The Benefits of a Content Managed Website
Web Content Management Systems, or WCMS, have revolutionised the way websites are now being built and maintained.
It used to be the case that a static website was the only option available for anybody wanting to advertise their services or products upon the internet.
This gave rise to the 'brochure website', which invariably was just that; an online brochure.
This was a set of web pages linked together with minimal user interaction.
In fact, the only interaction would be navigating one's way around the website.
These would be coded in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and if you had no knowledge of HTML then you'd be paying somebody to do it for you.
This also meant that every time you wanted to make a change to the website, or update content in any shape or form, however minor, you'd once again be paying somebody else for the privilege.
But the world of web coding refused to stand still and what was once the standard now seems archaic with the releases of newer versions of HTML; XHTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets); the purpose of the latter being to separate the presentation of the website from the content itself, resulting in a much leaner code.
Then came the dynamically generated websites using languages specifically written for tighter integration with web servers, such as PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) or Microsoft's own ASP (Active Server Pages) and ASP.
NET.
It is the development of these languages that has given the rise to what is known as Web 2.
0, and greater interactivity upon the World Wide Web.
Different platforms were created to open up the internet via forums, and eventually blogging, and social media sites.
This enabled people with little technical nouse to actively alter what they viewed on a website or, indeed, contribute their own content.
Which brings us to Content Managed Websites and their benefits.
Content Management Systems were developed for the purpose of the easy management of content.
In essence, content is defined as a unit of digital information.
This might be text, images, video, documents, sound, animations...
anything that can be managed electronically.
The idea of the content management system has been applied successfully to websites, which has handed freedom and complete control back to the owner on how their website is maintained.
It is usually the case that a web developer will build the site around the CMS, applying a template so that each and every page carries the theme of the design.
This is then handed back to the client and with just a modicum of training (next to no technical know-how is required) they are then free to place the content into the site however they see fit.
The real beauty of a content managed website is that fact that once the initial pages are in place, the user is then free to chop and change, or create additional pages whenever and as often as they like.
And for no extra cost.
In a time when it is important to keep a frequently updated website for the purposes of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), WCMS have eliminated the need for third-party involvement in site maintenance making them the most cost-efficient form of web platform there is.
And therein lies the real benefit.
It used to be the case that a static website was the only option available for anybody wanting to advertise their services or products upon the internet.
This gave rise to the 'brochure website', which invariably was just that; an online brochure.
This was a set of web pages linked together with minimal user interaction.
In fact, the only interaction would be navigating one's way around the website.
These would be coded in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and if you had no knowledge of HTML then you'd be paying somebody to do it for you.
This also meant that every time you wanted to make a change to the website, or update content in any shape or form, however minor, you'd once again be paying somebody else for the privilege.
But the world of web coding refused to stand still and what was once the standard now seems archaic with the releases of newer versions of HTML; XHTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets); the purpose of the latter being to separate the presentation of the website from the content itself, resulting in a much leaner code.
Then came the dynamically generated websites using languages specifically written for tighter integration with web servers, such as PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) or Microsoft's own ASP (Active Server Pages) and ASP.
NET.
It is the development of these languages that has given the rise to what is known as Web 2.
0, and greater interactivity upon the World Wide Web.
Different platforms were created to open up the internet via forums, and eventually blogging, and social media sites.
This enabled people with little technical nouse to actively alter what they viewed on a website or, indeed, contribute their own content.
Which brings us to Content Managed Websites and their benefits.
Content Management Systems were developed for the purpose of the easy management of content.
In essence, content is defined as a unit of digital information.
This might be text, images, video, documents, sound, animations...
anything that can be managed electronically.
The idea of the content management system has been applied successfully to websites, which has handed freedom and complete control back to the owner on how their website is maintained.
It is usually the case that a web developer will build the site around the CMS, applying a template so that each and every page carries the theme of the design.
This is then handed back to the client and with just a modicum of training (next to no technical know-how is required) they are then free to place the content into the site however they see fit.
The real beauty of a content managed website is that fact that once the initial pages are in place, the user is then free to chop and change, or create additional pages whenever and as often as they like.
And for no extra cost.
In a time when it is important to keep a frequently updated website for the purposes of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), WCMS have eliminated the need for third-party involvement in site maintenance making them the most cost-efficient form of web platform there is.
And therein lies the real benefit.