What is a CMS?
Content Management System (CMS) is what allows an individual or team to manage a website’s content or other electronic sources. The core functions and purposes of a CMS includes letting multiple users to manage and publish content, implement workflow permissions, reduce the repetitive tasks as well as automate some fundamental features.
With a CMS, a website and electronic sources (commonly referred to as digital media) becomes more functional. One example of CMS is WordPress. It allows just about anyone with a computer to write and publish content in the site. The simplicity of WordPress and other applications like it means you don’t actually need special technical skills or to know how to code HTML to operate the site and publish content to a website.
A CMS makes digital media management easy, collaborative and more efficient to manage.
Types of Content Management Systems
When you select a CMS, you’ll see there are plenty of options to choose from. There are CMSes that intend to handle sites with millions of visitors through to those that are targeted for small business owners. Among the many systems available today, they are separated into two primary categories which are hosted and installed systems.
Installed CMS
With installed content system, you will be required to download the files you need in order for the CMS to run. You will need to install it to a web host on your own. That means you will have to download the software, upload it to your server, install and then run it to set up the system. The whole process is fairly easy and most modern CMSes can be up and running in no time.
But with installed CMSes, you will be the one responsible for: maintenance and updates; fixing any system problems; the addition of anything you want to the system; performance of backups and recoveries when needed; and just about anything else. Keeping the system up and running will be your responsibility unlike that with hosted systems.
Hosted CMS
A hosted system is provided by a CMS developer to its customers. With hosted systems, designers building websites no longer need to download and install any software. Most of the time the host just needs is to just create an individual account and their site is automatically ready.
While the site automatically installed, you still need to design it and create the content. However, the actual work of setting up the website has been done for you. In hosted systems, the system provider takes care of the maintenance and updates of the software.
The system provider is also responsible for preventing hacking, adding any functionality or changing how the system works. Many of these hosted systems have extended functionalities. Compared to other CMSes, hosted systems are may be a better alternative for small businesses as they require less work to keep them running.
Hosted systems typically cost more per month, but with the extensive feature and functionality set, it makes it truly great option worth considering to every website designer and owner.
These are only two of the primary types of CMSEs. They all come in different sizes and shapes and targeted to specific types of sites whether it’s for small, local or multi-million dollar businesses.
Use of CMS for Your Marketing
Choosing a great CMS is important for your business for varying reasons. It will help in easy management of the content of your website, improves your online branding and offers extensibility to the default capacities of your site.
At the same time, help sections, FAQs and support forms added to your website helps in keeping your customers happy and a good CMS can easily easy maintain these channels. Furthermore, a good CMS offers mobile optimisation and tailors your content to varying devices and digital platforms.
