In the old days, a small business would buy a website design, they would pay about £100 per page and it would either sit there – unchanged – for a couple of years… or any changes would cost an arm and a leg.
Content management software (aka CMS) is not new, but there have been massive shifts in the cost and the user-friendliness for those of you out there who don’t have time to be spending hours and hours setting the whole thing up.
The reason it’s so important for you is that CMS means you have full control of your website.
- You can make changes whenever you like, without having to wait for a web designer to get around to it.
- You can develop your site along with your business, meaning that you can test and measure campaigns easily and affordably
- You can’t break your website! Honest – if it’s been set up right you really can’t.
The biggest thing is; if you are using a CMS website with a blogging system (and most of them will have that option) then your Google ranking can be massively improved… just by having good, relevant content that your potential customers will find.
If you have rarely had business through your website, and you currently have a static website (in other words one that you can’t change yourself) then a Content Management System could be the answer.
A couple of things you’ll need to get the most out of your CMS.
1. Someone local who can give you a little training
Manuals are great, but nothing beats a one to one training session where you can set the system up from scratch on your computer from the start.
2. Minimal fear of computers
If you’re used to using Microsoft Word, then you’re probably fine. We do have customers that struggle a little with technology, which is completely understandable. So having someone you can call or email when you forget where to find an option is vital. It happens to the best of us.
However, if you really are convinced you’re a jinx with computers, it might be best to have a content managed site that is managed by someone else.
Don’t let any fear of computers stop you from making the most of your potential on the internet!
3. A system that also includes at least the basic SEO
One of the biggest challenges with CMS is that you might not know what you’re getting SEO wise. You don’t need to understand SEO in order to make the most of it and any system that you go for should absolutely have meta tags and the correct, up to date methods to help you in your search engine rankings.
4. A bespoke design that really shows your off your best side
Just because you’re using a software package, doesn’t mean your design has to be off the shelf. Your design should be a part of your brand, should show your logo in the best way and work around your business – not the other way around!
Obviously our website packages offer all these options and start from just 60p a day, but if you’re not in the Herts / Beds / Cambs area, the above should give you some ideas of what to ask a web company to make sure you’re getting the best package for you.