Legitimizing Your Web Program

Here's a simple question. In your organization, how many people have to review a press release before it's put on the wire? Easy, huh? Most likely there's a definitive answer that has been documented somewhere as a standard operating procedure and ingrained in the culture. I'm sure the response is along the lines of, "Duh, everyone knows that press releases have to go through Communications and Legal before they're sent out." Even if you don't know the answer, I would bet, at the very least, it's understood that certain people have the authority to send out a press release and only a fool would try to get around that process.

Now, ask yourself the same question about your Web site. Not so straightforward is it? Ever wonder why that is? 

If you're organization is like most, the Web site launched about 10 - 15 years ago and has quietly grown through various grass roots efforts and the occasional redesign project. Back in the olden days when we called the Web, "The Information Super Highway" (how corny was that?), it was probably okay to have people randomly tinker with the site, almost as an experiment to see if anything would come of it. After all, in the1990's most people were just getting dial up and the Web was a novelty. (In fact, the Web was so novel that just launching a site merited a press release announcing your entry onto the Information Superhighway...) But I digress.

The point is, at first the Web wasn't something managers had to take seriously. Sure it was cool and interesting, but, unless you were a dotcom company, no one had a real business strategy for it. It was something that was put up by IT or Marketing and every once and a while management would have to approve a capital expense for some new technology or a redesign. But in today's business environment, if someone asked you why you have a site, is it sufficient to say, "because we have to?"

Even if you don't have a written Web strategy, at some basic level most managers understand that the Web has taken over as the primary communications channel. Some may also be aware that the site supports sales, customer service, vendor relations, HR, and operations too. So, given all the critical functions supported by the Web, the notion that an organization would lack a formal Web operations strategy seems downright irresponsible, yet somehow the Web is rarely seen by managers as a legitimate business operation.

I think part of that can be attributed to some manager's tendency to view the Web as either a "technology," and therefore part of IT's domain, or a communications function of Marketing. But here's the thing. IT cares about IT stuff and Marketing cares about marketing stuff, so what does that mean for the other 80% of Web functions? Well, if the Web program is slotted under IT or Marketing it means that IT or Marketing things are addressed, but the rest of the Web limps along with sub-par funding, resources and quality. This means, at the very least, that the site is not living up to its full potential, and, worst case scenario, becomes an exposure to the organization.

Savvy managers understand that organizations today can't function without the Web. If you think I'm wrong, picture a scenario where your site suddenly disappeared. Hard to imagine, right? The good news is that up to this point, most organizations have managed to do an okay job of sustaining a Web presence despite the lack a formal Web program. But if you're aim is to fully leverage the Web, or, at the very least, limit your exposure, it's time to put some legitimacy around the Web program. This means taking the time to really think about the purpose of the Web for your organization. What functions does it serve? What does the program need to support those functions - an operating budget? executive oversight? dedicated resources? standard operating procedures?

I'm not suggesting the creation of bureaucratic bottlenecks. God knows none of us needs that. But, now that the use of the Web has matured, shouldn't organizations mature their approach to managing the Web as well? After all, if the production of a single press release merits a formal process, shouldn't something as critical as the Web be given the same consideration?