How to Create a Registered User Section on Your Web Site
A content management system (CMS) is a concept that emerged from the enterprise technology sector, but has become popular with private websites over the last few years. As the name implies, a CMS can manage the flow and availability of a website's content. This type of content management is valuable for the creation of websites requiring user registration. The CMS not only controls content access. It also manages user registration and authentication.
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Instructions
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Find a website host that allows third-party software hosting. Specifically, find a website host that provides CMS hosting. Many reputable providers offer affordable hosting packages that include CMS.
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Select a content management system to run the website. The website host will likely offer a selection of open-source CMS packages. Popular packages include Joomla, Drupal and WordPress. These CMS packages have the required functionality to create a registered user section of a website. Each package has strengths and weaknesses, while offering varying levels of intuitiveness. Start by checking the official website for each CMS package to get a feel for what each package offers.
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Install the CMS on the host's server. The website host will have a control panel applet to add and remove software. Choose the package name from the available software list, select "new installation" and click "next" to complete the installation.
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Configure the user registration process. The admin area of the CMS will have a section to select user registration options. The option names vary slightly by package, but the options allow the website owner to specify who is allowed to register, what information the registering user must supply and the verification process before the user is allowed to complete registration.
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Classify website content based on user registration level. The three basic levels of access offered by the CMS will include "anonymous," "registered" and "administrator." Each page has a property setting that the administrator can control. Setting a page to "anonymous" allows everyone to view it. Likewise, setting a page to "registered" means it will only be available to registered and authenticated users. Sections set to "administrator" are those that control website configuration and content building.
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Verify that the website configuration is correct and that content is set to the proper permissions. Create a test-user account, checking each step of the registration process. Use the test account to validate that content is only available to registered users where appropriate. When everything checks out, the website is ready to go live.
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References
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