The Real Truth Behind Content Management Systems
If you are developing a new website and are looking for an easy way to manage your files then I would recommend for you to stay far far away from Content Management Systems (CMS).
CMS systems come in 2 flavors that you can buy like Mambo, Drupal, Typo3 etc. and the ones that are custom in-house packages of web development companies. While these may sound tempting to use I recommend you stay away from these solutions.
Most web development companies that do not offer SEO services boast about how their custom CMS system is a better return on investment because (insert reason here)… The reason these companies push their CMS systems are because a CMS system transfers the burden of website management over to the customer and off of the web development company. The faster the burden is pushed off the quicker they can move onto another project. Websites built with these types of companies tend to be more cookie cutter and are a terrible return on investment due to their restrictive nature. If you desire service after the sale a web development company with a CMS package is usually a bad bet.
Most of the companies who use CMS claim that they provide SEO, but all it takes is one look at their system to realize that they are clueless. The nature of a CMS makes it difficult to apply the on-page changes that are essential to search engine visibility. These systems are typically designed to mass produce websites (dynamic pages) and they are usually a sales gimmick.
I have yet to encounter a CMS that was SEO friendly. Many clients have requested for me to optimize their site but I tend to stay away from these types of systems due to our lack of control of many on-page factors and the level of difficulty in learning a new CMS package.
So what is the answer?
How about Macromedia Dreamweaver or Contribute. Why spend so much time and money developing your very own CMS when one already exists that is easy to use and search engine friendly? If your client absolutely has to have a CMS, just give them a Dreamweaver crash course. I have taught many people how to use Dreamweaver in under an hour.
I am not saying that CMS is a bad idea it’s just that one has yet to be designed by an SEO. Don’t turn away a client because of their CMS just be aware that they will restrict your optimization efforts.
April 1st, 2006 at 5:06 pm
I enjoyed this post… We get questions about CMS a lot, and each time I scratch my head wondering what the big deal is. We’ll implement them for clients who have a lot of pages and need a lot of control… but more often than not, they won’t even use them (regardless of how simple the interface is, and how well-trained they are). It’s just easier to have someone else do it for you.