What is Content Management System: Benefits, Types and Examples 

Whether a small or big firm, a content management system will always be a vital tool that helps centralize and manage your online content. Yet, few businesses understand what is content management system or how it benefits a company. This Synodus article is all you need to find the answer for yourself and your business’s future. 

What Is Content Management System?

A content management system (CMS) is a program that allows multiple contributors to create, edit, and publish content without any interruption. A CMS typically stores content in a database and displays it in a presentation layer based on a set of templates, much like a website, so anyone can grab the overview and adjust if needed.  

How Does Content Management System Work?

Basically, a CMS provides a graphical user interface with tools for performing simple or complex tasks without the use of code. 

A CMS consists of two parts: 

• A content management application (CMA): a graphical user interface that allows users to design, create, modify, and delete content from a website without having to know HTML 
• A content delivery application (CDA): CDA provides back-end services that support content management and delivery after a user creates it in the CMA. 

When used together, these applications handle the back-end code, database queries, and infrastructure, allowing you to focus on the front end of your site. This is how CMA works: they make an easy-to-use interface that hides the code from you, the end user, and allows you to edit as you wish.  

Instead of starting with a blank HTML, CSS, or Java page to code everything from scratch, you will open the editor mode. With this, you can directly edit your text (bold, thin, underline), add links and CTAs, and insert images with just a few clicks. 

When you’re finished editing, the CDA will push the content you entered into the CMA, translate to code, display it to your front-end visitors, and save it. Instead of manually uploading a page to your server, you can press the Publish button to publish a new blog post.  

Some of CMS core features:

1. Content management entails creating, editing, posting, and managing web content (including text, images, video, and audio).  

2. The presentation allows customers to switch from device to device. No marketing organization can devote human resources to optimizing every blog post or catalog page for each laptop, tablet, and smartphone device. With CMS, you only need to create one, and the system will automatically adapt it to the device.  

3. Integration means the solution is all-encompassing, such as Sitecore’s Experience Platform. It relies on APIs to connect your content to other applications, such as CRM and ERP tools, as well as platforms like Facebook.  

4. Commerce is the ability to connect a personalized marketing presentation to your digital commerce system. You cannot address the “customer journey” if your map does not include this destination.  

5. Personalization creates relevant content for individual visitors based on persona, location, or even previous interactions with your brand. 

6. Analytics is helpful to make sure the content you’re distributing attracts people and calls them to action after that. You must have visibility into performance to optimize your efforts and define ROI.  

7. Governance to manage that piece of content after posting will get rid of wasting time. Also, strictly controlling people’s accessibility to approve, change, publish or take it down is a must.   

8. Multilingual support will improve your article by translating it into other languages and publishing it globally.  

Why Is Content Management System Important?

Many websites never review their content after they have been launched. I’m sure you’ve seen websites with outdated information. Isn’t it annoying? The demand for content management systems grows in tandem with the growth of the Internet. Having a CMS is beneficial not only to your customers, but it is also beneficial to your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). 

Let’s take a closer look at how it affects your setup process, team productivity, and online visibility. 

1. No prior coding experience is required

CMS systems have helped revolutionize web development for non-tech when establishing an online presence for their businesses. You no longer have to rely on the coder to ask for creating, managing content, and customizing the design of your site. 

2. Simple Collaboration 

Various users can access and hand on the back end of a CMS simultaneously. That means all the related departments, like marketers and IT specialists, can work on the same landing page, which ultimately improves workflows and productivity across your team. 

Then, content writers can have all the manage content permissions they need, but they won’t be able to delete plugins or alter the site’s functionality. 

3. SEO Features and Extensions 

CMS platforms include built-in features to help you optimize your site for search engines. Such as: 

• Change the page titles and meta descriptions. 
• Select SEO-friendly URL structures. 
• Make XML sitemaps 
• Include image alt text 
• Make 301 Redirects 
• Include breadcrumb navigation. 
• Improve page load times 

Implementing these best practices will increase your chances of ranking on Google and other major search engines. 

4. Security Extensions and Features 

CMS platforms also include add-ons to assist you in securing your website. Some even provide a dedicated security team, an enterprise-class web application firewall, and other standard features. 

5. Pre-designed Templates 

Most CMS platforms include a library of pre-designed templates that you can use to customize the look of your site quickly. Rather than hiring a freelance developer or attempting to edit the code yourself. 

Templates not only save you design time before launching your site, but they can also make a website redesign much faster and easier in the future. 

6. Blogging Functionality 

Blogging has a number of advantages. It drives traffic to your website, pushes conversion, establishes authority in a specific industry, generates backlinks, and achieves other long-term goals. However, even experienced developers can find creating a blog from scratch challenging. 

7. Simple Access 

A CMS platform is accessible and editable on any device that has an internet connection. That’s much easier than starting from scratch, which necessitates being on a device connected to the server or connecting remotely. 

What Are The Types Of Content Management Systems

1. Content Management System for Components (CCMS) 

A CCMS, or component content management system, will organize content at the granular level. Instead of managing content page-by-page, it collects words, phrases, paragraphs, or images and stores them in central storage.   

Components are only stored once to maximize content reuse. The CCMS is a consistently trusted source for content distribution across multiple platforms, including mobile, PDF, and print. 

Benefits of a CCMS: 

• Reusability 
• Traceability 
• Single Sourcing 
• Improved Team Collaboration 

2. System for Document Management (DMS) 

Paper is nearly extinct. Paper-based business file tracking is a thing of the past. A document management system (DMS) is a cloud-based solution for managing, storing, and tracking documents. It offers an automated solution for uploading, processing, and sharing business documents, eliminating the need for printing, copying, or scanning. 

Benefits of a DMS: 

• Eco-Friendly 
• Security 
• Mobility 

3. Content Management System For Enterprises (ECM) 

An enterprise content management system collects, organizes, and distributes documentation for an organization, ensuring that critical information is delivered to the appropriate audience.  

An ECM provides easy access to the content that all members of an organization require to complete projects and make crucial decisions. Furthermore, an ECM deletes files after a while, ensuring that no unnecessary content takes up space. 

ECM Advantages: 

• A flexible ECM  
• Increases Efficiency 
• Reduced Storage Costs 

4. Content Management System For The Web (WCMS) 

A web content management system allows users to manage a website’s digital components without knowing markup languages or web programming. A WCMS helps manage digital content by providing collaboration, authoring, and administration tools. A WCMS, unlike other CMSs, only deals with web content. 

Benefits of a WCMS 

• Personalization  
• Automation 
• Scalable 

5. Digital Asset Management System (DAM) 

With a digital asset management system, users can easily store, organize, and share digital content. A DAM provides a straightforward, centralized library for clients, employees, or contractors to access cloud-stored content. These assets include audio, creative files, video, and presentations. A DAM is cloud-based so that users can access content from anywhere. 

Benefits of a DAM 

• Centralized Repository 
• Effective Brand Management 
• Digital Publishing 

Reviewing Top 5 Content Management Systems Examples

1. WordPress

WordPress is a self-hosted platform that powers millions of websites. Using the admin or editor mode, you can quickly and easily create a WordPress site and customize it with any of the thousands of plugins and themes available in the official WordPress directory or on other third-party sites.   

Forms and live chat are available on your website with a theme that includes a visual builder and split testing. You can create a one-of-a-kind experience for your brand using WordPress plugins and themes like these. 

• Ideal for: Small businesses and freelancers. 
• The cost is estimated to be between $30 and $3,000 

2. Joomla

If you are looking for more built-in functionality, you may want to consider a WordPress alternative like Joomla. It is an open-source CMS that has built-in multilingual support with vary of content management options, making it ideal for membership, community, and social networking sites. UIDAI, for example, is a Joomla-powered multilingual website. 

• Ideal for: International corporations 
• The cost is estimated to be between $700 and $6,500. 

3. Drupal 

Drupal is a highly flexible content management system software. It’s very favorable among large corporations and government agencies such as NASA. While web development experience is required to fully leverage the power of this platform, you will not have to start from scratch.   

To build a complex site that handles large volumes of data and heavy traffic, such as Rush University Medical Center’s website, you can choose from 47,000 modules in its directory and thousands of free themes in its theme repository.  

• Corporations and government agencies are ideal candidates. 
• Estimated price range: $5,000 to $20,000 

4. Magento

Magento OpenSource, the self-hosted version of Magento, is comparable to Drupal in the eCommerce world. It’s highly adaptable and secure, but it’s challenging to learn and use all of its built-in functionality and extensions. Magento allows you to manage multiple stores, use multiple global shipping providers, and transact in various countries, languages, and currencies from the same dashboard.  

So, if you have the time and resources to contribute to set-up and maintenance, you can build an online store with large product stock and global influence. 

• Ecommerce businesses 
• Price range: $15,000 and up 

5. Shopify  

Content management systems are not just for blogging and creating content. Many provide a well-rounded eCommerce content management environment for creating an online store, designing product pages, and including everything else you’d want on a website, such as a blog, FAQ page, shipping information, and customer support portal. Shopify does that, providing a full CMS marketing and eCommerce platform without needing your own hosting.  

Shopify users sign up for the platform and pay a monthly fee to access the entire website builder, shopping cart functionality, and website launch necessities such as hosting, a domain name, and an app store to expand your design. As a result, while we believe it is one of the best content management system options, it is not a free headless CMS. 

How To Build A Content Management System?

You can integrate CMS into your existing website or create one with CMS. The first step is choosing a CMS that fits. You can pick one from our top list above or tailor-made your content management system.   

You can quickly build your website with basic features with the first option. However, it can still be challenging for a non-IT to excel in all those add-ons for dynamic user experiences. In this case, you can hire a freelancer or web agency to create the web as you wish.   

Although CMS software has thousands of features and templates, it can still be limited. Thus, we come to the second option, making one your own. With this, businesses ultimately control the coding, interface, and functionality. But keep in mind the process of customizing CMS takes longer and is pricey, so it’s best to consider it thoroughly. Plus, CMS software is constantly updated and highly flexible. An experienced developer can work with a CMS to make your dream website. 

A few things to note before choosing a CMS software or developer: 

• The number of your content monthly? 
• How often do you update content?  
• How many users will it be? 
• What is your budget? 
• Does your CMS require integration with other platforms such as ERP or CRM?  
• Do you need it to be SEO-friendly for search engine ranking?  

Wrapping Up

So, what is Content Management System? It’s a simple tool that is extremely important for every website. There are numerous options and factors to consider when selecting the best CMS for your business. It is crucial to explore all types of content management systems. Some systems may better suit your business than the other common ones. 

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