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A Website Content Management System for SMEs

What is Content Management?

In the context of websites, content management is the process of managing the text, images, links and so on that form the content of a website. Content Management Systems take many forms and vary enormously in cost and complexity.

The essential quality of a Content Management System (CMS) is that it should allow the user to manage the content of a website without having to learn specialist skills such as HTML or programming, and without needing to know anything about "design".

A good Content Management System will separate design from content. This means that the design (the "look and feel") is created by a skilled graphic designer and the framework is built by a specialist HTML programmer. When you update the content of a website using a Content Management System it should be impossible for you to wreck the design. Your only concern should be entering the content and perhaps selecting from a palette of pre-designed styles or templates.

Without a Content Management System, (using Frontpage or Dreamweaver for example), the business of updating content is intricately linked to the structure and design of the website. This means that the person updating the website must also be a graphic designer, website designer and programmer - that's a tall order when all you want to do is to get the updates done and get on with running a business.

What sort of Content Management System would suit your business?

Historically Content Management Systems have been large, heavyweight applications targetted at large corporations. This type of Content Management System is definitely not for an SME (Small to Medium sized Enterprise).

The implementation and support costs, and the required staff training, are worthwhile for a sizable business that has a very large website with many different people contributing to the content. For a typical SME however, this type of Content Management System is just too difficult and too expensive.

At the other end of the scale there are a number of online "website builder" services. These are great for personal or non-profit websites and are generally characterised by "click and pick" off-the-shelf designs. This type of Content Management System falls down because they are limited to pre-determined designs, and lack the functionality required by an SME website. The cheap prices often mean poor service, so the speed of response of your website can be variable. Support is normally by email only with no personal service available.

123Live was developed for SMEs to fill the gap between "cheap and cheerful" "click and pick" website builders, and full blown heavy duty Content Management Systems.

123Live websites are designed by professional graphic designers and implemented by first class HTML programmers. The website designs are individually created for each customer. The 123Live Content Management System is exceptionally easy to use and is available at a price that every small business can afford.