Why A Content Management System Makes Your Productivity Grow
When you hire a web design firm these days, you should pay attention to a few new things. One that many businesses are very interested in is a CMS, or Content Management System.
Past websites were done using specialized software tools like Front Page and Dreamweaver. The firm did all the work, then the files were uploaded to your webserver through FTP, and then your site went live.
The only real problem with this was that whenever clients wanted to be able to make changes to their site, they had to know how to use the software tool to make the change on their own, or they had to hire the designer again. This was true whether the change was only a few words, or a whole new page of graphics and text.
Since very few firms have in-house staff trained on webdesign with Dreamweaver, and it costs quite a bit to keep hiring your webdesigner to make changes to your site, it leaves them in a difficult position.
The more popular solution for modern webpages is using a CMS as the base for building your site. However, not everyone knows what a CMS really is, or just why it’s so much better than the older method of putting together a website.
The shortest definition says that a CMS is web based software that offers full design functionality for anyone from novices to advanced users. You’ll find that different products offer different specific functions, but that all of them offer WYSIWYG development methods similar to using a word processor, and the ability to easily and quickly edit your page, even if you’re new to page design.
The most advanced of the CMS products out there also offer integration with other functions like online sales, credit card processing, shipping and product management. They may also allow you to integrate CRM facilities, membership management, and e-learning.
The nice thing about a CMS is how it integrates all these diverse functions into a single system, while still making them available all staff members you’d like to give access to. That means that your staff can help you in adding new content or changing old content on your site, independently of a development staff and without paying high hourly rates.
Something else you’ll appreciate about using a CMS for your site is that you won’t need to use FTP to upload files whenever a change is made. Since it’s complicated to train end users in the correct use of FTP applications, this can really help you save money and time.
A CMS has the ability to be used by multiple people, and since it’s web based, they can be located just about anywhere in the world. All that they need is Internet access, a user login, and a web browser.
This can really boost productivity, as well as helping you save money. That’s because there’s no longer any need to buy programs like Dreamweaver for every member of the staff.
Last and most important, since a CMS is built on a central database, it has even more to offer you. This system is searchable, and form is separated from function in a way that allows you to easily change look and feel without losing any data.
That central database gives you all kinds of options, including the ability to generate queries to represent information in a number of different ways. You don’t need to create your own tables and charts manually – instead, you can just pull up the data and allow the CMS to format it appropriately.
Before you start booking the services of a design firm, talk to them and ask about their CMS product offerings. Get a live demonstration and find out all the benefits it can offer you over the old way of doing things.
Filed under: Web