What actually is a Content Management System?

The internet is booming and is our constant companion. Whether we are looking for a new holiday destination, want to buy a particular product, or want to show off our business or hobby. Until a few years ago, creating web pages and content on the Internet required a working knowledge of HTML. With the introduction of content management systems or CMS, this requirement is now history.

What is a Content Management System?

With a content management system is a software or a so-called framework that you can install on your web server. Once the software is installed then you have in principle a completely functional website. All that is missing is content, such as videos, texts or images that you still need to add to your homepage. This way you save yourself a lot of work programming and changing current page content. In fact, if you install a CMS on a new server, you will have your own website in just a few minutes. In addition, many content management systems come with useful features, such as a comment function or integration with social networks. About user groups and rights, you can also set different content for certain users and even allow a user to post reports or articles via the homepage.

The advantages of a Content Management System

There are numerous good reasons that speak for a content management system. For example, the path to your own website is significantly shorter with a CMS. In addition, you can use a CMS even without experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript or PHP work and create your Internet presence. Maintenance and operation is also usually hassle-free. You can add updates to the website or new content similarly quickly and with just a few clicks, without having to change the code of the page. The wide range of CMSs currently on the market is also convenient for you as a customer. You can choose from a wide range of products and systems, most of which are free. Moreover, through extensions and special themes, you can further improve the design as well as the functionality of your website. A CMS therefore makes the administration, development and maintenance of a website much easier overall and helps to reduce the work to a minimum.

The disadvantages of a Content Management System

Of course, there are also some disadvantages for the content management system. For example, creating a website with a CMS is very easy, but you are always subject to certain limitations. No matter how good a CMS is, there will probably always be some features or things you would like to have. While with your own website you can add these features yourself, with a CMS it's not always that easy. On top of that, you'll need at least some advanced knowledge of CSS if you want to get to work styling and customizing your new content management system yourself. Security also often plays an important factor, especially for businesses. Content management systems are extremely secure, but their code is publicly available and the masses know how the system works - unlike with your own website.

For whom is a Content Management System suitable

A content management system is generally suitable for any form of private or corporate websites. Whether you are looking for a software for your blog, or whether you want to present your company with online shop on the net, with a CMS all this can be realized. However, CMS websites are always unsuitable if you want to present your own skills in web design. If you are a professional in HTML and CSS and have your own website as a portfolio, then you should of course program your website yourself and prove your knowledge. Also problematic can be a CMS in large companies that have special and very individual requirements. Although CMS can be extended almost at will and also new plug-ins can be created quickly, it may be that here the possibilities of a content management system are simply no longer sufficient. Apart from these two points, it is safe to say that a CMS is suitable for almost every situation and is preferable to a self-created website, regardless of whether you have a small, private blog or a multinational company.