In the 1990s, businesses and individuals were becoming interested in getting their messages online and building websites, which typically involved contacting a developer to code and create the site. When changes needed to be made, the customer would have to contact the developer again and request those changes.
As the web industry boomed and more businesses wanted sites, these change requests became increasingly more common and more expensive. The 2009 recession caused many companies to revisit budgets and spending. It became clear that companies wanted to do more of the work themselves to avoid paying for site changes, so in came the Content Management System (CMS).
Many different CMSs have developed through the years; while some companies have been using them for nearly a decade, just recently they have become a necessity for small to medium-sized businesses. There are now a plethora of great out-of-the-box solutions that are highly customizable for web developers for various business types.
Once a web company sets up a CMS, the customer has the ability to log in and customize his or her site without the additional change order or fee. This structure also gives smaller businesses a chance to have a site set up more cost efficiently because they populate all of the content. Updates can also happen on the fly from digital devices like phones and tablets as well as personal computers.
The website needs of budget-conscious companies are being filled by using a CMS. Development firms and agencies need to focus on helping their customers help themselves, and businesses should look to their digital marketing agency to help identify the best CMS strategy to meet their needs.
