Delivering Powerful Web Tools

Delivering Powerful Web Tools

In today’s marketplace websites need to be built faster and easier so that companies can deliver more content to their prospects and clients. Whether it is potential borrowers going online to shop rates, collect information or actually begin the origination process, consumers are online looking for answers. The same can be said of lenders searching online to find the next fraud solution, compliance update, or workflow automation tool. Today’s buyer expects to obtain information online where and when they want it. The challenge is in finding an easy and fast way to deliver and constantly update content without extensive IT resources.

Companies are turning to Content Management Systems (CMS) to address this challenge. A CMS is a Web application that uses a database to create, edit and store content in a manageable way. Content is created and edited in the administration area of the application, typically referred to as the backend. The resulting content is then displayed to the viewers on the website which is the frontend.

The main reason for using a CMS is to make creating and editing of content simple and easy. Content doesn’t just include text, however. Sometimes the content you need on a site is a contact us form, request for a demonstration form or user authentication. The key is to implement a CMS that provides this functionality without sacrificing ease of use. A good CMS will allow you to spend more time focused on delivering content that your prospects and clients are looking for on the frontend instead of spending excessive IT resources on the backend.

Companies need to stay focused on the reason they are implementing a CMS, which is easy and simple content creation and delivery. Don’t allow IT to over complicate the process. Look for a system that provides: quick and easy installation, simple administration, and user friendly templates.

There are thousands of CMS’s on the market. Here are a few of the most commonly used systems: Drupal is an open source CMS that allows for editing of content directly on the page, and is easily extended through modules. www.drupal.org. WordPress started out as a simple blogging system but has evolved into a powerful CMS. Numerous plug-INS extend the functionality of the system that is in use by millions of bloggers. www.wordpress.com. There is also Joomla www.joomla.com, SilverStripe www.silverstripe.com and CMS made simple www.cmsmadesimple.org.

As mentioned earlier the list of CMS’s is in the thousands. The key is finding a solution that is easy to work with that provides the functionality and extensibility that you are looking for in a CMS. In today’s marketplace it is critical to deliver strong content that is constantly being updated. CMS’s provide both lenders and vendor a powerful and easy to use tool to accomplish that goal.

Do you believe it is critical to have an easy to use tool to deliver content to your prospects and clients? Is your company current using a CMS? If so, which one are you using? What advice would you provide when a company is looking to implement a CMS? Is there any CMS’s that you would recommend? Is there any that you would avoid?

Share with us your thought and best practices for successfully implementing a CMS.

Michael
mhammond@nexleveladvisors.com