Online Communities have been popular since the beginning of this decade but, in the past several years, the emergence of social networking sites and business networking sites have advanced the online community concept far beyond anything we once believed possible. As with every other advance on the web and internet, the explosion of online community sites, community forums, blogs, and other web applications has been fast and creative. Today, online community software and community portal applications provide access to all kinds of information, knowledge, interaction and activities. Online community sites include basic content management, online group, club and association management with event announcements, and grant and fundraising activities. Community forums may support special interest groups from various gender, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and those who share a passion for a particular topic, e.g., church community, college community, online games, business communities, professional communities, online sports community, online video community, online dating community, online community services or an online art community.

Online business community sites have also become popular as a way to network among business associates and to build a business network for job hunting, marketing, knowledge sharing, networking and other activities. Building online community is really just a function of finding the shared interest or need to attract users. Selecting the appropriate community software or community portal to suit the needs of the web application and the users is another matter entirely. Solutions for Content Management, Portal Frameworks and Online Community Solutions are numerous and plentiful, and the number of solutions is growing every day. But, not every system will suit your needs. Elegant MicroWeb encourages its online community clients to consider the community requirements before choosing a Content Management Software solution or a service provider to design and develop the site or portal. Using CMS systems and internet access to connect a web community can also satisfy advertising and sales requirements to fund the site and to generate revenue. Open source CMS solutions are easy to use and manage, and easy to secure. A cost effective intranet community or an outwardly facing consumer or association CMS web site or portal can provide information, interaction and additional revenue!

How Can Content Management Software Help Me Build an Online Community?

Content Management solutions are no longer restricted to packaged software applications. The original CMS systems offered simple file taxonomy and structure; whereas today’s CMS solutions have evolved to open source, off-the-shelf CMS modules, templates and frameworks. These more sophisticated tools allow clients to customise the look and feel of a web community environment with templates, colors, fonts, logical organisation of information, free downloads, message boards, blogs and more. Expert Content Management Developers and Programmers can work with a client to meet specific business and usage requirements and to customise CMS applications to achieve business goals. CMS experts offer customised development and enhancement. Once these experts identify an appropriate framework of CMS tools, content, site maps, web design, templates, workflow and access rights, end users can easily manage the content and the site, without the assistance of programmers or developers. The site and content may be updated by content generators, editors, administrators, moderators or others within your organization. Content Management Software may also be integrated to provide interoperability with other systems used by your company. CMS solutions and CMS tools provide value through scalability and improved portal performance.

We believe that every organisation can benefit from a Content Management System (CMS). CMS frameworks, tools and templates like Joomla,Drupal, dotCMS, Liferay Portal, SharePoint and JBoss Portal can be broadly or specifically applied to address any of the following requirements.

Should My Company Hire an Expert to Implement an Online Community?

It takes specific experience, innovation, creativity and intelligence to design and develop an Online Community Content Management System and Portal. The more varied the activities you want to include in the community portal, the more critical it is to hire the experts! The design and development team must be thoroughly educated in all available CMS tools and templates, and all online community tools. The team must also understand the exchange of information and products and services unique to the online community. The CMS portal or web site must be created with full insight into appropriate design and development. CMS experts have an understanding of what is required to create an appealing, yet simple interface. Many online communities support users who have limited web and computer skills. If the CMS web site is not designed for simple access and use, business revenue and web site traffic will suffer. The CMS web site, intranet site or portal must be logically organised, with meaningful content; a well-conceived access policy, appropriate security, and great usability and interoperability. If your online community content management system is to succeed, it must utilize appropriate CMS solutions and CMS tools, carefully selected to meet your customer requirements, objectives, goals, schedules and budgets. This selection is a complex process.

There are many content management software solutions, each with a different philosophy, theme, theory, functional architecture and scalability. The newest Web 2.0 standards and evolving social networking platforms include stringent requirements to ensure interoperability with internal and external company systems. When selecting the CMS solution, one must also consider available bandwidth and processing power, Search Engine mechanisms and SEO paradigms, as well as client and server side technology, platforms and trends. In truth the task of selecting, designing and developing an online community site and content management system is complex and should be approached only with the assistance of experts who fully understand the available CMS tools and the unique issues faced by online community sites and businesses.

Elegant MicroWeb is Uniquely Qualified to Assist the Online Community and Social Network Client

Elegant MicroWeb has a wealth of experience in selecting, designing and developing Content Management Systems and Portal Frameworks and Online Community Solutions, for clients in many industries. Many of our clients wish to launch or are managing online communities. We work with many popular CMS platforms including Joomla, Drupal, Liferay Portal, JBoss Portal and dotCMS and SharePoint. We participate in the complete project life cycle, from high level requirements, and technical and functional feasibility studies, to tools recommendation, project plans, development, customisation and support. Our staff is versatile and expert in underlying technologies, and we understand the technical and functional frameworks for all CMS solutions and tools and all portal frameworks.

Elegant MicroWeb – Content Management Systems (CMS) and Services for Online Communities

Contact us if you are interested in creating or upgrading an online business community, developing online community resources or services, an online community site, a portal or Content Management web site, or if you wish to engage Expert Developers or Programmers. Our team can use any and all CMS tools and technologies to create an online community Content Management web site, or other web application, or to assist your company with an effective, productive implementation or integration. We provide excellent, proven offshore IT Staff Augmentation services, and outsourcing services as appropriate, and the peace of mind you need, so you can focus on your core competencies. We also offer services, software programmers and developers to satisfy other technology and business requirements.

Contact us today to discuss your Online Community Content Management Systems (CMS) needs or other software or related service requirements. Contact Us Now