Content management systems are everywhere on the web these days, helping thousands of web contributors pump robust websites filled with content with light and constant new updates. Whether you want to build a deeply functional community-based site overnight, or just too lazy to learn how to code a professional and engaging website; There is probably a content management system (CMS) for you.
The way it works is simple. The new webmaster that follows simply follows a few simple instructions to install another person's code in a web hosting account. They can then log on to the management interface and start running a website or a complete community almost immediately, loaded with all the features they want.
Which one should I choose?
Almost all people who have spent time on the Internet have heard of the major content management systems, such as phpNuke and Drupal, but did you know that there are literally hundreds of hundreds of excellent opportunities to choose a webmaster? Each one is slightly different, designed to run on a different platform and to support a different library of features, additions and templates. Each of them not only has a slightly different front-end feel, but a completely different interface that taxpayers of your site can use in the back-end.
The first decision you need to make about your visitor management and check-in system is where you plan to run it. The most popular option today seems to be a combination of PHP and MySQL, which can be compatible with any modern Linux host. While this option is the easiest to support and install, keep in mind that it is not the only option and may not be the best option. If you are running from a Linux platform, there are other options that tend to require a little more effort in the configuration, but may be worthwhile, such as PERL, Cold Fusion, Java, JSP or Ruby on Rails. All of these languages are equally effective, but your host is less likely to support them. There are also a number of settings running from a Windows environment, demanding technology such as ASP. In the end, choose what you feel comfortable with and know for sure that your web host supports it.
Once you know what type of site you can run, you can start thinking about the features. There is a content management system that will literally do anything you can think of. Period. Start thinking about how you want your site to work and for what purpose it will be most useful. Want many writers on your pages who don't know HTML? Get a CMS system with a built-in HTML editor. Do you want visitor statistics beyond what your web hosting provider stores? Get a CMS system that also tracks it. Do you want surveys, emails or photo galleries? Is the search optimization potential of this site important to you? These are just a few examples of things that are very important to keep in mind, and they are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
Now, okay, that's a lot of information to gather. Here we are in the middle of this article and I haven't even told you where to look for. In honor of the internet, most of the work has already been done for you. My personal recommendation to compare the various options on a site known as the CMS Matrix that I do not associate with; It is simply a great place for this purpose. From this interface, you can navigate through almost all viable settings for a content management system, designed to work on anything from a fun personal place to a corporate-level Internet business, and get complete pricing, compatibility, security, features and even ratings from others who already have tried the system.
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