Getting Creative with Your Content Management System

Getting Creative with Your Content Management System

March 9, 2016
5:05 pm

Getting Creative with Your Content Management System

Do you know what a Content Management System is? Often called CMS for short, it is a software program that will help you publish and manage websites and content online. Every website has to be built on top of sometime of CMS, even if you decide to build your own. Basically a Content Management System is the guts of your website, it is the system of internal programs and code that allows your site to function and exist on the web.

There are many available so if you are thinking about building a web page you should take the time necessary to research all of your options and select the choice that is best for you. Many are sold by software companies looking to make a profit. That is perfectly okay, but understand that it will set you back money, sometimes a lot depending on the company and how powerful the program is.

What if you are operating on a tight budget? No worries, there are content management system you can use for free! Does that sound too good to be true! Maybe, but the Open Source revolution has led to the creation of various free software programs that can not only be used for free, but also edited for free. That means you can edit the code of a CMS system and customize it to fit your exact needs!

Over the last few years these open source content management system have become the preferred option for many small businesses and website developers. And it is not just because they are free but also because they are powerful and easy to use! Unless you have very specific needs that can be met only by a paid software program, why not enjoy the benefits of the open source revolution?

The two most popular open source content management systems are Joomla and WordPress. Each system has its own benefits and down sides but both are worthy of your consideration.

WordPress is free and based on PHP and MySql. The Content Management System is estimated to support over one in five new websites and is used by numerous large and powerful websites, including the Wall Street Journal and Ford Motor Company. The last version released was 3.5.1. Some users have claimed, however, that the WordPress back room can be difficult to use and manage.

If you are looking for ease of use you could consider Joomla, popular, free and open source software. Just as powerful as WordPress and just as popular, Joomla also offers an intuitive and easy to understand back room management system that will help you manage all of your content.

If you are considering building a website you need to consider which content management system is right for you. There are many, many options so you will have to decide for yourself which one is best. As long as you take your time you are sure to find the CMS system that is right for you!