Content Management Systems (CMS) - are they for me?

CMS
Over the past 5 years or so, Content Management Systems (CMS) and particularly those for the web (WCMS) have improved dramatically.

What are CMS' used for?
They allow less trained users to gain control and manage content of their web site.  This is especially valuable when you need to do news posts, administer forums, blogs, or social networking interfaces as part of an overall website design.  Entire websites are rapidly developed used CMS tools.

CMS examples
Some of these systems are fee-based: e.g., Adobe Contribute about $200/user.  Others are open-source tools such as Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, CMSMadeSimple, and so.  These open-source tools have literally thousands of developers offering (usually for free) many templates for designs that can give your site a relatively unique look. All CMS-based designs can be further enhanced using html and cascade styling techniques (page & content formatting), although these customizations are usually left to the web developer to implement for you.

These systems vary in richness of capabilities but are offset by the complexity a user needs to work with it.

Most often a web developer is initially involved in the design of the website, but once it is up and running, the "users" can then take control of nearly everything they need to post new content, images, graphics, etc.

So the next time you want to "gain control of my website," consider a CMS system.  Not for everyone, but a great tool for those who need it.  Talk with your eBizServices web developer and see how to best utilize these new tools in your next web design.

eBizServices completes new client websites

eBizServices' web development team has recently launched several new websites:

1.  A re-election campaign site was designed for Dr. Michael J. Dobersen, County Coroner, Arapahoe County, Denver, Colorado (www.michaeljdobersen.org) that gave visitors loads of information about the experience and qualifications of this candidate.  It also permitted users a feedback email feature and a straightforward method for making a campaign contribution - (the candidate won by the way!)
    
2. Another  new site was the Northwest Montana Lakes Volunteer Monitoring Network (www.nwmtlvmn.org).  This site allows volunteers and aquatic technicians to enter water quality data online which is then compiled and analyzed by aquatic experts at Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and the Whitefish Lake Institute.  This data helps insure the quality of the waterways in this region and provides early detection of any negative quality factors.
    
3. The next site was for the Flathead Watershed Sourcebook project (www.flatheadwatershed.org).  This website is a companion to the book of the same title, which together serve as a primer to the Flathead Watershed. Viewed from a bioregional perspective, the project discusses the many people and systems that make up the Flathead Watershed—one of the most biologically intact ecosystems in North America.
   
   The Flathead Watershed Sourcebook weds science and art, nature and human nature into an appealing and informative resource for citizens and educators. The menus of this site follow the chapters of the book, making the information widely accessible.  Long-time residents, new community members and visitors will find details of the geography, cultures, natural history and economics of the Flathead Watershed.