There were times when we wanted to transform our ideas into concrete reality. But our lack of specialized technical knowledge proved to be the stumbling block in our path. This made people dependent on others, who had the required set of skills, to achieve their goals. The most common area where people found such roadblocks was at the time of extending their reach on digital platforms and the online world. But today, the evolution of digital content has shifted from the hands of a few to those of the masses. Nowadays, practically anyone with a little technical proficiency can create a webpage with the help of Content Management System (CMS).
CMS is the most efficient tool to help one build a website without needing to write the entire code from scratch. This software platform lets the users create, modify and remove content from their website without the interference of a web developer/coder. CMSs are generally used for enterprise content management (ECM) and web content management (WCM). ECM handles and maintains the life cycle of information to manage structured and unstructured content of a firm effectively. ECM basically includes WCM which controls a wide collection of web material such as photo, video, graphics etc. and helps users with limited knowledge of programming languages in creating and managing web content.
Working of a CMS software
A CMS is generally made of two main parts: a content management application (CMA) and a content delivery application (CDA). CMA is a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to create, design, edit and remove content from their website without needing to know any coding language such as HTML. Meanwhile, CDA provides back-end services by compiling the content and finally updating the website.
Features of CMS
The core feature of CMS includes the WYSIWYG principle (what you see is what you get). This means that the content seen in the editing phase will appear almost the same when it gets published on the website. Although the features of CMS can vary with various software offerings, but the main features of an adept CMS include:
- Indexing, search and retrieval – This feature indexes the entire data to provide easy access through the search function. It allows users to search by aspects such as publication dates, keywords or author.
- Format management – This helps the user in turning scanned documents and legacy electronic documents into PDF OR HTML documents.
- Revision control – It allows the user to update and edit their content after the initial publication. It also helps them to track any changes made to the content by other individuals.
- Publishing – It lets users make use of templates and other tools approved by the organization to create or edit content.
Other popular features of CMS include SEO friendly URLs, integrated and online help including discussion boards, customisable templates, admin panel with multilingual support, integrated file managers, minimal server requirements and much more.
CMS and self sufficiency
Technological advancements have come a long way in making people self-reliant and self-sufficient. Earlier, people hired the services of a web developer to create their dream websites as they lacked technical expertise. But now, people are no more dependent on webmasters for building their web pages, storing images and doing other functions. CMS handles the basic digital infrastructure for them so they can focus on paving roads for greater ideas and achievements.
