Agile Communications: Take Control of Your Website

During the past several years, content management systems (CMS) have taken the web-design world by storm.

A CMS is a collaborative web application used for managing websites and web content. It is built with scripting language and a database that enable companies to control content, navigation and documents on their public websites via secure “back-end” portals.

The benefits of having a CMS built into the backend of your company’s website are endless. CMS solutions enable companies to edit their websites without knowledge or training in HTML or CSS. With a custom CMS for your company’s website, you no longer have to wait for your website designer or a third-party webmaster to make necessary changes. Instead, you can log in from any web-connected device, at your own convenience, and update, change or add and delete content to the site in seconds without having to rely on expensive software. A CMS even enables you to add multimedia, such as podcasts, videos and photos, to your website.

With a CMS, your website will be more flexible and your communications more agile. In other words, you can add a new page or section to your website without having to hand-code the new pages or modify the entire navigation structure of the entire website to accommodate the new sections.

Moreover, CMS solutions are very cost-effective ways to manage your website’s content. At Roar Media, we rely on WordPress to manage our clients’ online content. WordPress is an open-source platform that began as a popular choice for building blogs but has since become a popular option as a full content management system for traditional websites. WordPress platforms make it easy for even the most novice users to keep all their website content up-to-date.

The Power of Content Management Systems

Open-source content management systems have thousands of plug-ins associated with them which, when properly selected and integrated into the platforms, serve to support companies’ communications needs and business operations. Some common plug-ins and applications include:

  1. E-commerce and check-out
  2. Image sliders
  3. Search engine optimization and meta-data applications
  4. Video and photo galleries
  5. File audit software
  6. Client password protected areas
  7. Document and image management software
  8. Event registration forms
  9. Calendar functions

In addition to WordPress, many other content management systems are available — ranging from freeware to costly software solutions requiring installation and even custom software solutions developed for enterprise-level companies. All CMS solutions are developed a little differently, have various features included, as well as pros, cons and limitations. All in all, a good CMS is critical for companies who need to control their communications and convey their messages in a timely fashion.