Content management systems, also known as CMS, came onto the scene to make managing the content of a website easier for someone who doesn’t have the same technical proficiency as the person who built the site. In the past, if you wanted a content management system, you had to have a programmer who knew how to build you one, which would inevitably result in much higher costs. Even then, a CMS could remain too complicated for just anyone to pick up and use.

As more and more people came to the internet and sought to become involved and connected, along came platforms like Joomla and Drupal, not to mention various others, that offered site owners and programmers better CMS solutions. These “platforms” are pre-fabricated content management systems that a website could be built on top of. This would save the programmer a ton of time and effort and the client a lot of money. Still, these CMS solutions required a level of technical savvy that a lot of people new to the internet just didn’t have.

Today, content management systems are very common and are becoming even more ingrained in the way websites are built and managed. Platforms like WordPress and Tumblr have developed overtime to cater to the less tech-savvy, making it easier than ever for people to learn how to manage their own websites. And, while they aren’t considered content management systems, sites like Twitter and Facebook employ much of the same strategies for simplifying how a user interacts and modifies content on the internet.

In my opinion, if you’re going to have a website built, you should be involved in its management. To do this, you will need a content management system, and you should make sure you’re getting one that is simple, safe, and pretty. My CMS of choice is WordPress.

WordPress started off as a very basic open-source blogging platform that has since become a very robust CMS, especially for designers and programmers who know how to implement it effectively. It is not only easy for beginners to figure out and use, but it is flexible enough to be something even the most advanced web user can appreciate.

So, to summarize, a content management system does exactly what it says; It lets you — the site’s owner — take the reins and contribute to the management of your site’s content. These days, you would be hard pressed to find a web programmer who would build their own CMS specifically for you, so make sure you find out what they plan to use and how easy it will be for you to learn.

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. I can’t begin to tell you how many of my clients come to me feeling as though their last web designer had just fallen off the face of the planet.

Obviously this is frustrating for you, but it’s frustrating for me too. It often means having to work extra hard to earn a client’s trust after they’ve been dumped by their previous web designer.

So how can you make sure this doesn’t happen again?

Well here are a few ways that Hip Web Design can help:

• All my sites are built with a WordPress powered back-end, so you can have control over your own content.

• I provide a tutorial at the end of the process that will teach you how to use the back-end and make changes to your new site on your own.

• I’m available through phone, email, and instant message.

• Payment schedules ensure that both the client and the designer are protected from a breakdown in the prioject.

So if you’re feeling like your head is about to pop off because you’re sick and tired of your old web designer who won’t return your calls, takes months to get to your changes, and doesn’t seem to care that you’re waiting, than feel free to drop Hip Web Design a line.