Using Content Management Systems To Build Results-Oriented Websites
Virtually every organization has a website, yet few truly stand out among the millions of sites on the Internet today. Most websites are missing one or more essential components needed to build a successful web presence, thus they fail to achieve any real returns.
Traditionally, building a website was a highly technical endeavor. Now there is a class of software called content management systems (CMS) that enables non-technical people to build sophisticated websites using just their web browser. If you are unfamiliar with what a CMS is, the most recognizable CMS on the market is Wordpress, but of course we would argue that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best.
Almost all top websites use a content management system of some sort. The three primary reasons are: 1) a CMS enables non-coders to perform tasks that only experienced programmers could do; 2) many of the standard features of a website are pre-built in each CMS; and 3) a CMS has the capacity to build a wealth of content that is searchable and can enhance a site's SEO cred. Quality coders are expensive and in short supply, and getting custom development every time you want to add content to your site takes a lot of time. CMS’s allow users to create and launch websites for significantly less money and in less time, particularly when adding content to your site. CMS’s also eliminate the need for multiple scripts because they are integrated platforms acting as hubs for deploying various dynamic features. This means that blogging, site search and e-commerce are integrated as extensions within the systems instead of being separate features that must be coded to work together.
A Word of Caution
Maximize Your CMS
To maximize your CMS experience, you’ll need to have the right strategies in place, understand your platform, and embrace a project management methodology that prioritizes value over customized features. However, without a way to easily measure the effectiveness of your strategy efforts you can quickly become lost. Having a system, like the Intelligence Modulepurposefully takes more effort, but it’s worth it.
Photo courtesy of Christian.
