Do you all want to know what is a CMS? Then, I’ll share everything you need to know in the easiest language. The web world has various abbreviations and acronyms like – SEO, SEM, CDN etc…….
The word ‘CMS’ is an acronym for – ‘Content Management System’ and as the name suggests, it is a software that helps you manage your content without the need to learn code.
Now, that we know a small summary, let us dive deep into it.
What is a CMS system?
A CMS is a software that allows users to create websites without the need to write code. It allows users to edit, create and manage files easily. It enables a user to write content and deliver it to users just like he/she wants to.
Instead of hiring a web developer and creating your own server for your site you can use these kinds of software. It shall handle all the infrastructure of your site for you.
Websites are made up of CSS and HTML, but a CMS shall enable you to make a website with a drag and drop WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editor.
How does a CMS work?
It is made up of two components – CMA and CDA. The below infographic shall tell you more easily –
CDA (Content Delivery Application) – It is a backend process which stores all your data and presents it to your visitors just as you specified
CMA (Content Management Application) – It is a frontend process which allows you to write and manage content without the need to code.
These two components above form a CMS. If you want to see, the interface refer to the image below –
WordPress’s interface allows to write blog posts very easily and this interface is just like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Now, let us think about writing without this kind of software. To do that, you will have to write static HTML files and then upload them to your server.
Next, to edit them you’ll have to download all the files from your server, edit them and check that there are no broken links and upload them again.
This is very complicated, right?
Therefore, a CMS is the #1 choice for beginners.
What is a CMS website?
A website built on a CMS is called a CMS website. It is built on platforms like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla etc. These kinds of websites are getting more popular day by day because of their easy interface, increased SEO features and more reasons. These websites are the best type of websites a beginner should choose.
What kind of sites can you build with a CMS?
You can build various types of websites with this kind of software. Some of the examples are –
- Blogs
- Business
- Portfolio
- Forums
- E-Commerce stores
- Digital Course sites
Which CMS is the most popular?
There are numerous website builders out there like – WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Magento, Joomla, Drupal etc. But the best is WordPress. Why? Well, see the pie chart below and then you shall understand why I say so –
In a comparison of WordPress, Wix and Joomla, WordPress won. It powers over 455 million websites, whereas Wix powers 160 million websites. On the other hand, Joomla powers 2.5 million websites.
The reason why WordPress is very popular is because it provides easy interface, has powerful SEO tools, it has responsive and fast website themes and many more things. WordPress shall work for almost 90% of people.
But in some cases, it shall not work……..
For more deeper comparison see this –
Other types of CMS
There are three more types of CMS which are –
- Traditional CMS
- Headless CMS
- Decoupled CMS
What is a Traditional CMS?
In easy language, a Traditional CMS connects the backend and frontend of your website through neat and clean code and databases. They contain everything from databases to the publishing layer.
Examples – WordPress, Drupal
Pros of Traditional CMS
- It can be managed from one server
- Content management is less complicated
- Themes and templates available
- Less pricey
- Less technical knowledge needed
Cons of Traditional CMS
- Take time to understand
- Website Only Content
- If you run into problems, you need an expert web developer who is a master in these types of software
What is a Headless CMS?
A headless CMS is a backend only management system. It helps deliver content on any device through API. It has only one goal – ‘Storing and Delivering Structured Content’ It is not recommended to use ‘Headless CMS’. Instead, a traditional one like WordPress is the best.
Pros of a Headless CMS
- Content can be served on any device
- Simple content creation
Cons of a headless CMS
- No content preview
- Tough configuration
What is a decoupled CMS
In a this variety, the front-end and back-end platforms are two different independent systems. One is for content creation and second for storage and presentation. An API is used to deliver all content to the front-end.
Even though different they can be said as one.
Pros of a decoupled CMS
- Fast and flexible
- Enhanced Security
- Simple to use
- Integrates well with future changes
Cons of a Decoupled CMS
- More developer tools and coding knowledge needed
Overall Pros and Cons of using a CMS
Pros
- No/Very less coding required
- Easy collaboration
- Good SEO features
- Plugins for every need
- Predesigned Themes and Templates
- Easy to backup and update
- Cost Effective
Cons
- Security risks
- Requires some investment in extra features and themes
- Tough to understand for a beginner
Conclusion
Well, concluding this post, it should be clear to you that what is a CMS and which one should you use. Also, don’t think that just choosing a platform like WordPress or Wix shall boost your rankings or SEO. You will obviously have to put in hard work and if you choose WordPress as your preferred software then make sure you read this Ultimate Guide on WordPress SEO written by me –
WordPress SEO: An insanely easy and definitive guide
I would recommend choosing a traditional CMS like WordPress for your website because of its features. Also, its easy to use and has numerous plugins as discussed above.
Now that we know a lot more, I would ask you some questions,
- Which type of CMS did you like the most – Was it traditional or Headless or Decoupled
- Which platform shall you choose – WordPress, Wix, Joomla or others
- Also tell me if you have a website that is built on any of these platforms.
Answer these questions in the comments below.
Last but not the least, I would like you to share this post and spread the word about it so that more people can get educated because – “Sharing is Caring”
Amazing post on CMS!!! Loved IT. Very detailed and easy to understand