Content Management Systems

In this section....

1. What is a Content Management System?
2. How will Content Management benefit me?
   • Self-managed website benefits
   • Professionally managed website benefits
   • Technical benefits
3. Lots of Pros.... What about the cons?
4. Is Content Management expensive?

What is a Content Management System

To put it simply, Content Management Systems are software packages used to manage digital content - digital content being the pages of a website in this case.

Content Management greatly simplifies to process of creating new web pages, editing existing pages and implementing features such as forums, blogs, shopping carts and other e-commerce tools.

Content Management Systems keep the complex XHTML and CSS code separate from what's important - the text, images and multimedia that make up a website. This is great because creating new pages only involves the text and images - no complicated HTML to learn!

In practice, Content Management Systems bridge the gap between initial design concepts and finished website - production times and workloads are reduced saving time, effort and money.

How will Content Management Benefit me?

That depends. Some people want professional web designers to take care of their website; some people want to manage their own website entirely. Some people fall somewhere in between. Content Management benefits everyone alike for different reasons.

I want to manage all or some of my own website

Well, Content Management is definitely for you then...

• Creating new pages is so simple - anyone who can use a word processor will be able to use content management.
• Editing existing pages is also easy - again, with a look and feel very similar to most word processors, changing a page is easy.
• Adding a page is fast - with no complicated markups to learn, all that stand in between your creativity and a web page is the time it takes to type it.
• Pictures, videos and flash are easily included - pictures, video and flash content are easy to put onto your page thanks to the simple file browser included in our Content Management System.
• Advanced features are easily installed if required - creating and managing forums, blogs, shopping-carts and other advanced features is also relatively simple and thanks to Content Management Systems.

Content Management empowers you to take control of your own website and you can make any changes yourself. And don't forget, we are always here to help should you need it!

I want somebody else to look after my website for me

This is quite usual and most of our clients do. Again, Content Management is the best choice for you. Here's why:

• You will save money - most web design companies charge for their time - who doesn't? Content Management makes it fast and easy for us, your web designers, to create and edit your pages and we pass on the time savings to you.
• Fast page edits - pages are very easy to edit, so when you need that second paragraph changing now, you can be sure it will be done now - we just edit and change your page with minimal fuss and time.
• Advanced functionality within your reach - with hundreds of modules available from Forums to E-Commerce, Car Sales to Hotel Bookings, almost everything you can think of is possible with Content Management. And, if a module is missing, we'll just write it for you!

Technical Benefits

There a plenty of technical reasons why Content Management Systems are the way to go. Here is a few:

• Simplified Organisation Re-branding - the Content Management System we use is based on XHTML and CSS - no tables here! This means re-branding or modernising the look and feel of your website is easy without affecting any of the exiting content.
• Search Engine Friendly - your content is this first thing that renders on a page meaning search engines find it fast. Our XHTML framework also follows search engine guidelines optimising your site for accurate indexing.
• XML sitemaps included - XML sitemaps are what search engines request to accurately index your website. Ignored by many designers, this tool is essential for any Search Engine Optimisation strategy. XML sitemaps include all pages from your site, and will be submitted every time a change is made.
• W3C certified XHTML and CSS - the XHTML and CSS framework we create will be XHTML and CSS certified. This ensures your pages render the same on all modern browsers.

Lots of pros.... What about cons?

Well, we can't think of any. If we ever come across any, we'll let you know! Content Management really is the future of the web so get ready to embrace it!

Is Content Management Expensive?

It used to be, but thankfully times have changed. Compared to the traditional flat-file approach of creating websites, Content Management Systems are much faster and easier to setup so they will often be cheaper.

I like the sound of this!

If you like the sound of this (who wouldn't!) and want to know more, then click here to make an enquiry - remember, you are under no obligation and will not be committing to anything.