Using a Content Management Software
Content management software (CMS) is designed to help businesses manage, update, and edit content their website. I am sure that sounds like a cool idea, but how do you know if your business needs one? After all, many of these softwares require an investment that exceeds normal annual hosting fees. Here are some questions you should ask yourself to determine if this software is a good fit:
1. How often do we make changes to our website?
- Multiply the number of changes you anticipate making by the hourly rate of your current web design firm. This will help you determine if the CMS you are investing in will create return above and beyond what you are hiring another firm to do monthly.
2. Are you concerned about optimizing your site for search engines (SEO)?
- Let’s put cost aside for a second and talk about driving traffic to your site. One of the big criteria search engines use to determine your rank is new key word specific content. A site that that never changes will almost certainly be pushed off the first page of a key word search. A CMS will help you add news, events, and blogs to your site that will move you up in the rankings and create sales opportunities that far outweigh the associated costs.
3. Do you regularly publish newsletters or case studies that are reviewed by clients or prospects?
If you are making this stuff anyway, why not put it online where they can view it 24/7? It could cut down on your mailing expenses, create some added SEO value, and demonstrate expertise.
4. Is there ever a need to change content immediately such as dates or pricing changes?
For some businesses, a simple change in price or adjustment in content could potentially cost an operation big money. In these cases, you have absolutely no time to waste and a design firm simply can not respond quickly enough.
5. Will the changes that you make affect navigation or uniformity of the site?
Adding new content to a site without a CMS is relatively simple for a design firm. However, changing the layout or navigation will require the firm to manually change every page of the site and that could rack up a decent amount of hours. Even if you don’t want to make changes yourself, having a CMS will enable a design firm to make these types of changes in minutes rather than hours or days.
There are literally hundreds of content management softwares on the market today. Feel free to consult with Insivia so we can match the right system to your company’s needs.