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Are you looking to build a website with little technical knowledge?
Have you heard about Content Management Systems? Well, you’re about to!
This article will discuss an alternative to having a development team create your website.
Further, we'll look into the CMS' types and features, advantages, and disadvantages.
And, of course, we'll review some of the most popular CMS.
What is a Content Management System
A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that manages digital content.
Its functions include creation, edition, and publication.
Further, it applies to content such as websites and blog posts.
Users can develop a website with little technical knowledge.
It’s an excellent choice for small businesses with a restricted dev budget.
WordPress is a popular Content Management System example you probably have heard of.
Content Management System (CMS) Features
Here are some relevant CMS features to consider when choosing the right one for you.
- Creation. Consider how easy it is to create manage content; not only text but images, video or audio.
- Personalization. Customization is relevant specifically when analyzing data to target specific audiences.
- Roles. You might not want everyone to have the same level of site access, as it makes it easier to pin down issues that may arise.
- Security.Ensure a CMS with relevant authentication mechanisms and smooth integration with your chosen security provider.
- Scalability. Always consider your long-term goals. If you plan to expand in the future, you should choose a flexible and scalable CMS.
- Capabilities. Your CMS should support features like multilingual content, especially if you aim to expand your business in the future.
- eCommerce. For an eCommerce business, CMS integrations let you align your Marketing Strategy with your digital Commerce System.
- Governance. Content Governance ensures consistency, efficiency and quality.
You should look at all the features the CMS of your choice includes or fails to include.
By having this information, you'll ensure the right fit for your business.
Types of Content Management Systems
There are various types of CMS.
Below, we’ll review different types and examples of CMS.
- Open-Source CMS. This CMS is free to download, with no license or upgrade fees. Yet, you might have to pay for technical help to install it if you want to customize it. Other features include plugins and templates, training staff, and additional support. Joomla, Magento, and WordPress are some examples of open-source CMS.
- Proprietary CMS. Also known as commercial CMS, it's built and managed by an organization or company. This CMS entails purchasing a license and regular payments for updates. Further, it requires investments for customization, and technical training. A known example of proprietary CMS is Microsoft SharePoint.
- SaaS CMS. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) CMS offers an all-in-one cloud solution. This includes web content management software, web hosting, and technical support. Within plans, the price variations consist of data transfer, storage, and support. SaaS CMS’ benefits include low costs, supplier deals, regular updates in real-time, and ease of access and scalability. Some examples of SaaS CMS include Squarespace, Shopify, and BigCommerce.
- Headless CMS. Also known as Headless Software, this is a back-end CMS. Here, the content repository is separate from the presentation layer to deploy content using any front-end you want. Hosting is in the cloud, with continuous updates and limitless services. Further, it follows an Agile Methodology and is also product-focused. Contentful and Kontent are a couple of examples of this type of CMS.
You might find other categories of CMS based on the type of product.
There are Web (WCMS), Component (CCMS) and Document Management Systems (DMS).
Benefits of Content Management Systems (CMS)
The truth is, you might not need a Content Management System.
It all depends on your company—for instance, the website requirements and the available resources.
But a CMS have a long list of advantages, so here are some reasons to consider using one.
- Experience. CMS are made for users with little technical experience, making them highly user-friendly to manage sites.
- Collaboration. A CMS allows several team members to manage content and collaborate on projects, giving users different roles.
- SEO. CMS offer SEO tools and plugins to help your search ranking, like customizable page titles, meta-descriptions and alt texts.
- Security. CMSs often include built-in features and add-ons, to provide extra security, that undergo stringent testing.
- Cost-Effectiveness. Content Management System software allows your site to be up and running fairly quickly.
Best Content Management Systems
We can’t choose just one CMS as it depends on each company’s requirements.
So here are five of the most popular content management systems according to their market share.
WordPress CMS
WordPress is a leading Content Management System software worldwide with over 35 million live websites.
The main selling point for this CMS is that it’s open-source (i.e., free to download and use).
It offers countless themes, SEO and user-friendly features and blogging and eCommerce functionalities.
Yet, its CMS can be challenging to learn, particularly on the admin backend.
Moreover, a WordPress site requires constant updates to prevent hacking.
Shopify CMS
Next up is Shopify, which is shy of 5 million live websites.
Although technically a CMS, Shopify is better known as an e-commerce platform.
This CMS is also paid from $29 to $299 per month.
Shopify includes the standard features we’ve seen for all other CMS so far, with a strong focus on e-commerce.
Shopify also offers customizable templates, analytics, and a fast loading speed.
Squarespace CMS
With just under 3 million websites, Squarespace ranges from $16 to $49/month.
Squarespace is quite user-friendly but requires some training to use.
But it offers many tutorials to make the process easier.
This Content Management System provides SEO and mobile-friendly features, blogging, and e-commerce functionalities.
Like Wix, its features might not be the best fit for more established companies.
Joomla CMS
Last on our list is Joomla, with just under 1.5 million live sites.
This CMS is another open-source option, but it is more challenging to set up than WordPress.
It includes the standard features we’ve seen for all other CMSs.
But, it has the downside of being less user-friendly for less experienced web builders.
Other features include unlimited design, multilingual support, and security-conscious development.
Conclusion
Content Management Systems are an excellent tool for small companies or businesses with a limited budget.
They, of course, have pros and cons, and you should carefully consider all variables when choosing the right one.
We hope this article has given you a comprehensive overview of CMSs and whether this tool is right for you!
