Content Management Systems (CMS)

A Content Management System (CMS) such as a document management system (DMS) is a computer application used to manage work flow needed to collaboratively create, edit, review, index, search, publish and archive various kinds of digital media and electronic text.

The content managed by a CMS includes images, media, audio files, electronic documents and Web content (but can be enhanced to include absolutely anything). The idea behind a CMS is to make these files available inter-office, as well as over the Web via the website. A CMS can also be used as an archive & usually CMS's have built in rollback functionality & recovery tools. Many companies use a CMS to store files in a non-proprietary form & to share files with ease, as most systems use server-based software, further broadening file availability.

"Workflow" is the idea of moving an electronic document along either for approval or for adding content. Some CMS's will easily facilitate this process with e-mail notification and automated routing. This is ideally a collaborative creation of documents. A CMS facilitates the organization, control, and publication of a large body of documents and other content, such as images and multimedia resources.

A Web Content Management System (WCMS) is a content management system implemented as a web application, for creating and managing HTML content. It is used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of web material (HTML documents and their associated images). A CMS facilitates content creation, content control, editing, and many essential web maintenance functions.
Usually the software provides authoring (and other) tools designed to allow users with little or no knowledge of programming languages or markup languages to create and manage content with relative ease of use.
Most systems use a database to store content, metadata, and/or artifacts that might be needed by the system, making them recoverable & providing an entire site backup.
A presentation layer displays the content to regular website visitors based on a set of templates. The templates are often XSLT files.

Administration is typically done through browser-based interfaces.

A Content Management System (CMS) differs from website builders like Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver. A CMS allows non-technical users to make changes to an existing website with little or no training. Web content management systems typically require an experienced coder to set-up and add features, but it is primarily a website maintenance tool for non-technical administrators.

Web content management systems capabilities

A web content management system is a software system used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of web material (HTML documents and their associated images). A CMS facilitates document control, auditing, editing, and timeline management. A Web CMS provides the following key features:

Automated templates

Create standard output templates (usually XHTML and XML) that can be automatically applied to new and existing content, creating one central place to change that look across a group or content of a site.

Easily editable content

Once your content is separated from the visual presentation of your site, it usually becomes much easier and quicker to edit and manipulate. Most CMS software include WYSIWYG editing tools allowing non-technical individuals to create and edit content.

Scalable feature sets

Most CMS have plug-ins or modules that can be easily installed to extend an existing site's functionality.

Workflow management

Workflow is the process of creating cycles of sequential and parallel tasks that must be accomplished in the CMS. For example, a content creator submits a story but it is not published on the website until the copy editor cleans it up, and the editor-in-chief approves it.

Document management

CMS solutions may provide a means of managing the life cycle of a document from initial creation time, through revisions, publication, archive, and document destruction.

Content virtualization

CMS systems may provide a means of allowing each user to work within a virtual copy of the entire website, document set, and/or code base. This enables changes to multiple interdependent resources to be viewed and/or executed in-context prior to submission.

5 Reasons To Use A Content Management System For Your Website

Reason #1: Cost is Low (Often Free) 

Even with a small budget you can have a professional website and running up in a couple of hours if you use a CMS. There are many free CMS’s available today, including the widely popular WordPress and Joomla. In the past cost was a heavy factor in deciding whether a business could have a website but with today’s technology and the availability of professional looking CMS templates you can drastically reduce your website building cost without losing professionalism.

Reason #2: Overall Ease Of Use

Today, there are many tools available to build a professional website and many of them are free.  Not all these tools are created equal so I recommend starting with WordPress or Joomla be careful in your selection.  WordPress and Joomla are two very popular web building tools that are free and offer many great plugins to extend the functionality of your website.

Reason #3: Minimal Technical Knowledge

Content Management Systems makes it easy to update your website, add additional functionality and even setup an e-commerce website without needing to buy specialized HTML software or having programming experience.  If you’re comfortable with a word-processor you’ll find it relatively easy to use a content management system and the learning curve rather low.

Reason #4: Don’t Have To Rely On A Webmaster

A common complaint I hear from a lot of small business owners is having to wait on their webmaster to make updates to their website. Sometimes the changes you may want are small but important and the timing of the update can be critical to your business.  Using a CMS makes it easy for you to make updates and additions on your website on your schedule.

Reason #5: A Virtual Assistant Is Cheaper Than A Web Designer

Even if you decide to outsource some of your web updates if you’re using a CMS you can hire a virtual assistant to make your changes since most updates in a CMS are not technical in nature.  The cost of hiring a virtual assistant is much less than the cost of hiring a web designer.

Reason #5: Spend Your Money Where It Really Matters

Using a CMS to build and mange your website help minimize your website cost and expenses.  This gives you the chance to spend the saved dollars on where it matters most; which is marketing and lead generation.

So what are you waiting for? Visit WordPress.com and Joomla.org to learn more about these free content management systems. You can also read WordPress vs. Joomla: Which Is Best For Your Business? for more information about the these two content management systems.