Information Technology Articles Web Solutions Articles AWD Melbourne

You are here: Media Articles   

Did You Miss The CMS Revolution?

If you are a business with website, are you completely dependent on your web developer to make even the simplest changes? Are you stuck paying your developer to create every new page to keep the content fresh for the search engines or just to keep your visitors interested? If this is the case, you need to become aware of CMS and consider having a CMS platform implemented as part of your online business strategy.

What is a CMS Platform?

Most websites up until the mid-2000's were pretty simple affairs with each page written and coded individually by a website developer. This situation has changed since the introduction and rapid uptake of CMS platforms as an alternative.

CMS stands for Content Management System. Put simply, a CMS platform allows someone without coding knowledge (i.e. the need to be a web developer). Menus and content pages can be created and changed using simple tools through an administrator control panel. This means that you can add and change pages and generally manage your website without necessarily having to fork out for a high priced developer who charges by the hour.

Why Call It a Revolution?

Most revolutions in the true sense involve a transfer of power from one group of society to another, transforming the power structure. While CMS isn't being compared directly to, say, the French or American revolutions, the rapid growth of the use of CMS by business owners has to a great extent created the opportunity for business owners to have much more power over the way their websites are managed. Once the overall look and feel (template) and the functionality of the website have been successfully developed within a CMS platform, the website is handed over to the owner to manage.

To a large extent, the CMS revolution is also an "open source" revolution. While open source software developers have a difficult time battling with the proprietary software giants like Microsoft and Apple, many Open Source CMS are developed by non-profit virtual communities. Being open source means that you are not obliged to pay license fees to run your website using the CMS package. If a developer wishes to use proprietary code to develop any enhancements on your website, they have to pay license fees. Open source is collaborative and is therefore free and you are not beholden to "intellectual mafia" as some open source advocates would put it.

More CMS Benefits to Business

There are a wide range of business benefits that can be obtained by implementing a CMS, including:
• streamlined authoring process
• faster turnaround time for new pages and changes
• greater consistency
• improved site navigation
• increased site flexibility
• support for decentralised authoring
• increased security
• reduced duplication of information
• greater capacity for growth
• reduced site maintenance costs

Choosing a CMS Platform

There are many CMS platforms available today. The criteria for selecting a CMS depends on the kind of website you want to run. If you are running an eCommerce website, you will need to make sure that the CMS supports your payment system and can be integrated easily. If your website requires a lot of users to contribute to your content, it is best to use a simple CMS platform for ease of use.

The criteria, in the end, is up to you and the size of your budget. The more you want your website to do, the bigger your budget will need to be to have the web based applications made available or developed for you. If you want a simple blog or similar website, you can easily set something up out of the box with some knowledge or instructions. If you want a full eCommerce or classified ad website, you'll probably need a consultant or developer to make it all happen for you. When selecting a CMS solution, you should make a list of what you need your website to do and how you want to be able to manage it and match this with the choices you are presented with.

Here are some more criteria you may want to consider when choosing a CMS platform:

1. Ease of Text Editing: You will probably spend a lot of time in the editor - is it easy for you to use?
2. Pasting from Word: Is there a function that allows you to cleanly paste in text from Word - this causes issues in many editors.
3. How easy or hard to add an attachment? - Graphic, Document, Video etc.
4. YouTube Videos: Bedsides attaching a video, linking to it, can videos be embedded in a page for immediate display?
5. How easy or hard is it to add an option to the Navigation Bar?
6. Accessibility of Admin Interface: Depends if this is a small or large business and where you are located - there might be compliance standards, like the US 508 accessibility standards, that could impact your decision.
7. Admin Languages: Do you care if the administrative interface is available in multiple languages?
8. How easy or hard is it to find a section when you need to edit it?

Ask A CMS Consultant or Web Developer

AWD have years of experience with a number of CMS platforms. We can help you to produce a website that will give your business ease of use without compromising on functionality. Your website is your conduit to the online economy and is something no business should get wrong.

Contact AWD on 1300 855 651 for a free consultation about moving your website to a CMS platform.

You can also get more information about our CMS Design and Development services.