Content Management Systems

Content Management Services » Content Management Systems

Content Management Systems ("CMS") bring the costs of maintaining and managing larger web sites under control. They can also deliver substantially greater functionality for a smaller outlay.

Types of CMS

Good CMS allow you to publish the same content in different formats without re-editing or re-keying. They also allow you to integrate your web systems with your existing back-office systems, however complex the data you handle.

It is very important to recognise that all CMS are not the same:

• At one end of the scale are cheap and cheerful offerings which can make a lot of sense for small- to medium-sized sites run on a very tight budget. The best of these do one job well; typically this is small article management.
• Then there are the fully-featured professional systems which deliver the full range of productivity gains and have a capacity for full system integration. You can expect these professional offerings to be capable of handling the most complex web-applications you can devise and to be capable of adding a whole host of advanced features to your web site.

We are specialists in what we believe is the best full-featured professional system: eZ publish content management system. We hope to be adding a budget offering to the range shortly.

The Business Perspective

At the heart of a fully content-managed web site is a sophisticated division of labour between the design and technical team on the one hand, and the editorial team on the other. Because each can concentrate on what it does best, the result is a win-win combination: greater economies combined with more powerful functionality with no adverse effect on visual impact or delivery times.

The long-term benefits are even more significant as the considerable cost of transferring content from one incarnation of the company's web site to the next can be dramatically reduced.

Help with Implementing CMS

Content management, while it promises a lot in terms of business benefits, will only deliver if the system is properly configured and expertly implemented. Powerful content mangement systems are not simple.

To make a successful move to content management requires one thing above all: meticulous and professional planning. Planning needs to cover site content, navigation, functionality and visual design on the one hand. It also needs to incorporate a comprehensive blueprint for site maintenance and management.

Our Content Management Services

We deliver a comprehensive service which includes -

• Turn the client's web-site business plan and targets into a comprehensive specification and implementation document and schedule;
• Prepare working prototypes of all site functionality including navigation, log-on, search, etc.;
• Prepare roughs and then final visual designs for every section;
• Install eZ on the web server and configure it to meet the specifications required;
• Install and configure back-up and development servers;
• Prepare templates for every section;
• Add custom code into the templates to control dynamic sections of the site;
• Incorporate style sheets;
• Install special, productivity-enhancing editor / text-content entry areas;
• Set up all user security features including content security;
• Build any special database linkages required;
• Build any special functionality as eZ extensions;
• Comprehensive testing and debugging;
• Training and client-user-documentation;
• On-going support and maintenance;
• Revisions, additional functionality and extensions.

You can see more on our content management services.

What Does it Cost?

The core content management software we use is currently open source and so there is no purchase or licence fee to be paid - however many sites or users you have.

The charge we make is just for our fees. You can expect a content managed site to have slightly higher initial costs than an ordinary one but you should be able to plan and budget for significantly reduced medium- to long-term management, maintenance and update costs.

Content Management Services » Content Management Systems