Content management systems (CMS) are the latest wave to hit the Internet. Setting up a CMS to manage your website is a no brainer. It eliminates most of the problems that have plagued older systems from the beginning and makes site management much easier for all involved. Here are some tips on where to start:
EXISTING FRAMEWORKS
Start with an existing framework. While it’s possible to code a CMS from the ground up, experts note that there’s no need to when you start out with a system like Joomla. Existing systems also have all the documentation you need to get everything going on their respective platforms.
Another benefit of downloading Joomla or another professional-grade CMS is that you’ll be able to see what makes it tick. This is an essential step for learning how to code your own systems.
HAVE A STABLE ENVIRONMENT
Set everything up in a stable environment. A private virtual server is a great solution for this. It’ll give you much more flexibility than standard shared hosting without the high cost of a fully-dedicated server. Use a well-established, private virtual server provider to ensure stability and uptime.
ADD-ONS
Once you’ve chosen a base system for your CMS, find add-ons to provide the exact functionality and appearance you need. If you can’t find the right ones, it’s time to get under the hood. Check out how add-ons work and how they hook into the base program. Then, code your own custom additions.
WHY YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO CMS
Switching a site from static HTML to a CMS is recommended by all industry experts. Here are some of the major ones, according to the experts:
- Cost: A static site costs time or money to change. If you’ve been hiring a professional, every little change has a fee. This can lead to big bills or a reluctance to update your site. By implementing a CMS, you’ll be able to make changes quickly and easily. Best of all, many CMS platforms are cheap or free.
- Multiple users With a CMS: you can give multiple people the authorization to make changes. This allows you to spread large projects across a team instead of dumping them on one person’s lap. The result is increased efficiency and fewer dropped projects.
- Better search engine rankings: search engines like to show sites with frequent updates since the information is less likely to be stale. With the ease of updating offered by a CMS, you’ll be more motivated to change the site on a timely basis.
- Greatly increased functionality With a CMS: you can use your site to process invoices, keep customers up-to-date and otherwise streamline business operations. This can save your company plenty of money. For example, one study found that it costs about $8.50 to process a typical B2B invoice. The same invoice processed online only costs $3.44. Savings like this makes it well worth it to upgrade so you can do everything online.
These are just some of the reasons you should consider setting up a CMS. The ease with which you’ll be able to manage your site once you do so will have you wondering why you waited so long. You’ll love the extensibility and functionality of your new site, so don’t wait. Get started today and soon you’ll have the website you’ve always wished you did.
