If your looking to create a website and want the power to be able to update and make changes to it yourself without a web designer a content management system will work well for you.
Some of the best known and most commonly used content management systems are completely free. All content management systems listed on this site are presently freely available to download and use under the GNU public license.
If you are computer and web savvy you might just have what it takes to set up a content management system. Prepare yourself for plenty of reading. You can also pay a designer to get you up and running and then you take over with the ability to edit your site through a user friendly interface.
It really depends what you are trying to achieve with your website. It’s a good idea to browse websites of individual content management systems to give yourself an idea of exactly what each one can and can’t do. The success of your website is often all in your preparation so don’t be afraid to jump onto forums and ask questions.
First of all you will need to purchase a domain name and web hosting.
Yes. There are plenty of websites around allowing you to download templates both free and paid versions. Please note that free templates often require a link from your site back to the creators site. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the template creator.
Most Content Management Systems have a database of extensions available to add plenty of functionality to your website. Extensions examples include things like calculators, photo galleries, clocks, calenders, newsletters, polls, surveys and many more. Extensions are normally freely available but once again may require a link back to the creator’s website.
Forums, online documentation, cms websites and google.
As with all quality web applications you will need to update from time to time. Most content management systems will alert you when a new update becomes available. Along with the update files should be some detailed instructions on how to backup your site and upgrade your cms.