Do content management systems make your life easier? Nowadays, many people use a CMS because it allows them to edit and publish content to their website without knowing how to code. It sure prevents many headaches because now the web world seems a lot easier, and they can make sure that their content is up to date without relying on web developers. However, here are five things I would suggest to check when you hire someone to set up the CMS for your site.
English: A screenshot of the Campsite CMS. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
1. Does it have the flexibility of adding javascript?
This will become handy if you want to add some snippet code such as Google Analytics or any of the phone/campaign tracking without having access to the backend, especially if you want to track your webpages individually.
2. Does it have room to move things around?
This will provide you a little flexibility to your layout, so your pictures or text don’t always have to stay in the same place. It makes everything more dynamic.
3. Is the URL customizable?
This will help you to customize your web address without the hassle of changing the filename on the server manually. This is especially helpful if you are planning to optimize urls for SEO.
4. Are the meta tags and keywords customizable?
Meta descriptions are what you see when the search engine gives you results. It describes what each resulting webpage is about. Although Google doesn’t consider meta tags to be a big part of SEO anymore, they still are important to receive clicks on your website’s search results.
5. Is the image alt text editable?
Adding alt text to your images helps Google read through your site and give additional indicators about the webpage’s theme. It also helps people who have the inability to browse through your site, due to disabilities. Editing the alternate text on the CMS also helps you to make your images keyword focused.
The CMS is not only made for editing copy, but also for making your website efficient. Each of the five points above may not be a game changer, but having to hire someone to change those functionalities on your website is a waste of time. Paying attention to those details could help save you from owing a couple hours worth of a developer’s bill, all the way up to the cost you would have spent to develop a new website.
