A Content Management System or CMS is a web application that your website is built on, it can help you publish and manage digital content. Commonly used for Web Content Management (WCM), a CMS should not be confused with website hosting, it does, however, need a web host in order to run.
Whether or not you’re experienced in web development and web design, there are endless reasons why you should consider using a CMS for your business.
Why Use a Content Management System on Your Website?
A Content Management System allows you to easily edit your website, even without having any HTML knowledge. The database is secure which means the process of creating and saving content prevents you from making edits by accident. A real win for your marketing team is that some CMSs offer simple and user-friendly WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) composition tools or a live view edit option and many will have the option to preview and save drafts.
CMS’s also offer media upload tools and formatting controls to create aesthetically pleasing layouts. Layout and design are kept separate, so themes can easily be changed without destroying the structure of your content. Instead of spending countless hours of labour on web development and web design, one can now pick from a variety of truly great options that make the whole process so much easier.
Many CMSs such as WordPress have a variety of extensions and plugins to choose from, as well as built-in email marketing and forum tools. Automate your content delivery such as scheduling posts for a future date while also feeding them into your social media accounts or E-commerce store.
Use the same platform for all your websites (even if they don’t function in exactly the same way) and make your life so much easier. There’s no need to learn the functionalities of multiple site management tools. You also won’t need to have a website designer available if you simply want to post or change blog content, or upload an image, it’s just that easy.
5 things to consider when choosing a CMS
1. CMS Functionality
Decide what it is that you want most from your new CMS system and the functions you need it to perform. This way you can figure out which ones will work for you and which ones just won’t. At Warp Development, we make use of WordPress, an excellent choice for small to medium businesses. It’s cost-efficient and perfect for brochure sites. For larger businesses focused on the scalability of their CMS, we rely on Sitefinity which also offers a much broader range functionality and the ability to integrate with 3rd party systems.
2. User-interface
Navigation through your CMS should be intuitive, so ensure that content can be easily added to your website and also edited. Watching live demos of different CMS’s should help you get an idea of what may work for you, but it really all depends on what you or your marketing and web development team feels most comfortable using.
3. Thinking ahead
It’s important that you take some time well in advance to think about which functions your website will need to fulfil in the future. Open source CMSs are great for smaller businesses looking for affordable solutions, and may even offer extra functions in the future. An open source CMS has a free license and has dedicated developers constantly adding new and improved functionality. WordPress is a great example of an open source CMS that is easy to manage, has built-in SEO tools and powerful publishing tools.
4. Budget
Set aside a budget for your Content Management System. You want to be able to get all the necessary functionalities without breaking your budget. Costs you’ll need to consider include initial set up, hosting, licensing fees and future development costs.
5. CMS Support & maintenance
Once your website is live, keeping your website fresh and working well is important for maintaining a strong online presence with increasing visitors. You may find it beneficial to partner with an agency who can offer your business support to ensure the CMS is well-maintained, protected and up to date.
At Warp development, we specialise in web development and web design. We keep things flexible by making use of both WordPress and Sitefinity content management solutions, as well as our eCommerce platform, Storefront. From small and simple brochure sites to enterprise and E-commerce sites, Warp development delivers top-notch websites to meet all your web development needs.
