I remember when I was initially introduced to the internet close to 13 or fourteen years ago. I was still within high school at that stage and was instantly captivated by the most recent "gadget" to hit the world! The web bug rapidly bit me and in a short time I was not only continuously surfing the net, but additionally trying my hand at web pages design! My very first website was a four page web site (with a MP3 playing in the background I will have you know!) dedicated to my sweetheart at that time. The entire web site was designed in note pad, utilizing HTML coding. My oh my, how times have changed!
A few years later web pages design software was introduced and website design became quicker and simpler with the help of the various design resources. The problem now was that lots of people now tried out the different website design software packages and before long every 2nd person on the street claimed to be a website developer! As you can imagine, the quality as well as structure of a few of these web sites were sub-standard.
One of the biggest disadvantageous of both using basic HTML coding and web design software was that creating an internet site was still a time consuming and complex process. Every single page had to be designed separately, formatting had to be specified throughout an entire website. and once you finished your website you had to start yet again!
That was till Content Management Systems, or CMS abbreviated, were introduced to the market! A content management system can be compared to a library stocked along with shelves and shelves of publications, encyclopedias and magazines. The librarian can easily find a specific book simply by accessing her data. A content management system exists of files rather than books, however a powerful administrator system is there to fulfill the job of the librarian and swiftly "locate" the right page or document.
There are different cms available. 2 of the most popular Content management systems systems in my opinion are Joomla and Wordpress. Wordpress is mostly used in smaller web sites or web sites that require blogging features. This particular CMS is very easy to use as the majority of the structural work is performed by the CMS itself. Quite simply, you do not need to physically develop a menu item each time you create a new page - Wordpress does this for you.
Joomla however takes a bit more understanding and training, but is (in my personal opinion) more powerful than Wordpress. Please note this is a personal opinion and not based on any research. Joomla offers numerous plug-ins and elements to choose from and if you require a particular functionality on your website, chances are that you will be able to locate a suited plug-in or component free or charge.
Web pages design are not as time consuming and cumbersome as a few years ago. Why not test out the various software packages and CMS systems available? You may be amazed with the final result!