Web Site Design and Content Management Systems - Doug Landers (guest columnist)

Our clients often ask us about being able to update/edit their web site without having to learn web programming skills (e.g. HTML).  The tool used for this is a Content Management System (CMS).  CMS come in all different flavors and levels of complexity. 

There are tools like Web Site Tonight from GoDaddy and Homestead/Intuit that one can use to get a site up quickly.  These are the easiest from an end user perspective and lower cost, but they come at a price.  There is very little customization that can be done and sometimes they are limited on the number of pages/assets you can have.  At the other end of the spectrum are the tools like Ektron's CMS.Net and RedDot.  These are very good systems but are more expensive and usually require a specialist to get them up and running and to keep the site performing.  There are many options in the middle that are free and are usually self-maintainable after the initial setup.

At a high level, a CMS takes your content (pictures, words, etc.) and combines them with a look (design template) and shows that to the user.  Some of the middle ground CMS tools that may be familiar by name are Drupal, Joomla, and DotNetNuke.  These are low/no cost for the CMS, although some modules that you may want to add in might not be free.  There are also sites that offer templates/themes that you can purchase and use.  The drawback is if you want to change the template or change some of the items it may require someone familiar with template building for that CMS tool.  These also have a fair amount of overhead and modules preinstalled that you may never use, but do affect performance.  These tools are not bad tools and are popular.

Here are a few CMS pitfall:

      Going the inexpensive route.  Although it seems like a good option at the time, it could cost you in the end.  Like it or not image does count in business.  If your web site is seen as unprofessional then people may assume the same about you or your company.

     Not seeing the whole cost of a web site.  When people try to compare web site proposals they are sometimes not easily comparable.  Some companies will use a lower initial cost and then higher hosting and lock you in for a year.  Others will have a moderate initial cost and reasonable hosting. 

      Not being realistic about your time.  If you are already stretched doing other business activities, being your own web master may not be the best option.

      Being realistic on budget.  Yes web sites do cost money and have a perceived low value to some.  However, it is almost always the go-to place for people to get information on your business, products or services. 

      Not knowing your strengths.  We are all good at different things.  If technology isn't a strength for you, that is fine and there are others that it is â use them.

The reality is we all want control of our web site, but I can tell you that an average is that 5% of clients that really control their own site.  We always build a site assuming it will be self-managed, but they rarely are.  And usually it has nothing to do with the CMS itself; it has more to do with the skill sets that are in place.  CMS tools are great, but they are not magic.  There are learning curves, pieces that all need to fit together and cost to bring your brand to life online.

BrandGarden is an integrated marketing firm based in Mason, Ohio.  We help small and medium businesses with all aspects of their marketing â online and offline.  We offer a full range of services from strategy to design to execution of the marketing plan.  We take the complexity out of marketing by being a one stop for our clients, reducing their time spent explaining their vision and goals to multiple groups.