Content Management Systems AKA - (CMS)

Content Management Systems do what they sound like - they help you manage your content. Essentially, a CMS allows you to create/edit/delete your site pages without getting into the coding side of things. For larger sites, they also make organization easier. The content is largely stored in a site database, which lives on a web server, alleviating the need to back up hundreds of HTML files.

Ecommerce websites, for example, use content management systems 90% of the time.Blogs use them too.

While they may sound expensive and complicated, there are several full-featured content management systems available for free. Among the most notable are WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Zen Cart and more. All these CMS systems are free to download/install at your web server, and have been developed by an open source community with ease of installation and use in mind.

                                                 

If you're considering moving your site to a CMS or building a new site with one but aren't yet sure of the benefits, here's a quick list:

No need to be a coder
      While the setup process can get somewhat technical and customizing templates involves coding, in the long term working with a CMS means working with less HTML/CSS and server side scripting code. That means an easier time for content editors and authors. It means you don't need to rip your hair out figuring out which HTML tag wasn't closed properly. It means you don't need to know what an HTML tag is at all, in most cases. This saves you a ton of time and resources in the long term.

SEO is built right in
      SEO is a concern for every webmaster, and most content management systems include beneficial features in this regard. There are many available SEO plugins for WordPress, for example, that make for well-optimized title tags, URLs, links, etc. Once your CMS is producing search engine friendly pages there is little need to go back and "tweak" on-page optimization or play with file names. This allows you to focus on creating great content without worrying about your on-page SEO.

Little risk of losing/overwriting important files
      Since site content lives mostly in the database with a CMS, there isn't much risk of someone accidentally overwriting a recently-updated page or losing important files. Most site authors and editors can work from within the CMS and don't bother saving/uploading a file at all. This will save you many headaches. Just be sure to back up your database on a regular basis and before upgrading your CMS.

Website can be accessed and edited from any location
      Most content management systems are web-based - meaning they live entirely on your web server. The only thing required to access/edit your site in this case is a username/password to log in. This means you don't need to worry about being at your computer or carrying your site files with you when traveling. Adding/editing/deleting site pages is a simple as logging in and using the web-based back end to get it done - and site updates can be published live instantly with no need for FTP.

Updates don't require you to use a webmaster
      This alone can save most companies thousands of dollars a year. With a content management system you no longer need to call your web developer every time you need to correct a spelling error or add an event to a calendar. You can handle updates yourself or have someone in your office - maybe even an intern - make the change directly. The point is: it's easy. You no longer have to pay the developer's rate for simple updates, and you don't need to waste time communicating the changes via phone or email and settling invoices.

Development costs are cheaper for open source
      If you're looking to either migrate an existing site to a content management system or use one for a new site, you are likely to be looking at a cheaper project overall (depending on the level of customization). Most of the bells and whistles are built right into the system - so development becomes more a task of updating the look and feel of the CMS template than building from scratch. Of course, design is crucial - so if you're looking for a polished site design you'll still want to hire a solid designer/developer, but a simple and clean site design with moderate customization shouldn't break the bank. There are also some very nice "out of the box" templates and themes available for most open source content management systems, such as the feature-rich and attractive Thesis theme for WordPress.

Essentially, there are few downsides to using content management systems, and the open source options available are very attractive (especially the price tag). If you're considering any of the open source solutions mentioned in this article, there are a few considerations you'll want to have in mind. Namely, keep in mind that WordPress was designed to be a blogging platform and is therefor somewhat limited in flexibility (although for most sites WordPress is a solid solution - even when you don't need a blog). Drupal offers much more flexibility and power, but it tends to require a more extensive and costly set up phase. The Zen Cart in a perfect fit for those of you who want to do an eCommerce website with shopping cart capabilities.

Also keep in mind that not all content management systems are created equal. Some lesser-known content management systems have rampant issues in search engine visibility - such as including session IDs in all URLs - that can render your site entirely invisible to search engines or at least sub-par when it comes to on-page SEO. So make sure you do your research if SEO is going to be important to you.

For companies operating on something of a shoestring budget for web development, an open source content management solution is often not only an attractive solution but perhaps the only viable one to stay within a budget without sacrificing the quality of your site's infrastructure.

And to those for whom the thought of working with HTML code causes instant panic: rest assured - with the right CMS setup, you'll rarely need to see an HTML tag again.

Well Good Luck finding the right CMS for your project.

If you would affordable CMS program installation of one of the open-source programs above, please feel free to contact me at Rioforma.

Regards,

Your SEO Blogmaster Matt