Are you butchering your own website?

There are three words that make many web designers roll their eyes in exasperation: Content Management System.

And no it’s not just because these DIY website tools are doing them out of future fees for the ongoing maintenance of your website.

There is a legitimate reason for their concern and it has more to do with your pockets than theirs.

Because with the freedom that Content Management Systems (CMS) provide for ordinary business operators to edit and maintain their own websites also comes the threat of ruining the professional, enticing look the designer has worked hard to achieve for you.

Because you can doesn’t mean you should

As you read this, business operators are turning professional and enticing websites into ugly and repelling dog’s breakfasts due to the incorrect use of these editing tools.

In doing so, they are shooting their businesses in the foot, as visitors click off before you can say, “Elvis has left the building”.

I’ve had this happen to me on several occasions, leading to much embarrassment and even lost business.

It’s occurred when prospective clients have asked to inspect some recent websites my team has created. Accordingly, we have pointed them to some newly established websites.

But what may have left our hands as a handsome Dr Jeckyll has quickly turned into a hideous Mr Hyde at the hands of our well meaning clients.

DIY nightmares

Because no matter how much we implore them to follow our instructions and style guides to maintain a professional look, the temptation of all those whiz-bang editing tools and clip art libraries gets the better of them and the result can be very ugly indeed.

Before long the website they have invested much of their hard-earned into, bears no resemblance to the showpiece we created for them.

And ugly front pages have proven to drive customers away.

One recent study suggested that it takes only a fraction of a second to pass judgement on a website. Attendee responses during our own design workshops provides an equally unanimous response – when comparing websites of providers with similar services, prices and so on, the one with the more professional appearance gets the vote of confidence (read: business) every time.

So how can business owners strike a balance between having the tools to update their own websites while retaining a professional look?

There are several ways to achieve this.

1. Have a professional set up your initial website

Some web firms provide you with a design “look and feel” and Content Management System and then expect you to create all the pages yourself. This explains why they are so cheap. But best results are achieved when a professional creates the initial website in its entirety (or at least a good chunk of it) so that your task becomes one of maintenance rather than creation. What’s more, good professionals will also create layout templates and optimise your site for search engines along the way, making your job even easier.

2. Ensure your design is “maintainable”

As we discussed here a few weeks back, a good professional will establish your website so that you can easily maintain it while maintaining the critical professional look of your website. This approach provides the best of both worlds.

3. Ensure sufficient page layout “templates” or samples

When a professional sets up your website, they will create pages that can be copied as a template for new pages – providing your CMS has this capability. Again, this means that the important layout, design and formatting is retained and your work is limited to a simple “cut and paste” exercise.

You can even ask your designer to create some “hidden” layouts that aren’t visible to the public, but are sitting within your CMS for future use.

4. Have impartial input or supervision over the design

Most designers don’t set out to create a look that is impossible to maintain once the keys to the CMS are handed over. It’s just that they aren’t accustomed to creating a look that somebody without their skills will need to maintain as they add new content.  For this reason, it’s a great idea to have an impartial “producer” or project manager guide the design to ensure you have the freedom to do this, while retaining the design.