There are many people who know about CMS, but there are even more who don't. What is a Content Management System, and how can you choose the right one? We will cover these things in this article.

What Are Open Source CMS?

In the data management field, content management systems (CMS) refer to web applications that provide the ability to create, edit, and manage HTML (and other) web content while using a database (typically MySQL). In general, content for a website is created and edited within an administrative section of the site (often referred to as the backend), and this content is then presented to visitors via an interface resembling a regular website (often referred to as the frontend).

By adding extra code, called plugins, modules, and extensions, most Content Management Systems can extend their functionality. Adding these to your website will enhance its functionality without taking a lot of your time. Experienced dot net developer knows how to extend functionality of your open source CMS.                      

As for themes, they are also available with most CMS. Essentially, these are the "clothing" of your CMS. Your website's appearance and functionality are determined by them. In general, themes vary from one CMS to another, but in general, most include a few .php files and .css files that work in conjunction with the core system to ensure that your site's overall appearance matches the theme.

Let's think about 'open source' for a moment. The bottom line is that open source means it is FREE, which is probably all that really matters to most people! However, there is so much more to it than just that!

The source code of an open source project is available for download, modification, and use. It is often the case for developers to make their product open source so other developers can use their design and improve it. To help the project flourish and grow, these improvements are then incorporated into future versions of the "code." An open-source CMS can therefore be used and improved by anyone, free of charge.

10 must have features CMS must have

We are living in a content-driven world. If you need to attract your audience you need to deliver fresh and engaging content periodically. This is where CMS can help. In the world of technology there is nothing called a perfect CMS. There is only CMS that is perfect for you. In this part of our blog post let’s explore the best features of modern CMS. 

1. User-friendliness of CMS

In order to have the CMS work for your audience as well as your employees, the system has got to be user-friendly.

A system that has a simplified layout with easy to understand control or search options makes it ideal for your team to adapt and take ownership at individual levels thus increasing efficiency and productivity.

2. Customization

This does without CMS that allows flexibility in the way content or even delivery applications are presented or retrieved will be more desirable than others. Flexibility and customization makes any CMS stand out.

3. Security

As technology is growing, cybercrime has become a serious threat. Malicious codes and scripts, unauthorised access, data integrity violations are some of the common cybercrime methods which any CMS needs to be protected from.

A robust security system has now become a necessity. Many security plugins are now available which you can integrate into your CMS system which can really protect your site from malicious scripts.

4. Comprehensive Search

Your website needs to have a comprehensive search mechanism. If your customer is looking for a specific solution and for a specific problem, and your platform gives it to them easily without browsing the entire site, you will drive more traffic. Search has to be in-depth, fast, and hassle-free to use. There can be a drilled down approach while you are implementing the search engine CMS. The drill-down approach is the approach when you have the main subjects on top. If you click, it will drill down, and if you are zooming, something of that sort makes more sense when it comes to the search facility.

5. Search Analytics

A content management system that has built-in analytics helps content creators, brand managers, sales and marketing teams in knowing visitor trends. This gives them the opportunity to optimise their marketing and content strategies according to user behavior.

The next feature is powerful publishing tools. Now the publishing tools are the core of any CMS, just like your content is the backbone of audience interaction. A comprehensive system will adapt to any type of content you want to publish - be it a news snippet or a long art, default layouts or customized landing pages  - all these will be integrated into a publications workflow.

Let’s not forget, it will also handle content tagging, SEO, adapting videos and images and more from within the publishing interface. We have built-in SEO tools, which will help you automatically create URLs that will work both for search engines and your readers.

The on-page search engine optimization techniques such as adding appropriate page titles, META descriptions, and alternatives tags for images, avoiding plagiarism, etc. can be handled by adding the appropriate tools that can be used for SEO.

The other feature CMS must have is multi-platform integration. This has become a must-have feature now-a-days. Every organization would want to grow and take their product/service on multiple platforms. It can be another site or multiple screen experience such as mobile devices, tables, AR/VR etc. 

A system capable of handling all these from one place is desirable rather than having a separate CMS for each of them which will consume more  time.

          6. Quick rollback options with Versioning   

From our perspective, this is a very important point. What happens if you delete or create something by accident? You would want the system to roll back to the last saved state relieving you from the stress of going all over again.

Earlier versioning was one an enterprise-level tool but now more and more content management systems are equipped with it. So you can certainly look for CMS which can have various levels of versioning and should have a point when you can choose to roll back at that point. 

Earlier versioning was one an enterprise-level tool but now more and more content management systems are equipped with it. So you can certainly look for CMS which can have various levels of versioning and should have a point when you can choose to roll back at that point.

Lighting-fast support

If you are an IT company composed of people that can bring you out of situations when CMS has some problems, then you can ignore this.

Having said that, having a robust support system is imperative. Most open-source software do not offer any support so you need to be very careful while deciding which CMS tool to use.  

Although the list of features that define good CMS from bad one is quite exhaustive I tried to compile the best from the rest. It is also important to consider features such as licensing, multi-lingual support, accessibility, training, customer service  and much more. CMS is evolving, development is a constant process which varies according to customer needs. Make sure you get what  you want. You would not want to pay for a functionality that you will never use and on the flip side you don’t want to be stuck with a CMS that doesn't fulfill your needs.       

What are the factors you should consider before choosing a CMS

As mentioned above, there are several open source CMS options available today. There is no such thing as a standard content management system. These systems all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when selecting a CMS:

Step 1: Make a list of requirements

Identify the type of website you want to build from the beginning. Decide which features are essential. 

Step 2: Do research

The most important step is this. This is where you learn whether a CMS can meet your needs. Begin researching online using the list you created in step one. You can test out the administrative interface of most CMS systems on their own website. It might not be the best system for you if you're having a difficult time and it's proving difficult. 

Step 3: Check for available extensions

Check out the plugins and modules that any potential CMS has to offer to make sure you get the right functionality out of your website. Don't be convinced by just one extension. There is a high chance that the excitement over the CMS will fade pretty quickly if you can't find good extensions for all the things you want.

Step 4: Investigate design option

 A visually stunning website design can't necessarily lead to significant traffic, but an easy-to-use, clean-looking website can't hurt your chances. Investigate the availability of themes when considering a CMS. A few CMS systems offer free themes and even a small one-time fee for premium versions. At the moment, WordPress is the king of this game, and the wide selection of both premium and free themes available on that platform is a major asset.

Create a custom theme if you intend to do so. Look into free theme frameworks. For many of the major CMS platforms, powerful, responsive frameworks have now been released. 

Step 5: Dive in

Ok, so you've gathered your list, researched, verified available extensions, and have decided on a theme, it's time to get started! Let's get started! Add your desired extensions and begin publishing content. To build your theme, choose one from the theme store or build one yourself.

Content Management Development 

Content management systems are fantastic. Managing your website is as easy as editing a Word document (or a Google Doc, for those of us who are more up-to-date). Using a well-implemented content management system on your website allows you to take control over all of your web content without writing a single line of code. When you think about how complex modern HTML/CSS & Javascript are, trust us - this is a very good development.

In addition to Sitefinity, WordPress, and Umbraco CMS platforms, BitsOrchestra team of expert c# developers have developed dozens of successful websites and applications using these platforms.

• Umbraco Development 

Because of its versatility, this CMS is ideal for almost any type of website. Important things: You can use Umbraco for free since it is open source.

• Sitefinity Development

Sitefinity is a popular content management system for mid-tier to large corporate and government websites. Sitefinity is a robust, customizable CMS and, like any good CMS, it allows you to edit the content of your site easily. The price of Sitefinity varies based on the features you may want or require for your website.

• WordPress Development

Known as the most popular website platform on the planet, WordPress is an easy-to-use, popular content management system for blogs. While adding more plugins, however, it has also expanded its reach beyond the blogosphere to include content-managed websites.

How Does C# Work?

The C# programming language is a modern, multipurpose programming language that has a wide range of uses spanning a broad spectrum of professions. The most popular way to use C# is with the Windows .NET framework, but it can also be used with open source platforms like Linux and Open Source. As a relatively new object-oriented programming language (OOP), it can be classed as a relatively unknown programming language, but it is already developing a reputation for being very user friendly for c# developer.

What is the purpose of C#?

You can create a wide range of programs and applications with C#, as well as other general-purpose programming languages, including mobile apps, desktop apps, cloud-based services, websites, enterprise software, and games. There are plenty of games to choose from. While C# is a very versatile language, there are three main areas where its use is the most common.

Website development 

In open-source software and on the .NET platform, C# is often used in order to create dynamic, professional looking websites. Even if you don't like Microsoft's architecture, you can create a fully-functional website with C#. As a result of its object-oriented nature, this language is often used to build websites that are extremely efficient, scalable, and easy to maintain.

Windows applications 

C# is a language created by Microsoft for Microsoft, so it's no surprise that most desktop applications are created using it. C# applications are best developed alongside the Windows .NET framework, so it is ideal for developing applications that are designed specifically for Microsoft's platform. 

Games 

Do you want to create games? Then C# might be the best language for you. The Unity Game Engine uses this language to create games such as Rimworld.

It's no secret that Unity is the most popular game engine on the market. More than a third of the industry's best-selling and most-played games are built on Unity. In the context of cross-platform technologies such as Xamarin, C# works seamlessly with Unity's engine, so it can be used on a wide variety of modern mobile or console devices.

In this section, you will find some examples of C# programs and applications that demonstrate the versatility and reliability of the language.

• Windows Installer XML
• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Paint.NET
• Open Dental
• KeePass
• FlashDevelop
• Banshee
• NMath
• Pinta
• OpenRA

C#'s advantages

Both novice and experienced programmers benefit from the C# language. Here are five of our favorites.

You can save time by using C#

By using C# instead of another programming language, you can save a lot of time. Users do not have to waste their time searching for small errors in their applications because C# is easy to read and statically typed.

Furthermore, C# focuses on simplicity and efficiency, so developers are able to spend less time writing repetitive stacks of code when using it. By building up your memory bank, you end up with a time-saving language that allows you to reduce labor hours to a great extent and help you meet tight deadlines without having to rouse yourself up at 2am to drink another cup of coffee.

 Here is a list of all the other services we provide:

• Ecommerce development
• ASP.NET Development
• SQL Server Database Development
• Social Media Application Development
• Mobile & Responsive Development
• Software & Responsive Development
• Software Development & Engineering
• Systems Integration

Why Hire C# Developers with BitsOrchestra?

You get dedicated full-time developers
Your business has its own project management procedures, and you prefer to work directly with your tech team. The model we use works perfectly for you. Whenever support is needed, we will be able to step in, but third parties will not be involved in the development process.
 
You hire C# developer who knows your business
Even though your C# developers aren't physically co-located, they form a part of your team and follow your company's procedures. As a result, they can provide you with better solutions and understand your business' needs.
 
You get a team that lasts - our HR/Client managers advise you on how to manage a team and our retention specialists ensure a high level of job satisfaction for your developers.
 
The development process is all you have to worry about.
You will provide your C# developers with a fully maintained office, along with all of the necessary hardware, software, and remote collaboration tools. Additionally, our accounting and legal teams will handle payroll, taxation, and more.