- Introduction
- What Is Content Management?
- Why Sites Should Implement Content Management Solution
- Content Management Products
Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Why Sites Should Implement Content Management Solution
Content management is about empowering the content contributors and removing the content management burden from the traditional "webmasters." Assuming that this article has been convincing in this respect, the other issues is this: Why not build a solution yourself? Certainly arguments could be made for simply developing a homegrown solution; however, these types of solutions largely suffer from inflexibility and/or the lack of time and money to develop them.
A basic HTML form to receive content and then the ASP/CGI script to place that content within a standardized look and feel is easy enough to build. But that kind of solution only works if the site for which it's being developed doesn't change—in other words, the templates (the way in which information is presented) don't change, no sections are added (for example, if the client suddenly decides to create a news section), and the client has infinite time and/or money. Typically, none of these assumptions are true. More often, the client will want additional functionality, not less; more sections, not fewer; and the time and dollars are finite, not infinite. Moreover, every time a new site is built, a new HTML form has to be developed, a "standard" script has to be modified for the new site, and so on.
Content management solutions allow developers to concentrate on getting a site running quickly and effectively. By standardizing the interface, a new solution doesn't have to be created for every site developed, thus reducing the time to implement. A number of commercial solutions provide a documented API, which clients as well as developers could reuse (this is part of the value proposition); this allows the developers to simply reuse skills they've already acquired. More importantly, large-scale testing of the solution is unnecessary; the vendor of the solution is responsible for this aspect of delivery. Developers don't have to spend time testing their site and the content contribution mechanism.
In short, why invent a solution when some already exist?