Anyone who relies on content marketing or wants to inform their customers about the news with a self-created blog should think about a content management system (CMS). Content maintenance is much easier with a CMS than without. Set texts, plan content, incorporate changes – elementary with the suitable CMS. But which one is the right one? In addition to the prominent market leader WordPress, there are other participants in the competition, some of which bring exciting features.
What Do You Need A CMS For?
In its original form, a so-called content management system is a platform that makes it easier for you to run your blog. Instead of creating each page with HTML and CSS, then uploading it and integrating it into the rest of the website, a CMS offers an editing area in the background – the backend. This is already on the server, and you can log in online. Various tools are available to you here. Instead of messing with HTML, you type the text you want to appear on your blog into a text field. The handling is similar to what you know from word processing software like Microsoft Word – so it’s pretty easy and intuitive.
Formatting is done, images are added, and links are set to additional content. The CMS itself provides everything else: design, comment area, social share buttons – everything only has to be set once and can then be used again and again. The assignment of different roles is particularly useful in the corporate context. Sometimes several colleagues work on a blog. Nothing should get mixed up there. With a CMS, you can determine who has which permissions. Can someone only see articles in advance but not edit them? Is someone allowed to write articles but otherwise not make any changes in the backend? Do you need two people as administrators? With a CMS, you can set clear rules.
This is the core concept of a content management system. But over the years, many CMS have developed into real all-rounders: Thanks to templates, plugins, and add-ons, complete websites can be built with WordPress & Co. Some CMS can also be converted into web shops – with only little web design knowledge. Here, too, the complete administration, from placing the products to warehouse management and organizing the logistics, takes place in an arranged backend. Every good CMS should have certain features:
- WYSIWYG editor: Edit text as usual in an editor, compile content using drag and drop
- Different user roles: Equip employees with the right skills
- Content Scheduling: Scheduled publication of posts
- Possibility of multilingualism: offer the readership the option to switch to another language version
- Social media integration: integration of social media buttons
- Modern media display: Easy integration of sliders, carousels, or galleries for photos
Define Requirements
To decide the suitable CMS for you and your company, you should know what you expect from the system.
Corporate Blog With CMS
A lightweight CMS will do if you already have a website for your business that you are happy with and want to add a blog. The challenge here: The blog should be integrated visually and functionally into the existing site. CMS all-rounders like WordPress can only be bent into such precise paths with some effort. Other systems work better here but need technically experienced admins. The style sheet of the actual page should then be integrated into the blog. If you are now wondering what a style sheet is and need to look up what CSS means, then you should ask experienced web designers for help integrating the blog.
Landing Page For The Company
Do you want to design a simple but meaningful landing page in addition to a blog? A CMS can be the right solution if you wish to use it to present your entire company or give a product its online presence. In addition to the blog, you get (with simple means) a professional homepage. The content is also created and managed here via the backend. For many CMS, numerous templates already have a stylish design. This makes the actual design child’s play and is limited to a few adjustments. Upload your pictures, remove or add areas, and enter text – this is how one-pagers can be created in a few hours, for example.
Complete Website Environment With A CMS
If you don’t have a website yet and want to exchange or add content regularly, you can achieve good results with a CMS. However, if you opt for such a solution, you give up the lightweight system. Many extensions are necessary to expand a CMS into a web shop, a community network, or a deep-rooted website. The advantage remains that you can work with a backend and do not have to write changes directly in HTML. The CMS continues to do this. However, the complex structure of extensions necessary for such a solution also turns out to be relatively maintenance-intensive. Plugins must be regularly maintained and coordinated.
What Are The Differences?
WordPress is by far the most popular option when it comes to CMS. The system impresses with its diversity: Numerous plugins and templates make it possible to implement even large projects. However, such a CMS is almost too powerful for company blogs that are supposed to be lightweight.
Light-Footed & Modern
Instead, products have appeared on the market in recent years that take a step back and convince with their light-footedness. So-called flat-file CMS are convenient with simple structures. This makes maintenance a lot easier. However, since these CMS are still in their infancy, and the user base is still relatively small, the resources for the systems are also scarce. This also refers explicitly to the support. That means: If you have little contact with web design and server administration topics, you will undoubtedly need help with this CMS. Well-known representatives of these CMS solutions include:
- Kirby
- grave
- static
Small & Versatile
While the CMS in the first category hardly offer any functions apart from their actual goal, namely the fast publication of content, some systems walk an excellent middle ground. They are not very inflated but still offer a lot of help. With these solutions, it is easily possible to run a blog for your company – even with employees who can write wonderfully but are unfamiliar with technology. The CMS in this area includes:
- Contact
- bolt
- Ghost
Heavy & Extensive
If you want many options that also promise quick access and a lot of comfort, you should reach for one of the market leaders. These are also so well suited for beginners, for example, because there is an enormous amount of teaching and support material on the Internet and in printed form. In addition, all solutions are backed by large communities that regularly develop and supplement the CMS. The most popular CMS are:
- WordPress
- Typo3
- drupal
CMS For The Company Blog – Yes Or No?
The choice may be difficult, the offer is significant – and whether a CMS is the right choice at all, you are not sure yet. The good thing is that you can try many content management systems. With CMS, the open-source idea prevails as far as possible, which is why many methods are available free of charge. You can also try different solutions and check which ones work best for you. If you’re worried about mastering the installation and getting started, that’s no problem.
Some hosting providers have packages in which WordPress & Co. are already installed. This makes the first steps with the CMS much easier. However, if you are not looking for a blog but just for a place on your company website where you can place a longer text, the CMS may not be the right choice. This is where a static site generator could be of better service. Although this does not deal with content dynamically, it is also elementary to use and delivers professional and stable results.
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