Who Owns The Web Site?

I've heard it, seen it, felt it. Have you? At search marketing events around the world when corporate marketing and IT folks talk about their web efforts, you can't help but know it's there. It's tension so thick. It comes from the struggle between marketing and IT departments over control of the corporate web site.

At its core, I think this question comes down to ownership: who owns the web site? The simple answer is: both marketing and IT own the web site.

The History of It All

Ah, but if it were really so simple. Here's how I understand it works in many companies - your story may be similar:

Back in the day, someone in the Marketing Department saw what was going on with that "web thing" and realized the company needed a web site. Since web sites are hosted on servers, there's some computer networking and other "voodoo" involved it was decided that the IT Department should set up and run the web site. It made sense at the time.

Fast forward a few years later. Some marketing folks want to get an edge up on the competition and realize web marketing is a great tool in their arsenal of commercial warfare. One or two of them go to some conferences and learn about things like search engine optimization, search marketing, social media and other things. They come back full of ideas and want to make substantial changes to the web sites; to sharpen their swords, so to speak.

They run into a problem when they get back to the office and start trying to implement the changes. The problem comes from the IT folks thinking they "own" the web site. Whether it's because of a "territory" battle, change management procedures, adopted standards, or whatever they find the IT folks are reluctant to change things even though they acknowledge there is a benefit in making the changes.

Sound familiar?

It does to many. But it doesn't have to be this way.

So how do we change?

Obviously it's going to take some work and compromise on both sides. The team you build will be well worth the effort.

IT Folks - If there's one thing you can do to help the situation it's to listen:

• Listen to what the marketing folks are trying to communicate without trying to figure out how at first. Learn the message. 
• Find someone in the marketing department who's a little more tech-savvy than the others and ask them to help you learn more about what they do. 
• Get yourself invited to meetings and learn what the marketing folks are trying to communicate. 
• Take your marketing friend out to lunch and ask him/her questions about things you don't understand about the things discussed in the meetings. Listen for ways you can help them do their job better.

Marketing Folks - If there's one thing you can do to help the situation it's to ask:

• Ask the people who work on the web team to attend meetings where you discuss your marketing plans. Let them sit in and later ask how their expertise might help you with those plans.
• Ask about how easy it is for them to do "cool" stuff on the web site. I've found that many times things which marketing folks thing are difficult are quite easy and things which they think are easy are hard.
• If you haven't done so already, ask the IT folks to show you around their area. Take the $0.50 tour and ask questions about things you don't understand.
• Ask the web team folks out to lunch and get to know them better. Learn about their routines and daily challenges. Ask how you can help them do their job better.

Above all: learn each other's strengths and weaknesses. Good teams have members which learn about one another and learn how to set their strengths together to fill the gaps left by each other's weaknesses. They also better learn how to improve in weak areas and make each other stronger.

One last piece of advice: Next time Marketing sends someone to a search marketing conference, send one or two of the IT folks along. This will go a long way into getting everyone on the team working toward the same goals.

Photo credit: Paul J. Everett - http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_everett82/1307486677/