Tech 101: Distinguishing Between CMS, Web Editor, Blog And Site Builder

What do they have in common?

In order to make clear distinctions in any matter, it is important to find out if they have anything in common, and if so, what that is. In this case, what all of these have in common is that they are the most common methods that people use to create and/or update their websites. Having understood this, you will see it becomes easier to appreciate why there can be a lot of confusion when it comes to differentiating each of them.

So let’s take a look at each of them separately and you should be able to see the differences emerging as we go along.

Web Editor

This is also referred to as a text editor. What happens here is that you write your articles on your computer using a program called an editor. You then save them as web pages so that they can display on a web browser. The article then moves to the web host’s computer at which point the article will go live on the Internet for all to see on your website. The web editor can be a visual one like KompoZer or Adobe Dreamweaver or a plain text editor like Notepad.

Site Builder

There are two kinds of site builder available: online site builders and standalone site builders.

Online site builders come as a service provided by some web hosts. In order to access these site builders, you have to use your web browser and log into the host’s site. From there, you can design your site directly without using any other software.

Standalone site builders, on the other hand, are really another name for web editors. Like web editors, you will run these site builders on your computer, make the design changes you want to your pages and then transfer them to the actual website. Most standalone site builders act a lot like either word processors e.g. Dreamweaver, or desktop publishing software e.g. Serif Web Plus. You will have to learn to use both but they work by the same principle.

There is another kind of standalone site builder worth mentioning: the standalone site builder tied to a particular web host. Web hosting companies providing this service find it useful service for customers that prefer to design their website first before uploading. What they have is an offline version of their online site builder that you can download to your computer. You will then be able to design and make changes to your website then upload it to the web host computer after you are satisfied with the outcome.

Unlike the web editors, this kind of site builder is not a general purpose one, given its link to a specific web host. As a result, you will not be able to use the site builder if you change your web host and you may not be able to move your designs to your new host either.

Content Management System (CMS)

A CMS is software that you can install on your web host’s computer. This means that rather than installing the software on your computer like you would with web hosting, you install the software directly on your website. Once you use your browser to access your website, you will then use this software to make any changes you want to your website.

One can understand why it can be difficult to distinguish between CMS and web host site builders. After all, there is a sense in which CMS has some similarities with web host site builders, particularly in the sense that you don’t need to install the program on your computer. For both, you only have to use your browser to connect to your site and make the changes there.

However, there are some significant differences between the two. First, a CMS allows you to control all the elements i.e. the software, your website visual design, and the final product. This means that you are not tied down to one web host such that you can move your entire site with all its changes to another web host should you choose to do so.

Further, a CMS is so much more than a simple site builder. You can use it to create an online community, like with social media, where you can create your own account and each one can have their own page.

In some cases, web host site builders seem to be better than CMSes. For example, your choices of design templates are limited with CMSes when compared with web host site builders. This is true except for the more popular CMSes where you can get free templates from the CMS author website or just from the Internet.

Another advantage is that web host site builders are easier to set up that CMSes. You will have to learn a lot of new things before you can use a CMS effectively but it gets easier with time. Plus, you will have more control over your site and be able to expand its functionality using plugins, something you can’t do with web host site builders.

Blog

This is often a subset of a content management system (CMS) software. It works in pretty much the same way except that blogging software is primarily suited for short articles. There are some extended features added to blogging software so that some can function like a full CMS. Blogging software also carries the advantages and disadvantages of CMS as mentioned above.

Conclusion

While there are some overlapping features, these ‘editors’ are quite different from each other as we have seen. The choice on which one to use depends on:

• The primary function of your website
• Frequency of updates you will be making
• Number of computers/editors making changes to the site
• How much control you want over your website

Each has its own pros and cons and it is advisable to look into them in light of your specific website before making the final choice on the most suitable ‘editor’ for your website.