A website content management system (CMS) is a platform in which a user can manage the web site documents for a particular web site. This can range from a simple system in which the user can edit the text of a particular web page, all the way through to a large classified web site where each advert possibly requires amending before it is approved and appears on the live web site. Classified web site may allow for image and video uploads.
Why have a content manageable web site?
Self managing the content of your own web site allows for greater control, freedom and flexibility. You can create a new page on your web site without having to pay a web designer to create and style one for you. This would be a particularly useful trait for web site owners who regularly add new content to their web site, such as breaking news and offers on items.
Take a youth club in Salisbury; it would be very useful to be able to add up to date information to the clubs web site without having to go through their local Salisbury web designer every time. Managing the content of the web site themselves, the youth club can quickly update the web site with news, up and coming events and any other information the youth in Salisbury may want to know.
How do content management systems work?
Hopefully the benefits of a content management system are now clear. Reduced costs, edit, add or delete content on the fly, and greater control over the content of your own web site. This sounds very well, but how do they work? Are they hard to use?
There are a number of free platforms out there. The most popular ones include Joomla!, Mambo, and WordPress. Each have their benefits, so if you are after a free CMS platform then have a search around and try to find one which suits your needs. The three mentioned above are highly popular and user friendly.
A free content management system may not be a suitable choice for everyone, however. Whilst there are very powerful CMS platforms out there free of charge, they do lack the bespoke touch which many web sites require. Firstly, some content management systems may require specific features which a free “off the shelf” CMS can not offer. Furthermore, a content management system often supplements a web site and therefore needs a design which matches perfectly with the rest of the web site. It would be difficult for someone who does not have a high level of knowledge in HTML, CSS, PHP (or whatever server side language is used by the free solution, e.g. ASP, PHP, PERL etc) and SQL.
A bespoke CMS
Our clients usually require a bespoke web site, in which the design and features are completely unique. Whether it’s a web site for a Salisbury estate agents or an online shop selling data loggers, the design and the way in which the web site functions is unique and specified by the client. A CMS can then be implemented into the web site, so the web site owner can add, edit and delete content from a password protected administration area.
We have been asked to design an array of different systems since we were established in 2001, some of which have been are simple text based systems, others; large database driven designed web sites. Please see our portfolio for a selection of our past projects.
We are a team of web site designers in Salisbury. We have been established since 2001 and have a great deal of knowledge and experience in building bespoke content management systems for businesses in Salisbury, as well as across the UK. If you are new to the web we can explain things in plain English, at your pace, so you understand how things work. If you would like to discuss things further with us, please contact us.