Three Different Types of CMS
What is a CMS?
The term CMS stands for Content Management System. This software helps create, manage, and publish digital content without using advanced coding skills. There are three types of CMS, each of them handles and deliver content in different ways.
Traditional CMS
Headless CMS
SaaS/Website Builder CMS
Traditional CMS
Traditional CMS is a software application that stores your content and displays it directly on a website using built-in design templates.
How it Works:
The Backend/Dashboard
This is an area where the creator types text and drops images in. The images that have been uploaded are immediatly sent to a seperate media folder on a web server computer. The second the image is uploaded, the system will generate a unique ID number for it in the database. The ID is neccessary in the system since it directs it to keep them together.
The Database
The database is like a locker for the information. It stores a link that directs the system to images that had been uploaded in folders and gives ID codes to each image. The database also creates tables to organize the text the creator has added.
The Front-End Template
The template is technically as it says it is, a template. It's a pre-made set that instructs where everything is supposed to be places. It is necessary since without it, that database wouldn't understand where to place the information that the creator had made. Think of it as a coloring book, the template is the black lines that are on the pages of the book. It instructs where the colors (the database) is supposed to be placed.
The Web Server
The web server is used to detect when another user is trying to use your link/creation. When they click the link, the web server is used to place the text and images into their spots. Afterwards, it puts it all together into a finished webpage and directs it to the visitors screen.
Headless CMS
Headless CMS is a more modern alternative that chops the head off of the body. In other words, it takes off the front-end template from the database and dashbaord.
How it Works:
The Admin Dashboard and Database
Both of these parts remain the same. The Dashboard is the private room where the creator types and uploads images into. The Database is the locker that stores text tables and IDs to link images.
The Front-End Template (Head)
The Headless CMS does not have a template or style mold. It doesn't care what the website appears as for the user who opens your link. It doesn't care about the colors, text, anything. The only thing it does would be holding raw data.
The Web Server (APIs)
Instead of the way the traditional CMS glues everything together into a webpage. The headless CMS uses an API. The API acts like a digital delivery window. Basically, when someone opens your content, they don't just use a web server to look at a website. Instead, the Headless CMS pushes the text and images through the delivery window to any device that asks for it.
Why Bother Using?
It may not make sense to use this type of CMS since it doesn't have a provided template for your information. But there are three main and important reasons why some people may prefer this system over the traditional one:
Shows Everywhere With One Update
In the traditional CMS, the text is trapped inside of a pre-made website. If you wanted the same text on a phone app, you would only have to update it once with the headless CMS. Which would be faster than the traditional system.
Design Freedom
This system type will allow you to explore different layouts freely instead of placing all of your information in pre-made models. You can make more unique designs with your website layout wihtout limitations.
Faster and Safer
The system prepares everything ahead of time. meaning everything is up and ready to go whenever the link towards the site it clicked. Allowing the page to be opened in an instant. It's safer since the database is hidden away in a seperate server. The live website only talks to a secure delivery window to get its information. Because the site and database are disconnected from each other, hackers can't find a path to steal your files.
Decoupled CMS
This is the style that sits in between traditional CMS and headless CMS.
How it Works:
The Seperate Setup
The private dashboard where you write content lives on one server. But the front-end design template lived on another server. They are physically seperated from one another.
The Built-In Link
Although they are split apart, the dashboard still includes the pre-made template system in it. The moment you save your text, the system automatically packages it up and sends it over to the design server to update your main website.
The API
At the same time, the system also opens up an API. This allows you to pull the exact same raw text out and send it to other places, like on a mobile app or a smartwatch.
Why Bother Using?
Easier for Everyone
Your marketing team gets to use more comfortable visual editing tools and see previews on what the site would look like when published. Similar to traditional CMS. The developers get the freedom to connect the data used to modern apps (like headless CMS).
Better Performance
Because the design templates live on a seperate server, the website will load faster and it is safer from hackers, similar to the healdess CMS system
Ready for Future
A company can build a standard website in present day using the built-in templates. Afterwards, they can easily add a mobile app the next year without having to use a new CMS
Pros and Cons
Now that we have an understanding of each of the CMS types, lets look at their pros and cons.
Traditional
Pros
Easy Setup
You can launch a fully working website in a couple of minutes since everything is set in a pre-made template
No Coding Needed
Anyone using this CMS can easily change fonts, colors, and write pages by a single click. Easy for beginners.
Massive Theme Templates
You can instantly change the look of your website using thousands of pre-made templates.
Cheaper to run
You don't need to hire any professionals or expensive software developers to build the site for you.
Cons
Stuck on web
Your text is trapped inside a website layout, you don't have much freedom to change the design of it. Typically drags down the visual performance of it.
Slower Load Speed
The server has to glue the page together from scratch everytime a user clicks the link to it, this drags down the performance speed.
Easy Target for Hackers
Because the login screen and the database live in the same aeea, it makes it way easier to break into it and steal important data.
No Extra features
Adding to many extra features can cause the site to crash, glitch, or slow down dramatically.
Stuck in Templates
If you want a totally unique website appearance, you are using the wrong CMS type. The traditional system doesn't support this, you are stuck between a pre-made template design.
Headless
Pros
Screen Availability
You can blast your text to a website, mobile app, smartwatch, and a smart TV all at the exact same time.
Insanely Fast
Websites load almost in an instant on click. This is because the pages are already built, this way, visitors never have to wait on a database.
Security
The database is hidden on a seperate server, emaning hackers have no way to find or steal your filed through the website.
No Design Rules
When it comes to designing your website, you have unlimited freedom on the visual layout. You can make it as unique as you would like it to be without being trapped onto a singular theme.
Clean Code
There's no messy plugins to install, which keeps the system very light, stable, and crash-free.
Cons
No Pre-Made Themes
It doesn't come with templates, so you must hire a developer to build the entire look of your website from scratch.
No Simple Previews
Writers can't easily click a button to see what their text will look like on the live website before hitting the publish button.
More Expensive
Buying seperate servers for your database and your website design can make your monthly bills increase.
Harder Management
You can't just download a plugin to add a contact form or a shop. A programmer has to build those features for you.
Not Needed for Small Sites
If you only need a basic business website or a personal blog, this CMS system is not the one you should take. The system will be way too complicated.
Decoupled
Pros
Win, Win for Everyone
Writers get easy website preview tools, while developers get raw data to sned to mobile apps.
Safer and Faster
Because the design templates and database live on seperate computers, the website loads quickly and keep shackers away from your files.
Flexible Growth
You can build a standard website today using the built-in system and easily connect a mobile app the next year without needing to change your software.
Less Tech Pressure
Marketers can launch landing pages and change website content without constantly needing a programmer to help.
Cons
Complex Setup
Running two separate systems that communicate with each other requires expert setup and the management is likely to be confusing.
Higher Cost
You will have to pay for and mantain seperate servers for the dashbaord and the live website.
Tricky Updates
If a developer updates the code on the design server, it can sometimes break the connection to the dashboard server.
Too much for Small Teams
It requires both marketing staff and coding staff to run smoothly, making it impractical for solo creators or small shops to manage this type of CMS.
If you are having a difficult time deciding which type of CMS you should use, let us know, and we will help you out!
