A Content Management System is like the plastic casing at the end of your shoelace: You probably don’t know what it’s called, you interact with it more frequently than you realise, and when it’s missing, you definitely notice. (The plastic casing on your shoelace is called an “aglet”, by the way.) (You’re welcome.) One of the most popular Content Management Systems is WordPress, and tell you why in just a second. First, we’re going to demystify the Content Management System once and for all, so you can see why a Content Management System will make it easier to manage your website.
Table of Contents
What is a Content Management System?
Simply put, a Content Management System (CMS) is software that lets you create, edit, organise and manage the content you publish on your website. (Think WordPress.)
Why is WordPress such a popular Content Management System?
We haven’t even gotten four paragraphs into our guide and we’ve already mentioned WordPress twice. But there are good reasons why WordPress is one of the most popular Content Management Systems:
- WordPress gives you complete control over the files that make up your website as well as how content is displayed on your website, and you don’t have to do any coding at all.
- Content Management Systems used to cost thousands of dollars, but WordPress is open source, and it’s free.
- WordPress is also very versatile. You can use it to create eCommerce sites, blogs, business websites, educational websites, gaming websites, and just about any website you can conjure up in that pretty little brain of yours.
The one catch is that WordPress doesn’t come with hosting, but that’s where we come in! Our WordPress hosting package is one of our most popular web hosting packages, because we make it easy for you to house your WordPress website on our servers. The best part?
Not only is our platform super easy to navigate, but we also offer 24/7 customer support in case you do get stuck. Trust us to take an easy process and make it even easier.
Features of a good Content Management System:
A good content management system will have at least these features:
- User dashboard: With your user dashboard, you can easily manage your website by adding and deleting pages, setting editing permissions, installing templates, managing plugins, and so much more.
- Themes and templates: Good Content Management Systems offer hundreds of templates that will help you tailor your website to specific niches. You can use these themes and templates to create a brand that deals primarily with sports, fashion, healthcare, comedy, restaurants, legal services, and pretty much anything you want!
- Instant and scheduled publishing options: After you’ve finished tweaking your post until you’re happy with it, you’ll be able to use your CMS to publish instantly by clicking the “Publish” button, or you’ll be able to put it on a calendar, so you can publish it at the right time. This means that you’ll be able to create content in bulk, then set your CMS to publish it on specific days.
- Content management capabilities (of course): A good Content Management System won’t get so caught up in the extra bells and whistles that it forgets to help you actually manage your content. You’ll be able to use your CMS to store your videos, images, texts and links. Your CMS will usually even organise these in folders so you can search for the content you want by using keywords or tags.
Why do I need a Content Management System?
A CMS is great for people who don’t know how to code well enough to create a website from scratch, because a CMS comes with easy-to-use design tools that don’t require any coding at all. This makes it possible to create a gorgeous website with minimal effort. But that’s not the only reason you need a Content Management System.
6 great reasons to get a Content Management System:
1. Content Management Systems make it easy for anybody to have a great website
Before Content Management Systems, you wouldn’t be able to create your own website unless you knew how to code or you could get somebody else to do coding for you. Because Content Management Systems are so easy to use, you don’t need to know anything at all about web design or web development to manage your website. They’re also super easy to use, so you don’t have to worry about spending hours trying to figure out your CMS, either. You can just jump right in and start editing your website.
2. Content Management Systems are completely scalable
This means you don’t have to be afraid of outgrowing the CMS as your website grows. When your website starts creating more content or starts attracting more traffic, you can just upgrade your hosting plan, which will give you access to more security features, storage, templates, and other elements that will really take your website to the next level.
3. Content Management Systems help you manage your schedule
Because your CMS will let you decide when to publish your content, you can create lots of content at once, then stagger your publishing dates. This means you can spend a chunk of the year creating content for your website, then spend the rest of the year sipping piña coladas on the beach, and your website never has to miss a single publishing deadline. This way, you get to treat yourself while being loyal to your visitors.
4. Your CMS makes it easier to integrate plugins
Plugins are great for making your website more functional. For example, in WordPress, the Yoast plugin makes it easy to track your website’s analytics in just a few clicks. With a Content Management System, you can integrate plugins with minimal effort.
5. It saves you money
Because your CMS is so intuitive to use, you don’t have to spend extra money hiring specially trained personnel to manage your website. You can manage it yourself or have someone who’s already on your team do it for you.
6. Your CMS gives you more control over your website
With every additional person you bring on board to help manage your website, you lose a bit of control over it. When you use a CMS, you don’t have to let anybody else access your website unless you want to.
How do I set up a Content Management System?
Well, the first thing you need to do is buy web hosting, so you can get storage for your website files. When you get web hosting from hosting.co.uk, you can install WordPress and other CMS platforms with a single click!
Once you’ve installed the CMS, you can start using it immediately to create the website you want.
Wrapping up
A good content management system is the easiest way to create a great online brand. You can also use it to help you manage your posting schedule and the visual uniformity of your content. A Content Management System is the best-kept secret of people with gorgeous websites. Now that you know all the ways it makes your life easier, don’t settle for managing your website the inefficient way. Get a Content Management System!
