I'm Still a Webmaster for Many Websites, Even in the Age of AI

Sometimes I sit back, look at my work, and laugh a bit.

Not loud laugh. More like the quiet Singaporean developer laugh.

The kind where you stare at the screen, sip coffee, and think:

"Wah. After all these years, I am still doing this ah?"

I started working with websites in the 90s. That means I have seen the internet grow from slow dial-up days to modern websites, HTML, WordPress, web apps, mobile apps, CRMs, automation, AI agents, and now all these clever AI tools that can write code, generate images, answer questions, and pretend they are very confident even when they are completely wrong.

But after 30+ years, I realised something.

I am still a webmaster for many websites.

The tools changed. The problems changed. The clients changed. But the human need is still the same.

Business owners still need someone they can trust to look after their website, explain things clearly, fix problems, update content, connect forms, improve enquiries, and stop the whole digital thing from becoming one giant headache with a login page.

What a webmaster used to mean

In the 90s and early 2000s, the word webmaster was very common.

A webmaster was the person who handled everything related to the website.

• Domain name? Webmaster.
• Hosting? Webmaster.
• Email not working? Webmaster.
• Website text update? Webmaster.
• New photo? Webmaster.
• Page missing? Webmaster.
• Customer says form cannot submit? Webmaster.
• Boss says "can make the logo bigger?" Also webmaster.

Last time, websites were simpler in one sense. Many were hand-coded HTML pages. You uploaded files by FTP. You used tables for layout. If you wanted a fancy effect, maybe you added an animated GIF that looked like it came from a science museum gift shop.

But simple does not mean easy.

Because most business owners were not technical.

They did not know what hosting was. They did not know what FTP was. They did not know why a website needed a domain name. Some thought the website lived inside the office computer.

And honestly, why should they know?

They were running businesses, dealing with customers, managing staff, chasing payments, handling suppliers, preparing quotations, and surviving life.

Their job was not to understand DNS records. My job was.

Non-tech people existed then

Sometimes people talk as if "last time people were less tech-savvy, now everyone is digital."

Not exactly lah.

Last time, non-tech people existed.

Now, non-tech people also exist.

The difference is that now they have smartphones.

That does not automatically make them technical.

Being able to use WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, Shopee, Google Maps and PayNow does not mean someone understands websites, hosting, SSL, WordPress, plugins, backups, malware, SEO, web forms, CRM integration and conversion tracking.

That is like saying because I can eat prata, I can run a restaurant.

Can eat. Cannot flip.

In the old days, I had to explain things like:

• "Your domain name is like your address."
• "Your hosting is like the shop space."
• "Your email is connected, but it is not the same thing as your website."
• "No, turning off your office computer will not turn off the website."
• "No, the website is not inside Internet Explorer."

Today, the questions are different, but the confusion is still there.

Non-tech people still exist now

Today, Singapore is highly connected. Internet usage is everywhere. Mobile usage is everywhere. Business owners are online every day.

But that does not mean they understand the machinery behind a website.

I still meet people who ask:

• "What is WordPress ah?"
• "Is my website on Google?"
• "Who is hosting my website?"
• "My old web guy disappeared. Can you help?"
• "Can just change the photo? I don't know where to login."
• "Why my contact form no email come in?"
• "Can AI update my website automatically?"
• "Is my Facebook page my website?"
• "Why must pay for domain every year?"
• "Can make my website appear first on Google by next week?"

That last one is very powerful. If I had a magic button for that, I would not be writing this article. I would be sitting somewhere with air-con, drinking kopi, and charging people per click of the magic button.

Educated does not mean technical

This is the part I always want to say carefully.

Many people who do not understand websites are not uneducated people.

Some are business owners. Some are managers. Some are consultants. Some are professionals. Some are very sharp in their own field.

They can manage teams, close deals, run operations, handle finance, negotiate with suppliers, and make business decisions under pressure.

But they may still not know what WordPress is.

And that is not strange.

It is normal.

Every industry has hidden knowledge.

A doctor knows things I do not know. An accountant knows things I do not know. A renovation contractor knows things I do not know. A logistics manager knows things I do not know.

So when a business owner does not know the difference between a domain name, hosting, CMS, SSL certificate and CRM, I do not laugh at them.

Okay, maybe inside I smile a little bit.

But I do not look down on them.

Because this is exactly why people like me still exist.

WordPress is everywhere, but not everyone knows it

WordPress powers a huge portion of the web. It is one of the most widely used website platforms in the world, especially for business websites, blogs and content-managed sites.

But many business owners still do not know what WordPress really is.

Some only know:

• "My website has a login."
• "My previous developer said it is WordPress."
• "I can change some things, but scared to touch."
• "Every time I update plugin, something breaks."

This is where website maintenance becomes important.

A WordPress website is not something you build once and abandon forever.

It needs updates. It needs backups. It needs security checks. It needs form testing. It needs content updates. It needs speed checks. It needs someone to notice when something quietly breaks.

Because websites are very polite. They do not always shout when they are broken.

Sometimes the contact form stops working for three months and nobody realises.

Very polite. Very dangerous.

The modern webmaster is not old-fashioned

Some people may think "webmaster" sounds old-school.

Actually, yes.

It does sound old-school.

But the work is not outdated.

The modern webmaster is not just someone uploading HTML files.

Today, a webmaster may handle:

• website updates
• WordPress maintenance
• website troubleshooting
• domain and hosting support
• SSL certificate issues
• contact form testing
• WhatsApp button setup
• SEO improvements
• blog publishing
• landing page updates
• website speed checks
• security fixes
• analytics setup
• CRM integration
• automation workflows
• AI content support
• custom web app changes

So yes, I am still a webmaster.

But now the toolbox is bigger.

In the 90s, I uploaded HTML files.

Today, I may work on websites, WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, custom CRM dashboards, API integrations, AI automation, WhatsApp enquiry flows, SEO structure, and business software systems.

Same role. New weapons.

Why business owners still need website support

Many business websites are not managed properly after launch.

This is very common.

The website gets built. Everyone is happy. Then months pass.

The developer becomes busy. The agency stops replying. The staff member who had the login resigns. The plugin breaks. The hosting expires. The SSL certificate fails. The phone number changes. The Google Analytics code is missing. The contact form stops sending emails.

The website looks alive, but business-wise, it is lying on the floor quietly.

This is where website support matters.

A business website is not just a digital brochure. It is often the first trust check before someone contacts you.

If the website looks outdated, has broken pages, loads slowly, has old information, has a dead form, or sends people to the wrong WhatsApp number, the business loses enquiries.

Not dramatically.

Quietly.

Which is worse.

Because you do not even know how many leads you lost.

AI did not kill the webmaster

Now we are in the age of AI.

AI can write content. AI can generate images. AI can help write code. AI can summarise documents. AI can answer questions. AI can even sound very clever while making mistakes with full confidence.

Very inspiring.

But AI has not removed the need for a webmaster.

In fact, AI may make the webmaster role more important.

Because now business owners have even more tools, more options, more confusion, and more half-finished experiments.

Someone still needs to ask:

• "Is this actually correct?"
• "Does this match your business?"
• "Will this help conversion?"
• "Is this safe to publish?"
• "Does this page have the right SEO structure?"
• "Is the form working?"
• "Is the WhatsApp link correct?"
• "Is this AI-generated content too generic?"
• "Will customers trust this?"

AI can help.

But it does not know your business the way a real human partner does.

It does not know your customers. It does not know your old website history. It does not know that your staff will panic if the admin screen has too many buttons.

It does not know that your customer will WhatsApp at 11.43pm asking, "Still available?"

That is real business life.

If you want a plain-English view of where AI actually helps, I wrote another article on Claude Skills and AI workflow automation.

What I actually do as a webmaster today

For many clients, I am not just a web developer.

I am the person they message when something digital feels stuck.

Sometimes the task is small:

• "Can update this text?"
• "Can add this new service?"
• "Can change the banner?"
• "Can fix the form?"
• "Can add a WhatsApp button?"
• "Can create a blog page?"

Sometimes it is bigger:

• "We need a CRM."
• "We need appointment booking."
• "We need a dashboard."
• "We need staff to manage enquiries."
• "We need automation."
• "We need to stop using Excel for everything."

And sometimes the question is not technical at all.

It is more like:

"Anees, what should we do ah?"

That is where experience matters.

Because after building websites, web apps, mobile apps, custom software, CRM systems and business tools for many years, I can usually see the pattern behind the request.

The client says, "I need a website update."

But the real problem may be:

• the offer is unclear
• the contact path is weak
• the enquiry form is too long
• the website has no proof
• the service page does not answer buyer questions
• the business needs a CRM, not another spreadsheet
• the owner does not know what happens after a lead comes in

That is why a webmaster today must understand more than code.

A webmaster must understand business flow.

Practical tips for business owners

If you own a business website, here are some simple checks.

1. Test your contact form

Not "it should work".

Actually test it. Send a message. See whether you receive it. Check spam too.

2. Check your WhatsApp link

Make sure it opens the correct number. Make sure it works on mobile. If you are not sure how to structure it, read my guide on how to add a WhatsApp button on your website.

3. Review your website pages

Are your services updated? Are old prices still showing? Are old staff names still there? Are dead links hiding somewhere?

4. Know your domain and hosting

Know who controls them. Know when they expire. Do not wait until your website disappears before discovering the login belongs to someone who left the company in 2019.

5. Check whether your website explains your business clearly

A visitor should understand within a few seconds:

• what you offer
• who you help
• why they should trust you
• what they should do next

6. Check whether your website has conversion paths

Every important page should make it easy to enquire, WhatsApp, call, email or submit a form.

A beautiful website that does not bring enquiries is like a very handsome salesman who stands in the corner and says nothing.

Nice to look at. Not very useful.

Why I still like being a webmaster

After all these years, I still enjoy this work.

Not because every task is glamorous.

Some tasks are very unglamorous.

Fixing a broken form is not exactly Hollywood material.

Nobody makes a Netflix series called The Man Who Fixed SMTP Settings.

But I like being useful.

I like helping business owners understand what is going on.

I like turning confusing digital problems into clear next steps.

I like building websites and systems that actually help people get enquiries, manage work, save time and look more professional.

And I like the trust.

When someone says, "Can you help me check my website?" there is a quiet responsibility there.

They are not just asking me to edit a page.

They are asking me to look after a part of their business.

That still matters.

Even in the age of AI.

Maybe especially in the age of AI.

The website world changed, but the human problem did not

The internet has changed a lot since the 90s.

We moved from simple HTML pages to WordPress websites, ecommerce, mobile-first design, custom web apps, CRMs, automation, AI tools and intelligent workflows.

Singapore businesses are more digital than ever.

But many business owners still do not want to become technical experts.

They want their website to work. They want their leads to come in. They want their forms to send. They want their customers to trust them.

They want someone reliable to explain things without making them feel stupid.

That is why I am still a webmaster for many websites.

Not because technology stayed the same.

But because business owners still need a human guide.

A website is not just code.

It is trust, communication, maintenance, conversion, and business support.

And sometimes, yes, it is also changing one sentence on a page because the boss suddenly decided the old sentence "doesn't feel right".

Very advanced digital transformation.

Final thought

If you are a Singapore business owner and you feel your website is a bit messy, outdated, confusing, or quietly not doing its job, you are not alone.

Many businesses are in the same situation.

You do not need to become a web developer.

You do not need to understand every technical term.

You just need someone who can look at your website, understand your business, and help you move forward properly.

That is still the job of a good webmaster.

Even in the age of AI.

And maybe the better question is not:

"Do I still need a webmaster?"

Maybe the better question is:

"Who is actually looking after my website?"