Content Management Systems Made Easy for Small Businesses
by Ben Wilson on May 31st, 2016
Developing a strong online presence is quintessential to building your brand. Since “content is king” became a popular maxim in digital marketing, companies started focusing on their content marketing strategies. While good content is the bedrock of any strategy, choosing the best Content Management Software for your needs helps implement your strategy smoothly.
Different Types of Content Management Systems?
A Content Management System (CMS) is an umbrella term for any software that helps in designing, managing and publishing content on the internet or intranet. These systems are further categorised based on the type of content and platforms they deal with:
- Web Content Management Systems (WCMS) which helps with websites
- Component Content Management Systems (CCMS, also known as XML) assist in organising relationships between different components.
- Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS) - an intranet-like tool - to organise information for all employees within an organisation to access easily.
- There are also Document Management Systems and Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) which are sometimes offered as add-ons with WCMS and ECMS.
The end goal of all these systems is to ensure efficient management of information by easing the process of updating, designing, and publishing content.
Open Source Versus Proprietary Systems
There are different software options on the market to address various functional requirements and budgets. There are free-to-use Open Source CMS options, and there is Proprietary CMS software which can be licensed for a fee. The most popular ‘out-of-the-box’ open source CMS software options are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal that have a range of inbuilt themes and plugins. While they are easy to use and compatible with most web hosting services, customising them to suit your needs can be difficult, and give the website a generic look and feel. It would require the expertise of a Web Master versed in HTML and CSS coding to customise the website and build new themes or plug-ins.
While Proprietary software offers a wider range of features, they might not work on all web hosting platforms and migration can become a process in itself. For most small and medium-sized businesses, these options are prohibitively expensive and the back-end procedures for updating the site is cumbersome. If making regular updates becomes expensive and time-consuming, it can adversely affect your overall online presence.
Cost Effective, Easy To Use Content Management System
Web Force 5 offers a cost-effective and easy to use content management system designed to address the unique content needs of small and medium-sized businesses. With an intuitive user interface designed for people who are not tech savvy, it offers an easy to manage CMS option which can be used for different types of content across the entire website. It allows the website owner to manage search engine visibility and seamlessly integrates all of the default Web Force 5 functions including shopping cart, e-newsletters/e-marketing, online forms, CRM and other commonly requested functions, all within the website CMS. The Web Force 5 CMS also provides an option to create a separate staff intranet and an unlimited number of member login portals. Also, there are no limits on usage, and regular software updates are provided free of charge. The system is also mobile responsive, ensuring websites are designed to adjust the display to suit the screen size of the device.
With a special focus on Australian businesses, all websites are hosted in Australia to ensure the pages load fast and work smoothly. Web Force 5’s services are tailored to suit the needs of each client, and all implementations are preceded by an individualized consultation designed to develop a detailed website scoping and quoting document. At Web Force 5 we also provide personalised design service, and while there is a range of do-it-yourself options, the locally-based support team is available for day to day assistance.
With a CMS platform that is 40-60% cheaper than similar options on the market, Web Force 5 is a one-stop-shop for all content management requirements.