There are many more benefits to a good CMS, the ones mentioned in my previous post about Why Use a CMS are just a few of the ones that I generally highlight to my clients or contacts. A very important thing to keep in mind though is that not all CMS’ were created equal! Some are very easy to use, some are near impossible to use and negate many of the points mentioned above.
When you are deciding which CMS to use, make sure that you have a good discussion with your Web Designer about it, use a CMS that they are familiar with and make sure that you will also be able to use it as well. If you can’t figure out how to do the tasks that you want to be able to do on your own then it’s probably not the right CMS for you! I know of companies that were in custom CMS’s designed for them that ended up being virtually unusable so they ended up having to pay the company that designed it for them to do the updates – and their minimum charge was not cheap! It can make changing even one word very expensive, and when going into a CMS is often for cost saving and easy updating abilities it works against that.
So if you find that you’re paying just as much if not more to maintain your site in your current CMS because it is so difficult to use then it may be time to move on. But what if you like your website the way it is but you just can’t stand the system behind it? Well then keep the look and say goodbye to the CMS! A good designer should be able to re-create the exact look for you and put it on another platform. I’ve had a few times where I’ve had to do that for clients that no-longer want their current CMS, it’s easy enough to make a template based on the old site and then copy the content into it. With this you would also have the choice of going into a more suitable CMS or leaving CMS’s entirely if it’s not right for you.
Overall when you’re designing or re-designing your website you should always make sure to speak with an experienced designer that can help you choose the best platform to suit your needs both currently and what you plan to do for the future. For example, starting out your company you may not have the time for a blog right away, but if you desire to have one in the future it’s best to make sure your website will be able to add that feature easily without a large (and costly) redesign. We at ARK2 love matching companies with the best solutions for their needs and would be happy to be of service should you need us!
Anna Kouwenberg is a partner and the Creative Director for ARK Squared Productions and lives and works out of Port Moody and the Tri Cities of Greater Vancouver. She has experience in Web Design and Graphic Design of over 13 years. She is a BCIT Alumni from the Marketing Communications program and has worked in the marketing department for a few companies gaining practical real-world experience in her field. A designer with marketing experience that can help you put your best foot forward visually in an effective way.
WordPress, custom theme by ARKsquared