide this director the span of control needed to make decisions quickly and in accordance with an approved budget and strategic plan. They are responsible for coordinating all offline marketing activities with online marketing efforts.
2. Internet Project Manager/Coordinator – This staff member reports to the director and is responsible for the coordination of all activities and communications from the Web team. They handle schedules, action plans, development timeframes, meeting coordination, and all aspects of bringing the process of Web marketing into a cohesive plan.
3. Internet Marketing Specialist – This person is responsible for driving traffic to the Website through all sources, including search engines, pay for click, email marketing, affiliates, ads, links exchanges, offline marketing, and all other functions that drive traffic to the site.
4. Website Research Specialist – Gathering feedback from users, Web stats and analyzing that data, online surveys, reporting findings and suggestions to the Web marketing team are key tasks of this position. This person should stay on top of Web trends and changing technologies that can impact gathering data and head Web marketing research programs. They should report on a regular basis to the Web marketing team and work closely with the design and development teams to ensure the site is usable and generating conversions.
5. Web Content Writer – Writing content for the Website and emails campaigns are the key tasks of this position. This person must know how to write for the Web with content that is scannable and can tell a story with 50% fewer words than are normally used. They must be able to write scripts for online videos and podcasts. They should be able to interview key people in the organization and write effective copy for the Web.
6. Photography and Other Media – This position may actually be a team of people and they are responsible for photos, video, webcams, interactive tours, podcasts, and all other media presentations of content on the Website.
7. Graphic Design – This team is tasked with designing the graphic and artistic elements of a Website including the logo, navigation systems, content placement, photo placement, and all other graphic elements on the Website.
8. Technology and Development – The technology team is responsible for the structure of the Website and how it operates. This includes the technology platform, hosting, eCommerce, HTML, coding, how updates are made, and all key technology functions.
