Marketing | Strategy | 07.16.2018

What is a CMS System and Why Does My Website Need One?

What is a CMS? Perhaps you’ve heard the term thrown around by web developers or tech folks. CMS stands for Content Management System and simply put, a CMS System allows you to manage the content (text, photos, links, etc.) on your website without the need for a web developer.

Though there are many CMS systems available, most of them are similar in nature and will help you keep your website fresh. But do you really need a CMS? Can’t you just keep your web developer on speed dial?

Yes, you do need a CMS. In fact not having a solid CMS can be a huge detriment to your website.

Here’s my list of 4 reasons why your website needs a CMS.

Reason #1 – Convenience: A CMS System will Give You Access to Your Website 24/7

CMS systems give you increase access to your website

[blog_story]It’s 4:30 pm on Thursday and you’re just finishing up your day. You start closing out all of your browser tabs when you notice a super embarrassing grammatical error on your homepage. You reach for your phone to contact your website developer only to discover they’ve left for an early weekend vacation.

You try texting them him the next few days- hoping you’re not a pest- but unfortunately, the error stays up there until Tuesday when your developer finally gets back to you. He’s a bit bothered that you sent in 5 texts while he was trying to relax.[/blog_story]

Does this story sound familiar? Stupid web developers. Why can’t you answer our every beckoning call?

Well, the truth of the matter is the gal in this scenario should have been using a CMS system. With a CMS (for example WordPress), she would have access to her content immediately. When you have access to your website content with a CMS system, it allows you to retain control when your web developer is “out of pocket”.

[blog_callout text=’When you have access to your website content with a CMS system, it allows you to retain control when your web developer is “out of pocket”.’]

Reason #2 – Cost: A CMS will Save You Money

What else is a CMS for? Well, whether you’re an individual or a business with a website, a CMS system is a big help in terms of saving money. Especially considering that updating content on a website is a terribly easy exercise for web developers. Here’s the truth: you don’t like bugging your developer for small stuff, and they don’t enjoy the work. Here are a few areas where a content management system will save you money:

  • New pages and layouts: A new page might take your developer an hour or two to create. It might take you 3. But that’s not much more time, and development time adds up. If you web development company charges $100/hour, that’s $200 you just saved.
  • Small annoying stuff: Spelling errors, grammatical errors, minor content adjustments- you name it. Along with these items being annoying, some web developers will also charge a minimum price for small updates.
  • Content tweaks and revisions: The best content takes time to write and comes with tons of adjustments. If you don’t have a content management system, you either have to be a constant bother to your developer or settle for lackluster content.

Reason #3 – Opportunity: You’ll Publish More Content with a CMS

cms publishing content

Who knows, maybe like so many others, you’ll fall in love with writing. Here’s the bottom line: if you have to have your developer post your content for you, you’re just not going to publish as much content.

But writing good content is one of the biggest things you need to do if you want to have a successful website! Afterall, no one will know what value you bring to the world unless you actually publish your thoughts. If you have a business, it’s important to publish fresh case studies, project photos, and job listings. But how can you do that if publishing content is such a hassle? You won’t. If you don’t have an easy to use CMS for your website, you’re just not going to publish as much content. There’s too much of a hurdle in your way.

[blog_callout text=”If you don’t have an easy to use CMS for your website, you’re just not going to publish as much content. There’s too much of a hurdle in your way.”]

Reason #4 – Features: A Good CMS will Help You Do More with Your Website

website growth

Along with allowing you to easily manage your content in general, here are a few specific features for CMS systems:

  • Advanced Blogging Features: Writing blog articles is a huge way to build traffic to your website and to build credibility with your prospective clients. Most CMS systems come with advanced blogging features that will allow to easily publish new blog posts.
  • Seach Engine Optimization Features: CMS systems like WordPress (what my web development agency uses) are often times very search engine friendly right out of the box.
  • Vast Plugin Libraries: It’s not uncommon for popular CMS systems to have 10,000 or more plugins to enhance your website’s functionality. In many cases, these plugins are free or low cost and can greatly enhance your website.

Conclusion

To summarize: a good CMS gives you more convenience, saves you money, opens up new opportunities and provides low-cost features for your website. For individuals, there are many affordable CMS website solutions on the market. For businesses especially, strong caution should be given towards any website plans that don’t include a CMS.

Questions about CMS systems? Asks us in our comments section below. We’d be happy to help!

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