CMS-What are they, who needs them, why are they important and HTML VS CMS

A Controlled Management System is used to control content so that many individuals can contribute efforts in creating, editing, and publishing content. The CMS acts as storage within a database and presents it via a layer with a specific set of templets much like a website. CMS also serves as a storage with extreme organizational skill which is valuable to admins, editors, and authors by allowing permissions to manage the content.

Optimizely.

 

One might think a CMS is a website but it’s merely a book in comparison to a website (website= library). A particular website is configured on a CMS and published as a website. Each CMS has its own purpose and carries different types of content. Here is a list from Optimizely that gives some popular CMS platforms.

1. WordPress
2. Drupal
3. Optimizely
4. Contentful
5. Squarespace

 

When considering building a website from the ground up you have a couple options. One is constructing it from the ground up by hand but with this you must have some technical skills about coding. It gives you some control over how the content will appear on the website. Some advantages to building your own site with HTML are.

Loads faster

control over appearance

generate organic traffic

Hierarchy infused

Some disadvantages include:

Style options

Expensive to create

Limited cross-browsing ability

 

The other option if you do not have the technical skill with HTML and Cascading Style Sheets, is a CMS. It Is a quick way to build a website depending on your goals and exactly what you want to achieve. A CMS can get you there faster than HTML.

Do the benefits of using CMS outweigh the drawbacks? Here are some of the advantages of CMS.

Cost much less than hiring a developer

Easy content editing

Perfect for marketing/changing

Heed warning! Some of the drawbacks of using a CMS

Load slower

Chance of security breech

Maintenance expenses

HTML vs CMS

 

If you are considering being a web developer, know how to manipulate a CMS. While some might say a CMS is the way to go, you will need a web developer to fix issues you will encounter and for this reason, web developers will forever be in business.

 

Conclusion-

The most popular practices for web development are about how fast and safe you can get from point A to point B. When considering web development, one must employ mobile responsiveness across all digital platforms. Page loading speed can make or break an organization considering the attention span of users becoming shorter. The site must be easy to navigate with simplicity in the menu to encourage users to return. It must contain a visual flow or hierarchy when viewing/displaying important content which intern allows the site to be more engaging. If your site can solve a user’s issue, then make it have a clear pathway or call to action. Add icons to social media where the consumer can follow updated information. Incorporating personalization per each user’s experience is a must. This can be made via recommendations based on what the consumer had looked at on the site previously.

 

Web Developers and CMS