What is a content management system (CMS)?
As the name suggests, a content management system (CMS) is a tool that is specifically designed to make it easier for users to manage content by eliminating the need to do any type of coding. It is typically used for creating, editing, and publishing website content.
If you wish to learn more about this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: How does a content management system (CMS) work?
A content management system (CMS) works by allowing users to create, edit, and publish content on their website via a graphical user interface (GUI). It stores any data a user inputs in a database, which the website refers to whenever it is accessed.
Before the advent of content management systems (CMS), everything on a website had to be written in code, which meant every little change that needed to be made required the help of a web developer. The whole thing was just extremely inefficient (and, in most cases, costly).
These days, thanks to content management systems (CMS), anyone with basic computer knowledge can easily make changes to their website. Adding and revising content is now as easy as using social media.
Question #2: What are the benefits of using a content management system (CMS)?
The main benefit of using a content management system (CMS) is that it eliminates the need for coding on the part of users. This means that unless there are major changes that need to be made to a website, a user can easily add to or modify their website without having to hire a developer.
But this is not the only benefit of using a content management system (CMS). It also helps speed up the web development process because it allows developers to complete a build using nothing but placeholders when there is no website content available yet. The owners of the website can just add the actual content in later.
Back in the day, since everything had to be hard coded, it was more efficient for developers to wait for all the content to be ready before they finish their builds.
Question #3: What can I do with a content management system (CMS)?
The things you can do with a content management system (CMS) would ultimately depend on which brand you use. In general, though, a content management system (CMS) should, at the very least, allow you to:
- Add, edit, delete, and publish blog posts
- Add, edit, delete, and publish web content
- Add, remove, and replace images on your website
Of course, if you need more features, you will need to look at more powerful options, such as WordPress, which allow you to also do handy things such as optimising your website for search engines and using plugins to extend the functionality of your website.
Let us take a closer look at each one:
First, WordPress has a host of powerful built-in tools that are specifically designed to help you make your website SEO-friendly so it ranks higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). And if you need more features, you can just use a plugin such as Yoast.
Second, speaking of plugins, WordPress is compatible with a wide array of plugins that are designed to help you extend the functionality of your website.
Do you want to build an online store? You can do that. What about an affiliate website? You can do that too. You can even build an entire wiki site if you wanted to.
Question #4: What is the best content management system (CMS)?
The best content management system (CMS) for you would ultimately depend on your specific goals, needs, and budget. But here are a couple of good options to help you get started:
- WordPress – great free option for most users
- HubSpot CMS Hub – no free option but has marketing and sales integrations
- Joomla – a great open-source alternative to WordPress but a bit complex
- Drupal – another powerful open-source option but also a bit more complex than WordPress
- Wix – a beginner-friendly site builder and CMS rolled into one
- Squarespace – a great alternative to Wix
- BigCommerce – perfect if you want to run an online store
- Shopify – a popular and equally powerful alternative to BigCommerce