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What is a CMS (Content Management System) and why do I need one for my website?
A Content Management System is a tool designed to simplify the publication of web content to web sites.
It allows you to publish web content without requiring technical knowledge of HTML or the uploading of files.
If your website contains information that is not likely to change very often, it is quite possible that you
do not need to go to the expense of including a content management system with your project. However, if you
want to be able to update the pages of your site, add new web pages to the site when needed, it is
much more cost-effective to utilise a CMS than to pay a web designer or
agency every time you need a change.
What systems are available, and which CMS should I choose for my site?
There are many different systems available, and choosing the right one can be a baffling process without
an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of each. Some systems are open source, meaning the base systems
are free, other systems are sold as commercial software. The right system is the one that fulfils the needs of your
brief, no more and no less. I have extensive experience of implementing both open source systems and commercial
content management software. I also create bespoke systems or tailor
existing ones for my clients. After a free consultation on your project,
I will be able to suggest an appropriate CMS based on the features and structure of your website.
I have extensive experience with the following content management systems:
Umbraco is a CMS built on ASP.Net but it is open source software, so the base system is free. It can be used to manage the content on
any kind of website, from a property listings site to a full-featured eCommerce storefront. Rather than utilising a library of pre-built
modules, Umbraco offers a base framework around which any kind of website can be constructed. The CMS editing user interface is
incredibly simple to use, yet also offers powerful, enterprise-level features. I often recommend Umbraco to
clients who require content management for a website with a more advanced, custom specification.
Just so you know, I am a Level 2 Certified Umbraco CMS developer, based in London. Contact me today
for a competitive free quote on your Umbraco CMS project.
Kentico is commercial software, however there is a free version available for small sites. It offers a wealth of functionality
widgets and components, so you can create, for instance, a community site site, user forums, scheduled newsletters, event calendars
and much more. The system is ideal for organisations who require powerful features like customised workflows, where authors can amend page content,
but only site editors are allowed to publish changes. The system contains many features normally associated with high-end,
enterprise level systems but for a fraction of the price.
The market leader for blog style websites - where you publish articles and your readers comment on the site. Many add-ons, plugins
and themes are available for WordPress. This can be a very cost-effective way to establish a web presence as the system is open
source, so you do not have to pay any license fees to use WordPress. The admin system is a breeze to use, once your system is up and running you
will be blogging away in no time. With the launch of WordPress 3, you can even create custom post types. For instance, say you're website is about books,
you can add extra fields to your posts so you can include the author and publisher info. These can be utilised to group and filter your posts.
This new feature extends the usefulness of WordPress enormously.
When starting out with WordPress, a common mistake people make involves not knowing where to start due to the bewildering array of options.
There are countless free and paid themes and plugins for WordPress, that do everything from applying a slick new design to your blog, to
enabling detailed analytics about your site's visitors. Avoid this pitfall - do yourself a favour and employ a WordPress expert
when starting out, who can assist you with getting your blog up and running the right way. You'll be surprised at how affordable it is. Allow me to
remind you that I am a freelance WordPress developer based in London!
Contact me and we'll get things started.
Whatever technology is right for you, you will benefit from having an
experienced CMS Developer recommend, set up and tailor a suitable system for your needs.
There are many pitfalls to be avoided, which can result in your site being slow to load or the site content not being found on Google.
Just contact me for a free consultation on your project.
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