HTML or CMS – What should It Be for Small Business Website?

HTML or Hypertext Markup Language is in use for standard website design for a long time. It is powerful language fro programming that acts as the building block of all the webpages. It is applied for creating the structure code, content and design of the website. The CMS is a platform that uses HTML as well but it more automated and streamlined so that it can be used to create and edit websites. The CMS further provides the users with an interface where the content can be easily created, edited and published. Both are quite different methods. As far as small business websites are concerned, they should choose carefully between the two methods before designing their websites.

There are several factors that you should know before opting between the two. Here’s a look at those aspects –

Simplifying the process

If time is a factor for you then there might not be adequate time for you to choose a web design company for your small website. Designing and development also demand considerable time. You need a process that would require less time but the results will be impressive. With platforms like WordPress or Joomla it might just take you minutes to build the website. Once the website is created rich media content like videos, images and texts are added along with dynamic widgets. If the latter has connections with other networks then there might be an increased interaction with the website.

Websites built with CMS can also skip the tiresome part of installation as far as hosting details are concerned. There are one second installation packages present in the CMS. Moreover, a platform like WordPress is a well known blogging platform. This feature can be utilized by the small businesses while strategizing their marketing plan.

However, HTML coding requires some effort from the designers as there are no add buttons for inserting the media. On the contrary everything has to be inserted with the help of HTML codes. Inspite of the fact that HTML has support on all the web servers, everything needs to be coded so as to arrange the media in the right directories and upload the website into the server.

Hence, in regard to simple processes, CMS scores over HTML.

Customizing your needs

Sometimes websites are customized so that they can be molded for various purposes. In that regard, one should have total control over the site so that it can be customized properly. If you have a CMS website, it is not possible to interact directly with the web server as CMS acts as a mediator. As a result there will be limited options for customization. Although there are some great plug-ins available for WordPress but content management system might not be a preferable choice when it comes to designing a business website. If you are looking forward to add graphics, media, etc all by yourself then CMS will prove helpful with its supportive features like JS and CSS. However, if you are planning to customize the site on a broader level then HTML coding is preferable, CMS website for small businesses should not face any trouble with customization or updates.

Search Engine Optimization

You have been suggested umpteenth times about the benefits of SEO. While developing a website, focusing on the ways to optimize it is a must. Keeping this requirement in mind the CMS offer a wide range of plug-ins that can take care of your SEO requirements. Whether it is for a small business website design or for enterprises, SEO cannot be overlooked. While CMS does its bit in providing the tools for optimizing your website but hard codes allows you to explore wider possibilities for search engine optimization. This is only possible through HTML.

Installation hazards

While HTML has its share of advantages, so does CMS. With the latter any business can launch its website in minutes. For the server side installation all that is required is copying the installation package to the new website directory. Once the user does this, the rest of the process is taken care of by CMS. The popular platforms like Joomla, WordPress and Drupal can even host the sites. For a small business website design, CMS is perfect as they can immediately start adding content to their sites once the CMS is installed.

For HTML, no coding is required for installation. However, graphics, webpages and images must be created and organized in the server’s web directory. This process is time consuming and you also need expert professional to achieve this end.

There are enough reasons for the web developers to support both HTML and CMS. However, when it comes to the small businesses, CMS seems to be a better solution as it is a cost effective solution.