Proper Selection of Right Content Management System

If you’ve got a company running that handles quite a large and varied amount of data, it may be time to consider getting a Content Management System or CMS. So what is CMS? It is basically a computer application which lets you create, edit, manager, search, store, publish and organize assorted digital files. These files may range from simple electronic texts, to web development documents, images, music, movies, and more. There are four categories of CMS, namely: Enterprise CMS, Web CMS, Mobile CMS and Component CMS. To find out which one is right for you and your business, continue reading for a more in-depth discussion of each.

Enterprise Content Management System - AIIM, shortened version of a company called Association for Information and Image Management defines ECM as "the strategies, methods and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes." This means that ECM encompasses the legacy problem that domains address via records management and document management. ECMs are able to reduce handling of paper, reduce the need for paper storage, reduce cases of lost documents, make access faster to information, give online access to information that was formerly available only on paper, microfilm, or microfiche, improve control over documents and document-oriented processes, among other benefits. ECM also has improved tracking and monitoring, enabling it to modify a system to make it more efficient.

Web Content Management System - (WCMS or Web CMS) CMS software, usually implemented as a Web application, for making and controlling HTML. It is used to handle and control a large, dynamic collection of HTML documents and their associated images. A WCMS uses content creation, content control, editing, other functions needed to operate and maintain a website. Usually the software provides tools designed to allow users who know little or no programming language to be able to create a webpage without all the coding. They may also be called WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) programs, and they have a disadvantage of having massive amounts of html, accounting for a heavy file size. Instead of WYSIWYG programs that go for HTML, try looking for ones that use CSS like Sitegrinder (look at a Sitegrinder forum to see where to get it) to be able to lessen the file size.

Mobile Content Management System - A CMS that provided a design to simplify publication of content for mobile phone browsers. They make images and text resized so that it will fit into the cell phone’s display.

Component Content Management System - is about managing content at a small-scale level (component) instead of making changes by the document. Each component represents a single topic, e.g., image, table, product description. The parts are assembled into multiple content assemblies (content types) and can be viewed as normal components, or parts of a document. Each part has its own owner, version, approval, use, etc. and can be tracked individually or as part of an assembly. It’s mostly used for things like marketing, usage, learning, and support. It can also be a separate system or be a functionality of another content management system type. Some of its benefits are greater consistency and accuracy, and reduced maintenance, delivery, and translation costs.

Sitegrinder
Contains tutorials and such on building your own website from Photoshop without any manual coding.