CMS = Content Management System

CMS stands for Content Management System. It is a type of software used to publish content on websites, as well as organize or modify them. CMSs were created primarily to facilitate the use of websites – especially those that are constantly updated and supplemented or contain a lot of content. These types of programs do not require knowledge of programming languages from users, and getting to know their functions is usually much easier than learning HTML or CSS. In principle, their operation should be intuitive and relatively easy.

There are different types of CMSs, but most of them are handled through a special administration panel. This type of software works in the network – just go to the appropriate page and log in to the panel to start working. Through the system, you can:
– add and modify articles,
– add and describe products, create categories and perform other activities related to running the store,
– add media (photos, graphics, videos),
– create and change the menu,
– manage the appearance of the website,
– update the offer,
– and even manage the newsletter.

The exact scope of functions and how to use them depend on the selected CMS, but usually these types of programs are similar to each other. Most also allow for the installation of additional modules that increase the functionality of the website (e.g. rating or comments system, maps, contact form, etc.)

CMS types

Content Management Systems can be divided into three main categories:
– Open Source,
– SaaS (Software as a Service),
– original, dedicated.

Open Source systems (eg WordPress), that is based on open source, are free and easily available. Users can create their own plugins, modules or graphic templates for them. Therefore, they usually offer very wide possibilities. Of course, their great advantage is also free access (although add-ons or templates are often paid for). Open Source systems are usually very secure, but you should remember to update them frequently.

CMSs of the SaaS type (eg Shoper) are subscription platforms – usually paid on a monthly basis. Users do not have access to the site code, and the capabilities of such programs are usually quite limited. However, access to basic functions and the lack of possibility to use dedicated solutions affect the ease of use of such systems.

Proprietary (dedicated) CMSs are created for the needs of specific clients. Rather, this solution is used only by large companies because it is expensive. The dedicated system includes an individually developed graphic template and functions selected in accordance with the needs of the customer. It is also usually designed to be as easy to use as possible. However, it also has some drawbacks. First, creating an original CMS is expensive. Moreover, it binds the client permanently with the agency that created it. It also happens that the level of its protection against hacker attacks is quite weak.

How to choose a CMS – the most popular solutions

Choosing a CMS is a completely individual matter. Certainly, you should take into account the security, functionality, performance and stability of a given system. In addition, it is worth checking how its operation looks – whether it is intuitive and comfortable enough. A very important aspect is also the possibility of website optimization. The more possibilities of using SEO tools, the better for the website’s visibility in the search engine, and thus for your business.

If you have specific, exorbitant requirements and the costs do not count for you, you can buy a dedicated CMS. Most website administrators, however, choose ready-made solutions. Read on for their most important features and functions below to make the right choice easier.

WordPress
It is the most popular CMS in the world. It is an Open Source platform that is considered to be one of the simplest (if not the simplest). WordPress has many advantages. One is a huge community that creates countless templates, plugins and add-ons. Thanks to this, the system offers really wide possibilities of use. The intuitive administration panel should also be considered an advantage. This makes WordPress perfect even for people who do not know any programming language and are not familiar with complicated internet tools. WordPress is of course free, although some of the templates and plugins are paid. It is perfect for creating blogs and simple websites. However, in conjunction with WooCommerce, it can also be used to operate an online store. It is possible to use SEO tools – sites based on WordPress usually have no problems with positioning.

Joomla!
Joomla also belongs to the Open Source group. It used to be the first system in this category. It is more extensive, but also a bit less intuitive to use than WordPress. There are many tutorials and other educational materials to get familiar with the tool. Internet users can also seek help on discussion forums, although the number of people using this system is decreasing. It is a good choice for slightly more advanced users who have high expectations of CMS. It is also worth noting that the system has been translated into as many as 64 languages.

Drupal
Drupal is an even more advanced system that works well for complex websites. It has an extensive administration panel and many functions that allow for efficient website management and the introduction of various modifications. Consequently, its operation is more complicated. In addition, it requires at least basic knowledge of HTML, PHP and CSS, so it is not intended for complete beginners.

Typo3
Typo3 is a complex CMS with very large possibilities. It is very suitable for simple pages, although not very simple on its own. Therefore, it is recommended primarily for professionals and advanced users. It takes some time to get to know it well, but it is modular and comprehensive. There are several thousand extensions compatible with the system, which allow you to build exactly the website you dream about.

Quick.Cms
It is a comprehensive system often compared to WordPress or Joomla! It is not very complicated to use and is suitable for creating a variety of websites. It is also suitable for beginners because it is very intuitive and does not require specialist knowledge. However, compared to other similar tools, it has a small number of plugins. It is very good at SEO and allows for effective website positioning.

Blogger
Blogger is simple software designed to create, as you might have guessed, blogs. It is a very good tool for beginners, but its possibilities are limited.

Which CMS to choose? It depends primarily on your skills and requirements, as well as the type of website you are building. The advantage of the above solutions, however, is that you can try them out for free. Familiarize yourself with the administration panel and the possibilities of several platforms, and the decision will be easier!

CMS for online stores

You can also find many CMSs on the web intended solely for creating online stores. They have features that are useful to e-commerce users. They are also often very user-friendly. The most popular solutions include:
– PrestaShop,
– WooCommerce (used in conjunction with WordPress),
– Magento,
– Shoper,
– Shoplo.

Both Open Source and SaaS platforms are available with varying levels of complexity. Therefore, everyone has a chance to find a tool that will satisfy them.

Advantages of CMS systems

Is a CMS necessary to create or run a website? Of course not. However, the popularity of this type of platform speaks for itself. Their main advantages are:
– facilitating work on creating, updating and modifying the website,
– intuitive operation, which means that you do not need experience or specialist knowledge to create websites, especially knowledge of programming languages,
– availability – most of these types of platforms are free,
– open code – most CMSs are Open Source platforms, which means you can use many plugins, templates and add-ons (as well as create your own!),
– the possibility of comprehensive management of the website content,
– the ability to take care of aspects related to SEO,
– the ability to create accounts with different permissions in the system,
– flexibility – the ability to create various types of websites, from one-page, through blogs, to multi-site portals and stores.

All this means that most of the websites on the Internet are currently created based on CMSs. This is a way for more people to manage published content on their own, and at the same time convenient tools for everyone.

Multi-level marketing – what is it?

Multi Level Marketing or network marketing is best known for its short name MLM. Most of us have ever met with this name and probably know, more or less, how people involved in it work. Let us, however, bring its definition a bit closer: the premise of multi-level marketing – MLM – is the sale of products and services through direct marketing. So it is based on relationships with people and WOM (Word of mouth) or viral marketing. What, on the one hand, completely differentiates multi-level marketing from other forms of marketing is that every buyer who wishes to do so can be involved in sales. Then it gains not only discounts on given products, but also a commission on sales (both its own and sales representatives taking place below in the structure). On the other hand, some issues are relatively similar to other forms of marketing, e.g. in internet marketing, where customer references and WOM opinions are equally important.

How does sales look in multi-level marketing?

The quintessence of sales in multi-level marketing are commands and a large part of business is based on them. Distributors purchase products from the company and then sell them to others. Nevertheless, sales representatives, i.e. people involved in the operation of a given MLM, can reach their clients in very different ways, using both more traditional forms and more often, they are leaning towards online solutions, for example by acting in social media.

Nevertheless, according to a report carried out for the global MLM association in 2018, direct contact still plays the largest role. As much as 74% of distributors rely on such contact, and the majority of sales are made via traditional channels (61% by phone and 50% during product presentation, e.g. at distributors’ homes). Unlike most prosperous businesses today, companies based on multi-level marketing only make limited use of sales through their website or social media.

Products or services are therefore sold by people who have often tested them on their own and want to recommend further. Everyone involved in multi-level marketing can earn in two ways:

– by employing more people who also become distributors (earning a commission for each sale),
– by selling yourself.

People involved in sales decide themselves how they want to acquire new customers and increase their network. According to the MLM report (2018), distributors contact potential customers and sell through:

– contacts with relatives (family, friends or neighbors),
– business contacts (work friends, conferences, business events),
– social media activities,
– meetings at home and during product presentations,
– phone calls,
– email
– other unplanned occasions,
– own website or blog,
– door-to-door sales.

Structure in multi-level marketing

A company operating in the form of MLM sells its products to distributors, also known as consultants or ambassadors, at much better prices. Discounts reach up to 60% and depend on the sales volume of a given consultant. Not without reason, multi-level marketing is also known as network marketing – because each of the distributors can encourage sales to more people, thereby benefiting from commissions and increasing their profits. Each subsequent person can also involve others, thus building a network and moving higher in the entire pyramid.

What is the most common way of recruiting new people to MLM?

First step
For many people, joining the group of consultants and starting sales seems relatively easy. Most often, it is enough to purchase products of a certain value and register on the website of the company selling in the form of MLM. There is no obligation to set up your own business or other requirements that could make registration difficult at the beginning.

Second step
A new consultant is required not only to regularly purchase products of a given brand, but also to increase their sales in subsequent periods in order to be able to receive further discounts and take advantage of additional sales opportunities (e.g. during specially organized events or meetings).

Third step
Expanding your network of contacts and recruiting new people. A consultant can also make profits from the sale of people he recruited himself and who will be lower in the hierarchy. Additional bonuses and bonuses are dedicated to those who have extremely fast increases. By increasing their earnings and expanding the network, a given consultant has the opportunity to further develop.

Seemingly, MLM recruitment seems to be a simple path to success and high cash. Nevertheless, very often people involved in the sale of products have to resort to aggressive licks to increase their shares, which is negatively assessed by many consultants (especially beginners). Character traits play a key role here, and whether a person likes the product they are selling. According to the report, those who liked the product they sold and believed in a given product were more willingly involved in and more satisfied with working at MLM.

Multi-level marketing – working time and consultant’s duties

According to the analyzed report, over 60% of people operating in MLM have another job in full or part time, and MLM is an additional form of income, for which 45% of people devote on average 1 to 8 hours a week. Less than 30% treat work in MLM as the only form of income and very often devotes more time to it, i.e. from 8 to 30 hours a week.

The responsibilities of distributors include both acquiring new contacts and recruiting new people to the network, as well as taking care of regular customers. According to the report, distributors offer their regular customers free samples of new products, additional discounts and loyalty bonuses as well as product catalogs or special meetings to discuss current issues and help build their network.

Sales motivations in multi-level marketing

There are many reasons why more people start working as a consultant at MLM. The study participants most often agreed that working in direct sales at MLM gives many opportunities to meet new people, improve their communication skills, manage themselves over time and learn sales techniques. This type of business was also a great solution for those who work full or part time, and thanks to MLM they could earn extra money.

Respondents equally often stated that working at MLM allowed them to develop their confidence and courage.

Multilevel marketing companies motivate their distributors in various ways and encourage sales growth by offering, among others:

– cash rewards (e.g. for reaching a given sales ceiling)
– material prizes (and prizes in the form of meetings and events reserved specifically for people who have achieved a given level or reached a given level of sales),
– commissions for the sale of persons who have been awarded recruited persons,
– greater discounts on products or services.

About the controversy around multilevel marketing

Multi-level marketing has both its supporters and opponents, who spread their opinion among the closest people, thus creating an opinion on the operation of MLMs. Around the activities of companies based on multi-level marketing, there are also many controversial rumors related not only to the issue of financial pyramids, but also relationships or activities of distributors to increase sales. In the history of MLM we will encounter several cases of total fraud and unlawful activities. This is often associated with the inability to regulate the obligations and manner of work of distributors.

MLM is also often associated with the use of sales techniques that are unethical and based, for example, on the consumer’s ignorance and tricks that they simply manipulate. It should be emphasized that not every company that uses multi-level marketing has resorted to such methods, but it is something that – especially in recent years – consumers have paid special attention to.

It is estimated that most people involved in MLM lose money. Only a few people who have been operating for a relatively long time are able to build their network and profit from these activities. Therefore, many people who have tried to start their career in a company based on multi-level marketing, but have not managed to develop their network, have a very skeptical approach to the operation of such companies. The problem is also repeatedly the lack of transparency in such companies, which makes it difficult to simply calculate profit and loss.

Summary – is it profitable to develop a multi-level marketing business today?

Nowadays, it is impossible to rely solely on one marketing channel. It turns out that despite the fact that some channels do not sell directly, they play an important role in the entire purchasing process and direct the customer towards the final decision which is to buy or use the services of a given company. What’s more, focusing all your activities on direct sales may not bring the fast and pre-planned results that the entrepreneur is waiting for. Especially in times when most companies move their activities to the online world and completely give up offline sales – such as multilevel marketing. An entrepreneur who wants to develop his company and invest in additional marketing activities must consider many channels and forms of communication with customers and sales. More and more companies are leaning towards omnichannel marketing, which uses different channels to reach the recipient (both online and online).