Take control of your web site
Web sites have come a long way, not just for the user, but also for the client.
Before the age of Content Management Systems (or CMS), the client would have to have some knowledge of programming languages, such as HTML, Javascript, etc, to acrtually update their site themselves. If they did not have this knowledge in house then either their web site would reman static and as it was built, or they would have to pay a graphic design studio or agency for every change and update that they needed to do.
For a web site that needed to change on a regular, even daily basis, this could cost a lot of money.
Gradually, people approached this age old problem. The first solution was actually found by the clients. As their company grew to such a size that regular updates were necessary to the company web site, then they would gradually employ a web team that could then take control of the site in house. This can also be quite expensive though, as if no updates are necessary then the client has wages to pay for members of staff that are sat around with nothing to do.
As programming languages and approaches have evolved, a new solution is available. A content management system is an interface that allows the client to update the web site content themselves, with no knowledge of programming languages or practices, whilst at the same time not needing to involve the graphic design agency once the content management system is in place.
There are many off the shelf content management solutions and many agencies who have built their own content management system which they then licence as an off the shelf solution. However, these tend to fall down as options as they are all built as generic as possible. Every web site functionality and required result is specific to the client, wherre these have built to cover all bases. So the client will usually have to adapt want they need the site to do to the way that the content management solution works. In reality it should be the other way round!
It is true that a fish in sea have indeed built their own content management system, the AFIS CMS. The difference is that the content management system is built in a completely modular way. This allows us to build in the functionality required by the client at the time, whilst still allowing easy additions to the content management system at a later stage.
The content management system's interface is accessed via a secure username and password entry area. Via this interface the client can choose how they would like to control their site and whatfunctionality they would like to offer their users, such as...
- add / edit / delete top level navigation
- add / edit / delete sub navigation
- add / edit / delete and format text on all pages
- add / edit / delete rich content such as video, imagery, audio, etc
- manage different levels of AFIS CMS users
- content publishing rights
- full control of search engine friendly URLs
- full control of page titles, file names and meta tags
- full control over robots files and instructions
- add / edit / delete banners for each page of the web site including text, imagery
and flash - Reorder all content and navigation just by a simple drag and drop system
- add / edit / delete products and manage all associated information
- full control over cross selling techniques such as producs of the week, associated products, top 10 products,
people who bought this also...etc. - full e-commerce functionality
- easily integrated into all mainstream payment methods and gateways such as PayPal, WorldPay, Protx, etc
- shopping basket
- user populated wish lists
- user secure areas
- newsletter sign ups
- add / edit / send of newsletters to all regsitered users
- user management and order history
- add / edit / delete faqs
