At Blue Cow Digital we know there are many different ways to design and develop a new website. A developer can utilise a number of different core web technologies to code a series of page templates from scratch. However only the developer has the experience and knowledge to be able to understand the layout and functionality behind these templates. To an end-user who has management and administration of the final product it can suddenly become more challenging and time-consuming to be able to make amends to content should they wish to update any pages. In an age of Social Media and increased consumption of information using digital technologies and platforms, a modern website needs to have refreshing and original content added to it on a regular basis. This is where a content management system, or CMS, can be a huge benefit.
There are a number of content management systems that can be integrated and used to go alongside a website build. In this post we will explore the benefits of a CMS and explain an overview of three widely used in the market.
How Are Websites Built?
Websites are built using a variety of cornerstone web technologies that form the basis of any webpage or a collection of webpages that make up a website. We have HTML, a markup language that defines the structure and elements of a web page, CSS which can help describe and set the presentation of elements on a web page and JavaScript, which brings dynamic functionality and interaction to one or more web pages. To someone who isn’t familiar with coding, it can be difficult to read and maintain web pages. Developers are tasked with combining these technologies to form the basis of a website.
What Is A Content Management System?
WordPress, Drupal and Joomla are some of the popular choices to integrate into website development.
A content management system, or CMS, is a tool or application that is used to help an author or end-user manage content and sit alongside a collection of web page templates. They normally interact with database systems to store tables of content and settings and have back-end interfaces that allow the end-user to make easy customisations to aesthetics, layout, functionality, text and media such as images, video or audio. This saves time and money for the customer by reducing the need for a developer to make large changes to the code.
What Are The Benefits?
There are many benefits to using a content management system with your website. As mentioned above, one of the key features is the ability for anyone to login to the backend and easily administer the content. Amongst other benefits are increased security, flexibility. extensive support, the ability to rank highly in search engines through Search Engine Optimisation and adaptability and portability across a number of different devices and platforms.
Content Management Systems You Should Explore
There are a wide variety of content management systems that are available to integrate alongside a website build, each having their own benefits. We have picked three that you should consider when looking to develop your website.
WordPress
WordPress was released in 2003, originally as a blogging platform but has since expanded to become the most widely used and popular CMS on the market. This is because it is easy to deploy and install, the interface contains many customisable options and settings that are easy to pickup and change through a streamlined dashboard and there is also a vast selection of pre-made website templates that are ready to install and repurpose for rapid prototyping and application development. The language of WordPress is PHP, a high-level programming language that is easy to pick up and learn, meaning simple functions can be called to customise functionality and behaviour. If you are struggling with understanding something when using the platform, there is a large online community of WordPress developers who are able to assist you. Finally the websites that are built on this CMS use templates that are responsive in nature, meaning the content that displays on them adapts to any screen sizes such as smartphones and tablets.
Drupal
Drupal is a content management system that was released in 2001 and like WordPress is open-source, free to use and highly scalable with a large community of followers and developers who can provide support in helping you get your website built and integrated. The authors of Drupal have made the CMS future-proof, meaning that any extensions that are added onto the CMS remain compatible with new versions. This helps to mitigate the number of errors that might develop if there is a mismatch in versions and also reduces overall maintenance times. Drupal can be used to publish blogging website, online stores and simple or complex brochure websites.
Joomla
Another popular content management system that was released in 2003 is Joomla. Currently on its 4th iteration it offers a number of integrated features to help users and authors manage their content. Joomla does not have as many extensions as WordPress or Drupal but there are several key features that are built right into the CMS to provide the tools needed to create and publish a powerful online presence. Media driven websites containing galleries and videos, user forums and blogging platforms as well as online shops and user portals can all be achieved using this platform. The tool also has built in functionality to allow basic Search Engine Optimisation to be performed on content, which in turn if performed correctly over time will allow your website and domain name to increase in ranking with big search engines like Google and Bing.
It should be worth noting that these content management systems support the ability to integrate e-commerce add-ons and extensions which means not only can you provide your users with a fantastic looking website but you can also list and sell your products online with additional layers of e-commerce and checkout functionality.
Conclusion
Each of these content management systems have their own benefits but we have found that the all round choice for development is WordPress. With it’s easy to use interface, large library of add-ons and plugins, modular themes, regular version updates, security patches as well the large community and support that sits behind it there is a reason why so many websites on the Internet are powered by WordPress. What started off as a simple blogging platform has quickly grown to become a customisable and powerful
Are you looking to have your website redesigned or do you need a new one built from the ground up? Speak with the experts at Blue Cow Digital. Our professional and friendly team utilise the powerful WordPress content management system provide you with a refreshed or brand new online presence, allowing new traffic and audiences to discover your business. Our friendly team have plenty of experience to get your business noticed. You can view our various web packages on the website so what are you waiting for? Stand out from the herd and get in touch with us today!
