Content management systems (CMS) make bringing your brand to life easier. They help you manage your blog, content and website in general, but not just any CMS will do. The right CMS choice is a highly individual one. Understanding what makes content management systems different can help you make a better decision about what will work best for your company and it may help you identify capabilities you never knew you needed. Here are seven of the most popular content management systems.
WordPress
WordPress is insanely popular. According to Capterra, the service has 9 million customers and 18.6 million users -- and with good reason. WordPress is very easy to use and is incredibly flexible. There are over 40,000 plugins you can use, as well as more than 2,100 themes from which to choose. However, WordPress also has its disadvantages. Scalability can be a problem, as can security; and customization is a chore, especially if you aren't big into coding.
Joomla
Joomla has fewer plugins than WordPress but it also needs fewer. There are lots of features built into this CMS. Installation is simple and there is a lot of support available, but it lacks many features advanced users will want and customization is limited. On top of all of that, navigating Joomla design and managing compatibility can be a struggle.
SquareSpace
SquareSpace is a popular content management system that comes complete with a website builder, hosting service and blogging platform. It is a one-stop shop for building a company website. However, the ease of use comes with a tradeoff. Customization options are limited and you will be committed to a subscription service.
Magento
If you have an online store, you have probably considered Magneto for a CMS. It has a solid basic platform, so even beginners can get started pretty easily, but customization beyond that can be challenging. Also, Magneto is geared towards e-commerce, so it may not provide the features you need for a website that is not sales-oriented.
Shopify
Shopify is another popular e-commerce option. It is one of the leading e-tail content management systems and it has a large community of people who use the platform to buy, sell and trade. As far as customization, Shopify offers several ways that you can customize the look of your site but designs are somewhat limited, which may be an issue for some companies. Also, it is geared more towards small businesses than larger corporations.
Magnolia
Magnolia is a content management system that lets businesses control everything. It can help you control branding across websites, languages and channels. Magnolia also offers a variety of security and collaboration features that many companies like. Unfortunately, there are two major drawbacks with Magnolia: the majority of its most useful features require the enterprise pro edition and it is not tablet-friendly.
Drupal
Drupal solves many of the issues other content management systems have. It relies on open source code, so there is a lot of support and many opportunities for customization. It is designed for professionals, so it can be difficult to navigate if you are not a tech person. But its high speed, strong security and functionality make it worth hiring someone to set up your website and help with major changes.
Choosing the right CMS for your business is a big decision. The content management system you choose will enable or limit your website's functionality. Luckily, this is not a decision you have to make alone. At Caxy Interactive, we have extensive experience in developing in different content management systems, such as Drupal. If you're looking for support on your next CSM project, contact us to see what we can do for you.
