Today we’ll speak briefly about Content Management based web sites. A Content Management site (CMS) allows the owner of the web site to manage the content on the site. CMS is dynamic. The administrator of the site can enter information using an admin panel and submit and the information is immediately live on the web site for visitors to view. A CMS site is ideal if you have the time and/or staff to keep information on the site up to date. It removes the need to have a web developer make changes on your behalf. Although there is a greater initial investment for a Content Management System, there are obvious savings over time as you look after updates whenever required. In addition, you can manage the changes in the most timely fashion because you do not have to wait for a 3rd party to assist you – instead of emailing the web developer to make a change, just add the content you would have emailed directly into the CMS admin panel and your changes are complete.

A CMS site can have a wide variety of options; menu management, multi level menus, additional content management, news and events management, file management, photo galleries, product management, e-commerce, and much more. The costs of developing a CMS site relate to the customer’s requirements. Developers may offer a custom CMS, proprietary CMS, or publishing applications or software such as WordPress, Drupal or Joomla for example.

Content Management is the ideal investment for any client that has information that needs to be changed regularly and has the staff or time available to take care of those changes. Some content management web sites developed by NetClimber Web Design include Ladner Business Association, Ladner United Church, West Coast Seeds, South Delta Minor Hockey Association and Tsawwassen Business Improvement Association.

Last time we talked about ‘the design’ and how it relates to the overall cost of a web site. Today I’d like to speak about static sites. A static site is a flat site, pre-designed and then uploaded to a host server. This is an ideal option for a small site that won’t need content changes very often, or for clients that don’t have time or staff to manage ongoing changes to their web site.

A small static web site is usually a lower cost than a dynamically driven site, but the client will incur costs each time the site content requires a change unless they have html and ftp experience and the necessary software available. The cost is still relevant to ‘the design’ as discussed in our previous article.

Next time we’ll consider costs and benefits relating to a dynamic content management driven web site.

We meet clients all the time that want to know what it will cost for a web site. There is never one easy answer to this question. It relates to a number of aspects that make up a web site. Today, I’d like to speak about the ‘design aspect’. Every web site needs a design. Its a visual aspect that is very important. Will it relate to your overall ‘brand’? It definitely should, but for many it doesn’t. If you have an opportunity to create a brand this is a great starting point. Choose a design that will create recognition for your business and product. If you already have a graphic designer, ask the graphic designer to work with the web designer to create a complete concept. If you don’t have a graphic designer, you may want to get one prior to planning the web site or you should discuss branding with the web designer so that the proper graphics are available at a later date when you’re ready to extend the brand.

This does not answer the question “What will a web site cost?” but it will be the first step towards considering your requirements when getting an estimate for a web site. We’ll review more considerations over the next week to help you plan a budget for your site.