Content Management

We regularly get requests from clients and prospective clients who say that they want a content management system for their web site. However we find that few clients that take the time to manage their content.

Some our clients do take the time to update their web sites. However, more often than not, the content is not updated as the client is too busy running a business to do the updating.

Content management systems require extra work to set up when compared to a web site that is updated by web development professionals. Search engines may have issues with finding all of the content. And if the updated content is not proofed, it can contain embarrassing errors.

This is not to say that content management systems are useless, only that if you want one you need to have the time and discipline to use it. Properly done a user updated web site can provide up to date information and fresh content which grows and grows providing rich source material for search engines.

Editing...only remember the good stuff

For years I was a fan of the television show "Everybody Loves Raymond". Even today if I just want to take a break I might tune in to watch a rerun of this show. One of my favorite episodes was #171 which first aired in 2003. If you are a fan, you might remember "Robert's Wedding" as a day when Marie Barone (Robert's mother)interrupts the wedding ceremony as the minister asks if anyone knows of a reason why Robert and Amy should not be married. Later at the reception Raymond is asked to give a toast which was probably one of the most touching scenes of the entire series. Referring to his mother's interruption of the wedding ceremony, Raymond opens his toast by saying: "I think I know one thing that can make this day all better...editing. When all is said and done we will only remember the good stuff. I think you're gonna remember about today what you want to remember."

Editing as defined by Websters means:1 a: to prepare (as literary material) for publication or public presentation b: to assemble (as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging c: to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose .

Editing as it applies to your website can be critical. Your text, photos, videos, and documents should all be carefully reviewed. This process takes time and almost always requires the efforts of more than one person, as we all know after you look at text long enough your eye doesn't catch all of the misspellings, grammatical mistakes, etc. The same applies to photo and video editing. Photos and videos are powerful. Original unedited photos or videos can make us laugh out loud or cry. Perhaps that is why Google videos and YouTube are so successful. We can see people at their best and worst, for the most part unedited.

Recently Webconsuls was asked to make some videos of the mariachi performers at La Fuente Restaurant in Tucson, AZ. The stage area is almost completely surrounded by dining tables and walking paths for the waitstaff and guests. Try as I might, everytime I would try to shoot a video people, other than the musicians, would come into the field of view. But I videoed about eight songs and sent them to Darin McClure to "edit." Much to my surprise Darin decided to put up all of the videos on Google videos and one in particular is very comical. The song being performed is Guadalajara. As you watch this "unedited" version you will see patrons and staff cross in front of the stage, then suddenly the parking lot security guard comes into view and stops in front of the performers to "check out" the tip basket. It gets better. Within a few seconds, Dennis, my husband, gets up from his table and proceeds to walk to the tip basket to make a donation! By now I just keep shooting only to see the security guard come back through camera's angle of view "dancing" to the music.

To appreciate the art of editing, I invite you to preview both videos. Here is a link to the unedited version and here is a link to the edited version of this performance. Editing...only remembering the good stuff. This weekend we will update La Fuente Restaurant's website to include the "edited" version of Guadalajara. I hope you will visit their site. La Fuente has been in business since 1959 and has a colorful history.