DIGITAL DESIGN COOKTOWN
Content Management Systems
What is CMS?
CMS stands for Content Management System and is a php based web design method that allows an administrator to change text, add images and alter sections of the webpage such as dynamic data forms. What this means is that after your website is constructed, with a small amount of knowledge, you can administrate your own website rather than pay someone to do it for you, providing you have the time.
Most cms sites have a database that keeps a users login details on record and allows them to log into the sites admin section to alter sections of text and images then save the changes so they immediately become available to browsers. Some of the features employed through cms systems also allow for members to leave messages on noteboards, restrict access to different levels of user groups, keep logs of visits, create forms to collect data from your users, mail systems to name just a few.
This not only lets your site be interactive on a browser level but can help it to become part of your intergrated work tools, with staff accessing some areas to leave messages or collect job instructions, customers can leave messages or submit data and contact details in another part, and then have the files redirected to your email address or a collection center for sorting. You may want some account holders to be able to upload files to your system for retrieval at a later date or to give you access to images and other relevant information or just have a place where your clients and staff can communicate.
All this through your main website and user interfaces.
Once again the best part of using CMS, is the capability for you to edit text sections and images or update stock lists and prices without having to relay the information to a web administrator and wait for them to upload the new data to your website.