The foundation of all websites is code. You can compare code to the framework of a building in which you set up other website elements. But thanks to technology, even non-developers can create websites without learning about web programming through content management systems (CMS).
In fact, 36% of our respondents consider their CMS to be their most critical marketing technology, highlighting its importance in not only website creation but also in driving effective marketing strategies.
What Is a CMS and How Does it Work?
CMS software allows you to create web pages, store images, and manage your website content without using code. These programs, which come in free and paid versions, have user-friendly controls that allow you to edit text, upload images or videos, and do other updates on your web pages.
These two parts make up all CMS platforms:
1. Content management application (CMA)
The CMA is the front-end process that lets you create, upload, and edit your site's content.
2. Content delivery application (CDA)
The CDA is the back-end process that stores all the content from the CMA in the proper format. The CDA ensures that text, images, and other files become available for your visitors once they land on your website.
A CMS helps you organize your digital resources in one place to provide a positive visitor experience. These systems typically work the way publishing software such as MS Word functions. You upload text or image files using the editor box or feature and then click the "Publish" button (in the case of today's top performer, WordPress) to make them appear on your live web page.
Because a CMS is a multi-user platform, your marketers can upload images and other content while your IT team performs security protocols on your system. Moreover, you can customize permissions and user roles to prevent your content writers from accidentally deleting plug-ins or other apps that are critical to your site's operations.
What Are the Various Types of CMS?
Here's a list of the most typical CMS platforms to help you determine the kind of software that will suit your business:
1. Web content management system (WCMS)
You can use a WCMS when all the content you deal with is purely for web use (for instance, product manuals and user guides). You can customize components and workflows within your website's limits even if you have no computer programming background.
2. Component content management system (CCMS)
A CCMS doesn't manage your content page by page but stores them all in a central hub, which you can draw from when publishing content for mobile, web, chatbots, and print. When you want to edit details that appear on various files (your company's copyright disclaimer, for instance), you only need to revise once to update all other files containing that text.
3. Document management system (DMS)
A DMS is an automated solution for storing, uploading, sharing, and tracking your business documents. You can adjust the system's settings to ensure that only people with permission can alter confidential files, such as branding guidelines.
4. Enterprise content management system (ECM)
Ideal for companies, ECM platforms collect, deliver, and organize documents to help management and staff make crucial decisions and complete their projects. ECMS can cover emails and instant messaging.
5. Digital asset management system (DAM)
A DAM has a centralized library where permitted users can access documents and other creative files from the cloud. Most suitable for graphic design, photography, and film outfits, DAMs allow you to publish content on various social channels and third-party distribution services.
Other CMS platform categories include the following:
- Open-source is free software, but updates and support may require payment.
- Proprietary runs on a monthly subscription, but fees may be necessary for updates and customer support.
- "Headless" CMS only gives you control over the back-end system, allowing you to manage the database that stores various types of content. You typically need a developer to connect this CMS type to the front-end system, which supports omnichannel access to content.
- Hosted/software-as-a-service is a paid service that includes web hosting and technical support.
Top CMS Platforms to Consider for 2024
Here are the best CMS platforms you and your team can use this coming year:
Nearly 62.2% of websites operate using the open-source WordPress platform. Initially serving as a blogger’s portal, WordPress has become a sought-after website builder and CMS. This platform has over 12,000 free themes or templates and over 59,000 free plug-ins, but paid versions are also available. Getting the latest versions of plug-ins can reduce WordPress vulnerabilities. This CMS also prides itself on producing mobile-responsive websites. WordPress also automatically generates title tags and meta descriptions for your posts and pages. However, plug-ins are available for more advanced SEO features. You can start building your website using the free version via WordPress.org. Look for a hosting service provider when you use the free version. Meanwhile, you can go to WordPress.com to find the following paid plans, which are a must for commercial operations. Subscribers enjoy a free domain for one year. Wix’s straightforward setup and drag-and-drop interface appeal to new entrepreneurs establishing their online presence. You can choose from over 900 designer-made templates (more than 500 of which you can freely access from the website) and over 100 fonts. You can use the standard Wix Editor or Editor X to “manually” build your site. Editor X offers extra features, such as creating custom codes, giving access to more design templates, and enabling mobile readiness. You may also use the Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) as your AI-powered web developer. You only need to answer a few questions, specify your color palette and design theme, and voila! Wix ADI does the rest for you. Human Wix Partners are also available to create a new site or revamp your existing one. You can also manage your website from your smartphone using the Wix Owner app. Wix is also scalable for eCommerce amid its ability to process up to 750 simultaneous transactions per second. This platform also supports over 80 payment solutions. With Wix, you get tools to build websites for accepting orders or reservations at your restaurant, offer services as a membership or package, sell courses, and schedule appointments for your professional services. You may prefer Joomla if you have some coding knowledge and want to try your hand at website development. You can choose from over 5,400 extensions (free and paid) to customize the functions and look of your site. The platform has volunteer developers who keep it up to date. Through its multilingual content management and delivery, translation is available for over 70 languages. Moreover, sites built on Joomla are also mobile-responsive. The platform uses two-factor authentication as part of its security efforts. Among the corporate users of the software are Linux, WarnerMedia, IKEA, the Emmys, GE, Pizza Hut, the British Ministry of Defense, the High Court of Australia, and the Greek government. Another open-source CMS, this platform has no subscription plans. To sign up for Joomla with a subdomain to build your site on, go to joomla.com. New users get access to 500 MB of storage space. Drupal is another license-free platform recommended for large organizations requiring sets of libraries for their digital assets. This CMS is popular for its robust security features, including database encryption, DoS attack prevention, user access control, prevention of malicious data entry, and automatic updates and core validation. No wonder the White House, centers of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, and the Economist used Drupal. Drupal has automated marketing tools that set off drip campaigns across various channels, based on your visitor’s behavior. The platform is also multilingual and has a modern CDN provider for fast page loading experience. Because Drupal is more suitable for complex websites, people with coding knowledge have an edge in using the platform. Users can mix and match components—over 40,000 modules and more than 2,500 themes—to customize your site, whether it’s a blog or an online store. Like Joomla, Drupal doesn’t offer any subscription. However, the platform is not easy to use “out of the box,” so you may have to hire a developer to roll out a fully functioning site. More than 5.2 million live websites use Shopify for their online stores. The platform provides the tools you need to create product listings, descriptions, and categories. You can also create a blog and landing pages on Shopify. This CMS has built-in SEO features and multilingual support—it can translate over 50 languages. Moreover, Shopify features the essential components that eCommerce merchants need: a shopping cart system, strong security features, and payment processing. You can also track inventory, manage orders, and view customer information and analytics. Squarespace is a viable option if you’re looking for a CMS with a website builder that offers contemporary themes. Creative professionals (artists, photographers, and musicians) appreciate the platform’s 100 aesthetically appealing templates. Although more highly recommended for visual-heavy content, Squarespace also has an excellent blog publisher. You can schedule posts, set up a user-friendly commenting feature, and assign multiple author access. Squarespace doesn’t have a free version but a four-tier subscription you can pay monthly or yearly (30% savings). All plans come with website metrics (traffic sources, visitor geography, and site paths). However, Business to Advanced Commerce subscribers can get advanced analytics, customization, professional email from Google, and premium integrations. Basic and advanced commerce users receive product reviews and eCommerce analytics. Meanwhile, abandoned cart recovery and advanced shipping (which determines the rates of top couriers) are available with the Advanced Commerce plan.1. WordPress
2. Wix
3. Joomla
4. Drupal
5. Shopify
6. Squarespace
7 Problems That a CMS Can Solve
As our featured CMSes point out, these platforms can resolve these common website development requirements and issues:
1. Regular updates
With some training or self-study, you can easily upload new content or edit your existing website content with the help of CMS software's user-friendly features. You don't have to wait for a developer to update your website. Once you save the changes, new images and other content will appear on the live web pages. Doing so helps you stay relevant to your target market and keep your customers abreast with recent business developments.
2. Customization
Plug-ins and extensions are available for extra functionalities such as compressing images, managing email lists, or adding a shopping cart feature. Most CMS platforms have ready-to-use and easy-to-install design templates that will suit your company's requirements, allowing you to edit the menu and colors of your website.
3. Collaboration
CMS software allows several users to retrieve, save, create, edit, and eventually upload content for your site. As a result, you can assign roles and access rights for digital files.
Moreover, a CMS has tools to help you schedule the development of new content. Such software simplifies workflows as the system identifies people who need to work on the project, their tasks, and deadlines.
4. Search engine optimization (SEO)
CMS features and plug-ins can help you improve your search engine rankings through SEO. The software's tools can help you execute your strategy by applying the appropriate keywords, meta descriptions, title tags, and other SEO elements.
5. Analytics
Your CMS integrates with most analytics software, allowing you to keep track of your key performance metrics. This way, you and your team can tweak content quickly for customer success.
6. Cost-effectiveness and scalability
You can use your CMS features to add new pages, website functions, or content without added cost. Thus, your official portal can grow with you as your business improves.
7. Security
CMS vendors offer robust security for data, although some may require fees for upgraded service. But the cost will be worth it as added security protects you and your client’s data from hacking risks.
Know What You Need So You Can Choose Well
As your business breaks new ground, a CMS is necessary for sustaining connections and interaction between you and your target audience. Selecting a secure and regularly updated platform that is easy for your users (your staff, developer team, and buyers or readers) are some aspects to look at when picking a suitable system for your business.
Ensuring that your CMS can work with your existing software such as customer relations management, email, accounting, or eCommerce tools can ease its rollout into your workforce. Also, determine the core strength of your platform and check whether it matches the primary services of your business.
For instance, pick a CMS with customizable tools for online selling if you have an e-store. Or select a platform with features to showcase your courses and accept enrollment if you offer webinars for a specific niche.
A Content Management System (CMS) is software that allows users to create, manage, and modify website content without needing specialized technical knowledge. It typically consists of a content management application (CMA) for creating and editing content and a content delivery application (CDA) that manages the backend and delivers the content to your website visitors. The benefits of using a CMS include ease of use, allowing non-technical users to create and manage content; collaboration features, enabling multiple users to work on content simultaneously; SEO tools to improve search engine rankings; scalability to grow with your business; and security features to protect your data. Types of CMS include: The top CMS platforms to consider in 2024 are: When choosing a CMS, consider:Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
What are the benefits of using a CMS?
What types of CMS are available?
What are the top CMS platforms to consider in 2024?
What should I consider when choosing a CMS for my business?
