Occupation
Overview
The
World Wide Web (WWW) has seen dramatic growth
in its short existence. It has caught on more
quickly than just about any other innovation
this century and has created the most recent
explosion of growth in the Information Technology
(IT) industry and IT occupations. In fact,
Nielsen//NetRatings reported in August 2001
that more than 160 million Americans are accessing
the Internet (see www.nielsennetratings.com).
Most
companies today perceive the need to establish
a web presence. This allows them to provide
information about their company and their
products/services in a cost-effective manner
to those who are interested in their company.
On-line
commerce is also becoming more prevalent.
By 2006 it is estimated that over 35% of all
business-to-business spending will occur online
(Jupiter Media Matrix, September 2001).
This
has all led to a growing need for technically
proficient webmasters, or Web Managers as
they are starting to be called. These professionals
are responsible for maintaining websites.
For smaller sites, they might also be involved
in defining and implementing the features
of the website. For larger sites they are
more likely to be involved in supporting and
upgrading an existing web site.
While
companies sometimes hire out the original
design and implementation of their website,
they almost always have someone internally
manage the site. Businesses are becoming more
interested in measuring the value of their
websites, which has led to an increased emphasis
on metrics: the ability to measure and improve
statistics on site performance and usage.
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