A web content management system (CMS) is software used to build and design a website, create and edit pages, organize content, upload media assets, and optimize the site for search. There are dozens of CMS platforms available, from WordPress to Wix. Below, we explain more about the different types of CMS solutions available for building brand presence online to make it easier to know which web content management system is right for you.
How Content Management Systems Work
With the right CMS, you can be sure your website is an effective component of your brand presence. Building a site with CMS usually begins with choosing a premade theme or template and then customizing it for your site. You can control fonts, colors, how images are treated, and more.
The theme or template controls your site’s visual appearance, which most people call the design. Once you’ve customized your theme or template, you can start editing site copy—the words you put on the screen.
While each CMS has its own dashboard and features, watching our Wix tutorial video will give you a better idea of what the interface of a content management system looks like and how it works:
Overview of the Wix CMS for building a website
Creating pages and editing site copy is accomplished via an editor. Most CMS offerings include some form of a visual WYSIWYG (pronounced whiz-ee-wig) editor—which stands for “what you see is what you get.”
As you enter content on your website, you’ll see how it will appear to an end user. Settings in the CMS control appearance elements, such as fonts and colors. Some CMS even allow you to add animations to images and text, all within the WYSIWYG editor.
After creating site copy and publishing your site, whenever visitors access your site, they see the content, styled to match the design of your website. You can edit your content anytime using the CMS and its editor.
Two Types of Web Content Management Systems
Essentially, there are two broad categories of CMS systems. The first covers the all-in-one website builders with everything you need to build a site without touching a line of code, and then there are the advanced CMS installations that likely require at least some coding.
All-in-one builders like Wix or Squarespace include everything you need to build your website, including web hosting, domain, SSL, and a no-code website builder you use to design each page of your site. Advanced CMS programs like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla require obtaining domains and hosting separately. Plus, you have to overcome a steep learning curve to effectively design within these systems.
Which CMS is right for you comes down to a few basic points:
- All-in-one (no code) website builder: Best for most small businesses, ideal for beginners, and the best way to quickly and easily create a business site or online store with prebuilt themes and elements at an affordable price. Examples include Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly.
- Advanced CMS: Best for intermediate to advanced users who need to create a fully customizable site with unique features or a large ecommerce store with the most advanced selling elements. Popular advanced CMS are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
All-in-One vs Advanced Web Content Management Systems
CMS Options | All-in-One | Advanced CMS |
|---|---|---|
Platforms | Squarespace, Wix, Weebly | WordPress, Joomla, Drupal |
Cost per Month | $12-$27 | $3 to $25+ |
Technical Expertise Required | None | Intermediate to advanced |
Fully Customizable | ✕ | ✓ |
Sell Online | ✓ | Via plugin or code |
Memberships & Gated Content | ✓ | Via plugin or code |
Subscriptions & Recurring Payments | ✓ | Via plugin or code |
Online Bookings & Payments | ✓ | Via plugin or code |
SEO Tools | ✓ | Via plugin and coding of CMS and server |
Marketing Tools | ✓ | Via plugin or code |
24/7 Customer Support | ✓ | Third-party (e.g., hosting) or user forums only |
When choosing an advanced web content management system like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, you will need to know at least some basic coding (e.g., HTML, CSS, or PHP) to host, build, and customize a website. These systems also require regular maintenance, such as upgrading plugins or security features, and updates run the risk of breaking your website. Also, you’ll have to include a security plugin to keep your website safe for your data and visitors.
Conversely, all-in-one systems such as Wix or Squarespace have built-in security features. The provider handles all updates, and there’s less risk of your site going offline because of a bad update. You won’t have to learn to code because premade content blocks and a visual design editor let you see exactly what changes to your site will look like. For these reasons, all-in-one web content management systems are far easier to use.
Best Web CMS for Small Businesses
The best website content management systems are affordable for startups and small businesses, easy to use, and make it easy to add the website features and functionality you need. Here are more details on some of the best platforms for small businesses:
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Choosing a web content management system is a long-term commitment. Switching from one CMS to another usually means a complete site redesign, prompting you to start over from scratch. Once your site is built and running, chances are you’re stuck with your decision—so knowledge is power. Before choosing a platform, take some time to check out some of our guides that showcase how various web content management platforms work and what they’re best for.
Learn more about the best web content management systems in general:
- Best website builder for small businesses overall
- Rank higher on Google using the best website builders for search engine optimization (SEO)
- Best blogging platforms for small businesses and influencers
- Get maximum design and style with the best drag-and-drop website builders
Explore CMS for online stores and restaurants:
- Compare all of the best ecommerce site builders side by side
- Best restaurant website builders
Best systems for budget-conscious buyers:
- Cheapest website builders for startups and small businesses on a budget
- Most affordable of all: the best free website builders
Compare options for WordPress:
- Get no-code options for WordPress on our list of the best WordPress website builders
- See what’s involved in our list of WordPress tips and tricks
- See how much WordPress costs vs site builders for basic or ecommerce websites
Top Reasons to Use a CMS
Choosing the right web content management system makes it easier to build and manage your website and content. With a CMS, you can access all the content on your website from one place, including web pages, images, posts, and settings, without needing a web developer and without having to learn complex code. Site builder CMS platforms include all the website basics, from site security to a domain and SSL.
Here are some of the capabilities and benefits top web content management systems provide:
- Affordable: Using free, open-source software like WordPress or a website builder’s proprietary system is affordable, especially compared to outsourcing web development or hiring an in-house web developer to build a custom site.
- Multiple user access: Add accounts for multiple team members to edit content, create or manage pages, or administer your site. Each user has specific permissions allowing them to perform dedicated functions, which protects your site from mistakes and damage.
- Organization: Sort content into categories, tag posts for easy access, and search content for specific phrases using the search feature of your CMS.
- Schedule content: Create content to be published at specific times, allowing you to create content in advance and publish it at a later date to align with an event, such as publishing a press release.
- Maintenance: Update pages, posts, and content easily using the WYSIWYG editor. All-in-one builders like Wix also include security and maintenance updates to keep your site secure and running well.
- No expertise needed: All-in-one CMS platforms like Wix and Shopify are easy to learn and use. You can save money on hiring a web developer or purchasing expensive equipment and software to build your website and keep it running.
- Scalable: Website builder CMS’s speed up the process of adding new pages and content to your site. This makes it easy to gain visibility online, especially when you go with a site builder with native AI content marketing tools, like HubSpot or Wix.
How to Choose the Best CMS for Your Website
There are several things to consider when choosing a web content management system for creating a business website. For example, you’ll need to determine who will create and maintain your website, what features are most important, and how much you can spend.
Use this flowchart to help you determine the right CMS solution for your small business.
Here are four factors to consider when considering how to choose a CMS:
Web CMS platforms all have features that are meant to make it easier to utilize the platform. These include common features such as page editors, templates, and design controls. At the same time, most all-in-one CMS offer either a free version or a free trial, which means you can try out their system risk-free before you commit to a purchase.
If you’re a beginner and don’t want to learn code, choose one of the best all-in-one website builders. Wix and Squarespace offer more design freedom; with Weebly, you can get an online store up in a few hours for free; and GoDaddy is known for its beginner-friendly, section-based editor.
How much can your small business afford to pay for your website? Websites can be expensive, even when you’re using an all-in-one site builder. Consider the features you need, then spend some time researching your options. Some all-in-one site builders include more of the features you may need, while others might require the purchase of expensive plugins. The cost of building a website can vary greatly, depending on which CMS you choose.
If you’re committed to using WordPress, remember you’ll need to secure web hosting and a domain, as well as install a WordPress site builder plugin to make it easier to use. Your cost will also go up if you purchase premium plugins to extend functionality, such as for online selling, offering online courses, and so on.
You’ve already spent some time considering the features and functions your website needs to perform. However, it’s also important to consider the features you require, the ones you desire, and the ones you might need in the future.
WordPress users can access tens of thousands of plugins that extend website functionality to virtually any imaginable activity. While platforms like Wix and Squarespace boast fewer plugins, they still have most of the major functionality covered. This includes booking systems, live chatbots, membership-based content, and more.
Another factor to consider are tools that make creating and optimizing content easier and faster. For example, Hostinger, Wix, and HubSpot all have integrated AI content writers you can use to quickly generate well-rounded content for web pages, blog posts, and meta descriptions. WordPress doesn’t have native AI tools, but there are dozens of plugins you can integrate for similar features.
Your site will have some basic security functionality because it has an SSL certificate. All-in-one platforms typically come with strong security and regular updates to both security protocols and core systems to keep your data and your visitors safe. WordPress is a different story.
If you choose an advanced CMS like WordPress or Joomla, you’ll essentially be on your own for security. Both WordPress and Joomla frequently update core systems to close security holes. However, you’re on your own when making sure you’ve installed the latest security updates. Also, plugins can require frequent updating for security and functionality. Every time you update, your website risks breaking or malfunctioning. It’s rare, but it does happen.
Wondering whether to have a professional build your website instead? Learn how much it will cost to build a website yourself vs the cost of professional web development.
On the other hand, visit Jimdo if you want one of the easiest website builders for beginners. Its artificial intelligence (AI) powered website generator will create a custom designed template instantly, and you could get a site online in under an hour.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Implementing a content management system is as simple as signing up for a plan with a CMS like Squarespace or Wix. With WordPress, it can be more complicated, as you’ll need to get web hosting first. However, many hosting companies have WordPress plans that come with the software you need pre-installed, so all you’ll need to do is sign up and connect a domain.
The most popular content management system worldwide is WordPress.org, by a wide margin. The three most popular all-in-one CMS are Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace.
Your business may need both a CMS and a CRM, but they aren’t the same. CMS, which stands for “content management system,” is software used to build and manage a website and its content. CRM, which stands for “customer relationship management,” is software used to manage contact and deal information on clients, customers, and sales leads.
Bottom Line:
Your business needs a website, so you must choose a web content management system. The best makes it easy for anyone (even complete beginners) to create and manage a website without needing to know how to code. For complete beginners, all-in-one site builders like Wix are much simpler to use. Not only do they make it easy and quick to build a business website, but they’re also very affordable and easy to manage.
