What a Managed Campaign Website Is

A managed campaign website is one that somebody else builds, hosts, updates and answers for, so the candidate can spend their hours on voters instead of login screens. It is the opposite of the site set up once in a rush and never touched again after the filing deadline.

Quick answer: A managed campaign website is a candidate site that a team builds, hosts, keeps current and keeps compliant for you. You supply the facts and the decisions. They handle the technical work and the upkeep.

What "managed" actually covers

The word gets used loosely, so it helps to be specific. A managed site normally includes:

• Setup and design, so the site looks finished on day one.
• Hosting, backups and security, so it stays up when the race gets attention.
• Content changes when something moves: a new endorsement, an event, a changed position, a corrected date.
• Forms and a supporter list that you own and can export.
• The required "Paid for by" text kept in place on every page.
• Work to make the site easy for voters and search engines to find and understand.

Who it fits

Managed sites fit candidates who have a real race and very little spare time: contested seats, ballot questions, repeat candidates who know what an unanswered question costs, and incumbents who cannot afford a stale page. If you are knocking doors six days a week, the site should not be one more thing on your list. Our campaign websites page shows what a finished site looks like.

Who it may not fit

If you have more time than money and a very small race, a simple do-it-yourself site is a fair choice. The only rule is that it cannot go stale. A site that still lists last month's event tells voters the campaign is not paying attention.

Questions to ask any provider

• Who owns the domain name? It should be you.
• Who owns the supporter list, and can you take it with you? The answer should be yes. See why that matters.
• How fast do changes go live, and who do you contact?
• Who is responsible for the disclaimer wording and keeping it correct?
• What happens to the site after Election Day?

If you want a site that is run for you, tell us about your race. It takes about three minutes, and a person on our team reads every submission.