What exactly is a CMS?
- Read time: 3 mins
- Tech level: low
- Key point: Better content and branding are some of the benefits of an enterprise CMS
A content management system (CMS) is a software application that supports the creation and ongoing management of digital, usually website, content.
There are a variety of CMS applications available with an extensive range of features. However, a CMS should be chosen that meets the specific requirements of an organisation. Not because of demo or a slick presentation.
There are several key functionalities to look for when investing in a CMS for your company or department.
Key facets of a good CMS include a user-friendly editor interface coupled with features that alert editors when they need to update their content.
A CMS may be technically robust but if it’s not easy to use then all of those powerful features won’t be maximised to their full potential. We recommended the best CMS for most large organisations is an Enterprise CMS.
You’re probably asking why?
An enterprise CMS provides the winning formula for any business
The benefits of an Enterprise CMS for business are multi-faceted. At the core, an Enterprise Content Management System (CMS) promotes workplace collaboration and efficiency. A good CMS moulds technology around the people using the CMS to update content, as well as the people visiting the website that the CMS is managing.
Moreover, an CMS is usually better at producing websites that meet accessibility guidelines. They also provide the opportunity to build a faster loading website because the code that CMS typically produce is cleaner and ‘less bloated’.
Better website management
A CMS will allow an organisation to manage multiple websites at once and re-use content between sites.
They can also be configured to work well with your web content strategy – and not create roadblocks. A good CMS can be set up to provide timely reminders for when content is due to be updated based on business rules that have been previously set.
Of course, the business still needs to create those business rules. However, a good digital services agency will walk you through that process. It's important that whichever enterprise CMS you choose, that the CMS is implemented properly and that all relevant team members have proper CMS training.
Why use an enterprise CMS instead of a WordPress type tool?
WordPress is an open-source CMS platform that was initially developed for building blogs. It is now the most popular CMS for websites on the planet.
As a consequence, a large percentage of marketing managers opt for WordPress when setting up single or multiple websites. This is due to the perceived advantages of the platform as a result of the hype surrounding it. Having said that, it does have a very user-friendly interface, and one doesn’t need to look far to find professionals with WordPress experience. WordPress is also very quick to respond to new trends and technologies.
However, these perceived advantages are not always correctly understood. WordPress has several design pitfalls that can significantly affect your online presence.
Pitfall 1: Introducing the most hacked CMS in the world
While being the most popular CMS, WordPress is currently (as of 2017) the most hacked CMS on the planet. The reason is that coders quickly write and deploy addons without going through any rigorous security process. This can leave your digital presence vulnerable to security hacks and malicious activities. Addressing any residual problems will draw on company resources and cut into your budget.
Pitfall 2: Lacks technical support but good training
WordPress does not provide technical support to its end users. Since the WordPress code is basically ‘a patchwork’ made up of contributions from a variety of coders, there is no one company that can take responsibility for the security and the quality of the CMS. To get the features you want in your WordPress website, you’ll likely need to use a variety of add-ons. There are a variety of online forums where users post questions. However, the replies are not always immediate and advice is not always at the expert level. There are a number of companies that can support you, but they probably won’t accept responsibility for any problems you experience that can be traced back to the WordPress CMS.
Pitfall 3: Incompatible with the latest web apps
WordPress is incompatible with many web app development tools. One of its more significant disadvantages is that it is incompatible with AngularJS - a JavaScript web application maintained by Google.
Pitfall 4: SEO issues for the less experienced user
WordPress can create SEO problems for users that don’t have a high level of technical competence. An example is the WordPress tagging and category system, which can create confusing site maps.
Pitfall 5: Multi-site configuration requires advanced skills
The WordPress multi-site configuration process requires a significant level of technical ability. It requires expert programming and coding skills in order to configure a multi-site efficiently.
Advantages of using a single enterprise CMS
The design pitfalls of WordPress can significantly affect your online presence, particularly when your business requires multiple websites.
Addressing these issues can draw on company resources while cutting into budgets.
The bottom line is that a large organisation can benefit from a number of efficiencies by using one CMS when compared to multiple WordPress websites.
Advantage 1: One upgrade across an organisation
Upgrades are done once across an organisation using a single CMS instead of multiple upgrades and patches. The result is significant savings on company time and budgetary resources.
Advantage 2: Reduced training costs for large organisations
Training on an CMS can be streamlined across a large organisation, reducing costs and impact on company resources.
Advantage 3: Centralised hosting for company savings
Hosting an CMS can be centralised with significant cost savings made.
Advantage 4: Centralised service level agreements
Service level agreements (SLA’s) with vendors can be centralised enabling opportunities for cost savings.
Advantage 5: Quality assurance checks conducted in batches
Quality assurance (QA) can be done in batches on all websites throughout an organisation. For example, a check for broken links or spelling errors can be set to be periodically run across all websites in the centralised CMS.
Advantage 6: Easy to launch successive websites after the first build
Once the first website is built in a single CMS, the costs are lower and time shorter to deploy more websites. For example, the Tesla Gigafactory will take a lot of time and cost to build, but once built, it will be able to efficiently produce many high-quality cars.
See more advantages to using an enterprise CMS.
A performing website is like the ultimate team member
A good website provides a 24/7 online presence to your customers. It will always work to engage new customers, drive growth and increase revenue.
No business can afford to ignore this key aspect of their marketing strategy.
A performing website is like the ultimate team member. It always works to engage new customers, drive growth and increase revenue.
Improving the customer experience of your website builds brand value and trust while ensuring return traffic.
Experts in enterprise CMS development and configuration will help put you ahead of the competition
Polished Pixels are experts in the set up and configuration of enterprise CMSs for Sydney businesses. We configure technology around business goals and not the other way around. Since content is king, a good CMS will encourage and facilitate the production of good quality content. We create CMS based websites that promote collaboration, creativity and efficiency in the workplace.
We are experts in creating websites that integrate key content functionalities. Our websites provide end users with easy access to the digital assets, making content management both streamlined and efficient.
We deliver websites that are designed to meet and exceed accessibility guidelines for stakeholders.
The result is a strong web presence created with significant savings on company time and budgetary resources.
Our focus is on your return on investment
Building a business case for a new CMS based website?
You can have the building blocks of a new website in minutes, without spending hours 're-inventing the wheel'.
To help you to build your business case, we've created an online tool that's designed to give you a head start on your business case.
Learn more about the benefits of CMS
See how an Enterprise CMS can be advantageous to you and view case studies from previous projects.
