Content Management Systems
When you employ a website design and development company, the site is usually built on a content management system. A content management system, or CMS, is software that allows users to modify content without requiring any technical knowledge. In other words, it lets the average person change the website text, links, images, and more without editing code. Anybody from business owners, marketers, copywriters, and designers can update the website content.
The CMS provides a singular, user-friendly place to update content. It does the hard work of updating the code for you. This is usually the benefit you will hear about, but what about the other side?
A CMS provides benefits for the website developer as well. First and foremost, it speeds up development by creating the website foundation, leaving more time for the bespoke work. The CMS also acts as a wall between the user and the website, preventing non-developers from directly tampering with server files or making site-breaking modifications.
There are many content management systems in the market. Popular ones include Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and Drupal.
How do you know which one to choose?
The truth is that the CMS your website runs on is determined both by you and the professional team you employ. You bring your business needs and the website developer brings their technical knowledge into the frame, considering the required website features and the technical limitations of the content management system. Most of the time, we go for WordPress.
Our CMS of Choice
If you’ve ever looked into website building, you would have likely heard of WordPress. WordPress is a popular content management system first launched in 2003. According to W3 Techs, it’s used on 43.2% of all websites and has a CMS market share of 62.8%. WordPress usage surpasses all other content management systems by a large margin. But why is it popular, and why does Stealth Media use it?
One reason is its ease of use. The WordPress CMS is free to use and can be hosted anywhere, meaning your site can live on your server, our server, or any other server. Additionally, WordPress has simplified the process of starting a website so that anybody can do it. Its user interface is intuitive for both developers and average users.
Furthermore, WordPress’ popularity feeds into a positive feedback loop of even more popularity. Its prevalence means there are far more resources, developers, and tutorials than most existing content management systems.
If a developer runs into an issue on their WordPress-powered website, a solution usually isn’t too far away. The same goes for users. If you’re having trouble using the WordPress CMS system on your website, there’s a myriad of how-to guides available online.
Website Design: Themes and Beyond
One of WordPress’ most powerful features is its themes. Themes are largely known for establishing the design of a website. Design details such as the colours, font, spacing, and layout are dictated by the website’s theme. The impression you make, the way you communicate, and your brand identity are established by the theme.
This is the actual product sold to businesses.
WordPress themes can also curate the content on different pages and areas of a website. For example, a theme might set the social media links in the footer, while a different theme has them in a sidebar. Manipulating a theme’s ability to curate specific content to certain locations allows us to tailor a business’ website according to their needs.
In addition to content curation, themes allow developers to add complex features through the addition of programming scripts. These features can include pop-ups, dropdowns, image carousels, multi-page forms and animations. Would you like a pop-up for a newsletter signup form?
We can do that.
Do you want a carousel of logos of the companies you’ve worked with?
We can do that too.
Do you need a complex multi-option filtering system for your products page?
No problem!
We take pride in our ability to create custom website features for our clients.
This concept extends into other areas as well. Does your website need to meet stringent accessibility standards? Run-of-the-mill themes or drag-and-drop builders might have trouble, but we can ensure your website meets the criteria.
These bespoke features combined with website designs tailored to each business’ brand identity ensure that no two sites we create are alike. Our one-of-a-kind websites make us distinct, unlike others that produce similar-looking products, as we believe clients deserve unique solutions to their needs.
Want to see what a tailor-made WordPress website could do for your business? We help businesses across North America build their dream website. Get in touch with us today to get started on yours.
