Content Management Solutions
Content management covers activities required to generate new content and maintain existing content on the organization’s web site. There are different ways to do this, and choosing the appropriate strategy will depend on the size of the website and the rate at which content is added. If your content is never going to change or need updating, then you may not need to consider a content management solution.
Small Websites
For small, scarcely updated websites, you may update so rarely that it would be practical for you to have a web developer do it for you occasionally at a small fee. For small sites with a fairly paced content stream, you may find it convenient to have your web developer implement a simple server-side content management panel. This would allow you to log in to a browser based control panel and add content. Even a basic panel really can make updating your small site as easy as email.
Moderate to Large Websites
For moderately to medium sized websites with a fairly paced content stream, you may find it convenient to have your web developer implement a server-side content management panel with further customisation options. This would allow you to log in and add content, move content between categories, and so on. For larger scale websites, you may benefit from having your web developer set up a larger scale content management system. Your web developer could code from the ground up or implement an existing content management solution.
User Interaction
A good content management system is essential for user interaction with the website. Discussion boards, user reviews, polls, guestbooks are all examples of automated content management at work. If you want your users are to interact with your website in a similar fashion then a content management system will achieve this. You will also want to use the system to moderate the website from abuse and manage the rest of the site content.
Database Driven Content
If any content management system is to be implemented then the usual practice is to manage information with a database. Your content, or relevant information pointing to your content, can be stored in a database and your web developer can use server-side programming languages to integrate your website with your database. For reference practically all modern blogs, forums, newsgroups, polls, personal messaging systems, etc, are database driven.
