How a CMS Helps Teams Coexist to Build High-Performing Web Experiences

Development teams are masters at building things no Content Marketer would feel comfortable taking a shot at — unless you're the ambitious type. Content Marketing teams feel more at ease filling up pages with fresh, valuable content for their respective audiences. As mentioned in the title, the only way for development teams and content teams to coexist is to deploy a content management system (CMS) to allow for a collaborative space between departments that are segmented by skillset.

Get a Grip on Content Management Systems

The right content management system (CMS) for your team can be a more complex option for another. Deciding on which CMS works best for your business comes down to understanding your set criterion, conducting extensive research on the types of CMS's, and carving out time to make this decision. You cannot make a heavy decision without having a firm understanding of what is out there. I say this because it gets complicated — you have your  Traditional CMS and your Headless CMS. But before we get into that, let me explain how a CMS works.

How a CMS works

A content management system is a software application or a set of programs that are used to manage the entirety of a website’s digital content. This system is made for a user-friendly experience, allowing website creators and owners to be at the forefront of all operations. Without a content management system, content teams would have to write a static HTML file and upload it to the server. The CMS makes all the content you create appear right before the eyes of website visitors!

The link between departments

I like to think of content management systems as a link between content creators and developers, giving each other more bandwidth and flexibility to do more. In the industry today, websites are constantly updated no matter what — whether it is for technical issues or staying up-to-date with trends. With this in mind, there are two main problems that a CMS alleviates for organizations:

Problem #1:

If your business has no in-house developers, then outsourcing might be the first solution, right? Let's say you outsource a developer and the coding is completed through this source. This means that only the outsourced developer can go in and complete any changes. Your team can find themselves stuck in a situation where your website must be updated ASAP, but the outsourced developer who has access to the interface has an opening in two days. This issue can be ongoing if a CMS is not one of the main components of the website project.  

Problem #2:

If your team is a start-up that is growing at a high rate, then hiring a web developer and maintaining their salary may not be the best solution. Outsourcing may also be overstepping the budget, depending on whether the capital is available or not. Regardless, small organizations will also face problem #1 while incurring salary costs that they can’t afford.  

How can a CMS build collaboration? 

Coding is tamed at last

A CMS was built to fill the void of having no or little programming experience. Developers can build websites without the pain of having to use HTML, CSS, or other coding programs to build them from scratch. Not having to custom code saves time and also sets up your content team for success.

Collaboration and access has never been so easy

The development and content team must have constant communication to create web content that is understood and visually appealing. Because CMS stores all of your online content in one safe space, it is easily accessible to any member of your team. Developers are no longer needed to give access to content creators for them to add or change content—problem #1and #2 is resolved.

SEO optimization tactics

Using a CMS can increase organic traffic to your site through SEO tactics. SEO helps optimize your website, providing search-friendly site titles and meta-descriptions that make for a simple, yet effective SEO strategy. A majority of B2B searches start with an online search, therefore the SEO tactics provided by a CMS can give your developers and content creators an edge when generating leads.

An established brand identity

Having templates and themes that are built and ready to use will save your team time from having to come up with a template from scratch. Now that your team can spend less time on building templates for the website, developers and content marketers can focus on adding valuable content to the website. Maintaining your brand is easier with a CMS because your team can now focus on attracting and retaining visitors to your website, spending less time outsourcing, requesting permission, or coding from scratch.

Start using a CMS

Building a foundation for your developers and content marketers is crucial for maintaining communication between both parties. Wasting time for lack of communication and connection between a developer and content creator is detrimental to the foundation of your website, as well as the growth of your organization. Start looking into platforms such as WordPress, Contentful, and HubSpot to form an inviting creative experience for your team and a great UX for end-users. Be sure to check out our last blog post in which I compare 3 CMS platforms.