If you’ve ever shopped for a website, you’ve probably seen the term “content management system”—or possibly the more mysterious “CMS”—somewhere on the estimate. They’re all the rage in website design right now. If you’re like most people, these terms probably come across as a little jargony, and unclear. Never fear, lets break this down to define what a content management system is, and what it means for you and your website.
So what is a CMS?
CMS stands for Content Management System, which is a type of software that helps you manage the content that makes up your website. Depending on the needs of your website, your content can be made up of copy, images, videos, audio clips, or PDF downloads.
Why do I want a CMS?
CMS systems have become incredibly popular because they actually enable you, the website owner, to update a lot of your own copy and images. That means, when your phone number or address changes, you don’t need to bother to call your designer or web developer to fix it for you—you can simply log in to your CMS “backend” system and change it yourself! Although a CMS doesn’t enable you to make larger-scale layout changes, the fact that you can make a lot of these smaller changes yourself can translate to a lot less hassle and a lot more cost savings for you!