More and more websites go live every day, many without the ability to be updated once going live. Here we look at why content management systems can reduce your website costs AND improve the way your business operates online.
An introduction to the problem
When deciding to develop a new website for your business, you should be faced with a choice; have a static website developed or invest in a content management system. Up until recently it was only larger companies who could afford to invest in content management. However, as technology became easier to develop and the Internet started to mature, content management became more and more accessible. There are thousands of companies now offering content management solutions yet still business choose to have a static website built.
There are a number of reasons why a company would choose to have a static website but if they knew a little more about the benefits of content management they would perhaps think again.
For the purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
Static website
A website which is built using a development tool such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage which can not be edited without using the tool or knowing HTML coding. All information on the page is stored as HTML and the pages will not contain any server side scripting (such as PHP, ASP etc)
Content management system
A system which gives non-technical users the ability to change and maintain their website without needing any knowledge of web coding. They will generally be accessible from anywhere using a web browser and have an editor interface similar to standard word processors such as Microsoft Word (these are termed WYSIWYG editors).
Below we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both options.
Advantages of static websites.
- Generally cheaper to implement on a smaller scale as fewer pages are needed
- Good for smaller companies as there is no need for any management system; it is the responsibility of one person
- More flexibility is available as you are not restricted to any templated layout (although this can affect the usability of your website)
Disadvantages of static websites
- More expensive to maintain in the long term as any changes have to be made to pages individually
- Increased risk to business as the person with web skills could fall ill or leave, meaning that the website can no longer be maintained adequately
- Management is restricted to one machine. If changes need to be made then this is only possible where the editor tool is installed
- Website editors need significant training and skills to develop the website to modern day standards and practises. This is time consuming, expensive and ongoing.
Advantages of content management systems
- Short term and long term cost savings as website editors only need basic content editing skills and changes to the whole of the site can be made at the click of a button
- Your company image is maintained due to predefined styles and templates being used throughout. This means you won't have purple flashing text on your site to damage your company image
- Workflow improvements and increased business security as more employees can get involved in the maintenance of the website. This means that the ‘experts’ in the subject area can add information to the website and admin users can control which information is added to the site
- Content management systems take years of man hours to develop properly. By using one, you get all of the expertise these developers have ‘in a box’ meaning you receive free use of their knowledge. Examples include cross browser compatibility to increase your audience reach and search engine optimisation.
Disadvantages of content management systems
- For smaller companies a CMS might be too expensive or seen as unnecessary so the investment might not be justified
- As a CMS has to be hosted on an enterprise web server, hosting costs will generally cost more than static website hosting
- Bespoke development of the website may still require a developer or a development company
- Why you need content management
- We have identified the pros and cons of each of the options available to businesses choosing to redesign their websites.
At Element we believe that content management should come as standard with any website. The Internet is now a complicated and scary place to get involved in and development of websites are best left to experts. Search engines in the early days were unfortunately spammed easily and tricked into giving irrelevant search results. Over time search engines became wise to this and now there are over 100 factors which come into play when websites get ranked.
Content management systems are designed to be search engine friendly so that the end user doesn’t need to get involved in all of these complex issues and they are handled automatically.
Conclusion
Although content management systems are perceived as being expensive, advances in web development have made them more accessible to all types and sizes of businesses. We firmly believe that any company serious about their website should invest in a CMS to maximise their return on the website investment.
Andy Headington