Our CMS Websites

A Content Management System is the latest in website technology and sometimes refered to as a dynamic website.  Unlike the traditional static websites which consists of many pages of standard HTML pages linked by a navigation system, a dynamic website is driven by a datebase.  This means that content is created dynamically from a database where all the information is stored.  Static websites are old hat and are a pain for the client to update and change unless they have experiance of using an HTML editor etc.

All our sites are Dynamic offering a feature rich website to the client which can be manually updated by them using a simple administration area built into the website.  This area allows the client to add new content, assign new menu items to content, upload image and much more using a simple interface and WYSIWYG on screen editor.  This puts you in control of your content, news features and so on, updating is as simple as entering some text and clicking "SAVE".

One of the main benefits is that when we design a website we make it modular, this means that the website can grow as your business grows.  So to start with you may just want a basic dynamic website for your business with a number of pages including a Contact Us form, Location Map.  Later you may wish us to add a Photo Gallery, Ecommerce Functionality, Events Planning and much more and all this is possible.  This allows you to pay for functionallity as you require it and minimise your initial investiment; however if your sole intention is to sell online then you need an Ecommerce Solution from the word go.

All our websites are developed using industry leading Open Source Frameworks and this is no exception for our CMS systems.  Depending on the nature of our site, e.g. Blogging Platform, Portfillo Site etc we will choose the best solution to meet your needs.  We have extensive experiance with the following leading professional solutions.

Joomla is an Open Source Content Management System that is used by some of the leading companies in the world.  To give you an idea Joomla powers 2.7% of the entire web.  Google Joomla and you will find around 172,000,000 results.  With a huge community of deveopers, professional and uses, Joomla is a constantly evolving framework used to develop database driven websites by literally millions of people around the world.

If you are looking for a professional modular website then Joomla is the answer, if you are looking for a custom developed website like Amazon, HSBC, Lloyds, HM Customs & Revenue then be prepared to pay for it.  Joomla has its limitations in that it is a frame work; however if it is good enough for Porsche then the chances are it will be good enough for your site.

Wordpress is the leading Blogging platform and is about as popular as Joomla is in the CMS field.  Like Joomla Woodpress is support by a community of literally thousands of developers, professionals and users.  Information about Wordpress from books, forums and online tutorials is readily available.  Just Google Wordpress and you will see how popular it is.  Although Wordpress is more of a Blogging framework than a CMS, it can be used to develop quite good basic CMS type website with the added advantage of the best Blogging framework available.

Costs – Content Management Systems and Static Websites

As with most things in life, the longer it takes the more work we have to do then the more it will cost.  The beauty we have is that using an established Framework, half the work has already been completed so saving you both time and money.  The clear rule here is to have a good idea of what you are looking for from your website.  The main constraint with a Framework is that it has to maintain a degree of logic in its design, so if you are looking to undertake a bespoke website along the lines of Amazon or Lloyds TSB, then sorry, but you will need a Website Developer and a big budget.  These types of sites are bespoke and coded from the ground up to suit a specific functional requirement.

Basic CMS Site

A very simple five page site including a Contact Us page and Navigation Menu will be in the region of £150-£300 depending on the amount of graphic / design work required.  These sites have a basic set layout however they still offer some of the flexibility of a CMS system.

Intermediate CMS Site

Again this comes down to individual requirement and complexity of the site and can range from £300 - £800.  These sites are usually highly customised graphically to suit your business brand, rich in features and very modular allowing your website investment to grow with your business.    This type of website can include advanced features such as fading slideshows, image galleries, transparency effect, RSS feeds, Twitter / Facebook integration , latest news features etc and much more interactivity between the user and the site.

Advanced CMS Sites

These are sites that offer much more than a standard CMS site, including features such as integrated Ecommerce, Social Media, Event Management, Booking Systems and many more functions.  These sites can range from £800 upwards depending on the amount of work required and whether additional programming needs to be undertaken.

In general for most small businesses an Intermediate CMS Site covers the majority of their requirements; however as aim to provide a modular system the site can always be extended at a later date.