First of all, what is a Content Management System?

A Content Management System, or CMS for short, is an application designed to facilitate the creation and management of content.

So, do you need a CMS?

Whether or not you may need a CMS solution depends on the size of your website, the amount of traffic you receive, your skills as a webmaster, the number of users who will be adding content to the website, and many other factors.

Website Size

The content of a large website can be very difficult and tedious to maintain if a content management system is not used. Most CMS solutions will store the content in a database in an organized fashion. The administration interface of the CMS should provide an easy way to manage the content.

On the other hand, a CMS solution for a small website may be overkill. A website with a small number of pages is easy to maintain, but may need a content management system solution as it grows.

Website Traffic

The amount of traffic a website receives can be a significant factor in deciding whether or not to use a CMS. Static html pages have always been the fastest loading, whereas dynamic pages need to be compiled or pull information from a database. The processing behind these operations can add time to the loading of the page. It is important to consider the amount of processing that takes place behind the scenes in a content management system. Fortunately, there are many lightweight CMS solutions these days for high traffic websites.

Webmaster Technical Skills

A content management system can be an easy solution for a webmaster who lacks the necessary skill set to create their own website. Most CMS solutions contain a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor. The editor allows for the creation of website content without HTML or other website specific knowledge.

There are many templates available which can be easily installed in many content management systems. Some of these templates are free and some come with a small cost. Another solution to creating the look for your website would be to hire a website designer. This can come with a significant cost, but you'd be getting the exact look and feel you want for your website.

Website Users

In many situations, a website will have more than one content provider. In this case, it may be beneficial to consider a content management solution, as a good CMS system will have the ability check in and check out content. The purpose of check in and check out is to prevent more than one user from editing the same content at the same time. Multiple users on a static website can create many problems with content updates without the help of a CMS system.

Conclusions

There are certainly other factors to consider in whether or not to use a content management system, but hopefully the information contained above will help you in making an informed decision.

Having to know HTML has been for many years the one thing that has prevented people from building their own website. There was an unspoken belief that ordinary, i.e. non-technical, people would need to consult experts if they wanted an internet presence.

Modern software marketers claim that anyone with a computer and internet connection, can easily build websites without the need to learn HTML.

In this article we discuss if this is really true or not.

With some new web software programs, the emphasis has moved away from "coding" to more of a step-by-step user friendly approach. Simply typing your website information onto pages just as you would using a word processor can result in pages being generated automatically into web pages. Many programs use WYSIWYG technology. This stands for "what you see is what you get".

Most modern editors format the entire HTML in the background. If you can use Microsoft Word then you can use these programs the same way. Just type.

So Is The HTML correct?

Some purists would argue that WYSIWYG programs make messy or bloated HTML code and the web pages may not be fully compliant to international standards. Some web pages may display slightly differently in different browsers.

In the end, having a website live on the web is better than not having it up there. The making of a website even if HTML is unknown. Even though the HTML code may not be "perfect" the resultant web pages are still normal looking to the user.

When looking for designs, you can easily import your own graphics and designs into most modern website building programs. There are many templates (or skins) you can buy or download for free.

The booming market of first time marketers has created a whole industry of easy to use website programs and the vendors have shown a great understanding of the needs of novice website builders by producing comprehensive manuals and tutorials that lay out each step.

The tutorials are so user-friendly, with a common sense approach, that even beginners should be able to complete a simple website in just an hour. With a domain name registered and a hosting company enlisted, their first website can be 'live' in minutes.

In addition to the tutorial, beginners will find a wealth of information on related forums of web software providers. The training and supporting forum has a broad knowledge spread. There is always someone to answer a novice's questions, either the creator or a team member or a fellow user via the forums.

Not all easy web software programs are only for the new. Upon further inspection there are powerful website design package that are also ideal for intermediate and experienced internet marketers.

Many come feature packed with tools for site map creation, search engine optimization and some have an Affiliate Wizard for affiliate marketers.

Investing in other solutions will not be required. Modern web builders stretch even for the advanced marketer.

So the results are in - and they look pretty good for the first time web builder.

This is a question you will have to address. Many folks just a build a website but do not think out why they are really doing it. As a result they don't take it seriously and therefore they do not get serious results. This makes logical sense right?

A website in and of itself means nothing unless it has visitors and achieves a certain objective. So you have to be clear what you want to achieve as this will help you focus on your research and build a site that can achieve your objective. Quality research will help you build a quality website.

To build a business online you are going to have to build a relationship with your site visitors. You will need to show them how to connect the dots and you can only do this by providing valuable content that is benefit driven.

Furthermore you are going to have to show them solid evidence of how your product or service can help them achieve results. Connecting the dots means moving them closer to their outcome. Once they can follow this and see how it will work for them you will naturally build credibility which will result in you having a profitable website.

As mentioned when you build your site you want to clearly have your visitor's objectives in mind so that you can address their concerns and overcome their objections. If you can help them achieve their goals it will be a win win situation for all parties concerned.