What Is a CMS and Why Should You Care?

There are a lot ofacronyms in the business worldto keep straight. SEO, CRM, SERP,CDN, and CMS are just a few important ones.

CMS is particularly important, considering thatmore than 68 million websitesare built with one. So what is it?

CMS stands forcontent management system。它也可能是您要快速寻找的解决方案制作一个网站with limited technical knowledge and resources.

In this post, we'll define what a CMS is and how it works. Then we'll look at how you can use a CMS to handle the infrastructure of your site so you can focus on creating exciting, delightful content that results in more conversions and leads.

We'll wrap up by looking at some of the most popular CMS platforms on the market. Let's get started.

和a CMS, you can create, manage, modify, and publish content in a user-friendly interface. You can customize the design and functionality of your site by downloading or purchasing templates and extensions, rather than coding. You can have multiple users working in the back-end of the same tool — and much more.

You might be wondering how one piece of software does all of this. To answer that question, let's take a closer look at how a CMS works.

How a CMS Works

To understand how a CMS works, you first have to understand what it's like to build a site from scratch.

You'd start withHTMLto add text, images, navigation bars, and other building blocks of a site. Then you'd添加CS.to style those elements to match the unique look and feel of your brand.

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You'd finish up by writing some JavaScript to add more advanced functionality to your site, likeslide-in CTAs。Then you'd have to upload this HTML file to your server to be filed away in your database.

每当您想要进行更改 - 即使是简单的更新内容之类的内容 - 您必须从服务器下载文件，打开它们，然后手动更改HTML代码。然后，您必须确保在将文件上传回服务器之前，请确保未打破任何链接或其他内容。

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Sounds complicated, yes? For developers and other advanced users with experience in网站开发, building a site from scratch might be ideal. But for those who don't have thecoding skillsor time and resources to build a site from scratch and maintain it, they can use a CMS. Let's talk about how.

How to Use a CMS

A CMS is made up of two core parts: a content management application (CMA) and content delivery application (CDA). Combined, these applications essentially handle all the code, database queries, and infrastructure in the back end so you can focus on the front end of your site.

Rather than start with a blank HTML page, for example, you'll open up the content editor and be able bold text, add links and CTAs, and insert images and tables by dragging and dropping some modules or clicking a few buttons rather than writing outHTML, CSS, and JavaScript。

Here's a look at how easy it is tobob app下载 using WordPress, for example.

To make other changes on your site, like changing the permalink structure or installing extensions, just navigate to the appropriate section in your admin panel. This is the CMA in action: all these changes are made in an intuitive interface that hides the code from you, the end user.

When you're done making changes, the CDA will take the content you entered into the CMA, assemble the code, display it to your front-end visitors, and store it. That means when you want to publish a new blog post, for example, you just have to hit thePublish按钮而不是手动将页面上载到服务器。

Now that we understand what a CMS is, how it works, and how to use it, let's explore the benefits of using one over building a site from scratch or using another website building tool.

为什么使用CMS？

我们已经暗示了使用CMS的一些好处，但让我们来看看它可以影响您的设置过程，团队的生产力和在线知名度可能影响一些具体方式。

1. No Coding Knowledge Required

By enabling non-developers and other users to build websites without coding, CMS systems have helped revolutionize web design. Gone are the days of relying on web developers and designers to establish an online presence for your business.

您可以创建和管理内容，自定义网站的设计，并安装扩展以向您的站点添加功能 - 所有情况都没有编码。（重要的是要注意大多数平台确实允许您添加自定义代码，以便在您的网站上添加更多粒度控制。）

As a result, users with limited technical resources and time can still build a powerful website for their business.

2. Easy Collaboration

多个用户可以同时访问CMS后端。这意味着在任何一天，您的营销人员都可以生产内容，您的IT专业人员实施安全协议，以及您的开发人员向主题添加自定义代码。事实上，他们都可以在同一个着陆页上工作。

In short, a CMS can help improve workflows and productivity across your team.

3. User Roles and Permissions

A CMS allows you to collaborate in the most efficient and safe way possible thanks to built-in (and often customizable) user roles and permissions. That means content writers, for example, can have all the permissions they need to write, publish, and manage content — but won't be able to delete plugins or otherwise significantly alter the site's functionality.

Here's a look at the User Role Editor in WordPress.

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没有CMS，您必须编写一些非常复杂的条件并检查create user roles and permissions in JavaScript。

4. SEO功能和扩展

CMS平台提供built-in featuresas well as add-ons to help you optimize your site for search engines.

Using built-in or third party tools, you can:

• Customize page titles and meta descriptions
• 选择SEO友好的URL结构
• CreateXML sitemaps
• 添加图像alt text.
• Create301 Redirects
• Include breadcrumb navigation
• 优化page load times

Implementing these best practices will help improve your chances of ranking on Google and other major search engines.

5. Security Features and Extensions

CMS platforms also offer built-in features and add-ons to help you secure your site. Some even offer a dedicated security team. CMS Hub, for example, provides a dedicated 24/7 security team, an enterprise-class web application firewall, SSL, custom CDN, SSO memberships, and and other开箱即用的功能。

6.预测模板

大多数CMS平台都有各种预测模板，您可以使用来快速自定义网站的外观。它们也可以影响您网站的行为。

选择响应模板，例如，将确保您的网站在任何设备上看起来不错，而无需您写一堆代码。Not only do templates save you design time before launching your site, they can also make awebsite redesignmuch faster and simpler down the road.

Webflow is just one CMS that offers hundreds of responsive templates.

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7. Simple Updates

As discussed above, a CMS enables you to make changes on your site faster and easier — from major updates, like a website redesign, to minor updates, like changing the image on your home page. Rather than招聘自由职业者开发商or trying to edit the code yourself, you can go into the dashboard of your CMS to update and edit the content of your website. This allows you to keep your content dynamic and relevant.

8.博客功能

Blogging offers a range of benefits,特别是企业。它可以帮助将流量驱动到您的网站，将流量转换为Leads，在特定行业中建立权威，生成反向链接，实现其他长期结果。但即使对于经验丰富的开发人员，也很难建立一个博客。

A major advantage of using a CMS is that most provide built-in blogging functionality (or extensions) so it's easy to start creating and publishing blog content and reaping the benefits.

9.内容调度

调度内容对任何编辑战略至关重要。从划痕构建一个站点时，您可以安排内容 - 但它需要编码和工具的组合GitHub.。

使用CMS，调度内容与单击按钮一样简单。大多数平台也允许您安排不仅仅是博客帖子。例如，使用CMS集线器，您可以安排博客帖子以及网站页面，登陆页面和电子邮件。

Here's a look at the scheduling tab within HubSpot's blog editor.

10. Easy Access

和a CMS platform, you can access and edit your site on virtually any device with an internet connection. That's much easier than the alternative of building a site from scratch, which requires you to be on a device connected to the server or connect remotely.

此外，大多数CMS系统都有一个仪表板或控制面板，您可以在其中访问您的网站的内容，主题，插件，设置和更多 - 所有位置。

If your site is growing, you may need to upgrade to a CMS to meet your needs. You can start your search by checking out a few of thebest CMS systems以下。

Let's unpack eight popular CMS platform examples to discover which might be the best fit for your website needs.

1.CMS Hub

Ideal for:任何大小的企业

价格：$25 - $1,200 per month

Why Use CMS Hub:和CMS Hub，您可以构建安全，强大，并针对搜索引擎进行优化的网站。

使用此全新连接平台，您可以根据Hubspot CRM的数据为访问者创建个性化内容，创建自定义模板和样式，在多语言内容上运行A / B测试，安全重新设计和重新启动网页，查看性能分析等等。

通过结合易用性和灵活性,这职业prietary CMS is ideal for businesses with diverse teams of marketers, developers, and IT professionals that are looking to grow over time.

了解有关CMS集线器的自定义选项，多语言支持，报告仪表板等有关CMS HUB的更多信息。

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2. WordPress

Ideal for:Small businesses and freelancers

价格：Estimated between$30 to $3,000

Why Use WordPress:WordPress.is a self-hosted platform that powers millions of sites. You can easily and quickly build aWordPress.siteusing theGutenberg editorand then customize it with any of the thousands ofpluginsandthemesavailable in the official WordPress directory or other third-party sites.

Want toadd forms and live chat to your site还Want内置视觉构建器和分割测试附带的主题还利用WordPress插件和主题，您可以为您的品牌创建特定于特定的独特体验。

3. Joomla

Ideal for:全球公司

价格：Estimated between$700 to $6,500

为什么使用Joomla：Site owners looking for more functionality built right into the platform may try aWordPress替代品likeJoomla。

Like WordPress, Joomla is an open-source CMS. What sets Joomla apart is its built-in multilingual support and advanced user and content management options, which make it ideal for membership, community, and social networking sites. UIDAI, for example, is a multilingual website powered by Joomla.

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4. Drupal

Ideal for:Corporatations and government agencies

价格：Estimated between$5,000 to $20,000

为什么使用drupal：Drupalis a highly flexible CMS favored by large corporations and government agencies like NASA. While you will needWeb开发经验要充分利用这个平台的力量，您将不必从头开始。

In addition to its out-of-the-box features, you can choose among 47,000 modules available in its directory and thousands of free themes in its theme repository to build a complex site that handles large volumes of data and heavy traffic, like Rush University Medical Center's website.

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5. Magento

Ideal for:Ecommerce businesses

价格：估计$15,000 and up

Why Use Magento:The self-hosted version ofMagento, known as Magento OpenSource, is like the Drupal of the ecommerce world. It's highly flexible and secure, but difficult to learn and take advantage of all its built-in functionality and extensions.

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和Magento, you can manage multiple stores, use several worldwide shipping providers, and transact in different countries, languages, and currencies — all within the same dashboard.

So, if you have the time and resources to invest in set-up and maintenance, you'll be able to build an online store with a huge product inventory and global reach.

6. Webflow

Ideal for:Web设计人员和机构

价格：$15 - $235 per month

Why Use Webflow:Webflow是一个“视觉”内容管理系统，旨在为想要专注于创建和自定义网站而不担心托管，安全或性能的网站设计师来填补市场缺口。

和Webflow, you can start with one of the hundreds of pre-built templates or start from scratch using the Webflow Designer shown below.

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You can also extend the functionality of your site through third-party integrations or embedding HTML code. Since it requires at least some knowledge of HTML, CSS, and web design, Webflow is best suited for freelancer designers or agencies.

7.鬼魂

Ideal for:Bloggers

价格：$9 - $2,400 per month

为什么使用鬼:If you're looking for a more simple and lightweight CMS dedicated to blogging,鬼is a great option. Ghost is a无头CMS, which means that its body (the content repository) is separated from its head (the presentation layer).

Basically, this allows you to create and manage content and then deliver that content via their Node.jsAPIs(or another front-end tool you prefer) to any platform and channel, from smartwatches to virtuality reality headsets.

和an intuitive editor and built-in SEO tools, Ghost appeals to bloggers and beginners who want a basic site that’s simple to create and manage.

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8. Sitecore.

Ideal for:Enterprise companies

价格：Must contact company for pricing info

为什么使用Sitecore：Sitecore is an enterprise-level headless CMS that enables you to create and deliver personalized websites, emails, social media posts, and mobile experiences.

You can use its WYSIWYG editor with drag-and-drop functionality, session- and device-based personalization rules, and multilingual tools to scale your content creation and deliver content that’s optimized to your users’ interests, language, and device. And thanks to Sitecore’s headless architecture, you can provide these relevant customer experiences across multiple channels, including web, social, voice, point of sale, and more.

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这个CMS为权力为权力more than 120,000 websitesin industries ranging from sports to banking to travel and more. Some of its biggest brands are American Express, ASOS, L’Oréal, and Volvo Cars.

Use a CMS to Build Your Site

Using a content management system to build and manage your site can help you grow over time. Not only will a CMS store all of your web content in one place, it will also support collaboration across teams, allow for quick and easy updates, and offer templates and extensions to customize your site.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2010 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.