CMS FAQs
Content Management System Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a Content Management System?
A. A Content Management System (Website Platform) is a software system used to create, manage, and publish information directly on your website without programming or technical knowledge. Typically, a Website Platform consists of two elements: the Content Management Application (CMA) and the Content Delivery Application (CDA).
The CMA element allows the content manager or author, who may not know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a Webmaster.
The CDA element It is a system that allows you to manage and distribute content through a permission based log-in area ensuring that the design and structure of the website stays true to form.
Q. What are the benefits of a CMS Website Platform?
You can save the costs of hiring a developer to maintain your site. You can always have up-to-date content on your site. You can save time by having FAQs, forms, and other information that people ask about your business. Instead of having a call centre - or a person to answer questions for a caller, post the information online and save time and money.
- Allows access to update content based on permissions for your staff.
- Allows companies to have a public website.
- Allows visitors to access and communicate your content to other people through PDF’s, print and email to a friend.
- Supports RSS feeds, forums, events calendar, and newsletter management.
- Supports many types of content forms: blogging, links, and news feeds.
Q. How much control do I have over how my CMS Website Platform website looks?
A. You have a lot of control of the look and feel of the website. The CMS Website Platform can support a custom design that we will create for you based on your design consultation and other materials supplied by you.
Q. What are permission levels and how are they beneficial?
Permission levels control and limit access to information and authoring capabilities to ensure that information on your site is only being authored by individuals with the permission and knowledge to do so. They provide levels of access to the website content through a username and password to update, edit, publish or view content. Permission levels are assigned by the CMS Administrator based on the content the administrator wants a person to be able to access.
Q. What is the web based Administration area used for?
A. The web based administration area is used to manage and create your content, and manage users and their permission levels. This is where the administrator can create, add, and delete users. Also this area gives full control over the functions of the CMS Website Platform system. To add, delete user profiles, to create content, manage all aspects of the website. The administration area is also where you will view and choose whether to approve or deny the posting of authored information to the live front end of the website.
Q. Do I need technical knowledge to use the Administration area?
A. No. The CMS Website Platform gives full control to administrator and doesn't require the administrator to have any programming knowledge. The system requires simple computer skills such as Word or Pages.
Q. How long will it take to launch my CMS website from the time I sign up?
A. Launch dates are based on materials received from the client. Normally the turn-around time is one to two months. This process involves the client and requires that the client make changes and approves the website content. If the client delays the process the over all project will take longer. The average time from custom design to adding the Website Platform and content is about 30 to 45 days (some projects can be shorter or longer depending on the client's availability).
Q. Can I accept payments through my CMS website?
A. Yes, we can add an eCommerce module to the CMS Website Platform to allow payment online as an additional extra.
Q. What kind of training comes with the CMS system?
A. A User Guide is provided with each CMS system as well as a 1 hour telephone training session.
Q. Can I get additional training?
Yes, a half-day on-site CMS training can be purchased as an additional extra.
Q. Does Carvill Creative provide Search Engine Optimisation services?
A. Yes, as an additional extra. To ensure search engine ranking success we recommend our professional Search Engine Optimisation services. All websites built by Carvill Creative are designed to be search engine friendly, however this in itself does not guarantee ranking in the search engines.
Q. Do Carvill Creative provide hosting for my website?
A. Yes - costs will be included in your website quote.
Q. What kind of support does Carvill Creative provide for my CMS website?
A. A Technical support help desk is provided with your CMS license.
Q. Are there any hidden charges?
A. None, the Ultimate Website Package has a fixed price, but you can choose to have additional extras should you require them.
Q. Do I own my CMS website?
Yes
Q. What is Google Analytics?
A. This is the study of the impact of a website on its visitors. E-commerce companies often use web analytics software to measure statistics such as how many visitors, how many unique visitors, how they arrived at the site (i.e., if they followed a link to get to the site or came there directly), what keywords they searched using the site’s search engine, how long they stayed on a given page or on the entire site, what links they clicked on and when they left the site. Web analytic software can also be used to monitor whether or not a site’s pages are working properly. With this information, site administrators can determine which areas of the site are popular and which areas of the site do not get traffic and can then use this data to create a better/more profitable user experience.
What is asset management?
Asset management is the organization and publication of digital assets such as content and media and including but not limited to images, sounds, animations, movies, music and text.
What is the back end? – a database or program that is accessed by users indirectly through an external application. In a CMS, the admin panel is the back end.
Q. What is CSS?
A. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet – this is the preferred way to add styles (which include fonts, sizes, colours and spacing) to web documents and designs. It’s preferred because of the capability to simply tweak a class or identification attribute on the style sheet that will automatically apply to the entire page. Compared with the manual way of editing thousands of individual font tags, CSS is an elegant and efficient design tool.
Q. What is a database server?
A. In either a client-server model or a master-slave configuration, this is a computer program that stores and performs the database services to other programs or computers.
Q. What is the front end?
A. As opposed to the back end, the front end is an interface that collects input from a user in various forms and processes it to conform to a specification useable by the back end.
Q. What does OS stand for?
A. OS stands for Operating System – this is the interface between the hardware and its user. For example, if your computer is a PC your OS is likely Windows-based. If your computer is a Mac, it’s OSX, etc.
Q. What is Page Rank?
A. Page rank is the Google system of ranking web pages determines the value of any individual web page.
What is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication – it is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works such as news headlines, blogs, etc. These feeds benefit content publishers by enabling them to syndicate their content automatically.
What is a static page (as opposed to dynamic)?
Static means that the web page always contains the same information in response to all download requests from all users. A dynamic page is regularly updated.
Q. What is WYSIWYG?
A. This is an acronym for literally, What You See Is What You Get and it refers to the style of text editor that requires no coding knowledge.