Internet and Businesses Articles

Introduction

The growth of Internet has placed before the surfer or an online shopper the problem of plenty -usually referred to as ‘information overload’. Website owners are faced with the challenge of website visibility, be it the surfer (including customers) or the search engines – online information must be continually reviewed and updated so that both of them have access to an up-to-date version. Hence out of this necessity, was born a need for online Content Management Systems (CMS). A CMS includes the system and processes whereby information is created, managed, published, and archived by one or more persons.

So what exactly is a CMS ?

CMS is generally used to publish new and frequently updated information. Examples of frequently published information include:

• Press releases

• Newsletters

• Events Schedule

• Specials

• Product updates

An online Content Management System can be as simple as an online HTML editor (like TinyMCE), or as complex as an enterprise solution like Documentum or Reddot. It’s important to choose an online content management system that suits the business needs of an organization. CMS today are scripts or software modules that usually perform the following functions:

• Creation of a structured website

• Facilitate online content management which includes adding / deleting / editing of content by business users

• Facilitate access rights for online content management

• Using content templates render consistent output

What are the advantages of an online Content Management System ?

Online content management has following advantages over conventional methods:

• Decrease Costs

- Content Creation : Content creation is less costly as business users can directly contribute information online without going through an IT specialist for authoring process.
- Online Content Management: Managing information is less costly as content is maintained by the company personnel and standard processes are automated. Common tasks like checking for dead links and archiving old pages are done transparently by the CMS.

• Reduced time overheads

- Reduced time for development: Just upload the CMS software to your web server and install and you are ready to go.
- Time Sensitive Operations: An online content management system improves the speed of publishing the content online. E.g. Publishing news ahead of the competition brings a first-mover advantage, attracting additional visits to the site.

• Empower the user: Empowering the business user involves making better use of information and putting control in the hands of content owners, thus facilitating online content management from anywhere, anyplace.

• Content Accessibility: Since most online content management systems follow the laid down standards, content accessibility is in multiple formats. Content is generated automatically to various outputs like standard HTML, printer friendly HTML, PDF, and XML.

• Updated content gets back customers: A frequently updated site using online content management system will have fresher content thus encouraging customers to return, resulting in increased revenue opportunities.

• Audit Trail: The audit trail, available at both the user and content level, provides a history of content changes. And thus ensures full accountability among the business users.

• Presentation Consistency: CMS present the content using well defined templates. These templates provide a mechanism for maintaining a consistent look and feel.

• Improved Search Engine Visibility: When content is updated frequently, search engines index your website pages as often.

Amod Puranik is an IT Consultant and Web Developer, with over 9 years of experience in Web Development. He can be contacted for more info / consultation on the subject.