What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

You may have seen or heard the term Content Management System (CMS) bandied about by learned computer professionals and dismissed it as just another buzzword. But hold on. Let’s take a look at what a Content Management System is as it relates to your web presence, i.e., a web Content Management System.

Let’s assume your web presence consists of a website with a blog and some connections to social media. It might even be being used for eCommerce – selling digital or physical items online. There are a number of Content Management Systems that will allow you to do that. The top 3 for the web are WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla but there are others.

A web Content Management System may be used to author and administer an individual’s or a company’s website. It may or may not include a blog. But it is a handy method of consolidating and integrating text, graphics, videos, online marketing, and social media WITHOUT having to program. You can do it – sometimes.

Ease of use is a primary consideration with contemplating the use of a Content Management System especially if you, the owner of the web presence or one of your employees will be the major user of the system. You should be able to make changes to your content without relying on outside sources. It probably needs to be set up by a web developer but after that, it should be considered as merely a non-technical maintenance tool used by non-technical staff.

But there are usually some technical tools associated with a Content Management System that can be used by a web developer to change the looks and/or functions of the website. The most popular of these combinations is PHP/MySql. Simply put, they allow programming for your website by professionals.

Above all, a Content Management System should provide for good search engine optimization (SEO). This activity makes it easy to use Google (or other search engines) to find items on your website.

And finally, a Content Management System is usually low cost. The application itself is usually free. Getting it a name (domain registration) and a place to live (web hosting) will generally cost a nominal amount.