| Web FAQs |
What is a CMS and why would I need one? CMS is short for Content Management System. It's an application just like the ones on your computer that you use to write text or email. A CMS, however, runs on your web site's server instead of your computer, and you access it through most any browser like Netscape or Internet Explorer. There are lots of available pre-packaged CMS applications you can choose from such as Joomla!, Drupal, Typo3, and others. Many are very similar, some have unique characteristics which can be appealing. Some are called 'Open Source', which is any software product created by volunteers (all professional programmers) within the Open Source community. As such, these are virtually free or require a small license fee. Other Content Management Systems have an initial cost due to being created by company who will offer dedicated support after the sale. In the case of Open Source Content Management Systems, there are usually a multitude of design houses which offer additional pre-made templates for a nominal fee if you find you prefer something other than what comes bundled with the original application. Your web site is built using the functionality within the Content Management System, thus allowing you (or anyone with the appropriate privileges) the ability to edit content without the need for an expensive software license (i.e. Dreamweaver). This can offer a lot of convenience in other ways too, like providing access to your site from any computer with an internet connection should site maintenance be shared or transferred between different people, or need to be updated on the fly while traveling. Not everyone needs a CMS, or cares about using one. In some cases, a customer needs very specific functionality which isn't offered as a part of available, packaged Content Management Systems. They may need their site built from page one, or even a custom made CMS all their own. Do I need special knowledge to use a CMS? Not really. The whole concept of any CMS is to provide an easy interface for the user to operate their own web site. Various styles of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors come built-in to your CMS and will look very much like Microsoft Word or similar. And, since it is a user-friendly interface, a greater number of people can have access to maintain proprietary areas of the site. In other words, with password permissions enabled, a community of users can work within the same website, either with or without affecting each other as desired. How does it work? Most Open Source Content Management Systems are built using .php, which is a dynamic programming language (or code) that pre-processes web pages on the server before they are loaded into a browser for the user. A lot of information can be stored in a database, then selectively (dynamically) served back to an end-user based on their individual choices. Since each page is pre-processed on a web server, the visitor's browser doesn't bear the load of reading a lot of non-relevant HTML. This makes sites much faster providing a more satisfying user experience. Other, similar kinds of pre-process code languages are .jsp (Java based) and .asp (Microsoft). What technology is used or required? When your CMS is installed, a database will be set up along with it to store information both about the site and its authorized users. On the server side, a web host that provides its subscribers access through a Control Panel is helpful since that allows the owner of the hosting package or their agent to instantly set up databases, email accounts, DNS information concerning your domain name, etc. without the need for involvement by Tech Support from the hosting company. Lunarpages is excellent both for user access and pricing. Since Content Management Systems provide user-access through a browser, they are platform independent, meaning they can live on either a Unix, Linux, or Microsoft servers. Platform independent means that the end-user won't need any particular Operating System or other software to access it. Very rarely, there is a slight incompatibility between a given browser and the server running an application. Bear in mind that your CMS is W3C compliant- meaning that it inherently adheres to universal web standards. If you interface the backend of your CMS and notice anything odd (blank pages, objects not lining up, buttons missing, etc.), your browser may out of date. What are some key benefits to having a CMS?
Can you just build me a small web site in plain HTML or PHP? Yes. For some small projects, this is the best way to go. If a tool is more cumbersome than the task, then it doesn't make sense to use a CMS. Can you fix my existing web site? Most likely, yes. I will need to know where your site is hosted and the username and password for the account to access the server and its files. I hired a guy to build my site some time ago and he did it in Flash. Now I need to change some stuff and I can't find him! Unfortunately, that's a problem I've heard too often. Chances are the person who built the original Flash file didn't consider losing touch with you either- and, as a backup, leave a copy of the raw .fla file on the server for someone else to edit. Without that original file from which your Flash movie was generated, changes to your existing site are next to impossible. However, I'd be happy to have a look and see if there is anything that can be done anyway. |