Content Management Systems

Sacramento Pro Web Design recommends using content management systems (CMS), which enable you to efficiently build web sites and powerful online applications. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and extensibility, have made a CMS the most popular Web site software available.

A content management system is software that keeps track of every piece of content on your web-site, much like your local public library keeps track of books and stores them. Content can be simple text, photos, music, video, documents, or just about anything you can think of.

A major advantage of using a CMS is that it requires almost no technical skill or knowledge to manage. Since the CMS manages all your content, you don't have to.

What are some real world examples of what a CMS can do?

Content management systems are used all over the world to power Web sites of all shapes and sizes. For example:

• Corporate Web sites or portals
• Corporate intranets and extranets
• Online magazines, newspapers, and publications
• E-commerce and online reservations
• Government applications
• Small business Web sites
• Non-profit and organizational Web sites
• Community-based portals
• School and church Web sites
• Personal or family homepages

Who uses CMS?

Here are just a few examples of Web sites that use Content Management Systems:

United Nations (Governmental organization) - http://www.unric.org

MTV Networks Quizilla (Social networking) - http://www.quizilla.com

L.A. Weekly (Online publication) - http://www.laweekly.com

IHOP (Restaurant chain) - http://www.ihop.com

Harvard University (Educational) - http://gsas.harvard.edu

Citibank (Financial institution intranet) - Not publicly accessible

The Green Maven (Eco-resources) - http://www.greenmaven.com

Outdoor Photographer (Magazine) - http://www.outdoorphotographer.com

PlayShakespeare.com (Cultural) - http://www.playshakespeare.com

Senso Interiors (Furniture design) - http://www.sensointeriors.co.za



I need to build a site for a client. How will a CMS help me?

Since a CMS is so easy to use, as a Web designer or developer, you can quickly build sites for your clients. Then, with a minimal amount of instruction, you can empower your clients to easily manage their own sites themselves.
If your clients need specialized functionality, a CMS is highly extensible with thousands of extensions (most for free under the GPL license) that are available.

I'm a developer. What are some advanced ways I can use a CMS?

Many companies and organizations have requirements that go beyond what is available in a basic CMS package. In those cases, the CMS’s powerful application framework makes it easy for developers to create sophisticated add-ons that extend the power of the CMS into virtually unlimited directions.

The core CMS framework enables developers to quickly and easily build:

• Inventory control systems
• Data reporting tools
• Application bridges
• Custom product catalogs
• Integrated e-commerce systems
• Complex business directories
• Reservation systems
• Communication tools

Since a CMS is based on PHP and MySQL, you're building powerful applications on an open platform anyone can use, share, and support.