A content management system, often abbreviated as CMS, is software that helps users create, manage, and modify content on a website without the need for too much of specialized technical knowledge.
In layman terms, a content management system is a tool that helps you build a website without needing to write the neccessary codes from scratch.
Instead of building your own system for creating websites, storing files, and other functions, the content management system handles all that basic infrastructure for you so that you can focus on more forward-facing parts of your website or business.
What makes up a content management system.
Technically, a content management system is made up of two core parts:
- A content management application (CMA) – this is the part that allows you to actually add and manage content on your site (like you saw above).
- A content delivery application (CDA) – this is the backend, behind-the-scenes process that takes the content you input in the CMA, stores it properly, and makes it visible to your visitors.
Together, the two systems make it easy to maintain your website.
What Kinds of Websites Can You Build with Those Content Management Systems?
Most content management systems are pretty flexible nowadays. While there are some that focus on a specific use – like Prestashop and eCommerce – most of the popular content management systems can be used to create essentially any type of website.
A very popular CMS is WordPress
For example, you can use WordPress to power:
- Static websites
- Blogs
- eCommerce stores
- Forums
- Social networks
- Property Listing Websites
- Learning Management Systems
- Online courses
- Membership sites
- Portfolios
How to Build a Website with a Content Management System
Want to build your own website with a content management system? If so, the general process looks something like this:
- Purchase web hosting and a domain name
- Install your content management system of choice on your web server
- Configure the content management system to dictate how your site looks and functions
- Start writing content using the content management system’s interface
It’s actually surprisingly simple. And hosts like Namecheap can even help install the content management system for you (WordPress, in this case), so you can jump straight into building your website without any technical setup.
Types of CMS.
Component Content Management System
This CMS manages repetitive content across different documents, frequently revised, and translated into various languages. Content is stored in reusable building blocks that can be easily matched and mixed to create documents.
Web Content Management System
This content management system helps to create and maintain a web page without any need for highly technical skills. It uses templates that form the structure of the website. The editor or author can add images, content, and videos into the templates that are then published onto the site.
Document Management System
It allows for efficient storing and tracking of documents in digital format, to allow these files to be changed and maintained by multiple users at one time. It helps businesses to store and manage MS word and PDFs with ease.
Digital Asset Management System
This CMS is used to manage media files such as videos, photos and other multimedia and graphical content. This software can be used to manage large sets of media while managing a huge list of metadata on each of these assets to make it super easy to find media that meets certain criteria.
CUSTOM CMS
A custom CMS is an application tailored to specific business needs related to creating, storing, organising and publishing digital content.
Examples of content management systems.
- WordPress(most popular).
- Joomla
- Drupal
- Umbraco
- Prestashop
- Magneto
- Shopify
- Open Real Estate
- CMSsimple
- Typo3
- WonderCMS and more.