CMS: Seriously, You Can Edit It Yourself

Content Management System-based websites—or CMS sites—have been around for over a decade, but are quickly becoming the staple for ease and flexibility on the web. Originally intended for blogging, CMS has been adopted by even the largest of corporations, giving businesses of all sizes full control over their online presence. With consumers spending more and more time on the web, having a well maintained site becomes crucial for business. With CMS, however, this maintenance doesn’t need be difficult or costly. CMS can be the solution to many issues surrounding a website, offering benefits that other formats cannot. Need some convincing? Here are some tantalizing facts about CMS that will have you crying “Enough!” with your current site:

CMS sites give you freedom.

This freedom is easily CMS’ best selling point. CMS uses centralized online platforms for editing information, allowing even the most technically challenged to achieve professional results. With intuitive menus and a formatting palette not too different from Word, CMS is editable by anyone and everyone. Of course, that’s anyone and everyone you want—administrators to the site can designate users at their discretion, raising security while delegating web responsibilities. These online platforms also allow you to edit and update your site from anywhere—at the office, at home, or even on the go. As long as you have access to an internet connection, you can make changes to your website.

Offering thousands of themes, widgets, and plug-ins, CMS sites are also flexible in capability and design, allowing you to customize your site according to your business’ changing needs or message.


Widgets and plug-ins may be added or disabled at any time, and you can switch themes or templates whenever you feel that the site is in need of a face-lift. Need a more customized website? Get that added oomph by working with a knowledgable web designer / developer that can address your specific needs. They can achieve a level of design and usability that may be too intricate for you to execute yourself, and you’ll still be able to maintain your site in the future.

CMS keeps you fresh.

CMS’ easy editing enables you to keep your site up-to-date. This format best supports company news, events, blogs, or any other information that requires regular updating. Changes in traditional static sites demand the know-how of a web developer, who rewrites and uploads pages as needed. But with content that changes near daily, this seems all the more troublesome and inefficient. In CMS, the edits or additions you make to your website happen immediately and demand very little technical ability.

CMS also allows its users to clean-up or rewrite page URLs for better SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. Utilizing this CMS feature will enhance your website ranking among search engines, prompting more visits. CMS also better organizes the tags, titles, and content, making it easier for search engines to find and recommend your page. There’s a smaller chance for error, so in this way, CMS really watches your backend.

CMS gives you real control.

You edit CMS yourself, meaning you have complete control over the message of the site. You have better direction over your ship and your brand, and no longer have to rely on a third-party to represent your business.

The information comes from internally, from those who know it best—from you.

Common CMS platforms—like WordPress or Joomla—are free, with template prices ranging depending on the level of customization. Some of the other paid CMS platforms, although great, are not recommended as they may leave you hanging if a) You decide not to renew or  b) You are forced to continue that painful relationship with your current web developer. A free CMS platform also offers community support and features such as free plugins and functionality that is easily shared at no cost. Cost effective in the long-run, and given the empowering nature and freedom of the format, it’s easy to see why CMS is such a good investment for so many businesses. So the next time you want to make edits to your website and hate having to call “tech support” followed by another bill, consider a free open source CMS platform. Want to see how these sites perform firsthand? Check out some CMS sites that we’ve created for our clients:

Tidelog Icon
Tidelog

An e-commerce site, Tidelog needed a shopping cart as well as the ability to add and manage inventory all within one common interface.

 

 

Coco Icon
Coco’s Sunset Grille

CMS allows Coco’s to update their menu and events with the click of a mouse.

 

 

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Pedrick & Company

Pedrick is an accounting and advising firm that wanted to add a custom tax calendar and interactive FAQ section to their CMS site.