A company’s website is not good enough just because it has been created once; it only has value if it is updated regularly.
It is said that websites that are updated infrequently are better off without them at all. In business, such websites not only give the impression that the operating company itself is not active, but if done poorly, the very existence of the website may be in jeopardy.
This time, we will explain how to select a CMS that is essential for website operation, as well as the points to note when implementing and operating it.
What is CMS?
A CMS
is a system created for the purpose of comprehensively managing and distributing content such as text, images (diagrams and photos), and videos that make up a website.
In the early days of the Internet, many people may have heard of homepage builders and Adobe Dreamweaver. These were popular web page creation tools at the time, and their selling point was that they allowed you to create web pages in a similar way to a word processor. These are called web authoring tools and are still on sale, but CMS (Content Management System) is currently the mainstream website construction tool (system).
CMS began to become popular in the mid-2010s, but up until then, there were many languages for creating web pages, HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), and a language for specifying the style of web pages. , knowledge of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) was required. Originally, HTML was a language that was not good at designing web page layouts, and CSS began to be used to compensate for this drawback.
In other words, in order to create pages with the desired design and large-scale sites with a unified feel, even if you were using a web authoring tool, you would need knowledge of highly specialized software languages.
CMS was developed as a system that makes it easy to build, manage, and update websites without having knowledge of HTML or CSS, and is now used on many websites to compensate for the shortcomings of traditional tools. It is being said.
What are the benefits of introducing CMS?
So, what are the benefits of implementing a CMS? Let’s organize this here.
Another great benefit is that you can divide the responsibility of updating between multiple departments and multiple people, allowing you to update the entire site efficiently.
We’ll talk about building your first site later, but updating your site once it’s built costs almost nothing. Updates to sites and pages can be completed by in-house personnel, reducing outsourcing costs related to updates.
Points for selecting CMS
CMS has many advantages as described above, and many types of CMS tools are released by various companies. What points should I pay attention to when making a selection?
- Portal site type
This is the most common type of website. This includes corporate sites that introduce the company’s business overview, service sites that introduce products and services, etc.
- Blog related
This type is common among websites that conduct content marketing. You need a CMS that is suitable for daily updates such as blogs.
- EC (e-commerce) system
To operate an EC site such as a shopping site, you need to choose a CMS that has shopping functions (shopping cart and sales settlement).
- community type
You need a CMS that specializes in managing sites that require login and member management, such as membership sites and SNS.
Commercial CMS require a license fee to use, but you can receive the necessary security measures and quick support for bugs, so consider which CMS to choose based on cost-effectiveness. .
Proven open source CMS and commercial CMS
Here are some open source and commercial CMS tools.
- Word Press
It is the most famous open source CMS in the world. It is said that it accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s websites, from personal websites to corporate ones. There are many plug-ins that allow you to add functions later, and you can also build e-commerce websites. Oriental Land, which operates Disney resorts, and Hakuhodo, an advertising agency, use Word Press.
- Drupal
Drupal is also a popular open source CMS. Like Word Press, it has the flexibility to add functionality with plug-ins, and is particularly praised for its robust security features. Drupal was previously used for the White House website in the United States, and Drupal is still used for the United Nations, NASA, and the Mainichi Shimbun website in Japan.
- Movable Type
Movable Type is a commercial CMS that can be operated on-premises or in the cloud according to customer needs. Although it is a commercial CMS, it is free for personal use, and academic discounts are available for use by universities and educational institutions, making it a popular CMS due to its flexible pricing structure, high security, and generous support. More than 50,000 sites have introduced it in Japan, including PayPay Inc. and Yokohama FM Broadcasting.
- NOREN
NOREN is also a commercial CMS that has been widely used in Japan. Since its release in 2002, more than 730 companies and organizations have adopted it, and 87% of those companies run their own websites. This can be said to be a proof of how simple and easy-to-use CMS NOREN is. In Japan, companies such as Seven Bank, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Kansai Electric Power have introduced and operate NOREN.
Points to note when introducing CMS
When implementing a CMS, you should pay special attention to the selection of CMS tools, cost, and schedule. When selecting a tool, it is important to choose one that suits the purpose of the website as mentioned above, but there is a considerable difference in the initial cost and subsequent cost (mainly license fees) between open source and commercial CMS. There is.
Keep in mind that the total budget will vary greatly depending on the tool you choose, so be sure to separate the budget into initial costs and running costs.
The next important thing is the schedule. I mentioned that a feature of cloud-based services is that it doesn’t take long to install them, but this means that it doesn’t take long to install the tools, but it does take some time to build the site.
Normally, the process involves understanding the current situation, sorting out issues, formulating a strategy, defining requirements (determining tools here), building a website, verifying it, and publishing the website, but it usually takes a considerable amount of time to define the requirements. Also, depending on the size of the site, building and verifying the website can take a considerable amount of time. Plan ahead with at least six months, preferably a year, to replace your CMS tool and update your website.
How to efficiently operate CMS
With open source, you basically have to build the site yourself, and with commercial CMS, as a general rule, the licensing company undertakes the site construction. However, in reality, even in the case of open source, the initial site construction is often outsourced, and subsequent operations are carried out in-house.
The biggest advantage of a CMS is that you can operate and manage it in-house, but the most efficient way for both open source and commercial sites is to leave the initial site construction to a professional and handle the later operations in-house. What your company should focus on most is formulating business strategies and defining website requirements. If these conditions and specifications become inconsistent, you may end up having to change the CMS mid-way through or after the site is built. CMS is just a tool for efficient website management. Remember that your business strategy is most important.
summary
◆CMS is a system that allows you to easily build, manage, and update websites without having knowledge of HTML or CSS (web authoring tools), which were previously mainstream.
◆Introducing a CMS not only makes it easier to update your website, but it also allows multiple departments and personnel to update the site efficiently, unifies the layout and design, and reduces site management costs. There are effects such as
◆There are many different types of websites, so it is necessary to choose the most suitable CMS depending on the main purpose of the website. For example, portal sites, blogs, e-commerce, etc.
◆CMS tools are broadly divided into paid commercial CMS and free open source CMS. Commercial CMSs have excellent support and security, but they come with running costs such as licensing fees. Open source CMS can be operated at minimal cost, but there are still concerns about security and other issues. You must carefully consider which CMS to choose, considering cost-effectiveness.
◆The biggest advantage of CMS is that you can operate and manage it in-house, but for both open source and commercial sites, the most efficient method is to leave the initial site construction to a professional and handle the later operations in-house.