A CMS website, or Content Management System, is a website that allows you to log in and change the content of your website without needing to know how to write programming code. In other words, you can add or remove text, images and pages without having to get your web designer to do it. With a CMS website you can keep your website content fresh with regular updates so that visitors will see the most up to date information about your products or services and you will significantly improve your chances of ranking higher with the search engines.
Not all Content Management Systems are the same. As with any purchase, it’s important to do your homework. Knowing the right questions to ask will help you to make a better, more informed decision so before you sign up for a CMS website, here are my Top 10 CMS questions.
What are the design options?
Having the site design you want isn’t always straightforward. Some content management systems have limited choices in design features or a finite set of templates. In order to get your website to look how you want it you need to ask: can I apply any website design and then create a template within the system, or do I have to start with an existing template on the system and then modify it. Modifying a set template will not only cost you more money to set up, you could end up with a compromised format with a ‘forced’ layout that can make updating content more difficult later.
What is the ongoing hosting charge per month?
Some CMS systems cost more than others to purchase, but is the cheaper design cost being offset by a high monthly hosting charge? You may think you are getting a good deal, but if you add up how much extra a year’s worth of hosting costs, are you actually better off? How long before your website is no longer cost-effective?
Is the content management system transferrable?
You might be perfectly happy with the company whose CMS system you choose and have a long and happy relationship, but what if somewhere down the track you no longer feel you are getting the service you need? What if the business closes or changes hands or the needs of your business changes and you wish to switch to another provider? Can you take your website with you or is the system tied into that company only? You may find that moving somewhere else means starting all over again with an entirely new website. Good websites are not cheap; do you really want to have to pay for yours twice?
How easy is it to use?
If you are good with computers then you may not be too concerned about how complicated your CMS system is. For most people though, simple is best. If you are going to be updating your site content regularly, which you should be, then you need to ask how user-friendly it is to add links, content, images and new pages. Even how easy it is to navigate around the administration section when you are updating content will make a big difference to how easy a CMS is.
If using your CMS is complicated it becomes a time consuming chore, and then you won’t do it as often as you should because it will end up in your ‘too hard’ basket.
What sort of ongoing support do they offer – do you get to speak to a real person?
No matter how good your CMS website is or how technology savvy you are, sometime, somewhere, somehow something is going to go wrong and you will need to contact your provider for help. It’s important, therefore, to know in advance if the customer support provided is simply a Frequently Asked Questions page or whether you get to speak to a real person about the problem. If your homepage layout goes pear-shaped, being referred to a menu of instructional videos is not going to help you sort out the problem anytime soon. You need to be able to discuss what it is you did wrong and how to undo it. Or, if the problem has come from the system administrator, you don’t want to start working your way down a list of possible errors and changing things unnecessarily.
Do you get good training?
To get the most from having a content management system, you need to be trained properly, not on how to use the system but also how to use it to your advantage to rank higher in the search engines. A good website developer offering CMS websites should include some rudimentary search engine optimisation in their training package.
Can you create your own forms?
Your website is not only a place online for people to find and view your products or services, it is an active platform for lead generation and lead nurturing. You need to have the ability to create online forms for visitors to fill out when they go to your contact us page. This is a valuable tool in growing your database and gathering the right information from enquiries that is specific to your business.
How easy is it to resize images?
A good content management system will automatically resize images so that they don’t get distorted if you alter a dimension. Incorrectly resized images or images that remain as larger files and are merely forced into a smaller space each time the page is displayed can seriously impede the loading speed.
Can I change the metadata between pages?
Part of good search engine optimisation is using good metadata on every page. You need to ask whether your content management system allows you to edit the page title, meta-descriptions and key words for each page or if it is set to appear the same for each page.
Does the system create good code?
The coding of your website is important as this will enable the all browsers read your website. Good coding can also help the search engines read or index your website. You need to ask if the CMS you are interested in adheres to W3C world standards.
If you are planning on having a CMS website you can check out the CMS offers we have available at Web Tonic.