Next Steps: Advanced Web Development

There are a variety of more advanced web developments and maintenance options that you may want to consider. Depending on the purpose and size of your site, there are instances where these advanced options are worthwhile.

Macromedia Flash

This is one of the most popular and widely used interactive multimedia formats on the Internet. Flash has a wide variety of applications – from interactive graphics to online games. Depending on the content of your site, you may wish to use it to demonstrate a product or service.

Content Management Systems ( CMS)

Depending on how often you maintain or update your website, a content management system ( CMS) can be a good investment. Most CMS tools come at a fairly high price. If your site requires frequent changes or updates, a CMS can automate the updating process, saving time and money. However, if your website is only updated occasionally, you probably don’t need a content management system.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

There are a variety of companies on the market that offer “search engine optimization” and promise to improve your rankings in the major search engines. Before investing in these services, make sure you understand how your site will be optimized and how you will measure the success of the project. However, before committing resources to SEO, a good first step is to build a website with useful content. This will help Internet search engines properly categorize your website.

Multimedia Options

There may be instances where you may wish to include more advanced web features such as audio or video. Such media can be very effective for demonstrating a product, but you should approach advanced multimedia options with some caution. They can require a lot of bandwidth. Even with the advances in broadband technology, a sizable portion of the web surfing public still uses slow dial-up connections. Having bandwidth-intensive media may exclude those viewers from fully accessing the information on your website.