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.

In the recent past, the Internet has become the prime means of media connection around the world. Aside from providing a fast and inexpensive means of imparting and extracting information, cyberspace has also redefined the very lifestyle of people around the world. From shopping to taking up courses, people have found immeasurable uses for the Internet.

No wonder then that everyone wants a space in cyber world. A website is the means of publishing personal or corporate information over the Internet. It is like a unique telephone number over a vast circuit of telephone lines; or better put, a unique address in the wide world of cyber space.

However, it is a well-known fact that not everybody knows how to create a website. A vast majority of Internet users who would like their very own web address in cyberspace do not have either the skills or the time to learn the intricacies of creating a website.

This is where an awb comes in handy. As the name indicates, an automatic website builder is an application or a group of applications that lets an individual who has no knowledge of underlying website software applications and languages involved build a website without sweat.

Unlike an HTML editor which merely facilitates in the creation of correct HTML scripts, an automatic builder provides the user with web page templates that are already built and can be modified by the user according to his or her preferences. Aside from pre-fabricated templates, some awb provide other important features as well. A number of automatic website builders have Shipping Cart feature that enables web visitors to shop for goods offered at the website. Still, other programs have built-in survey counters that can monitor the traffic of users who visited the website.

An automatic builder makes the process of putting the latest and most relevant information or content in a user's website quick and easy. Having the freshest content in a website means satisfied web visitors. This translates to higher traffic; therefore, improving a website's list ranking in search engines like Google.

Some websites come with a price. The range of prices may be as wide as a few bucks per month for subscription setting to more than a hundred dollars for one-time purchase arrangements. Others can be availed for free.

A purchased website builder provides premium features than a free program. A purchased program can come with unlimited number of website designs which could easily be a means to make money. By creating unique websites for friends and other customers, a user can easily earn additional income. Plus, this type of builder has tie-ups with other certified applications that can be enjoyed for free.

A free application, like the one commonly used for blog websites, has a limited number of website design concepts. There is a high probability that using this type of builder will be prone to pop-ups and third party piggyback advertisements. However, while the uniqueness or even the security of a website may be compromised, a free automatic website builder has zero cost.

Automatic website builders can be classified into to basic types; online and offline. An online builder enables users to edit the website they created using a web browser like Internet Explorer or Netscape. While an offline builder requires users to edit the site in a computer's local application before the edited website can be published. But no matter what type of automatic website builder application is used, the user is sure to have an efficient, effective and a fun way of building websites.

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Last February, I received a call from a man in Wisconsin asking about my writing services. He was particularly interested in having me rewrite the copy on his Web site. I was very surprised and wondering how in the heck he got my name. Then he mentioned something about my being my Internet hosting service's "customer of the month." I was very pleasantly surprised. After I spoke with him, I logged onto my email and there was an e-newsletter from my host server. And, yes, I was the "customer of the month," and my Web site was the featured site for the month.

Of course, I quickly hastened to my site and checked the traffic. I was up to over 300 visits to my home page for the morning, and the day was to end with 796 visits! I don't believe I'll ever see numbers like that again. I also received several other calls from people interested in my services.

It wasn't a complete surprise that my site was featured. Last year, I had filled out a "success story" response form on the company's site. I was later interviewed and told that I would be used as a case study. But the case study never materialized so I had forgotten about it. Thus I was very pleased when my site landed in their e-newsletter as the featured site.

My host is one of many companies where you can register domain names and get your business online. They will build a site for you; or, if you are cheap like me, you can build your own.

When I began my business a few years ago, I waited a whole year for my brother who owns an ad agency in L.A. to professionally build my Web site for free. Now he's kind of successful, and he didn't get that way by doing a lot of free work for relatives. At the time, my server was doing a lot of radio advertising claiming you could "build your Web site in 20 minutes." One day after nagging my brother once more, he became exasperated and said, "Why don't you just build your own."

So I did. I called the company and they provided templates and lots of help. I chose an animated template with a layout ideal for showcasing a portfolio. There was a bit of a learning curve. I had to play around and call for help a few times. It took me longer than 20 minutes; yet, technically, the commercial was accurate: you could really get a home page up with your contact info in 20 minutes. I believe I spent about 20 hours to get my Web site to the point where I was willing to "publish" it.

One of the advantages I have found about building your own Web site is that you don't have to rely on an outside Web Master to update it. Sometimes those fellows are swamped and it can take awhile. If I want to put a new project in my online portfolio, I can do it in a few minutes. Or if I want to add something new to my list of services, I can quickly type it in and it's done.

I found a huge difference in how I was perceived in the business community once I had a Web presence. Suddenly, I was taken seriously. These days when someone asks, "What's your Web address?" you should have it ready. And it should never be "under construction." Visitors find that very irritating. It's really not that hard to get a presentable Web site up.

As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous places where you can go to build a Web site. Just Google "do it yourself Web site" and you will get numerous options.

It is very inexpensive. My site costs me less than $100 a year for 20 pages. Some places are even cheaper. Compared to the thousands of dollars one can pay a Web designer, it's a sweet deal.

That's not to say that I don't believe in professionally designed Web sites. I still want one with more bells and whistles. I'm just waiting on my brother.

(Since initially writing this piece, my server has made the process even better. It's more professional, a lot more pages available ... and more bells and whistles.)