What is a Content Management System?

A Content Management System (CMS) is a pre-built template that allows you to install an "out of the box" website. The CMS is already setup with all the tools for administering your website and should give your website a default look, ready for you to use, as soon as you finish the install. If you're new to web design and want to hit the ground running, you'll want to utilize the power of a CMS.

Installing a CMS typically involves the same steps. You download all the files from a website that offers a CMS. You upload the files to your web host with an FTP program. You follow the directions that come with the files you download. There's usually only 1 file that tells you how to complete the install at this point and it's often named 'Install.txt' or 'ReadMe.txt'. Installing a CMS is not hard! It can be overwhelming if it's your first time, but most people find that if they just approach it step by step and follow instructions line by line, they will succeed. Installing a CMS can actually be quite fun and when you're finished, it's a thrill to go and look at your new website that you just created yourself!

Why Choose a CMS?

• You can easily change the look of your site. A CMS will offer templates that allow you to upload and change the entire look of your site in a matter of seconds. You decide on the final look of the website!
• No Technical Skills Needed! You will find that the more you understand, the better you can make your website look, but a CMS is usually designed for one-click operations.
• The time you spend building your website is minimalized. You don't have to learn how to write code to install a CMS and after it's up and running, publishing new articles is usually done in a couple clicks
• CSS makes it easy to change the look of every page. Maybe you installed a CMS but there's one color you want to change? No problem! A custom style-sheet (CSS) lets you change that color in one place and that updates your entire site.
• Security is taken care of for you. Hackers will always try to exploit websites. CMS designers will always take care of watching for these exploits so you don't have to. If they find a security hole, they'll send an update out and allow you to simply upload new files to fix the issue.
• A CMS will give you plugins. Plugins allow you to choose from a library of additional content that you can add to your website by just uploading more code. If you're using a more popular CMS, you can find thousands of plugins to choose from.

These are just some of the many advantages of using a CMS. The list could go on and on. I can't stress the importance of using a CMS for new website owners that want to get up and running. Now that you know some of the advantages, let's take a look at some of the more popular systems that I would recommend...

Wordpress is undoubtedly the King of all CMS's. There's two kinds of Wordpress sites. The first, you'll find at Wordpress.com. This is a great way to learn about a CMS. You can signup and start clicking your way to building a new site right away. But, the disadvantage is that your website is still on the Wordpress servers. You don't install it. Wordpress.com is a great option for people who just want to blog. It's the same type of blog system you'll find at Blogger.com, Blogspot.com, LiveJournal.com and the list goes on and on. There are literally hundreds of blogging platforms out there.

The second kind of Wordpress site is found at Wordpress.org. This is for the more serious webmaster, who wants complete control over aspect of his/her website. If you're wanting to start making profit from your website, and go beyond blogging, this is the Wordpress CMS that you'll want to choose. All the files are kept on your server at your hosting company. Be sure that you have a web host (Check out WebFaction for my very strong recommendation). By having your own files, you automatically get more functionality out of the Wordpress CMS. You can add all the Wordpress plugins (with Wordpress.com, you're limited to a very few) for much greater functionality of your website. You can add custom themes (Design your site how you want it to look. Wordress.com forces you to choose between their templates). And perhaps the biggest reason you need to choose Wordpress.org; you can't run AdSense ads on Wordpress.com! You want a site that is going to bring you a profit so Wordpress.org is the way to go. It does require more technical skills to operate Wordpress.org, but it is not hard! If there's anything you need help with, please ask and I will help. In fact, if you need help setting up a Wordpress.org website, I will do it for you, completely free of charge! Just ask! I want you to succeed!

We've now covered Wordpress. This is the most popular CMS out there, but there are many more. Joomla is also a very popular choice, but requires more technical skills. Drupal, Typo3, CushyCMS and SilverStripe are other well known platforms that offer a lot of functionality. Google any of these or many others for more information and choose the CMS that best fits your needs.

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