Q. What type of content management system (CMS) do you use and will I be able to make updates to my website without contacting you?

These two questions go hand in hand. Your ability to update your website comes down to two things: what CMS your site is built on, and to what extent the developer(s) made this possible.

For most clients, we recommend WordPress as a CMS. WordPress is exceptionally versatile, currently powering approximately 30% of all websites. As a developer, WordPress allows me to create websites that when finished, can be managed and updated without any coding knowledge, which is invaluable for businesses that don’t have a developer on staff.

While WordPress websites can be developed in this way, often times they are not. Making a website which anyone can update requires significantly more time and effort by the developer so beware of bargain-priced websites as they’re likely to provide little to no control over them. To avoid a situation where you need to hire a developer just to update an image, make sure you ask what aspects of the website you’ll be able to manage and be suspicious of bargain-priced websites as you’re likely to get what you pay for.