In the earlier days of the Internet, going back to the mid-1990s, DIY websites were all the rage. Enthusiasts and hobbyists were seeking hands-on experience of the Internet revolution in its first flush of excitement. Consequently, software was developed to give beginners, with little or no knowledge of coding, the chance to author their websites. Programmes such as Front Page and Dreamweaver aimed to put website development on a par with word processing.
However, such programmes did not always prove to be easily adaptable to the corporate market. One problem was that team members in a business might need to make some changes to the company website but, to do so, each person needed a copy of the web authoring programme. Licensing costs, therefore, became a significant issue, making it difficult to manage and stimulate the addition of new content. There was also the issue that using a web authoring programme, such as Front Page, to update a newsletter once a month was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Content management systems
Content management systems have proved a popular means of resolving the above issues. A content management system (CMS) is a server-based computer programme that enables authorised editors to add, change or remove content for a given website.
A person appointed as CMS editor will simply need a web browser, a password, and some training, to use any given package. WordPress blogs, for instance, are created using a CMS. Costly web authoring programmes are simply not required.
Main benefits of using a CMS
There are numerous advantages to using a CMS for web development over other web development methods.
More cost-effective: If a website is authored using a standalone package, such as Dreamweaver, in order to make changes the site owner will either have to pay for and master the software, or pay the original developer to make changes. The same rule applies to bespoke websites coded by one or more developers. Either way, the costs will mount over the years. However, if a CMS is used the website owners can immediately take complete ownership of the product, and make any desired changes for themselves, with the minimum of fuss.
Quicker to make changes: With a CMS, an editor can make changes to content instantly, from any computer connected to the Internet. The editorial process is not tied to a single location. When reliant on a web developer to make changes, the person has to be contacted (which may be difficult out of hours) and then the job has to be put in a queue. The delay could be serious in the case, for instance, of a company wanting to correct an error on its home page.
SEO-friendly: Finally, content management systems prove invaluable web development tools when it comes to search engine optimisation. A trained editor, responsive to changing trends, can add or modify keywords at a moment’s notice; especially in crucial areas such as page titles and headings.