What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
A CMS is an easy-to-use system built right into your website that allows you to make changes to your site content whenever you want, without having to pay someone else to do it. If the content (images, text, etc.) on your website changes frequently, a “content management system” or CMS may be an outstanding business solution for you. Imagine simply clicking “edit” on a web page and being able to change the text like it was a Word document. It truly is that easy.
A CMS can also be used to easily create new content on your website. Let's say you want to add another page to your site. If you have a CMS, you'd simply click the "add new page" button, type in your text, and hit "submit." The new page will now be available for all to see and your navigation will automatically expand to include the new button.
Is it important?
In today’s web world, it is absolutely critical that the information on your website is up-to-date and accurate. Your customers expect current information and will find someone else if your site appears to be out of date or not maintained. Also, search engines such as Google like websites that have regularly updated content, which means you’ll get better search engine
rankings. Better search engine rankings means more visitors to your website!
Aren’t they expensive?
While prices do vary considerably based on the CMS, with today’s technology they are less expensive than you may think. There are even free options such as Wordpress or Google's blog tool, Blogger. A CMS should bring you a return on your investment because they are designed to save you time and money. The money you save in staff time and/or web designer fees can be significant, not to mention the added income from having a better website that draws more customers.
Does everyone need a CMS?
Actually, no. A CMS isn’t for everyone. If your website updates are infrequent, it may be less expensive to pay a web designer to do this for you on an as-needed basis. Remember--a CMS is should save you time and money, so there should be a return on investment. If there isn't, it's not for you.
How do I determine if I need a CMS?
Having a CMS built into your site will cost more up front so you will need to determine if you will have enough website updates to offset the initial cost. Start by thinking about how often each section of your site will need to be updated. Which sections need information updated regularly (daily/weekly/monthly), and which sections infrequently? If you have content that will need to be changed frequently, a CMS system might be the right solution for you. If updates to your site are infrequent, it may be most cost effective to leave site updates to your web designer.
Does Juxtaflo offer a CMS solution?
We do. We love Drupal which is why we use and are now buiding all our websites on the Drupal platform. Read the top 6 reasons we think you should choose Drupal .
Want to learn if a CMS is right for you?
Give us a call at 562.436.5802 and we'll help you determine if a CMS makes sense for you.
Not ready to chat?
Visit our Resource Center for more information on internet trends, tips and suggestions. We're here when you're ready.