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The point of this article is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of implementing either a static website or a content management system (CMS), which may allow you to make a better informed decision on the type of website you think would best achieve your objectives.

A static website consists of web pages stored on the server in the same format as the user will view them (ie., plain html pages). To edit the html pages, you need:

* a duplicate set of the html pages on your computer,
* the ability to make changes to the html pages using an html editor program,
* an ftp program to upload the html pages that you changed in order that everyone visiting your website can see them.

To make changes to static web pages, you have to at least understand html and css code. Learning these skills is like anything else, time consuming. There is a high probability, especially if you are too busy to learn the skill, that you would have to hire someone to make those changes for you.

Advantages of a static website:

* Initially cheaper to implement on a smaller scale.
* May be adequate for those who do not change the information on their website.
* Search engines may crawl and index simple html pages faster.

Disadvantages of a static website:

* More expensive to maintain in the long term as you would have to contract someone to make changes to the website.
* Increased risk to business as the person with the ability to make changes to your website may become unavailable, meaning that the website can no longer be adequately maintained.
* Management is probably restricted to one PC. If changes need to be made then this is only possible on a PC which has the html editing program you are familiar with, a duplicate set of html pages to work on and an ftp program to upload the updated html pages.
* There is a significant learning curve involved in editing and maintaining static websites. This is time consuming, and not realistic for those who have little time to spare.
* If you start adding more pages, the website will get more difficult to maintain, especially if the website is multilingual.
* Doesn't promote content updates which is a negative factor in terms of search engine ranking.

CMS stands for Content Management System. A Content Management System:

* Gives you the ability to change and maintain your website without needing to understand html code.
* Allows you to make these changes from anywhere using a web browser.
* Presents you with an editing interface similar to a standard word processor such as Microsoft Word.
* Promotes content updates which is a positive factor in terms of search engine ranking.

Technically speaking, a CMS type website uses a database to store information and a scripting language such as php to selectively fetch the stored information before it is parsed onto the html page.

Note that this complexity is hidden to the user and website administrator.

Advantages of a CMS website:

* Long term cost savings as the website administrator only needs basic content editing skills, meaning you can make changes to your website as opposed to hiring someone to do it.
* Site-wide visual continuity is better maintained due to predefined styles and templates being used throughout. Your company image is visually and structurally maintained on each page.
* The website can be maintained no matter where you are, provided you have access to a computer.
* You can have more than one person maintain the website with different access levels if necessary.
* As your website grows, it remains relatively easy to maintain, especially if you have to maintain it in multiple languages.

Disadvantages of a CMS website:

* Is more expensive to implement in the short term.
* Periodically needs to be upgraded for security purposes, which would be a cost to you.
* You still have to learn how to maintain a CMS website, although this would be much easier than learning how to maintain a static website.

Return on Investment Analysis

While some may consider money spent on a website as an expense, a well designed and properly optimized website that enhances a company's exposure is in fact an investment that can help a business increase profit.

For instance, real estate clients are apt to visit a real estate website to:

* see pictures of homes for sale
* determine the location
* determine the asking price.

All this before getting involved in further negotiations. In this case, a well designed website will help you sell properties, making your website an asset.

Let's say you are in the real estate business and you decide to build a website to enhance revenue. One, it stands to reason that you will make regular changes to your website as you add and delete properties from your portfolio. If you have a static website, you will probably have to contract someone to make those changes for you. Let's assume that hiring someone to make those changes will cost you $200 per month, whereas a CMS website will cost you nothing to update as you will be able to make those updates yourself.

The chart reveals that in 15 months the cost of a static website versus a CMS website will be identical. This is your break even point. Beyond this point, the static website will start costing you more than the CMS website. Also note that as your real estate business grows, the cost of updating a static website will also increase.

A content management system (CMS) has clear advantages over a static website. This is especially true if you plan on updating your website regularly and are serious about optimizing your website for the prominent search engines.




Website ROI (Static web versus CMS) Introduction The point of this article is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of implementing either a static website or a content management system (CMS), which may allow you to make a better informed decision on the type of website you think would best achieve your objectives. Static website A static website consists of web pages stored on the server in the same format as the user will view them (ie., plain html pages). To edit the html pages, you need: * a duplicate set of the html pages on your computer, * the ability to make changes to the html pages using an html editor program, * an ftp program to upload the html pages that you changed in order that everyone visiting your website can see them. To make changes to static web pages, you have to at least understand html and css code. Learning these skills is like anything else, time consuming. There is a high probability, especially if you are too busy to learn the skill, that you would have to hire someone to make those changes for you. Advantages of a static website: * Initially cheaper to implement on a smaller scale. * May be adequate for those who do not change the information on their website. * Search engines may crawl and index simple html pages faster. Disadvantages of a static website: * More expensive to maintain in the long term as you would have to contract someone to make changes to the website. * Increased risk to business as the person with the ability to make changes to your website may become unavailable, meaning that the website can no longer be adequately maintained. * Management is probably restricted to one PC. If changes need to be made then this is only possible on a PC which has the html editing program you are familiar with, a duplicate set of html pages to work on and an ftp program to upload the updated html pages. * There is a significant learning curve involved in editing and maintaining static websites. This is time consuming, and not realistic for those who have little time to spare. * If you start adding more pages, the website will get more difficult to maintain, especially if the website is multilingual. * Doesn't promote content updates which is a negative factor in terms of search engine ranking. CMS CMS stands for Content Management System. A Content Management System: * Gives you the ability to change and maintain your website without needing to understand html code. * Allows you to make these changes from anywhere using a web browser. * Presents you with an editing interface similar to a standard word processor such as Microsoft Word. * Promotes content updates which is a positive factor in terms of search engine ranking. Technically speaking, a CMS type website uses a database to store information and a scripting language such as php to selectively fetch the stored information before it is parsed onto the html page. Note that this complexity is hidden to the user and website administrator. Advantages of a CMS website: * Long term cost savings as the website administrator only needs basic content editing skills, meaning you can make changes to your website as opposed to hiring someone to do it. * Site-wide visual continuity is better maintained due to predefined styles and templates being used throughout. Your company image is visually and structurally maintained on each page. * The website can be maintained no matter where you are, provided you have access to a computer. * You can have more than one person maintain the website with different access levels if necessary. * As your website grows, it remains relatively easy to maintain, especially if you have to maintain it in multiple languages. Disadvantages of a CMS website: * Is more expensive to implement in the short term. * Periodically needs to be upgraded for security purposes, which would be a cost to you. * You still have to learn how to maintain a CMS website, although this would be much easier than learning how to maintain a static website. Return on Investment Analysis While some may consider money spent on a website as an expense, a well designed and properly optimized website that enhances a company's exposure is in fact an investment that can help a business increase profit. For instance, real estate clients are apt to visit a real estate website to: * see pictures of homes for sale * determine the location * determine the asking price. All this before getting involved in further negotiations. In this case, a well designed website will help you sell properties, making your website an asset. Scenario Let's say you are in the real estate business and you decide to build a website to enhance revenue. One, it stands to reason that you will make regular changes to your website as you add and delete properties from your portfolio. If you have a static website, you will probably have to contract someone to make those changes for you. Let's assume that hiring someone to make those changes will cost you $200 per month, whereas a CMS website will cost you nothing to update as you will be able to make those updates yourself. Break Even Point The chart reveals that in 15 months the cost of a static website versus a CMS website will be identical. This is your break even point. Beyond this point, the static website will start costing you more than the CMS website. Also note that as your real estate business grows, the cost of updating a static website will also increase. Conclusion A content management system (CMS) has clear advantages over a static website. This is especially true if you plan on updating your website regularly and are serious about optimizing your website for the prominent search engines.




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