| One of the fastest way to minimise your chances of | | | | as "duplicate content!" So two or more "Christmas |
| web business success is to use a Content | | | | gift shops" on the same "shared server," or two or |
| Management System (CMS). There are a number of | | | | more "human resource consultants" face a problem |
| open-source CMS products, such as phpWS, Mambo, | | | | they will be blissfully unaware of. Having a unique IP |
| Plone, Drupal, Geeklog, Siteframe, and phpNuke etc | | | | address assigned to your site is far more sensible! |
| and and a plethora of proprietary CMS products | | | | Usability |
| espoused by individual web design companies as the | | | | Open-source CMS systems are written by geeks and |
| answer everything from lack of HTML knowledge to | | | | nerds, for other geeks and nerds. It is painfully |
| rapid shopping cart deployment etc. | | | | obvious that none are written by people with the |
| Expressing this in simple terms, its said that possibly | | | | faintest understanding of search engine optimisation, |
| as high as 80% of online purchases are made from | | | | or an awareness of the old adage "form follows |
| leads generated by search engines. CMS systems | | | | function." As for "usability testing" there is no |
| place a huge handicap on achievable Search Engine | | | | demonstrable evidence that any research and science |
| rankings. meaning there is a direct, immediate and | | | | has been applied to either the user or the |
| practically insurmountable conflict with business | | | | administration interfaces! Unfortunately, the same |
| aspirations. There are multiple reasons for this. | | | | criticisms can be levelled at the commercial CMS |
| Duplication of Content | | | | systems on offer. |
| Search engines loathe duplicate content. In the | | | | CMS and Being Held To Ransom |
| average CMS, there are numerous common design | | | | In terms of the proprietary CMS systems, you are |
| elements, images, HTML and/or JavaScript code | | | | also seriously at risk of being captured and held |
| blocks etc, which are portrayed across ALL sites | | | | hostage by your web design company, because they |
| using the same system, and this is not a good thing. | | | | now "own" your site and you cannot easily escape |
| Many CMS systems make it hard to impossible to | | | | without sacrificing your total investment. In this |
| generate unique page Title, Description & Keyword | | | | respect, use of CMS demonstrates a complete lack |
| meta-tags, meaning all pages can look identical in | | | | of business risk analysis. From that point on, you can |
| search engine results. Many CMS systems do not | | | | also besystematically milked like a cash cow for |
| permit you to assign keyword-rich image names, or | | | | every amendment, change, edit etc that they carry |
| apply unique and specific image ALT tags, and the | | | | out on your behalf! Believe me, it happens every |
| page file names are usually not directly controllable. | | | | day... and I've seen people charged $90 for a simple |
| Few CMS systems allow you to easily add anchors | | | | edit that took me less than 2 minutes to implement! |
| on specific pages, and to link to those anchors from | | | | CMS Saves You Money? |
| other pages. All of this translates into losing you | | | | Yeah, right!!! The overheads of managing a CMS are |
| valuable search engine optimisation opportunities. | | | | usually far in excess of managing a conventional site. |
| Shared IP Addresses vs. Unique IP | | | | Content percentage-wise, most sites actually change |
| Proprietary CMS systems usually go hand in hand | | | | very little, and the majority of pages are static and |
| with a "total package deal" that includes web design, | | | | do not change at all. CMS is total overkill for the |
| web hosting and CMS. | | | | average business site. |
| The hosting is invariable on a "shared server" meaning | | | | Stand Out from the Crowd |
| your site has the same IP Address as all other sites | | | | To succeed on the web today, you need to be a |
| on the server. Should a situation occur Where | | | | clearly unique entity, with original content, properly |
| another site or sites are offering very similar or | | | | organised, logically described, and all pages must be |
| identical products and services, there is a potentially | | | | optimised for a set of specific keyword phrases that |
| serious conflict of interest which the web design & | | | | accurately describe your products or services. |
| hosting company will probably not advise you of! The | | | | Anything less is a compromise, and is to YOUR |
| firstsite is highly likely to be given priority rankings | | | | business detriment. A CMS system has a direct, |
| and treatment by the search engines, and all | | | | negative impact on almost all desired outcomes - |
| subsequent sites are highly likely to be consigned to | | | | from minimising business risks, improving search |
| oblivion as Search Engines will probably regard them | | | | engine rankings and prompt return on investment. |