Content Management Systems
A Content Management System (CMS) separates content from presentation and drives both across all levels of one or more web applications. A CMS enables one to organize, edit and publish any kind of content, including text, images, music, video, and documents, through a web-based, password-protected toolset which can be configured for multiple users with multiple access privileges. The separation of data assets from the ways they are visually presented enrichens both: by making it possible to endlessly reconfigure your assets in creative ways, now and in the future, as well as by allowing you to redesign the presentation layer as often as necessary to maintain an up-to-date and engaging web presence. All content is represented through custom-coded software objects that are stored in a database, and the pages on the front-end of a Zagar.biz CMS-driven web site are dynamically generated.
More than just a web site administration tool, a CMS can be a personal information platform, allowing one to creatively organize ones' resources for multiple web sites, private intranets, and more, through integration with other software applications. A CMS can facilitate communication between you and your audience, as well as between individuals within your audience. As web technology continues to evolve, you will be at an advantageous state because your content will have actionable value that does not exist in a static web site.
Zagar.biz CMS Tools and Features
Each tool in the CMS is customized to directly address the client's needs. Because I have done many iterations of such toolsets over the years for large as well as small clients, the code that I have developed is refined, tested, and modular. Consequently, I am able to provide the client with a fantastic value by focusing directly on her specific needs.Tools for Organizing Your Data Assets - Your data can be organized into granular and flexible categorization systems. Categories and sub-categories can be easily created, ordered and edited at any time. Categories can be designated to be publicly accessible, or they can be restricted to password-protected areas of the site. A single resource (that is, a photo, video, a product in your store, etc.) can be placed in multiple categories and ordered within each category, respectively. For example, an artist could could place a single painting into Abstract, Surreal, and Works for Sale categories. There is no limit to the number of resources or categories you can have.
Custom Data Objects - Rather than being forced to conform to the dictates of an off-the-shelf solution designed by people to whom you will never have the chance to voice your concerns, you can, with our assistance, determine all of the essential architectural characteristics of your own data. For example, not only would a Quicktime clip resource include the usual title, short description, long description, download count, date added, keywords, etc., but you could also assign any number of meta-attributes to it, such as contributors within your organization, locations, clients for whom it was produced, high, medium, and low-resolution versions, etc. I will listen closely to your needs and translate them into a creative solution.
Multi-User, Multi-Level Administration - A Zagar.biz CMS accommodates multiple levels of users. Each user has his own login, and can access only the tools (and specific functionality within those tools) that he has been granted priveleges to. For example, a CMS built for an artist representative allows the master user to create new artist accounts and portfolios, and to administer the content of each portfolio. Each artist, however, can log in to the CMS and administer only the content of their own portfolios.
Integrated Search Engine - All of your data, including the text of your pages and the resources you're presenting to your audience can be searchable, both on the front end search engine and on the back end. In this way, both you and your viewers can quickly find what they are looking for.
Flexible Templates - "Template" refers to the look-and-feel of the public side of your web site. You may have any number of templates, depending on the complexity of your site. The Content Editor interface reflects the template chosen for a particular page and allows you to edit every portion of the page that could be dynamic, including meta tags, page title, and each distinct content area. A single template need not be rigid, but can facilitate dynamic or randomized elements, such as an unlimited number of header images assignable to a single page, or special code blocks that peform certain tasks, such as email list signup, can be placed anywhere on any page.
Flash and XML-based Integration - All data can be exported to XML, which can be used to drive Flash web sites or to integrate with other XML-friendly applications.
Content Editor - Add/edit/delete new pages on your web site. Using a WYSIWYG editor, you can enter text and apply style sheet formatting without any knowledge of HTML programming. The updates you make from the CMS instantaneously appear on the front-end. There is no waiting for designers or content editors to make changes, and no need to upload new content through an HTML editor program or FTP. You can update your content as often as you please, from any computer on the Internet. Additionally, the separation of content from the template allows you to make small changes or a complete redesign of the front end without touching the content.
RSS Feeds - You can designate parts of your site content to be made available in RSS feeds.
Multiple Mailing Lists - You can allow users to sign up for mailing lists on your web site. From the backend, you can send a message either to a single list, or to all lists.
Contact Form - Users can fill out a form to contact you. The CMS emails you the message without revealing your email address to the user on the front-end and prevents spam bots from clogging your inbox.
