A content management system (CMS) website provides you as the owner of your website the ability to easily make updates to content on your own site. By opting for this type of website, once you have had the initial website designed and developed to your specification then you can be in control of future content rather than using anyone external to do this.
What to consider at web design and development stage?
When you first embark on a new website design with a web developer ask them about a CMS system. As part of your requirements make sure the admin dashboard is easy to follow. It should be simple to upload content, install modules and plugins as well as see user activity.
With a CMS you should also easily be able to add images, which is so important for a website, as well as have the options to add eye-catching call to actions or forms.
Talk to your web design agency about the types of themes available to be able to get the design you want. At Smart Cow, we create a wire frame following your brief so you can see what your website will look like prior to build and we can make changes at this stage based on feedback.
Built for SEO
What’s key for a website once it’s live is being optimised. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an ongoing task that you need to think about when running a business website.
We have a number of blogs where we talk about things like meta descriptions, alt tags and H1 headers. These are key when uploading content to pages or as a blog.
We also cover tips for sitemaps, bot accessibility and URL structure.
You can also check whether a website is SEO friendly, something like Hubspot and its CMS Hub can allow you to work on your SEO strategy as it provides SEO recommendations for content.
Social media marketing
A CMS should allow the capability of integrating with your social media platforms.
Think about whether you will want the ability for people to share posts or pages with the inclusion of sharing buttons. This is a great way to spread awareness of your brand and position you as a thought leader.
Safety, security and support
The security of your website is of the utmost importance. Discuss this with your web developer at initial stages and ensure that security is listed on any proposal you get.
Things to look out for include whether an SSL certificate is included in the proposal cost.
Also ensure you have an updated privacy policy in your footer if you are embarking on a new website.
At Smart Cow marketing, once a website is live and handed over, there is a regular monthly fee for hosting but it’s up to you whether you wish to have support and ongoing maintenance of your site as this is something you may wish to do yourself. Either way, we can provide a website training session for the users who will be responsible for the upload of content moving forward.
Why use CMS for your business?
At the core of a professional web design strategy is about enhancing your online presence. With a swift move for many people and businesses to work remotely, with communication and sales happening online, having the ability to quickly update your website to inform customers and prospects of new opening times, special deals and new services having a CMS website starts to make sense.
It’s also key during this time to position yourself as a thought leader. So, being able to offer timely advice to existing customers and new business leads will help retain clients and improve your lead generation.
Website design Croydon
We’re a web design company in Croydon. Out digital marketing services include creating bespoke websites, SEO, link building, social media marketing and PPC.
Read more about our web design services and get in touch for a consultation or a free website review.
