Websites with great design, wide functionalities, and the right tools stand out in the market and produce greater ROI.
A Content Management System (CMS) platform is an application that lets you create and manage your website using an admin panel. Whether considering a new site or a website redesign, many companies are still implementing designs that lack the ability to be easily updated once going live. A CMS platform can potentially reduce website implementation and design costs while greatly facilitating the ability to manage content within the site. By using a content management solution, you control the changing content that keeps your viewers/customers coming back.
HTML elements form the building blocks of all websites. HTML allows images and objects to be embedded and can be used to create interactive forms. HTML provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text, such as headings, paragraphs, lists, links, quotes, and other items. It can embed scripts in languages such as JavaScript, which affect the behavior of HTML web pages. In order to make web pages look more dynamic, additional programs and features such as JavaScript, PHP, Cascading Style Sheets, and others were added to work with HTML pages. The average business person has little time to develop expertise in any of these languages and, therefore, relies on the services of a highly skilled Web programmer. These additional programs, while enhancing the viewer’s experience, significantly increased the complexity of the code. In a traditional HTML site, you would have to use additional programs such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver to edit the content and design of a website.
It’s worth noting that you can put any HTML site on a CMS platform, but not every CMS can be converted to HTML without facing significant challenges. Choosing between a CMS and a traditional HTML setup depends on your website’s goals and the level of website management you’re prepared to handle.
Pros of HTML Web Design
- Security: HTML websites are generally more secure than CMS sites and have a lower risk of hacking.
- SEO Control: You have more direct control over the SEO aspects of the website.
- Design Flexibility: HTML allows you to design exactly to your specifications without the restrictions of a CMS.
- Code Efficiency: CMS sites can be code-heavy, which may lead to slower load times, affecting SEO.
- Integration: Other coding languages can be seamlessly integrated.
Cons of HTML Web Design
- Time-Consuming: HTML websites take longer to design and develop.
- Error-Prone: A single misplaced character can break an HTML site, making updates tedious.
- Compatibility Issues: Older HTML versions may become obsolete, impacting SEO.
- Slow Updates: Simple changes may require edits on multiple pages, taking up valuable time.
Content Management Systems
A CMS offers a structured, user-friendly environment that simplifies website management. With CMS solutions, you can control all aspects of your website from an admin panel accessible from any computer.
Pros of CMS Design
- Organization: A CMS is much more organized than an HTML site. You can log in to your admin panel and control all aspects of your website from literally any computer.
- Design: The ability to control design using CSS (Cascade Style Sheets) files is a great functionality. You also have the ability to create different templates for different types of pages on your website.
- Functionalities: You have the option of making add-ons to your website and choosing from a wide array of functionalities. If you want to have a blog, a corporate website, and a shopping cart, certain CMS solutions offer you all this with easy-to-install add-ons.
- SEO-Friendly: Using different functionalities, you can make your website SEO-friendly. You can have 100% control over your URL, title, meta tags, and every aspect of your content on a page. You can have dynamic sitemaps and a website structure, which will make it easy for search engines to crawl your site.
- Google-Friendly: There is no doubt that Google is the industry leader in online technologies, and you definitely want to be a part of that. A CMS enables you to install Google Analytics without much effort. Also, with basic functionality add-ons, you can create Google sitemaps and market your website through Google.
- Tracking: Most CMS solutions provide stats if you do not have Google Analytics installed on your system. You can see errors on your site, broken links, your visitors, and all relevant stats. This functionality is essentially the best way to improve performance and analyze the weaknesses of a website.
Cons of CMS Design
- Technical: You might have to be a bit technical to implement a CMS. You might also need to do some research or get some outside help. Certain aspects of hosting preferences matter when choosing a CMS. Therefore, you have to be somewhat knowledgeable.
- HTML and CSS Knowledge: If you really want a good-looking website, you will need some HTML knowledge. Also, knowing CSS and setting it up correctly will make it a lot easier to make website changes in the future. While you do not need to be an expert, you should be knowledgeable in overall HTML and CSS. A good place to start would be to install FrontPage or Dreamweaver.
While both HTML and CMS platforms offer advantages, the right fit depends on your business. For companies looking for an efficient, SEO-friendly, and customizable approach, CMS platforms paired with expert website design services can deliver significant results. beMarketing specializes in providing high-quality web services and can help you select the best platform for your needs.
