What is CMS? How Does It Works?

CMS is a term that is quite foreign to the ear. Maybe some of you are wondering what exactly is a CMS. Well, this article will discuss the meaning, functions, and examples of the CMS itself. Come on, take a look!

What Is A CMS?

CMS or Content Management System is software that is used to create and manage various content on websites. Management of content on the web can be in the form of publishing, changing, or deleting content on the web. Examples are company profile sites, blogs, forums, landing pages, and so on.

This content management system provides a graphical user interface for you to manage every aspect of your website. You can create and edit content, add images and videos, and set up the overall design or appearance of the site. WordPress, Magento, and Drupal are three of the most popular CMS examples on the market.

Following are some of the other important CMS roles:

• Make content creation easy.
• Simplify content storage and management.
• Allows collaboration and multi-user.
• Facilitate the process of publishing and editing content.

In short, a CMS is a program aimed at simplifying most of the work related to web content. The existence of a CMS also helps you to create your own website without the need for programming or coding skills.

How Does CMS Work?

CMS is software that makes it easy for you to create a web because it does not require coding at all. So this platform is very user-friendly, especially for users who are making a website for the first time.

If you don’t use a CMS, then you must master a programming language. Precisely uploading content to the server must be done manually.

In, modern websites consist of two main parts, namely front-end and back-end.

• Front-end is the part of the site that can be seen and accessed by visitors. For example, blog posts, pictures, videos, About Us and Contact Us pages, newsletter forms, and so on. The textual part is displayed with a standard markup language called HTML, while the design is added with CSS and JavaScript.
• The back end includes the database and website functionality. The content is stored in the database and pushed from the back end to the front end every time the user accesses the web page. While the back-end functionality can be written in different programming languages, such as PHP, Python, JavaScript, and so on.

What if you use a CMS, then you no longer need to write front-end or back-end code? This application is user-friendly so it can be installed easily in a web browser. Content management system, you can use the content editor to create posts, pages, and online stores, and even push all content online. Instead, you can also configure settings with the help of drop-down menus, check boxes, and other controls.

 Functions Of CMS

From the explanation of what a CMS is? it is compulsory to know about the functions of the Content Management System, among others, as follows:

Optimizing Site Functions

Indirectly, the function of the Content Management System is to optimize the work process of a website. The process itself can be content management or page speed checking. With various extensions and plugins available, the Content Management System really helps the preparation of various content so that it is more comprehensive.

Easier Content Management

CMS facilitates the process or content management system related to blogs, articles, images, videos, to portfolios. Armed with this software, you can manage website content with existing management in the database system. The process of creating content is very easy because the writing format provided by CMS is like a writing and word processing program in general.

Launching Business

Not many know that the presence of a CMS makes it easy for prospective businessmen to start an online business by utilizing a website. With the support of this software, you don’t have to bother learning a programming language. With just a few simple steps, you can create a website according to your needs at pocket-friendly costs.

Benefits of Using a CMS to Create a Website

After knowing what a CMS is, you may be curious, what makes most internet users choose a CMS to create a website? Here are the advantages of CMS that you need to know!

1. Easy and Practical

Never learned about programming? Don’t understand how to make a website? Do not worry. With a CMS, you can create dynamic and functional websites without the need to learn the intricacies of website programming.

The process of making a website with a CMS, starting from the installation process to maintenance, is very easy and fast. With just a few clicks, you can create a simple website that is both nice to look at and use.

If you are confused about the process of creating a website, you still don’t need to worry. There are many articles and content on how to and tips on using various popular Content Management Systems on the internet.

2. Ease of Content Management

As previously mentioned, a CMS is a content management system. This means that a CMS will make it easier for you to sort through various content uploaded to your website, starting from articles, images, videos, portfolios, and so on.

You can also use features such as tags to make it easier for you and website visitors to find certain information. With a CMS, the collection of data and content on your website will be more organized and easily accessible.

3. Available Themes or Predesign

Can’t design a website? Do not worry. Most CMS have a choice of themes and pre-designs that you can use as a template according to your website needs. With just a few clicks, your website will look beautiful, user-friendly, and functional. You only need to edit the content of your website without worrying about a good design.

4. Maintaining Website Design Quality

Consistent design is one factor in how user-friendly a site is. With a CMS, you can ensure that the quality of your site design is consistent from page to page. That way, users and website visitors will feel more comfortable and at home when using your website.

5. Can Add Various Features

Although the initial design provided by the CMS is simple, you can modify it and add various features, such as plugins to make your website more sophisticated. The process of installing plugins in the Content Management System is very easy. Just find the plugin you want, click install, and the plugin will be installed on your site.

Not only plugin features, but you can also dissect the CMS source code and adapt it to your website needs. This is certainly very useful for those of you who are already familiar with programming code.

6. Management Features

One of the best advantages of using a CMS is the availability of user management features. Building a good business website certainly cannot be done by just one person. With management features, you can give access rights to others as needed.

CMS does not only provide one type of access, but several types of access rights according to the type, situation, and needs. So, each user can manage the site according to their respective roles.

7. Simplify the Maintenance Process

Maintenance or the process of maintaining a website is unavoidable. Likewise with changes to the structure of the website. Without a CMS, this process would be very cumbersome and time-consuming.

Not only makes it easier to create a website but using a CMS will also help you in carrying out maintenance or the process of updating the website. This advantage can occur because the use of CMS makes the website structure more focused. Some CMS also provides the option to make changes automatically.

8. Join the Community

By using the Content Management System, you also have the opportunity to join community forums around the world. Most popular CMS, such as WordPress has an active community that is up-to-date.

The existence of an active community indicates that the content management system will continue to be updated following the development of the internet. Not only that, after becoming part of the community, you can also use the forum to share tips and tricks as well as ask for help when you find problems with your website.

Advantages of Using CMS

Below are the advantages of CMS;

• Create and manage your content simply and easily
• No need to use a domain programming language
• To create web pages using a variety of plugins and extensions
• There is a user management function that can manage multiple user roles such as administrator, editor, content creation, etc
• We provide themes of various themes in a raw or ready-to-use format
• It has been integrated and connected to various forums such as the WordPress community, slack, drupal, and other communities from various countries
• Cms is open code and can be installed for free, you only need to prepare web hosting and a domain to create a website
• Provide articles and tutorials for building cms both custom and professional

Disadvantages of Using CMS

In addition to the above advantages of CMS, CMS also has disadvantages below are some of the disadvantages of CMS.

• For the use of various features, the design theme used can have the same visual design as one website using another website. Although it can be customized, if you use a popular design template, the percentage of similarity to using a website that uses an old design will increase.
• The flexibility of site creation still tends to be low compared to the application development process that uses coding.
• This can affect your website page loading or your website speed. Therefore it can affect the process of website optimization in search engines.

Examples Of CMS

As we know, CMS is useful to facilitate the process of developing your website. Some examples of CMS are as follows:

WordPress

WordPress is the most widely used open-source CMS in the world. This CMS was built using the PHP programming language and MySQL database. WordPress can be used in content management, from article creation to website design customization.

One of the advantages of WordPress is that it provides thousands of free themes and plugins. What’s more, WordPress is also easy to learn and easy to optimize for SEO. For example, you can add permalinks or alt text to the content on your website.

Joomla

Joomla CMS is an open-source CMS that can be used to build various types of websites. Just like WordPress, Joomla is also supported by various types of plugins and themes.

In addition, Joomla has applied the principle of model view controller (MVC) which is commonly used in website development. In fact, this CMS also supports multi-language websites.

Wix

Wix is ?? a company that offers comprehensive website creation. Not only does it offer content management, but Wix also provides web hosting and domain packages. No wonder this CMS has high popularity among individuals and businesses.

Drupal

Drupal is a CMS that can be used for free when you have your own web hosting and domain. It has several themes and modules that you can customize for your website. Examples of websites developed using drupal CMS are Lamborghini, Tesla, Nvidia GeForce, and many others.

Blogger

Blogger CMS is one of the most widely used CMS. The Blogger CMS was first created by the company Pyra Labs. One of the advantages of Blogger is that it can be linked to SEO tools such as Google Search Console and Google Analytics, making it easier for you to evaluate website performance.

Magento

Magento is an example of a CMS that is often used to create e-commerce websites. The advantage of Magento is that it has built-in features for online stores such as product management, and a sales reporting system. It also supports multilingual and multi-currency which allows your website to be accessed from several countries.

How to Choose the Right Content Management System?

There are many things you should consider when choosing a content management system. A CMS that works well on one website may not necessarily look perfect on another. It is important that you first seek advice from experienced people. Also, make a simple list of website-building needs before making a decision.

Here are some questions you should answer before choosing a CMS:

What type of website do you want to create?

To create an online store, choose an eCommerce CMS, such as WooCommerce or Magento. Meanwhile, for a small and simple blog or business, WordPress can be the right choice. However, if you want to create a website for a medium-sized business, then choose Drupal.

What kind of design do you want?

Before choosing a CMS, first, find out what themes it offers and how it looks. Does the intended CMS provide the theme you want to install on the website?

What kind of features do you want?

Find as much information as possible about the plugins or extensions you have, for example, related to security, caching, marketing, social media sharing, advertising, and SEO.

How much are you prepared to spend to get your website online?

In order for your website to appear on the internet and search engines, you must first buy a domain and web hosting. While most of the plugins, extensions, and themes are free, you have to pay a nominal amount if you want the premium version. Calculate all the costs you will incur each year.

Do you want to develop an existing website later?

For example, to create an online portfolio, you should choose a CMS that offers a variety of portfolio-specific plugins. Up here you are still confused about which CMS is the best to have. Please read our article about the best CMS platforms for creating websites.

How to Install and Use a CMS?

There are several things you should do before installing and using a CMS.

1. First of all, look for a web hosting service that provides a web server. The web server is responsible for storing all the content, files, and databases needed by the website.
2. The CMS will continuously connect to the server to upload and download files whenever you add new content or users access your website through certain browsers.
3. Also, make sure the hosting service you choose supports the desired CMS. For example, you can subscribe to Indonesian WordPress hosting at Hostinger which provides various conveniences for creating a WordPress-based website. Or you can also choose Cloud hosting if you want to install various other CMS.
4. After choosing a web hosting service that suits your needs and desires, the next step is to create and register a domain name. A domain is the name of the website that people will type in the browser’s address field.
5. Generally, the domain is purchased separately from the hosting package. But sometimes, you can get a free domain, for example by purchasing Premium and Business Indonesia hosting at Hostinger.
6. Next, install and activate the CMS through your hosting account’s Cpanel. These days, many hosting providers, including Hostinger, are offering one-click CMS setups. Overall, the CMS installation process is automated and only takes a few minutes.
7. After the CMS is successfully installed and running, create a website with a registered domain name, then add content, then customize its appearance.

More About CMS

Well, that was a brief explanation of what a CMS is and its benefits for a website. The following are some conclusions from the content above:

• CMS is a program that serves to simplify the process of managing web content.
• Some of the most popular CMS today are WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
• CMS has an important role in enabling the website creation process without the need for coding skills.

Conclusion

With a CMS, you can create a modern website without having to master a programming language first. Precisely with CMS, the cost of making a website becomes more affordable. Apart from its ease of use, CMS is also known for its flexibility in modifying its appearance and content in it.

Usually, pre-designed themes, plugins, and extensions give you ‘a million’ options to customize the appearance and features of your website to your liking. So, any art worker, freelancer, startup company, or stable company can now create a website by taking advantage of the content management system.

Final Words

Hope you understand the topic completely. If you still have any questions write us in the comment section. we will answer you very soon. Do share with your friends if you like this. Thanks.