A website content management system (CMS) is used to create, manage, store and deploy content onto web pages. This includes text and images, photos, video, audio, and programming source code that displays content or interacts with the user.
A ecommerce website usually provides a CMS for maintaining categories and products as well as for articles, blogs, reviews and general page content. There can be different CMS access for some components as well eg the facility that you use for updating product information is different to the facility used to update page content. This makes it easier to update different types of information on your website.
A CMS is a essential component of your website as it will allow you complete control over your your content and product information so you can update it whenever you need to.
Access your your website CMS should be protected so that only a chosen few can have access to be able to make changes.
It can also have advanced in-built features to make managing your website content even easier – here are a few examples
1. to upload and attach images to web pages or products
2. to add search engine optimization tags to web pages and auto populate the information for these tags
3. integrate css design elements used on the website
4. an approval process to release information to the live website
5. access to upload or remove website files, documents, images, videos, pdfs used on the website
You may also need the ability to modify your CMS (usually be a developer) so that you can have the exact features and functionality that you require to maintain the website.
The bottom line is that a good CMS makes it easier for you to maintain and control your website content.
There are hundreds of different CMS options that can be used and so the choice is huge and they will all vary in what they offer and how they work and the cost. All good open source solutions come with a in-built CMS and so you can check what is on offer before selecting the solution t be used for your website eg Oscommerce, Zencart, Joomla and dotNet Nuke.
When you choose your website software make sure that it comes with a good CMS that offers the features that you require to maintain your and that the provider will be able to offer you the support that you need into the future.
