A Content Managed Website (or Content Managed System - CMS) is a system of website creation which allows the website owner to control their own website content and gives extra functionality to an otherwise static website.
In the past relatively few companies could afford this type of website. Most companies have either a custom designed static website, probably designed by a professional web designer - it looks good, but it is very difficult to change anything. Or they have a pre-made template website, which they got, most likely, as an add-on when they purchased their hosting/phone/e-mail package - it was very cheap, or even free but it really looks bad and they can never seem to get it to do what they need.
Till now the average company could not afford the programmers, database specialists and the teams of back-end website managers required for custom-built, dynamic websites. But, thanks to the OpenSource community and some dedicated individuals, we now have Joomla.
OpenSource means Joomla is free to use, and many people are writing code for Joomla which, if it’s not free is very affordable and extremely useful. And Jooma’s architecture allows for custom built sites. The best of all the worlds!
So now anyone can afford a custom designed CMS website. OK, it will be a bit more expensive and take a bit longer to produce than the average static website design, but when you count the extra functionality, it’s a no-brainer.
If your current site has not been updated with fresh content, images products, newsletters, etc. within the last week by someone in your own organisation… it’s time for an upgrade.
In the rush for on-line prominence don’t forget to Brand! It’s amazing how new business owners will bypass this vital step. Neglecting to Brand is like asking a girl to marry you without a ring, people start wondering how serious you really are. I call the process of Branding ‘Intellectual Property Development‘. Your Brand is a small piece of real-estate you own in someone else’s brain… if you want to keep it, youDevelop it!
Then there is another very large issue to think about. Some see it as a burden on an already burdened economy, I think it’s the kind of opportunity that separates the men from the boys (if you’ll pardon the expression). That is the opportunities given to us by social networking websites (like Facebook and Twitter).
These websites are just waiting for adventurous marketers, they are like the South Sea Islands 200 years ago. Their fruits are bountiful and perennial but they come on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
The marketing opportunities with Social Networking sites are almost endless, you are actually reading one right now. On-line campiagns, competitions, word of mouth broadcasting is all available at a fraction of the cost of TV and Radio advertising. And the results are measurable, you can tell how many people responded to your advert, how many of those registered on your site and how many subscribed to your newsletter and how many bought something. You can see where they came from, at what time of day and what key word search combinations work the best for your target market.
So if you are planning a multi product store, an online community, a parenting blog, a song writing career, however you want to touch the world; you will find that a CMS website gives you more fingers than you ever dreamt of.
