Building and maintaining a good website is tougher than it looks. For most marketers, this can take years of practice and patience. But with the right set of tools and expert tricks, anyone can navigate the world of web content easily. Yes, even businesses that just started! It all boils down to a great and dependable Content Management System (CMS). Furthermore, the best CMS for small companies could boost their sales, garner more customers, and solidify their digital presence.
But what is a Content Management System? And what should site owners know about it? Most importantly, how can businesses utilize CMS for better sales performance and customer retention?
If you’re also asking the same questions, then you’ve come to the right place!
In this blog, we’ll be discussing various concepts surrounding CMS. Here’s an overview:
- Content Management System: What It Means and How It Matters
- The Best CMS for Small Companies in 2022
- How You Can Utilize a Good CMS to Your Advantage
- Final Thoughts
Ready for your CMS head start? We are, too!
Content Management System: What It Means and How It Matters
To get a good grasp of how to maximize CMS and its function, let’s go back to the basics.
Content Management System is a software tool that makes web content easier to publish and modify. It’s an effective web content management strategy, as it handles content in a way that’s easy for site owners to implement on their website. All the content in a CMS is generally stored in a database without the burden of programming or codes. This makes it a go-to resource for up-and-coming businesses that don’t have developers or don’t prefer to hire one.
The Best CMS for Small Companies in 2022
Knowing what CMS platform to use for your website is crucial, especially when you’re only starting your business. The web content – including the layout and navigation – you’ll be publishing online affects how your audience sees your brand. So, your web choices now dictate how you’ll see your business flourish and operate in the future.
Furthermore, no two CMS platforms have the same benefits and characteristics. Every platform has distinct features that address the needs of site owners and highlight their remarkable products/services. What might be a disadvantage to some businesses may be a merit to others.
The stakes are higher now, more than ever. But we at Proweaver will make it easy for you.
Now that we’ve laid the groundwork on CMS, let’s hop right into the most anticipated CMS for small businesses in 2022 and draw our own comparisons.
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WordPress
WordPress is widely known worldwide for its running blogs and websites. Millions of users and marketers have shifted to this platform to carry out their web content operations, and rightfully so. This software tool has been home to 14.7% of the world’s top-performing websites. This is enough reason for small enterprises to try their hand with WordPress for their initial web content publishings.
What Makes It a Yes?
- Browser-Based Usability.
WordPress is highly browser-based, so if you ever need to log in to your website through a computer other than the one you used initially, there are no complications. - Search Engine-Friendly.
The coding used for most WordPress sites is easily identified by search engines, making your site have a higher chance of ranking better. You can also configure your tags and meta descriptions to gain more traffic. - Easier Content Creation.
One of WordPress’ highlights is its ability to make content creation for users online as easy as 1, 2, 3. If you’re familiar with text editors like Microsoft Word, formatting your content will mean fewer distractions and more time spent making it SEO-friendly.
What Makes It a No?
- Susceptibility to Malware.
Due to its popularity, WordPress may be susceptible to cybercrimes and malware. In fact, in 2020, thousands of WordPress sites have been hacked to become a part of a scam campaign. - Frequent Feature Updates.
While frequent plugin and theme updates could mean better site changes, it isn’t exactly how it works with WordPress. Their newest features could affect functionality, in turn, affecting site speed and navigation. - Page Speed.
As stated above, feature updates may have a hand in slowing down site speed. But it isn’t the only one. When configured ineffectively, sites with large media content may lose traffic with a slower loading time.
Ideal for: Risk-averse small enterprises with minimal to no coding and technical knowledge.
- Browser-Based Usability.
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Drupal
If you’re a beginner at the CMS community, there’s a chance you might have heard of Drupal already. Established in 2000 and only continuing to amass small site owners throughout the years, Drupal has marked its claim in the industry. And we see the appeal. Aside from its language modalities, Drupal is quite popular among government organizations, and an astounding 56% of government websites use Drupal. Fascinating, right?
What Makes It a Yes?
- Complex Content Effectivity.
Drupal is primarily built to serve large business entities and expert webmasters. So, emerging businesses with heavy web content and an appropriate technical grip for web development may find this tool highly useful. - Professionalism in Functionality.
Drupal’s features enable site owners to emit a professional tone and aura for their website. Its collection of standardized modules is exceedingly impressive and readily available for anyone to use. - Presence of an Online Community.
Having a tight-knit community to fall back on in case the web content process becomes unbearable is one of the wisest decisions Drupal has taken. Their online community entices synergy among site users and a closer connection to their platform.
What Makes It a No?
- Difficulty to Master.
Unlike WordPress, Drupal has taken a different approach to its web content publishing and features. New site developers and owners may find it difficult to familiarize themselves with the platform’s processes. - Not the Best Choice for Brochure Websites.
Brochure websites tend to require a lot of infrastructure to run, and Drupal isn’t designed for this. - Heavy Memory Consumption.
With every module download, Drupal may take up a large percent of your site’s memory. But RAM problems won’t be a problem with a single call to your hosting provider.
Ideal for: Beginner webmasters with larger content to publish and implement and enough technical familiarity.
- Complex Content Effectivity.
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Joomla!
In this list, Joomla, a free and open-source CMS that’s highly favored locally and internationally, takes its rightful spot. Downloaded over 123 million times the past year alone, Joomla has proven its efficiency and popularity within the CMS community. With 2022 bringing new businesses to shore, we only expect higher tides for this platform with a large increase in features and designs. If you’re considering partnering with Joomla, check out their pros and cons below.
What Makes It a Yes?
- Functionality with Less Plugins.
WordPress, despite being the most popular CMS today, requires several downloadable plugins that could be summed up by Joomla in less. This makes web content development efficient and friendly to your RAM. - Social Network-Supported.
JomSocial, a Joomla add-on, is perhaps the most ideal component of the platform. It is a fully responsive and interactive feature of Joomla sites, amassing thousands of loyal customers online. - Maximum Usage of Programmer Tools.
Joomla is also widely known for its comprehensive list of programmer tools among others. Their Joomlatools Developer Zone includes extension tools like UI and symlinking files.
What Makes It a No?
- Limited Media Capabilities.
While their media management isn’t exactly ineffective, it may be lacking. Features like cropping and resizing do not work in photos as expected for an upgraded CMS platform. - Limited Adjustments and Modifications.
Customization may not come easy for webmasters, as Joomla has limited personalization effects, unlike Drupal. This makes sense though as an intermediate CMS system. - Several Paid Features.
One of the highest drawbacks of Joomla is its costly features. Most of their desirable web custom effects do not come free of charge, and this may be a let-down for some business owners.
Ideal for: Site owners aiming for high-traffic web pages with extensive CMS tools.
- Functionality with Less Plugins.
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HubSpot CMS Hub
HubSpot, a company known primarily for its software designing elements, has introduced an updated feature to their wide range of online tools. Made public in April 2020, their CMS Hub was and has since been the go-to platform for many marketers with extensive site needs. This Software as a Service System (SAAS) may have been fairly new to the industry than most CMS competitors, it has already established its competence with high-traffic sites it has developed.
What Makes It a Yes?
- Granular Filtering and Segmentation.
Unlike other CMS systems, HubSpot is considered to have one of the most unique features and tools. And one of them is their granular filtering and segmentation capabilities, enabling site owners to target their audience effectively. - Improved Security.
HubSpot’s security standards are a cut above the rest. On top of regular virus scans, their system also contains network and perimeter protection, web firewalls, and encryption in-transit protocols. - CRM Relation and Data Transfer.
With its all-in-one approach to CMS, HubSpot impresses site owners by giving them easy access to their CRM data. During web development, business marketers can build content around their CRM or customer relationship management for enhanced audience engagement.
What Makes It a No?
- Unfit for eCommerce.
Though HubSpot has specific tools for eCommerce websites, it still has a lot of room to cover for improvement in this area. To aid their customers in marketing, their platform has built-in integration with other CMS, like Shopify and Woocommerce. This can drive clients to perform web development there since it makes it easy for their marketing and sales management. - Newer Platform.
Being a newly established CMS system can be a drawback in and of itself. This could mean less experience in the market and decreased trust among consumers. Also, new site owners may prefer older and more common CMS systems. - A Unique Markup Language.
HubL, HubSpot’s markup language is something that’s entirely unique to other programming paradigms. HubSpot’s insistence to have its own programming standards can be its downfall. Developers used to simpler codes and custom tags may find it hard to navigate HubL.
Ideal for: Webmasters who prefer an all-in-one CMS platform that combines CRM data for web content development.
- Granular Filtering and Segmentation.
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Webflow
Another CMS tool in this list is one anyone can rely on for both free and paid options. Webflow is a hosted software that specializes in visual design tools and 70+ free plugins. This CMS platform has been operating since 2003 and doesn’t require more than basic coding knowledge for its site owners. If that’s your cup of tea, you can discover more about its advantages, as well as its risky facets, below.
What Makes It a Yes?
- Cultivation of Creativity.
Webflow has always been all about visual content. With its easily maneuvered interaction and animation designs, site owners can actualize their visual visions for their website. - Convenience in Hundreds.
Among Webflow’s proudest features is its ability to design several pages at once. It’s then easier to create content based on your design, not the other way around. - Powerful Team Templates Creation.
Landing pages are one of the most complicated web pages one can create. With Webflow’s team templates, site owners can easily clone-and-tweak their landing pages for a more dynamic flow to their website.
What Makes It a No?
- Multiple Plan Availability.
Webflow’s various payment plans may sound useful at first glance, but they can also be confusing. With its variety of options, site owners may find it difficult to choose the plan that suits their site needs. - Minimal Code-Level Customizations
It’s true that Webflow has an impressive template and theme rate, unburdening the load of most site owners. But for enterprises who would like to customize their site through next-level coding, this is not possible at all. - Steepness of Learning Curve.
Similar to Drupal, Webflow has quite a steep learning curve. Because of its wide array of features and tools, beginner site owners can feel overwhelmed.
Ideal for:Site owners with creative visual approaches to their website content.
- Cultivation of Creativity.
How You Can Utilize a Good CMS to Your Advantage
You already have the CMS options. We’ve also discussed the pros and cons of every CMS platform to help you decide. Now, how can you use your options to develop a more effective website and marketing tool?
Here are some factors you should consider when starting your own website with a good CMS platform:
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Content.
More than anything, your content should stand out from your competitors. Without quality content, your website will never be up to par with large brands despite updated navigation designs and animations. To fully utilize your CMS, create and integrate meaningful content into your site. In other words, make every content count. Whether it’s media or written content, it should have a purpose and it should matter to you and your audience.
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Brand.
Know your brand before building your website. Better yet, acquaint yourself with your brand before opening your business. By the time you are establishing your digital presence, you should have a bird’s eye view of your branding and personality. With a good CMS, instill your brand in your web pages. This doesn’t only include your logo or slogan; it could also mean the consistency of style, prices, or any other feature that makes your company itself.
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Audience.
A good website knows how to engage its audience, and we don’t mean it in the literal sense. Your website should have the ability to evoke excitement and action; both of which are necessary for them to buy your products or avail of your services. With a good CMS, build a website that caters to your target audience. This means if your target audience is children, make your pages bright, colorful, and animated. Utilize CMS tools with your audience in mind.
Final Thoughts
We’ve established that a good CMS platform can really sell your website. Knowing what CMS to use can also support your branding and upgrade your marketing strategy. And with many free (and paid) CMS platforms that are readily usable by anyone with a computer, it’s safe to say that website development can be done with a press of a button.
Nonetheless, the question remains for site owners: is a CMS fit for your business? Well, only you can answer that.
Proweaver is your dependable custom website design company that also specializes in SEO marketing. If you have more questions about web development, contact the following numbers:
+1-877-216-0852:
+1-877-300-6564:
or +1 (866) 777-8315
We’d be happy to lend you a helping hand.