When we talk about an online Content Management System, we are generally referring to a system that allows a set of users to create, edit and publish content to their website.  “Content” can be any type of information that is stored and available for consumption.  This may be text, images, video, raw data, documents or many other types of electronic data.

A simple website will involve a number of static pages full of prepared content ready for the user to browse. This is enough for a lot of businesses who just want to put a heap of information online and update it every now and then.  If they do need to update the content they will get in touch with their web provider who manage the website updates, or will update the HTML themselves and upload the changes.  This process is simple, safe and reliable but also has many possible drawbacks that you may not have considered.

First, relying on a third party to update and deploy your new updates will take time and cost money.  Don’t you want to be able to jump onto your site, make changes to your content and have it available immediately?

Second, if you want to refresh your content regularly each change will take time to be completed by your provider and of course you will be billed for that time.  With a CMS you could make the changes yourself, saving both time and money.

Third, are there risks with your content not being accurate at all times?  What would you do if you are promoting a product that you now find you no longer stock – you would want to have that product removed ASAP as you don’t have an association with it any more.  This is an especially important consideration when you are displaying legally-binding information that must be kept up to date and accurate.

There are many types of CMS available, each with a different set of functionality and each with their pros and cons.  Many CMS options work well for some purposes but not so well for others – it all depends on your business, requirements, budget and staff capabilities.

Dean Mehmet