What is a Content Management System (CMS) 2024

What is a Content Management System (CMS) – Less than three decades ago, any Content Management System (CMS) did not exist. A website is made from scratch, you have to learn a programming language first before creating a website. Apart from having to spend months writing lines of code (coding), a lot of time is also spent fixing bugs before the site is launched.

What is a Content Management System (CMS) Quick Learn 2024

Now that the website has grown rapidly as more and more people use the internet, developers need tools to create websites that do not require complex databases and functionality. From this need, a Content Management System was born.

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So, what is a content management system?

A Content Management System (or CMS for short) is a tool that helps you build a functional website without writing code. There are many CMS options. In general, CMS is divided into two types:

• Local CMS: installed locally on your web server, some of the most well-known CMSs are WordPress.org, Drupal, Joomla, and Magento.
• Cloud-based CMS: CMS that is hosted by a provider (often requiring you to set up a free or paid account) and includes options like WordPress.com, Squarespace, and Wix.

Whichever you choose, you don’t need to learn a programming language like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or PHP to use a Content Management System. You don’t write code unless you need to (say, you have some expertise). Just add your content via a user-friendly dashboard and the CMS will build your website. Creating a website with a CMS is as easy as creating a document in Microsoft Word.

Just install the CMS on a web server (or register for an account with a cloud-based CMS provider), and you can immediately start building your website. A CMS helps you create a great website in a matter of hours.

Thanks to a Content Management System (CMS), you can create, modify, and manage content on your website without the need for technical knowledge.

How Does a Content Management System Work?

As we have already mentioned, a Content Management System is software that helps you easily build a website without writing code or technical knowledge.

You can use a CMS to create any website. For example, WordPress is perfect for a variety of applications such as stores, blogs, portfolios, business sites, online courses, social networks, magazines, and many more.

However, other Content Management Systems like Magento is made for one purpose. Magento can help you create e-commerce websites of any size.

#1. Admin Dashboard

After you set up WordPress on your hosting account, you get the credentials to log into the WordPress admin dashboard, as seen below:

You can multitask as a website admin from within the dashboard. No need to write code from scratch, the user-friendly interface makes it easy to create, edit, and manage a website like a pro.

You can see the number of posts and pages you have, create quick drafts, check the latest comments on your posts, and do a lot more with just a few clicks.

#2. Adding Content

To add a new page, navigate to Pages> Add New, as shown below.

You will be directed to a very easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) visual editor:

In the editor, you can build pages as you wish. If necessary, you can extend the editor by installing the WordPress Builder, which offers additional features and more control over the design of your pages.

Apart from that, you can also add all kinds of content like text, blockquotes, images, videos, audio, buttons, CTAs, contact forms, and many more.

Without a Content Management System, you would have to code each feature from scratch which is difficult and time-consuming. When your page or post is ready, simply hit the Publish button and the content will instantly appear on your site.

Many other Content Management Systems work the same way. Put your content in the post editor, and whatever elements you want, and hit Publish.

Anyone can install, configure, and deploy a Content Management System seamlessly within hours.

#3. Theme

Content Management Systems usually come with ready-made themes that help you customize your website design.

You can change the entire theme with one click or customize the design layout, colors, fonts, and other design elements of an existing theme.

There are thousands of free and premium themes for various website-building purposes. Because of this, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a decent theme for your website. WordPress.org offers thousands of cool and free themes:

If you don’t like the free themes on the repo, you can find premium WordPress themes from marketplaces like Themeforest :

Other Content Management Systems also have thematic marketplaces. To change a theme in WordPress, go to  Appearance> Themes, as we highlight below.

On the following pages, you can select a different theme or by clicking  Add New, to install a new theme:

You can then upload a theme from your computer or choose one of the free themes from the WordPress repo:

As you can see, changing themes in WordPress (which is the most popular CMS) is very easy.

Other content management systems operate similarly. All you have to do is choose your favorite theme and customize it with your website.

#4. Plugins

Content Management Systems usually come with a plugin architecture, which helps you extend the functionality of your CMS. In simpler terms, plugins allow you to add extra functionality to your website.

For example, there are many free and premium plugins for optimizing SEO,  adding contact forms,  adding social networking functionality, and much more.