Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013

The amount of change is breathtaking when Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013 are considered. Users are getting used to touch screens and not only on mobile devices. With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft uses the same OS across a variety of devices, from mobile phone and tablets to desktop devices. Enhancements in Open Source CMS take into account not only mobile but tactile experiences. These facts, coupled with increased consumer behavior buying trends set the bar high and pave the way for the surprises 2013 has for the Open Source world. A list of trends is presented next:


1) Responsive Web Design Made Easier.

Many great changes in Open Source CMS are happening on the front end. A strong trend is standardizing the use of responsive web design. This trend arises from the pressing need for a website to look good on a variety of screen devices. Many core changes, add ons and APIs will be created to make this design shift easier. The most common resolution used to be 1024x768 pixels, now 320x480, 480x320, 768x1024, 1024x768 and 1680x1050 are the most usual, hence the need for integrating it directly into the system capabilities to make the transition smoother. If this trends comes to fruition it's a win/win situation because designers and developers have better tools and their reach makes consumers have a better experience therefore achieving business results faster.


2) Improved default Social Media Interaction.

Among the Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013 is the growing popularity of open source itself. Coupling this fact with the gigantic social media growth it makes sense to standardize ways for developers and designers to add social media specs to websites and apps. This is made possible by making it easier to embed content from these social hubs. Extra support for Instagram, oEmbed, Tumblr, SoundCloud, Slideshare and other players, new and established, follows the internet bias of making information accessible at an exponential rate, therefore it is a strong trend.


3) Dramatic Publishing Improvements.

The amount of content published on the web per minute is astonishing. Printed content is also being repurposed to appear online and since Open Source CMS fuels much of the digital revolution, content publishing is always a pressing need for developers to improve. Among the Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013 many improvements will be found in the areas of workflow and collaboration with the use of social not only for content consumers but for content creators. Multi-language capabilities out of the box will change the reach of informational and persuasive written communications. These technological advancements in Open Source CMS are driving major changes for the world at large due to increased preference by the general population for digital media instead of other channels.


These trends are strong and not only fads because they connect with the digital issues influencing the world right now. Although Open Source is driven by software improvements, these improvements themselves are influenced by hardware innovations and shifting consumer preferences. The rate of change increases exponentially for the Open Source world, all that is needed to test this assumption is comparing the specs from a few years ago to what is possible now. No doubt the near future will bring more surprises.

Why Your Website Needs a Web Content Management System in 2013

Why your website needs a web content management system in 2013 is a critical topic for many small and large companies. With all of the innovations in technology today, business owners and their representatives must be able to operate their companies, while also ensuring their websites are maintained well and up-to-date with engaging content.

Previously, companies could have a simple website constructed and published by a professional web designer and it was ready for doing business online. Today, companies are finding the development and the maintenance of these sites more complex and time-consuming. Which means, they need additional tools to accommodate the new growing demand. To ensure a site does well in the face of growing competition, the business owners will need a website content management system if they want to compete aggressively in the industry that they are in.

Why Your Website Needs a Web Content Management System in 2013, can be answered by the responses listed below:

Content management systems make it easy to maintain the site. Once the web developer has designed a site for a business owner, the maintenance duties and responsibilities is often done by another individual in the company. These duties normally involve adding, modifying and deleting content from the site. Therefore, keeping viewers of these sites engaged is often a time-consuming responsibility. To reduce the time involved in these processes, the changes must be easy and simple to perform, especially if the site owner does not want to pay a developer to maintain the site.

Enterprise content management systems reduce the need for paying professional software developers. The competition in today's business environment is stiff. Keeping a competitive edge involves a wide variety of different things including keeping expenses down. This is one of the reasons why many companies have outsourced various kinds of functions like software development. As a result, software developers are hired for the design and the development of these sites but they transfer the maintenance duties to others that have less skill sets. Which means, the maintenance duties that they pass to others must be simple to do. Content management systems help to fill in these gaps by making the transfer easier. The person that performs these duties can make the essential changes by using user-friendly content management systems and other associated software tools.


Built-in Features

Even though the owners of these sites are normally inundated with various kinds of content management software, they can choose a system that is best for them when they consult with the professional that designed the site. By consulting with a professional, they can choose the right built-in features as they move forward. For instance, there are some features that's standard in most systems, since they are needed for basic functionality. However, the software developer may also assist the business owner by recommending other essential features that can be customized.


Security

With any content management system, security is always on the top of the list. The security for these sites must be easy to modify and maintain, especially if the owner of site expects to protect the customer and client information that they have secured. Security is also complex because it involves content approval, authenticating various protocols and validating emails. Therefore, it is important for the security in CMS to be the best available on the market. It should also be easy for others to use, specifically when they fear other are hacking into their site.

Common Web Design Mistakes That Businesses Make

The design of a website will give a potential client the first impression about the business that owns the site. If it is appealing and functional, the customer will likely proceed to use it, otherwise he or she will turn away out of disappointment or mistrust. Here are the five web design mistakes that most businesses make.

1. Mass Targeting

Businesses are always looking for a way to increase their website traffic and page view but some of them do it in the wrong way by targeting everyone. All websites need to start the design process with a particular kind of visitor in mind. In this regard, the design process should put an emphasis on what that particular visitor or user will find useful and attractive on the website. If the website's design targets different kinds of people, some of its characteristics will displease some people.

2. Failing to involve experts in the design

Some business owners are frugal with their web design and try to minimize all design related costs. They choose to make their own websites even though they lack the necessary knowledge on user experience. In the end, they end up with average website looks and feel that fail to make a good impression.

3. Relying on a unique navigation

When users go to websites, they expect to find navigation links on the menu or on the sidebar. An attempt to make the website fancy by interfering with the universally accepted design framework will only lead to a frustrated user experience. At any time, a user needs to know where he or she is on a website and where to go for the content they seek.

4. Failure to direct users

The most critical factor for a business is the conversion of visitors into clients. A website must compel its visitors to do something while they are on the site. This is a 'call to action'. Most business owners provide rich content about their business but forget to tell the potential customer what they should do after interacting with the content. To forget a call to action message is the same as to let a customer enter a physical store and leave without talking to any staff. Users need direct instructions but instead, most web owners make them work and think too hard to understand the website's design.

5. Poor presentation of content

It is true that the content of a website attracts visitors and keep them returning to the site. A mistake that business owners make is to stuff content instead of arranging it in an easy to digest way. The overcrowding of content makes it hard for people to scan a website and decide whether it is relevant for their needs.

A business website is a huge investment. It needs a proper design to make it serve its intended purpose of providing visitors an opportunity to build relationships with the web owner. By using the above common mistakes for making websites made by businesses as a checklist, you can go on to build relationships with customers in an engaging way. This will result to good prospects for your business.

How to Integrate E-commerce and Content Management Systems

E-commerce software enables business to reach new heights in the online market place by presenting buyers with a seamless shopping and payment experience. Nevertheless, without content management systems (CMS), businesses cannot attract and retain web visitors that eventually convert into customers. One way of increasing the conversion rates of visitors into customers is by providing them with a smooth user experience while they shop. This discussion below explains how you can integrate e-commerce and content management systems on your website.

Provide a link to a standalone e-commerce software

The simplest way to have e-commerce functionality to your CMS would be by creating a link on the content to direct visitors to your online shop. You will have to install the software separately on your server and assign it a sub domain name. This method of integration provides a limited option of you to influence the experience of your visitor as they transition from your content to the e-commerce software that powers your online shop. For example, it may not be possible to change the appearance of the online shop so that it matches your website's look.

Use e-commerce plugins on your CMS

A simple and effective way is the use plugins for e-commerce that are available on the support site of every major CMS. Plugins make it possible to have components of e-commerce join in the core of the CMS so that you can manage your online store in the same way you would manage your content. The plugins covert every item on sale into a piece of content that is retrievable from the CMS database using keyword, tags, date and category. Users can therefore search for it or use relevant navigation links to find the product and its descriptions. The CMS will also allow you to include additional details such as reviews and customer feedback. The CMS will then direct users to the payment processing engine of the e-commerce software, whenever the users need to make a purchase.

Make php code adjustments to your CMS

A complicated way of integrating your e-commerce with CMS is by writing the code. This option gives you the freedom to come up with a look and feel that you desire for your website. It lets you discard e-commerce components that you don't need on your website, as well as create custom designs and functions. Writing your own scripts on the CMS files could be the only way for large websites to offer e-commerce solutions because most of the available software only works for generic setups. Large sites require lots of customizations to keep them from breaking down as they serve millions of people. Large organizations also have their culture and regulations that they would need to maintain on their websites and the only way to do this is by implementing custom installations.

After going through the options outlined above, you are now in a position to assist someone who needs to know how to integrate e-commerce and content management systems. You can use the options to decide what e-commerce software is good for you. So far, the commonly available e-commerce CMS software that provide quick install and integration options are Business Catalyst, Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and osCSS.