Ektron CMS Fundamental Tutorial

In this ektron cms tutorial, I will provide a brief explanation of the Episerver Ektron cms400.net, what is Ektron cms (a content management system) and it’s documentation. Previously I have explained Logging into an Ektron CMS400.NET Web Site.

Ektron CMS Tutorial

Content is all information that is being served on a Web site. Web content is the textual, visual, or audio content that a site visitor experiences when browsing a web site. It may include, among other things: text, images, sounds, videos, and animations. Content types in Ektron CMS are HTML content, XML Smart Forms, HTML form/survey, documents, managed files, and multimedia files, MS Office documents, Multimedia, Blogs, etc.

A content management system is a software system that enables technical and non-technical users to contribute to the creation, management, and organization of content on a web site.

What is Ektron CMS?

Ektron CMS is a powerful, diverse, and easy to use content management solution that empowers anyone to take an active role in managing Web content and generating online strategies. Beyond the basics of content management, Ektron’s CMS streamlines site management, automates workflow processes, and supports collaboration. It reduces costs, saves time, and makes Web sites, extranets, and intranets more effective, delivering a more personal customer experience to site visitors.

The Ektron CMS lets business users:

Build and deploy Webforms.
Implement and manage mobile strategies.
Leverage site analytics.
Monitor and manage search engine optimization (SEO).
Manage social communities.
Build and manage online marketing initiatives.
Implement online commerce.
Integrate with third-party business systems.
Deploy and manage complete online strategies.

Ektron CMS Roles and Responsibilities

A content management system is decentralized to let multiple types of contributors manage the Website. There are technical contributors, non-technical contributors, and those that tend to fall somewhere in between. Most contributors fall into 1 or more of 3 core roles: Developer, Administrator, and End User.

Developer:
The Developer is a technical team member who is responsible for design, development, system integration, navigation, functionality, and performance. These components deliver content in a way that generates a positive Web experience. The developer works with the following elements to deliver the appearance, user experience, and function of the Web site:

ASPX pages/Templates which make use of:
Ektron Server Controls
Ektron API
Stylesheets and XSLT
JQuery and JavaScript
Other.NET components that are used in templates:
- Custom User Controls
- Widgets
Applications that make use of Ektron’s API
Ektron Web services that provide an interface to and from the Ektron CMS system
Modify the behavior of the CMS using custom extensions

Administrators:
The Administrator is responsible for the organization and management of the CMS.

Manages CMS users, roles, group permissions, and workflows.
Oversees and directs the activity of others who have the ability to add, edit, and manage content.
Works with Web designers and developers to define the information architecture, site structure, and implementation.
Manage membership users and user groups.
Manage folder structures.
Uses CMS features to create metadata, XML configurations, menus, collections, calendars, Web alerts, URL aliasing, and so on.

End-User (Content Authors & Publishers):
The End User is responsible for adding, editing, and sometimes approving the content on the site. The End User role is often driven by the internal organization of the business. End-Users can be subject matter experts that generate content on a certain subject matter, or an End User could be a central content manager responsible for adding their department’s content to the CMS. The End User has permissions that are controlled by the Administrator.