CMS software, or content management system software, is software designed to help website owners with publishing, editing, and managing their website content. Because CMS software’s vary in complexity and features, the CMS that is working perfect for your neighbors business website and one that is best for your website may be very different.
There are three different levels of CMS systems – Enterprise content management systems, Web content management systems, and Component content management systems. An Enterprise content management (ECM) system is primarily used by large corporations, this type of CMS software is much more complex and powerful. Web content management systems (CMS) may be a stand-alone application or bundled with other software, this is the most common type of CMS and is often included in shared hosting plans. A Component content management system (CCMS) is a specialized CMS software designed to facilitate creating documents from component parts.
CMS software is also one of those products where you get what you pay for. With prices for CMS software ranging from FREE to thousands of dollars a month there is certain to be a CMS to suit the needs of everyone from the personal website builder to the large corporation webmaster. The good news is, the average personal website to small or even medium sized business can usually find everything they need in a CMS software in an open source (FREE) environment.
Open source, or free, content management systems may be downloaded from the CMS software sites directly or may be included in web hosting plans. When downloading your CMS software directly from the free CMS provider there will be a simple download process you will need to go through, but it is very simple, quick, and you are instantly ready to start using your CMS. Content management systems included in web hosting plans are typically housed within what is called a “one-click installer” like Fantastico or SimplyScripts. The one-click installer will have a few CMS’s to choose from, you click the one you wish to use, and it is installed immediately. The free CMS programs are easy-to-download, easy-to-use, and support all the basic needs any person or small-medium business would require. These are just a few examples of free CMS software:
- Jooma! – one of the best and most widely used CMS softwares, suitable for creating business websites, online magazines, community forums, and more.
- WordPress – is the most popular blog application but is also an all-in-one publishing platform with the ability to handle complex content-driven website.
- Drupal – allows you to easily create many different types of web pages from simple blogs to large forums. Very simple in design and easy to customize.
- Typo3 – designed to meet the needs of enterprise websites and their webmasters, with a template-based design that allows webmasters to create their own templates using TypoScript.
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of enterprise level CMS software providers wanting to sell you their system. Because an enterprise level CMS may be extremely complex, and have or not have everything you need to manage your large business website we suggest you really do your homework before choosing an enterprise level CMS. Speaking to your webmaster and evaluating the needs of your business website prior to choosing a CMS software will save you from a lot of headaches later on. Unlike free CMS where if you don’t like it you just change to a different one, and you may be out a bit of time but not a lot of money; deciding you don’t like your enterprise CMS can be a very costly mistake, both monetarily and in the hours your webmaster may spend in finding and transferring to a new CMS.
There are a number of plugins, add-ons, and templates you may download or purchase to enhance your CMS software. Just make sure you do your homework prior to purchasing, and be aware of any incompatibility issue there may be.
Choosing the right CMS software for you and your website can make or break your CMS user experience, so evaluate your CMS needs and do your research before choosing a CMS software.