Modules, Not Pages
The foundational element of a Web System is a module (sometimes called a “component” or a “brick”). A module is a re-usable, branded, editable, chunk of a website.
Here’s one:
Here’s another:
In the world of Web Systems, pages are not standalone objects. They are composites, built from a set of modules that have been stitched together into a cohesive whole.
Kinda like legos.
The benefits of this approach are many and the downsides are none, which is why the best sites on the web are built from a modular library.
I get asked a few times a week:
“If you love modules so much, why don’t you marry them?”
Well, maybe I should. What’s not to love about a good module?
They provide:
Flexibility
Every module stands on its own so you can easily edit them, re-order them, or swap them without needing to touch the rest of the page around them or start a new page from scratch. This helps ensure that your website evolves as your company does.
Speed
Creating new pages is insanely quick. It’s as simple as snapping together a set of branded, high-quality modules from your library. Most organizations can build and launch a new page - without any engineering support at all - in a matter of hours.
Cost-Savings
Modules save you money. Marketing teams can build or edit pages without any additional dev or design support, so most organizations save money on either external teams who they were hiring to do that work or internal teams who are now freed up to do more valuable work.
ROI
This approach allows you to easily and consistently improve the performance of both your site as a whole and individual pages by giving you the ability to constantly sharpen your storytelling and messaging with a few clicks.
This last point is especially critical. We believe that you should demand ROI from your site.
Not hope for it. Demand it.
The modular approach gives you the power to do so.