Projections show that the global content management software market will reach a size of $25.5 billion by 2028.
There are several CMS solutions available, so for the best results, you’ll want to ensure you’re using the best content management system for your business. Each CMS has different advantages, so it’s important to assess the options on the market so that you can see which one best fits your needs.
For a rundown of the different types of CMS available and how to decide which is best for you, keep reading.
What Is a CMS?
A CMS (content management system) is a tool that you can use to create, manage, and publish content for your website. You can use it while building the initial site, as well as for continuous management over time.
They’re ideal for people who aren’t so tech-savvy as they’re generally very easy to use. Multiple people can use a CMS for a site, so you can have different members of your team handling different tasks.
The Importance of Choosing the Right CMS
More than 5.07 billion people worldwide use the internet. As such, a website is one of the most important assets for any business. It will be the first point at which many customers interact with your brand, so you want to ensure it makes a good impression.
The CMS you use will have an impact on the look and feel of your site as well as how it functions. If it’s below standard, it will quickly put customers off, and they’ll likely turn to your competitors.
A good CMS will make it easier for you to build a website that highlights the quality of your brand and meets the needs of your customers. Having the tools you need will overall lead to greater success and growth for your business.
Types of CMS Available
There are 4 main types of CMS available. They vary in terms of the language used, how advanced they are, and the skill level required for proper use.
Open-Source CMS
These are free and open to use for anyone, although there may be other costs such as hiring someone to use it or purchasing things like plugins and templates. They’re typically very reliable and are made better with time. Some common examples include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
Proprietary CMS
This is a type of CMS that a company can build and use exclusively. These often take a lot of time and money to create, but they can be made to fit the needs of your business perfectly. This may be the best solution if you have specific requirements that other content management systems don’t quite meet.
Commercial CMS
This is a type of COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) software that you can purchase. They’re generally straightforward, easy to use, and work right out of the box. Some popular options include SharePoint, Pulse CMS, and Kentico.
SaaS CMS
A SaaS (Software as a Service) CMS is one that you pay for on a subscription basis. They generally work as provided, but may offer some customization. With this, you’ll get ongoing technical support and content storage, and they’re typically easy to scale.
Factors to Consider
With the various types of CMS available, it can be difficult to know the best solution for your business. It’s best to look at your needs and analyze how the different systems available can support those needs. There are several important factors that you should take into consideration.
Scalability
One of the main goals of any business is future growth. As such, you ideally want a CMS that will be able to accommodate business growth with time.
Depending on the nature of your business, you might also need to scale up or down quickly – if it’s a seasonal business, for example. A CMS that can do this will make things much more streamlined and efficient.
Omnichannel Support
Technology changes quickly, and you want to be able to adapt. Omnichannel support will allow you to use different systems and technologies, which can help your brand reach a much wider user base.
Integrations
Being able to integrate with other applications can help in a range of ways. Your marketing team, for example, may be able to make use of tools that can help with lead generation. You can improve functionality in terms of things like analytics, eCommerce, blogging, business intelligence, and more.
Technology Options
Each CMS supports specific languages, and some can use more than others. One that supports more languages will generally give you more options if you’re looking for support. There will be more engineers available to you, and they should be able to work without disrupting any tasks your team is handling.
Ease of Use
One of the main reasons to use a CMS is so that you can handle everything with ease. You want your team to be able to manage everything without needing any technical skills, so the easier a CMS is to use, the more efficient things will be.
Seamless Work Flows
As your business grows, your website will likely grow too. When this happens, it will become more complex, so ensuring seamless workflows will help your different employees work on different parts of your site without causing issues for one another. Ease of collaboration will keep things efficient and help everyone stay on the same page.
Security
Cybercrime is more prevalent now than it has ever been before, so keeping your website secure is essential. When looking at the CMS options available, ensure you check how each one handles security to ensure your business and your customers will be safe when using your site.
Choosing the Best Content Management System
It’s hard to say what the best content management system is, as it all comes down to the specific needs of your company. You should consider how important the various aspects are such as scalability, ease of use, security, and more.
MagLoft is an all-in-one digital publishing platform that you can use to convert any PDF content so that it’s suitable for your website. It also includes other features such as SEO and analytics. To find out more about how MagLoft can help your business, click here to learn more.
