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The Website CMS Beginner’s Guide

So you want to set up your first website. You have a great idea: a product to sell or a service to offer. You know exactly what you want your website to do, but you don’t know how to code.

Luckily, some really smart people know how to code, and they’ve built some awesome tools for us non-coders.

When it comes to websites, this tool is called a CMS, or content management system.

Using a CMS means that you can create the website of your dreams, all without using any code!

Websites 360® CMS Mobile

So What Is A CMS (Content Management System)?

At its core, a CMS is an easy way to manage content on a website. “CMS” is an acronym for Content Management System, a very apt description.

A CMS is typically a web application that can be accessed via a normal internet browser. Some CMSs can even be accessed on your mobile device, like Websites 360®!

Content management systems make it easy for users to add content, edit, and manage their website without the need for back end code changes.

With an effective CMS, even the least tech-savvy of us can easily manage our website’s content and make updates.

There are many different CMSs available on the market. A popular one is WordPress, which is open source and great for bloggers. There are hundreds of different CMSs, all with different purposes, strengths, and weaknesses.

Some CMS software is free, while other software is paid. The difference between a free and paid CMS is normally seen in their capability.

Free CMS software is normally much more limited than a paid CMS. For example, you may be limited to using a subdomain of the CMS system, like danielswebsite.example.com

Paid CMSs are usually very affordable, ranging from just a few dollars a month to around $50. The difference comes from the capability that you are given within the CMS, and the level of support provided.

Why Your CMS Matters

The CMS you pick greatly affects what kind of capability and features will be available to you. It also affects how your website is built on a code level. This in turn affects how your website looks to search engines, impacting your SEO quality. All of these things mean that your CMS of choice has the potential to make or break your website’s design, functionality, and effectiveness.

Some CMSs are simple, and don’t offer much customization of your website. They are typically not much more than a text editor for a blog or one page website. While this simplicity may be valued for ease of use, it is also limiting to your website’s design and effectiveness.

Other CMSs are complicated, with many advanced features. These features may be intimidating for first time users, and are normally intended for experienced web designers and developers.

On the other hand, a CMS like Websites 360® strikes a balance between ease of use and functionality. Websites 360® allows users to jump right in and publish a website within minutes. Then you can modify your website or coordinate with a designer to take it to the next level.

A good CMS should be easy to use, work everywhere, include incredible SEO capability, and even more.

What A CMS Lets You Do

Your CMS dictates what you can and can’t do on your website. Different CMSs have different capabilities. Some are very limiting, while others have an abundance of features and tools for experienced users to dig into. However, in general content management systems can all perform basic website management functions.

Some example functions include:

  • Edit text content
  • Add images
  • Format text
  • Add new pages/posts
  • Modify page layouts
  • Change website themes or colors

In some cases, with more robust CMSs such as Websites 360®, you will also have additional capabilities to add, edit, and modify content. You can also rely on your CMS to take care of “behind the scenes” work.

Some of these features include:

  • Add content sections
  • Add image galleries
  • Include embedded video
  • Embed audio tracks
  • Include social media feeds
  • Showcase products
  • Feature a restaurant menu
  • Integrate your location’s address
  • Include custom search box
  • Swap out photos
  • Change logos
  • Edit SEO data
  • Add customized buttons
  • Embed forms
  • Add email collection forms
  • Input custom HTML code as needed
  • Style text and links
  • Connect with analytics systems
  • Use a custom domain name
  • Automatically generate navigation elements
  • Make content searchable and indexable
  • Keep track of administrators and their permissions
  • And much, much more
Websites 360® CMS Connections

The Websites 360® CMS is built on a flexible platform. This means that Websites 360® websites will never go out of date, as the platform is constantly updated to accommodate new features and guard against security threats.

In addition, Websites 360® was built from the ground up with search engines in mind. We’ve used Schema.org principles so that search engines can easily understand what your website. This means that Websites 360® websites have a leg up on SEO right out of the gate.

Best of all, this is all done with no work required from owners of websites on Websites 360®. You’ll never have to manually update your website or update your website on the code level to implement the best SEO strategies.

Conclusion

There are many different content management systems available, all with their strengths and weaknesses. At Websites 360®, of course we’re biased, but we believe that the Websites 360® platform is the best CMS on the market.

Websites 360® allows beginners to jump right in and create a website in just minutes, while also allowing more advanced editing when needed.

This makes Websites 360® ideal for small business owners, artists, musicians, designers, authors, and even franchises. We’ve worked hard to make the Websites 360® platform work well for many different types of businesses.

If you would like to learn more about the Websites 360® CMS or our design services, contact a specialist today at (833) 277-1328.