First, a quick definition:
"A content management system (CMS) is a computer application that supports the creation and modification of digital content. It is often used to support multiple users working in a collaborative environment." (Wikipedia).
CMS's are often used for creating and maintaining websites, and the three most popular website CMS's are Wordpress, Drupal, and Joomla. But, CMS's can also be used for the creation and maintenance of business tools, reporting tools, CRM's (customer relationship management), and more.
In Ask Mike, Mike explained FOUR key benefits of using a content management system for your website or business tool. These include:
- Ease of Use
- Accessibility
- Future-Proofing
- Cost-Effective
EASE OF USE
Once a CMS is set up, there's no coding required. With the proper setup, anyone will be able to create, update, and modify content, regardless of their technical skill level.
If they can use a word processing software like Microsoft Word, Pages, or Google Docs, then they'll be able to create and maintain content in a CMS.
ACCESSIBILITY
A huge benefit of having a CMS is the ability to create "roles" and assign them to different editors. For example, you can assign an "administrator" role to either yourself or an employee, so that you have full administrative permissions and the power to edit anything anywhere on the CMS, like all of the content, images, buttons, etc.
You can assign more specific roles to other editors, to where they'll only be able to edit blog content, or they'll only be able to edit the e-commerce section of your website. Depending on your business needs, there are a wide variety of roles you can apply.
Another cool thing is that you can have your CMS hosted on a public server, meaning you're not bound to your office.
FUTURE-PROOFING
The web is evolving rapidly, and SEO trends and design practices are constantly changing. Using a CMS for your website makes keeping up with these changes very convenient. You can keep the same core CMS and update these changes as they come out, which takes much less time and is much more cost-effective than taking on a new website project every 2-3 years.
Switching your website's design can be much quicker and more easily done with a CMS. This is especially helpful for implementing holiday themed designs or page-specific designs, for example.
COST-EFFECTIVE
One of the best parts of using a CMS is that you only have to call in the experts if they're needed, like if you're having technical issues or if you want new functionalities; basically if it's anything more than creating or editing content.
This saves a large cost when compared to websites and tools where you need to call the developers to have anything changed.
Ask Mike Your Questions!
Be sure to ask Mike your website-related questions at trail9.com/q, and he'll answer them during our next live video.
We're looking for sponsors! If you're interested in sponsorship, please message us about it at trail9.com/q.
And toon in this Friday, December 16th at 12 PM CST to watch Mike answer more questions. You can watch at either of our live video locations:
And, of course, watch Ask Mike Episode #6 below!