Your school has a website. It’s attractive, functional, and built on a platform your district selected after considerable research and probably a few committee meetings that felt longer than the school year.
There’s just one problem.
Someone still has to keep it updated.
And that someone is probably an administrative assistant, IT director, principal, or communications employee who already has enough responsibilities to fill several job descriptions.
If that sounds familiar, here’s something worth knowing: You can outsource ongoing website updates without necessarily changing your school website platform.
School Webmasters provides Virtual Webmaster services for schools using Finalsite, Edlio, and SchoolMessenger. Instead of requiring your employees to learn and maintain the website’s content management system, our professional team handles requested updates behind the scenes.
For schools that like their current website but struggle to keep it current, that can be a welcome alternative to replacing the entire system.
A User-Friendly CMS Doesn’t Eliminate the Work
School website providers understandably promote how easy their content management systems are to use. Drag-and-drop editors, publishing tools, and user-friendly dashboards are useful features.
But there’s a difference between making website updates easier and actually doing the updates.
Someone still has to upload the revised school calendar, publish the superintendent’s announcement, update the staff directory, post the latest board documents, and add the information parents need for next week’s activities.
Even when those tasks are relatively simple, they take time. They also require employees to remember how the system works, maintain appropriate access, and fit website management into an already demanding schedule.
And what happens when the person who knows the CMS leaves the district? Someone else needs to learn it, and the cycle begins again.
For schools with limited administrative or communications staff, website management can become a persistent challenge.
Can You Outsource Finalsite Website Updates?
Yes. Schools using Finalsite can obtain professional website management services from School Webmasters without replacing their existing website platform.
Through our Virtual Webmaster services, schools can purchase blocks of service hours and have our team handle requested content updates.
That includes publishing announcements, updating calendars, adding photos, uploading documents, revising existing pages, and creating new pages.
Your district continues using its Finalsite website while our team handles the content work.
This approach may be particularly useful for districts that are satisfied with their website platform but lack the staff time to manage it consistently.
Can Someone Else Manage Your Edlio Website?
Yes. School Webmasters also provides Virtual Webmaster services for schools using Edlio.
Rather than assigning website updates to employees who may have little time or interest in learning another software system, schools can use blocks of professional website management hours.
Our team handles the requested updates, including news posts, calendars, documents, photos, page revisions, and new content.
The school retains its existing Edlio platform while gaining behind-the-scenes support for ongoing content management.
It’s a practical solution for schools that need website help without undertaking a complete redesign or migration.
What About SchoolMessenger Websites?
Schools using SchoolMessenger can also outsource their website management to School Webmasters.
For SchoolMessenger customers, we offer monthly website management plans that include unlimited content updates. The monthly fee is based on the school’s average website management usage.
That arrangement can be particularly appealing to schools that need regular assistance throughout the month.
Whether the request involves a new announcement, updated calendar information, a document upload, or a new website page, our team handles the publishing work as part of the agreed service arrangement.
What Can a Virtual Webmaster Actually Do?
A Virtual Webmaster isn’t simply someone who fixes an occasional typo. The service can function much like an extension of your school’s administrative or communications team, with a specific focus on keeping website content current.
School Webmasters handles a wide range of content management tasks, including updates to existing pages, new page creation, school news, event calendars, photos, documents, and announcements.
Document remediation services are also available upon request when schools need assistance making digital documents more accessible.
The process is straightforward. Depending on the website platform and service arrangement, school employees submit their requests through a portal or by email. Our team handles the website publishing tasks.
Your staff supplies the information that needs to be communicated. Your Virtual Webmaster handles the website work.
Should Your School Hire a Webmaster or Outsource the Work?
For large districts with dedicated communications departments, an in-house webmaster may be a good fit. That person can coordinate closely with leadership, support complex digital projects, and handle website responsibilities throughout the day.
But many smaller schools and districts don’t have enough website work to justify a full-time position, even though they still need consistent professional support.
Outsourcing can offer an alternative.
Instead of recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising an additional employee, the school obtains website management services based on its needs.
And unlike assigning website updates to an employee who already has another primary job, a Virtual Webmaster team is specifically focused on handling those requests.
The right choice depends on your district’s size, budget, internal resources, and the complexity of its website operations.
When Does Outsourcing Make More Sense Than Replacing Your Website?
Before launching a complete website redesign, school leaders should ask a simple question:
Is the problem our website platform, or do we just not have enough time to maintain it?
If your current website is difficult to navigate, lacks important functionality, or no longer meets your district’s needs, replacing it may be the right decision.
But if your website already serves your community well and the primary challenge is keeping information current, professional website management may solve the problem without requiring a new platform.
That distinction matters because changing website providers can involve planning, content migration, training, implementation, and additional costs.
Sometimes the most practical improvement isn’t a new website. It’s getting the right people to manage the one you already have.
What Should You Look for in a School Website Management Partner?
Before choosing a service provider, consider a few important questions.
Does the company understand the communication needs of K–12 schools? Can it work with your existing CMS? What types of updates are included? How do staff submit requests? How are service hours or monthly fees determined? Is document accessibility assistance available?
You should also understand the provider’s service expectations, including turnaround times, approval procedures, and responsibilities for keeping information accurate.
A good website management arrangement should reduce administrative work rather than introduce another complicated process.
School Webmasters: Your Behind-the-Scenes Website Team
For more than 23 years, School Webmasters has specialized in helping K–12 schools and districts communicate effectively through their websites.
Our Virtual Webmaster services let schools using Finalsite, Edlio, and SchoolMessenger keep their existing website platforms while receiving professional content management support.
We handle the updates, calendars, news, documents, photos, and new pages that keep school websites useful and informative.
And because our team handles the publishing work, your employees don’t need to learn the CMS for those tasks.
The result is a simpler approach to website management that lets school employees focus on their primary responsibilities.
Keep Your Website. Get the Help You Need.
If your district is satisfied with its existing website but struggling to keep it updated, you may not need a new platform.
You may just need a dependable website management team.
Learn more about School Webmasters’ Virtual Webmaster Services, or request a customized quote to see how we can keep your website current while your staff stays focused on serving students and families.