Content is King – and a CMS is Queen
by Larry Slusser on March 4th, 2008
A content management system (CMS) is, in essence, a system that manages the content that’s published electronically. But what exactly does that mean? In order to effectively answer the question, defining each component of a CMS is necessary. Ensuring that the term CMS is properly defined will help to ensure that you will be purchasing a system that will be useful to you in your business.
First, the word content conjures up a myriad of responses. However, content for the purposes of a content management system is any information that is digital. Content does not necessarily mean exclusively text; it could be graphics, video, sound, documents, etc. In essence, anything that would be created and managed electronically.
Next, content management is a process by which content is managed such as through workflows, where the electronic storage of the content is considered managed rather than
unmanaged. The system part of the CM system is literally a tool that helps to efficiently and effectively produce information with the managed content.
Combining the three aspects of a CMS, the result is a tool that allows the end-user to create, edit, and manage information while using a set of rules, processes and workflows to establish the desired output of published information in different formats such as text, graphics, documents, etc.
There are different types of content management systems as well, such as for asset management, document management and web content. When deciding upon the system for your business, ensure that it contains the components you will need to effectively and efficiently contain your content.
The CMS tool is a necessity for anyone with a website to use, since the system will help the business to be better organized and perform more efficiently. Another important tip is to purchase a system that is easy to use, not rigid and hard to figure out.
Forward thinking in your planning, such as changing trends, web technology, future growth of your business, etc. will save you money in the end by purchasing a system that allows for growth and updates.
Below are some sites that offer easy-to-use and affordable content management systems. Again, there are several different types out there as well as price ranges. Keeping in mind future growth and the ever-changing trends and technology is a good strategic business decision.
Interactivetools.com – Offers several different CMS’s, depending on what kind of content you want to publish (articles, real estate listings, automotive listings, or a custom CMS builder).
Easy Publisher – has an easy WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) platform, plus it’s FREE.
Ektron cms400.net – manages all types of web content and documents, and also has social networking and web 2.0 components.