An online database, commonly known as a Content Management System (CMS) is crafted specifically to enable a company's administration and staff to use a streamlined web-based admin system rather than a web master for updating an online display. They can be used to store, create, control, and otherwise share dynamic information relevant to the company and its customers. They may be organized into the following sections:
News and Announcements
This section allows a company to share news and current information. Typically, the most recent additions to this section may appear on the company home page.
Bulletin Board
Companies use this section to post their daily, weekly or monthly bulletins so customers and employees alike can access the information easily.
Calendars
Calendar pages allow companies to plan, organize and share upcoming events. There may be different calendars for separate departments and calendars may be available both in web friendly and printer friendly versions.
Photo Albums
Here pictures can be organized into categories and placed on the site for public viewing. Users can create subcategories within the albums for organizational purposes.
Inventory Catalogs
Whether you sell road signs, food or breed horses, every company has a list of items or services that they provide. An online inventory catelog allows the update of these items and their pricing quickly and easily at no additional cost.
Staff Directory
This list facilitates communication with customers by providing contact information such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Podcasts
Podcasting may be available as an extra module associated with some school content management systems. It allows users to post both streaming and downloadable audio and video content.
A simple user interface makes updating websites possible for people with varying degrees of technical skill. Even those who know nothing about web design can make updates which aesthetically conform to the rest of the website and appear to have been updated professionally, without needing to consult a webmaster. A CMS allows users to update information from any computer connected to the internet via a web-based administration system. Pages can be updated as frequently as needed by authorized users. Some CMSs even allow users to alter the website's content in real time making the entire process more efficient. Many systems also allow the use of rich text editing which enables users to employ familiar formatting such as bolding, italicizing and underlining for emphasis within the text.
Whereas most pages created as the result of a CMS are intended for public viewing, password protected sections allow sensitive materials such as internal documents and personal information to be secured from the general public.