Content Management Systems have been a game-changer to the web development world – for both developers and website owners! Some of the key features that have been enhanced by this application include: easy page management, flexibility for developers and users, and workflow management.
Developers are able to customize CMS applications to fit the clients website maintenance needs, allowing for website owners to edit their site much quicker and easily. Another perk, CMS requires little technical knowledge in order to use the application. In our blog spotlight this month, we spoke with Christine, a Web Developer who uses the CMS WordPress. WordPress is one of the most widely used CMS and supports almost 60 million websites. Here are her top 10 thoughts on WordPress as a CMS option.
Q: What do you enjoy about using WordPress versus another CMS software?
A: I prefer WordPress because it is powerful, adaptable, and has great customization options. It is fairly easy for the client to learn how to use, with many articles and tutorials readily available, not to mention training solutions from Faster Solutions.
Currently there are over 48 thousand plugins available to use with WordPress- everything from eCommerce to event calendars, and so much more. These plugins enhance your website to allow for more customization based on your needs.
Q: Does CMS help make things easier for you? If so, how?
A: I think that CMS really helps – especially in the long run. As a developer, it makes it easier to create customized maintenance environments for our customers so they can make internal edits easily. It also allows for easier page additions and editing as whole, which means faster turn around time on edits.
Q: Do you think CMS programs could ever become so efficient and high-tech, that it could replace web developers one day?
A: No. Developers will still need to build the CMS environment and create the customization required for most sites. If this wasn’t available, all websites would just be template sites that wouldn’t be optimized, custom or dynamic. Without these options, marketing would suffer significantly and overall site performance would become stagnate.
Q: What is your favorite CMS plug-in to use? And why?
A: My favorite plug-in to use is called Advanced Custom Fields. It is my favorite because it allows you to put anything anywhere and is very flexible and customizable!
Q: How often would you recommend that clients login to their CMS?
A: I would advise a website owner to login at least once a week or if there are any marketing or content changes that need to be made. You want to make sure you are checking the content often because you don’t want outdated information on your website! Your content relevance directly affects how well you’re ranked in the search engines as well as your status within your industry.
Q: You train clients on CMS, what is your best single piece of advice you would give someone?
A: My best advice would be to not be afraid to ask for help when you don’t understand
something. A lot of people don’t want to ask for help and their content sits there outdated for months, when it is just a simple fix. Although, CMS is advertised as easy to manage yourself, it is still okay to ask questions. That’s what we are here for!
Q: What are some of the key benefits to CMS software?
A: It is great when a client can make edits themselves. When they can do that, it gives them freedom to access the site whenever they would like. The clients don’t have to have any technical knowledge, just a basic understanding on how to use the software.
CMS applications also provide for marketing options and if you have an estore, inventory control systems. There are many opportunities to enhance your CMS to handle some of the operations sides of your business which can be a big advantage to using a CMS.
Q: Do you think a CMS application is a good technical advancement? Why or why not?
A: I think CMS applications are a great advancement. Before CMS, clients needed to have HTML knowledge, or hire a web developer, every time they wanted to make edits to their site. CMS applications have made website maintenance efficient, especially for eCommerce sites and sites that post updated content frequently, and often led to stale and old content.
WordPress, along with many other CMS options have opened a gateway of options for website owners. Start saving time in your day, by inquiring about how a CMS could be used to enhance not only your website, but your business or organization as well!
