Anne Francis Web Design

You ask.  Or maybe you don’t ask because your website already has a content management system. At any rate, if your business is the type that will benefit from a professional online profile when prospective clients Google you, or if your business has the potential to get new customers from the web, then YES content management can help your website, and in the end, your business.

If you don’t know what content management is, according to Wikipedia…

Content management, or CM, is the set of processes and technologies that support the collection, managing, and publishing of information in any form or medium. In recent times this information is typically referred to as content or, to be precise, digital content. Digital content may take the form of text, such as documents, multimedia files, such as audio or video files, or any other file type which follows a content lifecycle which requires management.

As it applies to this article, a content management sytem (CMS) is a wrapper that holds your website in such a way that you can easily edit your site yourself with an internet connection, a web browser and the basic knowledge of how to navigate the web.

Joomla and WordPress are 2 CMS I’ve worked with. Both are open source software (free to download, written and maintained by a collaboration of those in the programming community who care to contribute). They have “plugins” available that will extend the functionality of the website they’re running.  Most plugins are free but some you have to pay for.  You will have to pay your webmistress to hook you up with this stuff.

How do I get a CMS? What is the process?

Here’s how it works.  At least here’s how I do it.  Your webmistress installs a CMS for you, along with it a fresh new contemporary look (why not?) — or if your website is already bitchin’ — she creates it to look like your existing site. Once your CMS site is up and running, you, armed with only a web browser and internet connection, after a short lesson, can keep it updated yourself.

Why do I want to do this?

1. Instant Gratification
   If you add a new department to your business, or a new service, instead of calling your webmaster and waiting however many days they take to help you, just login and add the new information to your website yourself, NOW.
2. Better Ranking in Search Engine Results
   The way some CMS are coded makes Google happy.  They are lean, comply with web standards which gives them higher rank, and are content-focused.  Your site will rank higher when there’s more relevant content than there is messy code in your files.  And if there’s new content added regularly.  This takes a while but pays off in the long run.
3. Lower Web Maintenance Costs
   You can decide to change your site for free everyday if you like. No more sacrificing fresh content because your web budget is blown.

What do I add to my website?

You can add pages to your site that enhance the information you’ve already presented to your clients, perhaps according to a long-term plan you’ve made.

Depending on what you’re selling you could add support information that people will find when they need your service or product.  Here’s a good example.  The other day my washer started leaking.  I live and die by Google, so I got on there and found a website with video showing how to open the front of my particlar type of washer.  Once the front was off it was clear the pump (I only knew it was the pump because of the video) was leaking & needed to be replaced.  The website with the video, turned out, sells that pump for my washer, imagine!  So I bought a pump from them.

Another way to beef up the content on your site is to add articles in more of a blog fashion, sharing information AND letting your clients get to know you better at the same time.  If you’re not a nice person, or if you are not good at forming sentences, find someone who is and have them write your articles.  In the end the hope is that your clients will relate to you, like you, or feel a sense of confidence in your abilities.  Running spell check is a good idea.

A couple of tips…

Add fresh content regularly. Google loves it when you put up new content. Returning visitors to your site will also appreciate new content. This could mean just changing your homepage text regularly, but my advice is to take a little time and make a long-term plan. Which leads to the next item:

Make a plan. If the objective of your website is to get more paying customers, then your goal should be to build a rich, content-heavy site that contains a lot of information your potential customers are searching for on the web. Look around at some competitor sites that blow you out of the water and go from there, but make it your own. Create a storyboard using pieces of paper, each with an idea for a page or area of your website.  Lay the papers out on the floor creating the flow you imagine on your website, refine it, then break it down into easy tasks that will move you closer to your goal each couple of days with a minimum amount of time involved in each sitting.  Keep your goal flexible & fluid, rethink it occasionally.  The web is changing and some of your competitors are changing with them, if your business is responsive you will do well.

But… this all depends on you!

The web didn’t build itself, and so you will need to devote a little time, regularly, to adding content to your site.  I enjoy putting content on my site, it makes me think about my business in a broader sense, and it makes me consider my customers.  All good stuff.  I’m writing for you, as you will be writing for your clients. Or potential clients.

*hire me*   Whew. Ok. Got that out of the way.

Watching my teenager and her friends use their cellphones and facebook has got me thinking a lot about parenting in this age of social technology. It seems to me teens are swimming in a deep enough sea of drama armed only with an old fashioned telephone. But these days the constant flow of information between them on a moment-to-moment basis via texting and facebook is taking gossiping and bullying to a new level, and gives teens (and adults) a platform to naively bare their dirty laundry in a public place.

I haven’t had a cell phone for years. Working at home always next to the land line has made it an unnecessary device for me.  However, lately I’ve been doing more and more social media work for my clients, and after seeing them post messages and photos to their twitter and facebook accounts via smart phone I felt compelled to get one for myself to fully experience the process.

Needless to say I have found it quite addicting. I texted for the first time just a month ago and understand the beauty of it. Texting is similar to emailing; you can carry on a conversation with someone without making them stop what they’re doing to pay attention. They can get back to you when it’s convenient and vice versa. Plus you can text when making a phone call is inappropriate.

However I have come to the conclusion that if I’m with other people face to face in a social setting, sending a text is just as rude as making a phonecall (unless there’s parenting or an emergency going on). Have you ever seen a table in a restaurant with 4 adults sitting there all looking down at their cellphones, busy texting? I find that ridiculous.

My experience with the smart phone has enabled me not only to text but to be able to check my facebook account anywhere there’s more than 2 bars. Because of this I have spent way more time on facebook than I used to, and have noticed both teens and adults air their dirty laundry in this public venue — from pictures of teens at parties they shouldn’t be at, to post breakup ex-bashing by grownups. I cringe when I see this stuff.

This telling-all via texting and facebook feels pretty unnatural to me, but when I think about my 15 year old I realize this generation is a different animal. Cellphones have been in use from before they were born, and I’m sure it’s quite natural — and perhaps even preferred — to communicate via keyboard.  It affords the ability to say stuff and walk away before anyone can respond or react as they would be able to in a face-to-face interaction. I think this type of conditioning can threaten one’s ability to have a real conversation, and genuinely listen to (and understand!) what another is saying. Another thing I noticed is sometimes I misunderstand what the other person is saying sans the body language and facial expressions.

Ok I’ve made my point. I enjoy the heck out of my iPhone and you’d probably have to pry it out of my dead clammy hands to get me to give it up.  However, me being a person of excess by nature, I’m working on setting some boundaries for myself and my teen in regards to new types of social technology. I want to keep my ability to communicate face-to-face intact, and always keep in mind the old saying with a new spin “count to ten before typing anything”.  Muttering something under your breath is one thing — but a text or email doesn’t go away!

I found this contract online that may be a good starting point in helping me and my daughter make some healthy cutbacks together, and maybe someone else will find it useful.

Parents and Teens Contract: Cell Phone Use

I know that having a cell phone to use is a privilege. I respect that my parents love me and want to keep me safe. My parents respect that I am becoming a young adult and want the privilege of having the use of a cell phone. With that in mind, we agree:

1. I will remember what usage is allowed with our cell phone plan and I will not go over the limits of that usage. This includes number of minutes, text message limits and/or ____________________________________.

2. I know that I am required to contribute to the cost of my cell phone. My contribution is:

3. My cell phone mut be turned off at this time _________________ each night. It is my responsibility to be sure the cell phone is being recharged each night.

4. I agree that if I am unable to keep up with my responsibilities, the use of my cell phone can be taken away from me. This can happen even if I have contributed to the cost of the cell phone plan.

5. I will not use my cell phone to take pictures of nudity, violence or other unallowed instances.

6. I will not use my cell phone to call anyone for malicious purposes. (bullying, crank calling, etc.)

7. I will not use my cell phone while driving.

8. I will limit the number of people that have my cell phone number.

9. I will limit the amount of time I am on the phone. These limitations are:

The consequences for not following through with these limits on my cell phone use are: