Content management platforms make web design an absolute breeze. They’re the simple, easy to understand alternative to coding landing pages and entire sitemaps from scratch.
These platforms often come with a wide array of design options which can be edited at any time. They’re capable of tracking site data, scheduling new content for publishing, and more. Their metrics help site owners understand what’s working and what needs to be improved.
Each content management system is unique, though. While they’re similar in function, you have to compare how each one operates to find the one that will best suit your needs.
Here are 12 of the top content management systems to choose from.
WordPress is arguably the most common content management platform, and for good reason. It comes at an affordable price that many business owners can fit into their budget and the setup is fairly simple to understand. It’s open-source, which means you can download WordPress onto your server and use it kind of like an app.
Plus, the plugin options are practically endless.
Plugins and site apps are tools allow you to get the most out of a content management system. They can do everything from managing email newsletters to tracking broken links to helping site owners understand how their audience behaves online.
These are compatible with many content management systems, but WordPress tends to be the most popular.
Another commonly used platform is Drupal.
This is a well-known open-source solution for people who want something that is user-friendly. Making edits to your content is a breeze and managing your content as a whole is super easy thanks to Drupal’s various admin tools.
Admin tools allow you to better manage who accesses your content and create lists and blocks with just a few clicks. You’ll rarely find yourself having to use code lines with Drupal.
If you’re looking for something that will not only improve your website, but make it easier to manage your digital presence as a whole, you need to consider investing in Composr.
Composr is a CMS platform with advanced social integration. This means you can create, edit, and schedule content for your website and your social handles all in one place. It allows you to run multiple campaigns at once and put future initiatives in place without having to switch back and forth between multiple content scheduling tools.
More so, the SEO capacities in Composr ensure all of your content is search-ready. These tools help you make better use of your targeted keywords and tags, create smart banners within your content, and more.
The next content management system you should be aware of is Website Baker. This is something to look into if you want to build your website from scratch, but without having to code every single aspect of the design.
It offers multiple templates for you to get started with then customize as your site comes to life. You can set group controls to protect and manage what content different people see when they log into your site, and there’s an easy password recovery tool to help people regain access should they ever lose their login information.
Don’t forget to take a look at Concrete 5 as you’re checking out all the popular content management systems out there. It’s arguably one of the easier ones to navigate on this list. The editing toolbar appears at the top of all your landing pages for simple access and use.
You’re able to click and drag a lot of your page elements and see changes in real time. This is a lot better than having to make edits on a separate page or working in sub-pages to get the results you’re looking for.
Here’s a content management system you may not have heard of yet. Joomla! is a bit more advanced than the systems mentioned above. It may seem complicated at first, but a little extra effort initially pays off in the long-run.
The system helps you manage text, videos, and images. It has specific functions built in to help improve the quality of your content, and there are more advanced features to use as you get more comfortable with the software.
Up next on the list is Contao. This content management platform is on the easier-to-understand side of things.
It has an intuitive backend that helps you in the initial setup of your site and when creating new content. The backend is also bilingual, which is great if you’re operating in multiple countries and want to make sure everything you create is spot-on.
It’s worth noting that some designed themes do have to be paid for separately, but that’s a small fee in the grand scheme of things. The impressive security capabilities are good to keep in mind, too.
Still not sure which content management platform to use? Take a look at Ghost.
This software was actually created by previous WordPress developers. There are some similar functions between the two, but Ghost comes in at a much cheaper price point. You can install this solution to your computer and get to work, but before you do, keep in mind there aren’t any e-commerce functions built in.
The coolest thing about ModX is arguably its security functions.
This is a content management system that has been made with your business’s best interest in mind. ModX helps large, high-traffic sites boost their security while managing other aspects of their domain. This makes it suitable for small businesses and worldwide corporations, too.
More so, it’s incredibly user-friendly and easy to scale. You can use this when starting your small business and trust that ModX will still offer everything you need as your company grows.
The thing about using a content management platform is that as helpful as they are, it’s still up to you to keep up with current design trends and make edits as needed.
TYPO3 can help you stay ahead of the curve, though. This system has a team of developers constantly working on it to upgrade its features and capabilities.
Such efforts mean you’re always getting the most advanced tools available. When you make it a point to actively check out new features and learn about TYPO3 changes, you’re really expanding your knowledge of current web design practices.
If you’re dealing with sensitive content and super-private user information, TYPO3 has your back. It has extensive rights management tools to help you keep certain things private while multiple people have access to your content management platform.
Speaking of giving multiple people access to your content management system, think about how you create content in the first place. Is it just you who comes up with new blog ideas and edits videos, or do you have a whole team of people working on different pieces of content?
If you answered the latter, you may want to use Bynder to manage all your content. This comes with a built-in collaboration system where multiple people can work on a project at once.
Instead of having to edit and save work one at a time, Bynder is the place where everyone can come together to produce amazing deliverables. It’s like having a digital meeting room to share ideas, do research, and bring all your necessary content marketing materials to life.
Last but not least, Shopify.
This platform is widely popular for e-commerce businesses. It’s a great solution for small businesses with only a few products and for large companies who are looking to make their digital needs a little more simple.
Shopify offers many different design themes which can be further customized to fit your needs. It’s easy to set up individual product pages and product searches, plus there are a handful of ways to manage user carts and checkout processes.
More so, Shopify creates sites that are able to fit multiple screens. You don’t have to worry about mobile responsiveness or other user-friendly needs, because the system has already been programmed to take care of these things automatically.
You can sort through all the content management platforms listed above, or you can go ahead and start using the best one!
We’ve saved the best for last. If you’re looking for a system to help you create your website and manage your content, you need to use Host.ie. We offer a few different hosting plans for you to get exactly what you need without paying a penny more.
Take the time to compare each one and check out our open source apps, too.
Contact us with any questions or to get started right away!
