A content management system (CMS) is a system used to manage the content of a web site…It allows CMS users to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a webmaster. - techtarget.com

The power of a CMS is only limited by the people deploying and managing it! I have worked with Joomla!, a free open source CMS that has a huge network of developers creating new features every day! I have also developed and am certified by Ektron as an Administrator and Developer. However, I am not writing this to tell you how wonderful these particular CMS environments are, rather the benefits of using a CMS and even when a CMS should be avoided.

Avoid a CMS if…

• the amount of content is minimal
• content requires very infrequent changes
• the content is edited by one individual who knows the language of the web, HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language)

Use a CMS if…

• a large amount of content exists
• the content changes frequently
• many users contribute to the web site
• a limited number of people know HTML

Using a CMS is a powerful way to make a web site work for someone who is afraid of changing content. So make the change, try a CMS and you will be pleased to see that it does work!

Filed under: Web Development by Nathan Blazek