CMS makes the process of updating and uploading your content much simpler and easier, plus it gives you the added bonus of being able to easily create a dynamic, automated website.

Choosing the right content management system to use is probably one of the best things you can do for your website, but you have to know what factors you need to take into account before making your final decision.The important point is that it probably sounds like a wise move to integrate a CMS into your Web management activities, but don’t make your decision based on that detail alone. You would need to figure out various things first. Ask yourself: Do I really need a CMS? What kind of website will I be putting up/do I already have? Is it a blog, an online shop, a news website, or an image gallery?

What is the website updating and maintenance process like at the moment and how could it become more efficient?

Will further improvements and upcoming features on the site, such as interactivity tools, message boards, or even Flash movies, work well with a CMS?

What other elements of my website should my CMS be capable of handling? The important thing is to know how your website can benefit from a CMS and how the CMS can streamline Web management for your group. Once you’ve established what kinds of capabilities you’re looking for, then you can start actively choosing your CMS.

Commercial vs. open source vs. custom-made

One of the first issues Web developers have to face is what kind of CMS they should select, and the first question is whether to go with a commercially-produced CMS, a free open-source CMS available for downloading online, or to have in-house programmers create a CMS from scratch. Each one has its own unique set of features and advantages, but also comes with its own problematic issues. Commercial content management systems tend to make developers shrink back because of their thousand-dollar price tags, which is why only the biggest names in business tend to opt for a commercial CMS. The New York Times, JP Morgan Chase, ScotiaBank, and Sun Microsystems are just a few of the companies whose websites are working with a commercial CMS. The best part about a commercial CMS is that you can get regular updates, new plug-ins, and have regular tech support working for you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t lend itself easily to any modifications you might want to have done on the system. Open-source CMS tend to be a heavy favorite with individual website developers because they’re easy to download, install, and run. There are open-source CMS out there that fulfill a particular function, such as those which target blog sites or online stores.

The main challenge of using open-source CMS is the fact that they don’t always tend to be very stable systems. Programmers are usually developing them on the side, and this doesn’t guarantee that the system will be regularly updated or repaired because it’s possible that software development can be halted or resumed depending on the creator’s whims. Many companies also choose to have their own CMS developed in-house, or they may hire a development company to build it. This is favorable because it allows for flexibility and can integrate the very specific needs of a website. You will also be able to freely access the source code, make needed changes, and integrate additions to the CMS. However, it may prove to be much more time-consuming than simply buying or installing one, plus you might also need a dedicated team to fully develop and test its functionalities and conduct the site migration.

Once you’ve figured out for what purpose the CMS will be used, what kind of features you need, and what kind you want for your website, you would then have to determine other factors. These factors may include how user-friendly it would be, which people in your team will be using it, its simplicity of use for the non-technical members of your team, its capability of handling your website’s load, and its capacity to provide ample support and documentation, among other considerations. Now that you’ve figured out what kind of CMS you have in mind, it’s time for you to get out there and start looking for the perfect one for your website. There are many sites offering CMS advice, comparisons, tips, and news about upcoming products as well as updates to systems currently out in the market.

We recommend solid and tested open source content management systems like

• WordPress
• Drupal
• Joomla

So what does CMS stand for?

CMS is short for Content Management System. A CMS allows you to take control of your own website, without having to go back to a web design company to make amendments. Not only is this time consuming and costly, but sometimes it’s great to have a bit of freedom, and edit content the way you need it. Well known CMS platforms are Drupal, WordPress and Joomla.

A CMS generally allows you to edit text through a WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, similar to typing a document up in Word. Using this allows you to make text bold, change colour, font size and more. Many people I speak to in Wakefield find this feature really useful, as it cuts out having to use boring HTML code.

Along with a WYSIWIG editor generally comes some kind of image uploader. From basic image uploading to cropping tools, again this is another feature which requires no coding knowledge, and gives you the option to upload your treasured images to your web site.

E-commerce web sites should really have some kind of CMS as standard. As-well as the features mentioned above, it will allow you to edit pricing of stock, offer some kind of stock control and more.

Something which is quite popular now is blogging. WordPress is well known as a “Blogging” platform, but many CMSs are capable of this too. Creating blog categories, tagging articles with keywords is a breeze with most CMSs.

Do most web design companies offer a CMS?CMS web design as a service is now very popular, rather than static, closed off websites which can only be edited using code. It’s worth asking your local web design company (Wakefield and Leeds have many!) if they offer this as a service. It is worth getting a few quotes together from a few web design companies to get an idea on price and what is included, from this you hopefully will get a very competitive price.

You also want to make sure that the CMS you are considering is an seo friendly cms.

• Dont pick your CMS based on the fact that you found a pretty theme for it. Themes can be created quickly and easily.. and quite frankly, choosing based on this factor alone is bound to give you a headache.

• Dont just buy something without trying it first. You wouldn’t do it with a car (we hope) so don’t do it with your content management system either. We can pretty much guarantee that if you approach a vendor and tell them you are curious and interested but want to demo first, they will make it happen or risk losing your business.

• Dont throw tons of money (cause we all have tons of money right?) at a developer and have them make something custom just for you. It’s not worth the investment.. there are plenty of well supported systems out there and it’s much better to have others who know the product as support options rather than just one person.

• Dont assume that because the CMS costs money, it must be better than it’s Open Source alternatives. While this MAY be the case in SOME instances.. it is most certainly not always the case. There are a large number of Open Source CMS products on the market that are much better than some of the commercial offerings.. and vice versa.

• Dont go to the Drupal forums and ask them if WordPress or Drupal is the best.. you will get a biased answer. This is about as intelligent as walking into a Ford dealership and asking them if they think Ford is better than Chevrolet.

• Take your time and explore your options. There are TONS of resources out there (this is the internet for pete’s sake!) that can help you in your search.

• Try the product first. We don’t recommend demos as they are already installed. It’s best to download the package, find a cheap host somewhere and try to install it and see what happens. If you get lost somewhere and need help.. hit the forums for the applicable package.

• Ask other webmasters of sites that you like. Some may or may not be willing to tell you what (if any) CMS they are using but it never hurts to ask.  Frequest webmaster forums or un-jaded sites such as ours!

• remember to fully research the product you are considering.. explore some themes, plugins and see how the community treats questions from new users. This will give you a good feel for the product.

Most websites up until the mid-2000′s were pretty simple affairs with each page written and coded individually by a website developer. This situation has changed since the introduction and rapid uptake of CMS platforms as an alternative.

CMS stands for Content Management System. Put simply, a CMS platform allows someone without coding knowledge (i.e. the need to be a web developer). Menus and content pages can be created and changed using simple tools through an administrator control panel. This means that you can add and change pages and generally manage your website without necessarily having to fork out for a high priced developer who charges by the hour.

Most revolutions in the true sense involve a transfer of power from one group of society to another, transforming the power structure. While CMS isn’t being compared directly to, say, the French or American revolutions, the rapid growth of the use of CMS by business owners has to a great extent created the opportunity for business owners to have much more power over the way their websites are managed. Once the overall look and feel (template) and the functionality of the website have been successfully developed within a CMS platform, the website is handed over to the owner to manage.

To a large extent, the CMS revolution is also an “open source” revolution. While open source software developers have a difficult time battling with the proprietary software giants like Microsoft and Apple, many Open Source CMS are developed by non-profit virtual communities. Being open source means that you are not obliged to pay license fees to run your website using the CMS package. If a developer wishes to use proprietary code to develop any enhancements on your website, they have to pay license fees. Open source is collaborative and is therefore free and you are not beholden to “intellectual mafia” as some open source advocates would put it.

There are a wide range of business benefits that can be obtained by implementing a CMS, including:

• streamlined authoring process
• faster turnaround time for new pages and changes
• greater consistency
• improved site navigation
• increased site flexibility
• support for decentralised authoring
• increased security
• reduced duplication of information
• greater capacity for growth
• reduced site maintenance costs

There are many CMS platforms available today. The criteria for selecting a CMS depends on the kind of website you want to run. If you are running an eCommerce website, you will need to make sure that the CMS supports your payment system and can be integrated easily. If your website requires a lot of users to contribute to your content, it is best to use a simple CMS platform for ease of use.

The criteria, in the end, is up to you and the size of your budget. The more you want your website to do, the bigger your budget will need to be to have the web based applications made available or developed for you. If you want a simple blog or similar website, you can easily set something up out of the box with some knowledge or instructions. If you want a full eCommerce or classified ad website, you’ll probably need a consultant or developer to make it all happen for you. When selecting a CMS solution, you should make a list of what you need your website to do and how you want to be able to manage it and match this with the choices you are presented with.

Here are some more criteria you may want to consider when choosing a CMS platform:

: You will probably spend a lot of time in the editor – is it easy for you to use?
: Is there a function that allows you to cleanly paste in text from Word – this causes issues in many editors.
- Graphic, Document, Video etc.
Bedsides attaching a video, linking to it, can videos be embedded in a page for immediate display?

Depends if this is a small or large business and where you are located – there might be compliance standards, like the US 508 accessibility standards, that could impact your decision.
Do you care if the administrative interface is available in multiple languages?

Why use a CMS?

Although a web developer will typically charge you to design and implement a CMS the returns will probably be worth it based on how often you are likely to change the content of your website. If you intend to get ranked well on search engines such as Google then it is best to add new pages or at least change the content of existing pages quite frequently if you intend to get ahead of and stay ahead of the game.

If, however, your website will only be updated once per year, for example, then a CMS will probably not be cost effective.

In this case you might as well phone your web developer everytime you need a change making.

When to use a CMS?

A CMS is handy when you want to make changes to your website quickly and with none or little previous experience of developing website. They are cost effective for companies which change their website quite frequently because the costs of calling up your website company to make changes for you can mount up.

How much is a CMS?

Open source CMS are available which can be modified for your needs but if you need a more specific application then a bespoke solution may be more appropriate. Website companies usually charge considerably less for the modification and implementation of open source CMS’s than they do for completely bespoke CMS solutions.

In most cases, managing a website and taking the right decision regarding its features becomes increasingly complex, as it requires time versus effectiveness. Although there are hundreds of programs on the market, known as Content Management Systems (CMS), whose purpose is to make life easier, especially when it comes about online business and commerce, it seems quite difficult to choose the right one. When opting for such a program, it should be considered their effectiveness and benefits, as they are priceless tools for any webmaster.

Content management system is the systematic and structured process of creation, processing, management and presentation of the content. A CMS can range from a basic script to a complex program with multiple features.

Before explaining what the advantages of using Content Management Systems are, we should understand why they are so important. A CMS is mainly a dynamic online program and organizational tool used to manage multiple websites instantly, while recording any changes that take place and producing uniform changes effectively across the website pages. Most of them operate with simple and easy to use concepts, leading to an overall high quality browsing experience. CMS also helps you save money and time, including data files, images, audio files, electronic documents and informational web content. It can be integrated in any data base: MS Access, MS SQL, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

The major problems encountered in designing and implementing content management systems are the following:

The commercial software is too expensive and requires more time to be implemented and adjusted;

Integration difficulties;

Difficulties in responding to the system’s requirements;

Difficulties in integrating the existing content;

If the users have a limited disk space, a CMS size (2-20 MB) will result in corrupted files during the upload process;

Security problems caused by the questions and answers posted on forums;

Studies conducted by Jupiter Research in 2003 proved that 61% of the companies using CMS update manually the websites. The users ask for:

- Compact and simple systems;

- Comfortable and adaptable interfaces to create and update content.

It is necessary to develop CMS models that would resolve the problems mentioned, accelerating the process of creation and websites maintenance.

Content management system benefits

The main principle of a CMS consists in making accessible in the online environment various files of a department or company, being also used as an electronic archive. CMS is designed to be integrated in any kind of website. It encourages the collaboration between people, leading to a productive management.

A content management system may include:

Content development, analysis and classification;

A search application;

Posting comments

Forums;

Blogs;

Rating systems;

Projects collaboration platform;

Personal profile pages;

Communication between the users or managers of a website;

New custom themes, templates and design changes;

Administration of menus and submenus;

Provides a custom user interface in several languages;

User registration and management;

Assigning modules of application to the users;

Access restriction to the website by username, email address or IP address;

Statistics and reports for users;

Cache systems to improve the website reaction to intense traffic;

SEO friendly URL;

Chat platforms;

Webmaster support;

Editor support;

Users support;

Currency converter;

Weather displaying systems;

Dynamic generation of pages;

Delimited design and content;

A database for storing content;

uses the concept of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor; this way, the users don’t need to have HTML knowledge;

Automatic syndication (RSS or Atom)

Online content management systems are often used to sort, control and check the versions and publishing industry-specific customer documentation such as news articles, operating manuals, technical manuals, sales guides, marketing brochures, or what the customer needs.

A well designed content management system should include the following facilities:

Importing and creating documents and multimedia materials;

Users identification;

The ability to assign roles and responsibilities for different categories of users;

The possibility to track versions and send notifications to users when a change is made;

The possibility to change the color scheme or the general appearance of the website;

Adding plug-ins and additional modular construction;

CMS use OOP and MVC (Model View Control) – delimited content and presentation.

Open-source CMS vs. Personal CMS

There are on the market a series of systems that are improved constantly, having a considerable documentation, which can be personalized for each user. Most content management systems are open-source; therefore, developing a personal CMS is an inexpensive method.

The advantages of using an open-source CMS than a personal CMS are various:

Minimum expenses: An open-source CMS is free, the client pays only for personalizing and implementing the CMS; developing a personal CMS is expensive and requires time

Constant improvement: Open-source CMS are used by people worldwide; thus, any possible errors and maintenance issues are fixed due to the users’ constant feedback; a personal CMS is tested only by the company and employees who created it;

Flexible and elegant design: There are several templates and themes that can be personalized for each user. Changing the webpage appearance and design can be made in a short time;

Easy maintenance: The website administration based on CMS is simple and doesn’t require advanced web programming knowledge. By using a user friendly administration interface, even the company’s employees can update the website, having only basic HTML knowledge and the ability to work with a text processor;

Extensibility: Content management system functions can be extended easily by installing new modules (galleries, a news module, a blog platform, etc.)

updating content through a WYSIWYG interface;

HTML not required;

Multiple contributors.

The code generated for the website is SEO optimized

If the website is a small one, which doesn’t require multiple changes, it is better to use a static site, which will consume less disk space, being easier to use and understand than a content management system.

The concept of content management is the current solution for a problem of management from the past, -the human communication management. Content management is a concept with many facets, being an activity that must be centered on the user: it must consider the users’ problems and needs, applying the appropriate technologies to help people in their work. Knowledge, information and content are the main resources of the modern economy. The way in which we create and manage them determines our success as individuals and / or organizations.

The previous experience and fierce competition has consolidated the CMS solutions market and the standardization of content management systems. It is known that the content is more important than the technologies used for its management.

Information security is one of the biggest challenges for e-Commerce websites. It becomes more crucial when we think about the development of ecommerce site using open source software platform. The word open source software refers to those software whose source code is available to public and it can be used, modified and redistributed along with the original rights as defined by Open Source Initiative (OSI). Open source software allows users to make changes in it or customization according to their requirements for developing web applications.

Open source software have a number of advantages such as flexibility to customize the code for site specification needs, vendor independence and the reduced total cost of ownership in designing a solution.

Security has become an important aspect and an integral part of any software development. The reliability of any software depends on quality of tools used in development, the level of testing carried out before releasing the product and the matured practices followed throughout the development cycle. These key aspects are applicable on open source and closed source software both. For open source software the security advantages are more than just the ability to view the source code, it’s the entire open technology development life cycle that begins with security fundamentals and security goals very early in the process.

There are a number of security plug-ins are free available on net for open source CMS such as WordPress, Magento, Joomla and flex which make these software more secure. Open source software are highly secure, that’s why it is one of the main cause behind the popularity of these software. Open source Software are widely used for developing applications ranging from simple website to commercial application or e-Commerce websites.