Over the past few years, we have received a growing number of requests from clients who want a website that they can manage and update themselves.
This desire to be more involved in their website is a direct result of the digital age we live in as the average person becomes more and more technologically aware. Websites thrive when content is kept updated, as fresh content tends to attract visitors and having to contact your development team to make every small change to your site is not always the best practice.
Thankfully there is a growing number of tools that allow the average person to manage a website. At the core of the modern website is a Content Management System (CMS). This is a system that has been designed and developed for the average person to be able to log into their website and update text, pictures, videos, etc. There are a growing number of systems out there and all have their pros and cons.
We frequently use the WordPress CMS for clients who wish to be involved in their website. WordPress is a popular CMS that started in 2003. In its infancy, it was targeted for personal blog sites, but as times changed so did WordPress and today it is the platform of choice for over 31% of all websites. It allows for ease of use and endless possibilities.
Clients can be as involved as they want to be. We ask that clients outline exactly the things they wish be able to manage on their site, whether it is just the occasional blog post or regularly inputting new content all throughout the site. When we have a good understanding of our client’s goals right from the start, we can build a website to best suit their needs. With every WordPress site we create, we provide client training and a reference guide that outlines all the processes to make the desired updates to their site. As with any new technology there is a learning period, but clients are able to quickly get the hang of things and take off running.
An example of client involvement can be demonstrated with the Ontario Association of Cardiologists website we developed. Throughout the site there are a variety of elements the client maintains, but a key goal of the site was the ability to keep things fresh and effectively communicate with the public and their members. To achieve this, we developed a News & Updates module that includes a variety of informational feeds. A twitter feed automatically populates with the latest tweets, an article slider automatic displays a feed of the most recent news stories posted to the news section of the site. A news ticker continually scrolls by to keep the latest news up to date. The client, who prior to the site redevelopment had zero WordPress knowledge, easily maintains these elements and more.
