A Non-Geek Introduction to Content Management
Content Management Systems (or CMS’s) may be the biggest breakthrough in website maintenance since HTML, and yet many site owners don’t know what a CMS is… let alone how to use it. If you’re one of them, let me explain what content management systems are, and how you can use them to boost your web productivity.
First of all, a content management system does exactly what its name implies: it manages content. In the old days the only way to update a website was to open an HTML file and edit the HTML code by hand. (If you were lucky, you had a HTML editor to help with this). Then, you had to use an FTP account to upload those changes to the website so everyone else could see your changes. Now, this is just fine if you’re a tecky person and are willing to learn HTML, but what about everyone else? Until content management systems came along, they were stuck hiring techy webmasters to update their sites for them.
Not so anymore. Content management systems are pieces of software that install on a web server and help you manage the contnet of your site. They do this by allowing you to log in to the program and then providing you with an interface you are familiar with to edit the pages of your site. The end result is that making upadtes to a page of your site or even creating a whole new page can be as easy as editing a word document.
In fact, chances are you’re already familiar with a type of content management system: the blog. Yes, blogs are really just mini content management systems. Once a blog is set up you can easily log in and write posts, create categories, tweak settings, or re-arrange the menu. Same with a CMS. The only difference between a blog and a content management system is that CMS’s are designed to run a whole site, not just a little blog. They are much more powerful and have added features that make it easy for you to create any kind of site you can imagine.
Some of the most common content management systems available are Joomla, Drupal, and Typo3. Each of these systems is open source (meaning you can download and use it for free). They are also actively maintained and developed, so there are constantly new features being added. My personal favorite content management system is called MODx, a relatively new but very powerful and easy to use CMS. For an example of MODx in action, view my main site at Underground Web Designs.com.
As great as content management systems are, there are a few things to keep in mind when using them.
- Because they are programs in their own right, it can sometimes be hard for a programmer to integrate a custom program your site may use with a CMS. However, more and more content management systems are using a “pluggin” interface, which can actually make adding extensions easier for programmers. Before choosing a CMS, it is a good idea to have a programmer you trust look at it, and determine how extensible it is.
- Integrating advanced website designs (often called “themes”) can be tricky. If you currently have a website and want to keep the same design but move to a content management system, contact your web-master and ask him how hard it would be to move your current design to a specific CMS. Different CMS systems handle design in different ways, so be as specific as you can.
- CMS systems often have lots of settings. While this is a good thing, because it gives you flexibility in how you want your site to operate, it also makes it worth having your web-master or other knowledgeable individual explain all these settings. This way you will be sure of getting the most out of the CMS, and also you can be warned which settings should be left alone
I hope this introduction has served to explain some of they mystery surrounding content management systems and how they can be used to increase your productivity in managing your website. Please post any questions you have in the comments section, and I will do my best to answer as soon as possible!
Or, Subscribe with your favorite feed reader!
