In the last few years, business web designers have been heavily emphasizing content management systems for client sites.
This isn’t necessarily because CMS sites are easier to build, but because companies get more long-term value from an online presence that they can update on their own.
That way the site can constantly be expanded, new products and ideas can be added, and so on, all without dozens of phone calls to the development team, for lots of small hourly invoices.
But, while the spread of CMS-based websites has given companies a lot more options and capabilities, it has also created a few challenges, as well. To understand why, and make the most of the content management system on your business website, follow these four pieces of solid advice:
1. Use your CMS to grow your website.
For some companies, a content management system is like an old exercise bike shoved into the corner of the basement – a tool that could be used to reach longer-term goals, but instead sits idle. If you want to attract visitors from search engines, social media sites, and elsewhere, it’s important to add high-quality content from time to time.
2. Review your content on a continual basis.
Just as important as adding new material is reviewing what’s already there. Are facts, statistics, and product details or prices still up to date? Make sure to review your site on a regular basis just to be sure, or outdated material could hurt your sales and credibility.
3. Get fresh outside perspective once in a while.
As any experienced creative professional could tell you, there comes a point where you can keep looking at something, but stop seeing it for what it is. If you always have the same person, or group of people, reviewing your website, they could miss important typos and details. So, call your creative team (or some other outsider) once in a while for fresh perspective.
4. Consult your creative team before you make any really big changes.
Just because you can make big changes to your website on a moment’s notice doesn’t mean you necessarily should. When you start adding or removing lots of different pages at once, you risk messy navigation, broken links, and other tiny problems that hurt your site.
5. Analyze your site visitor data and act accordingly.
Have Google Analytics installed on your website and subscribe to a good SEO reporting software. By watching visitor habits and paying attention to feedback on social media sites, you can generate content that consumers will find pleasing, thus attracting industry site leaders, more site visitors and increasing the possibility of gaining new customers.
In a lot of ways, content management systems have been one of the best things to happen to business websites in a long time. But, to make the most of yours – and maximize the value of your site – you have to use them. Plain and simple.
