Do you need a strong and secure online content management system?

Content Management Systems (CMS) are a business enabler. Rather than pay each time to make changes to your website, a CMS is designed for YOU to be able to manage and update the text and images on your website.

Increasingly ‘content’ is becoming the yard stick people use in assessing successful sites. It is not about quantity so much as quality of content. As such, a CMS enables your business to keep your content up to date, engaging and valuable/relevant to your target audience which more often than not are prospective customers/clients.

No successful business should go without a flexible, robust and scalable CMS.

Core technologies and platforms that Stratford Web Design Provide:

WordPressWordPress, Joomla Joomla, DrupalDrupal , SquarespaceSquarespace

CMS Software

There are literally millions of different CMS products available globally. The issue is which one is right for you.

We  hold the view that a website is like a house. If built from scratch, it is crazy to pull it down every year or two to build a new house (which tends to happen when you change agency/suppliers and CMS platforms). Rather, a house should be build on the right foundation such that it can enable extensions and improvements to be made to it overtime to enhance the value of the asset. Choosing the right CMS platform therefore becomes of critical importance.

Stratford Website Design is technically

agnostic – that is, we recommend

clients the right systems and technology

regardless of whether it be PHP or .NET

as we see that both have positives and

negatives.

We assess your requirements thoroughly before recommending a CMS as we are not naive enough to think that your organisation is simple and uncomplicated. In the majority of cases, your business will require certain integration with either internal systems be they payment/accounting, database applications, catalogues, CRMs, syndicated content, inventory management etc so your requirements both now and into the future must be gleaned by us prior to us determining and recommending one solution over another.

How can an Enterprise CMS benefit your business?

  • Reduced reliance on IT staff and possible outsourced web maintenance costs
  • Instant live publishing to your audience for timely release
  • Ability to update your website 24/7 from anywhere, anytime
  • Content management that can grow with your business needs thereby increasing the product life of your website
  • Communicate better with your audience by regularly keeping them up to date with developments in your business, industry etc

What is the difference between Proprietary CMS and Open Source?

  • Proprietary CMS is a closed-source software platform that is more often than not charged on a license basis (either once off or periodically). Proprietary CMS products are engineered and built by specialised development companies often paid in part from proceeds from client work and tailored to meet the requirements of their clients.
  • Some leading Proprietary CMS products include: Verve CMS, Ignition Suite, Site Core, Komodo CMS, Vignette & Red Dot
  • Open Source is an open license software platform that has challenged the conventional software license business model. Open source is available to anyone enabling technologists to copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees. Open source as a platform keeps evolving due to community participation, cooperation and sharing.
  • Open Source CMS include: Cake (PHP), Drupal (PHP), Joomla!(.NET), WordPress (PHP), DotNetNuke (.NET), Mambo (.PHP) etc
  • There is a war waging in technical circles as to which offers the better experience and represents best and most realisable value. Stratford Website Design has not entered into this debate as we believe that both have benefits and flaws. Instead we provide impartial recommendations that we believe are in the best interests of our clients.

Which is best for my business?

  • This is tough to answer without knowing your businesses needs, objectives and strategy
  • The only answer we can provide without knowing more about your requirements is to recommend that you speak to us and let us look at all the avenues available to you
  • If anyone is off the cuff recommending either open source or proprietary without fully comprehending your business, then be sceptical of their recommendation ahead of seeking professional advice

Speak to Stratford Website Design today about your CMS and website requirements.

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