Content management systems aren’t the answer
Content management systems aren’t the answer for most business owners. How do I know?
I spend several hours a day talking with business owners and while they are all different, there’s one common thread among them-they are all busy. I often hear them say they know their website needs improving but they don’t have the time to work on it.
Not as good as it sounds
After further talking with them, I find out they had been sold a website with a content management system, which means they were sold a website they can update themselves. In theory, this system sounds like it’s a great idea, you can go in and make changes as often as needed and don’t need to pay your web professional to do it.
That does sound like it would be the perfect solution except it doesn’t work that way-not in the real world. In reality, a business owner is consumed with running his business and barely has time to get his normal work done, not to mention dealing with emergencies that come along.
The last thing he wants to do after working all day is to sit in front of his computer updating his content. Another problem? Since you don’t update it very often (if ever), you have probably forgotten the instructions on how to do it. The result? You get frustrated and nothing gets changed.
Do you have extra time on your hands?
I will admit several clients have requested self-update areas on their websites and I feel, as a professional, it’s my duty to ask them a couple of questions before agreeing to it. Why do you want to be able to update it yourself? Will you have the time to update the website (be honest with yourself)?
When a business owner is given a few minutes to think about it, they almost always tell me they can’t see themselves having any extra time to do updates. The main reason they ask about a content management system is that a friend had recommended it. (I’m betting the friend is not a business owner and has probably never updated a website).
Let a professional take care of it
In keeping with this same topic, the business owner usually brings up that they don’t really know what to put on their website. They often feel like they’re bragging and “tooting their own horn” too much, which leads them to do nothing at all. The one thing they do know – they want testimonials from clients, though they often feel uncomfortable asking for them.
All this can be solved by hiring a professional web designer. Just like you hire an electrician to install a light fixture, you should hire a professional to take care of your website. A business owner shouldn’t be expected to know how to design a website or what’s most important to put on a web page.
Don’t put extra burdens on yourself. It’s not fair to you or your business. Your business deserves all your attention and you can’t do that if you take on too many unnecessary duties. Hiring a web professional could be the best money you ever spent.
