Content Management System
A content management system (
CMS) is computer software used to create, edit,
manage, and publish content. A
CMS is frequently used for storing, controlling,
versioning, and publishing industry-specific documentation such as news articles,
and marketing brochures. The content managed may include computer files, image media,
audio files, electronic documents, and Web content. We incorporate a Content Management
System that is fast, easy to use and generates browser independent standards compliant
XHTML. Created content looks exactly the same in all browsers. Below is our
CMS
tool notice some of the features:
- Design Mode allows simple and fast editing.
- HTML Mode allows you to view the source code. This is useful when the Design Mode
is not formatting correctly and you can use the Basic HTML to help understand the HTML tags.
- Preview Mode will give you a look at what the page will look on the site.
- Built in Spell Checker.
Design mode HTML text Preview CANCEL SUBMIT |
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Using the CMS System
First off I would like to say that the CMS system is a tool that I hope you learn
to like to use to maintain and enhance your site. The CMS system is there for you
to primarily make small changes to content and easily update your site without having
to deal with your webmaster. It is not the most simple tool to use and it does have
a learning curve to it but if you follow some of the following rules and are willing
to take the time and learn a little HTML you will be very successful at making large
scale content changes.
I highly recommend spending a couple hours reading about HTML and how it works.
This site is a start.
It is a very simple scripting language based on tags and attributes. In none nerd
terms a tag has a beginning and a close like so : <tag></tag> and atttributes
are properties within the tag beginning <tag attribute1="attrib" attribute2="attrib2">body</tag>
. It is crucial that each beginning have an end, things get messy otherwise.
At any point if you have questions or feel unsure about specific changes feel free
to contact me for advice.
- Before making any edit you should switch to HTML mode and select and copy the text
to a backup text file. You can always cancel the CMS but once you submit you lose
your previously saved content.
- Before you press Submit click to Preview Mode. This is not exact because the CSS
will be slightly different for the actual page when it comes to sizing.
- Do not copy from MS and Paste Directly into the CMS system while in Design Mode.
Word uses html to create its document but the document is full of style formatting
tags that will interfere with the consistency of the site design that I have created
for you. This is created using CSS {Content Style Sheets}
- To copy content from Word you can do one of two things. Switch to HTML mode and
copy and paste the text in its appropriate location. In Design Mode copy and paste
the text to a text editor such as notepad then copy from notepad to the appropriate
location.
Before Uploading
Name your file properly before uploading
- Name your file with a clear name. Use a keyword and or keyword phrase if possible.
- Remove all spaces in the file name with a dash -. Search engines cannot parse words
from phrases easily but recognize dashes as spaces. Also this is a security measure
and some hosts will error out with blanks in file names.
PDF Files
- PDF Files if saved properly so that the text can be read by the search bots. All
programs that build PDF formatted files should have this option. a. This will increase
your keyword usage and get those pdfs linked in the search engines. To test open
the pdf and use the SELECT tool. If you are able to select text you have been successful.
- Remove extraneous pages or combine pdfs with multiple files into one document for
downloading.
Image Files
- Make sure you images are sized properly
- Resizing with the CMS editor may cause your image to become distorted if the resize
is not done in proportion to its original size.
- A large image that is resized smaller in the CMS editor takes longer to download
than an image properly sized.
- A small image that is resized larger in the CMS editor distorts the image so it
becomes grainier and unclear.
- File type can affect the data size of the image, It is always best to save in a
web resolution {72dpi} with a jpeg format.
After Uploading
- Verify the upload was succcessful by using the url in the address bar to view the
uploaded file. This should have opened after a successful upload http://wwww.yoursite.com/Files/Updloadedfile.ext
- After placing the link tag or the image tag for the uploaded file through the CMS
system look at it in the HTML mode and double check the tag
- If it is a link and the link is outside of the web domain it is best to add the
follow attributes to the tag target="_blank" The target opens the link in a new
window.
- Add a title tag to both any image or link tags; title ="relevant keyword" If the
tag is an image add the alt="relevant keyword" These are the tooltips or hovers
for the links and images and increase keyword usage just as content.
- Check to see if any CSS {Content Style Sheet} is used to add a border or spacing
to the image. This is done on almost all of my sites, Look at existing CMS to find
out what this does.