CMS is a popular term like other trending acronyms including, SEO, SERP, CRM, CDN, etc.
If you are planning to start your small business using an online platform, you must understand the content management system of your website.
Here, the CMS comes!
CMS stands for Content Management System. It simplifies the basic infrastructures required to build a website.
For example, CMS provides ready-made templates/themes and other technical assistance. Your job is to edit the given input on the themes and set them up the way you want them to look.
The most relaxing part of the CMS is that it doesn’t require coding. So, you don’t need to spend sleepless nights in front of the screen for coding. Just install one of the content management systems and give it a new look.
This guide will cover the pros and cons of CMS. If you are an enthusiastic learner, go through the entire content. You can share with others, telling them how this article helps you to understand CMS.
Table of Contents
What is CMS?
CMS stands for Content Management System, which is software allowing its users to create, manage, and publish content easily and quickly.
Maximum users nowadays with little or no knowledge of coding use CMS as an alternative tool to build websites as CMS consumes less time and effort.
CMS contains a user-friendly interface where you can create, manage, modify, and publish your content. It allows the user to customize the design and functionality of a particular website by downloading free templates and extensions or purchasing them. Five advantages of CMS are in the following:
- CMS requires no coding knowledge
- CMS platforms are easy to collaborate
- CMS encompass SEO features and extensions
- CMS has multiple ready-made templates
- CMS follows simple updates
Functions of a Content Management System
You can easily understand how CMS functions if you observe the following examples of WordPress. WordPress is the most common and widely popular CMS. You will find WordPress details in the later section.
If you install WordPress, it will show its interface where you will write your content. This interface is a bit similar to Microsoft Word.
It has an image and media management system. You can gently browse the media library and upload quality images, videos related to your content.
Using the WordPress interface, you can show the content of your website to the visitors in absolutely the same way you want.
Major Parts of a Content Management System
Content Management System has two pivotal parts that run the entire CMS system accordingly. They are:
- Content Management Application (CMA)
- Content Delivery Application (CDA)
CMA allows the users to add anything from writing content to adding images, videos and managing that content on a particular website.CDA, on the side, is similar to the backend. CDA doesn’t uncover its behind-the-scenes process. It transforms the input users apply to in the CMA, stores it accordingly, and makes it visible to the visitors of that website.
CMS Market Shares and Listed Websites
Among the dozens of CMS, WordPress is the best one that has worldwide popularity. It shares 40% of the market value among other website builders and maintains 60% of the CMS market value.
Source: https://kinsta.com/wordpress-market-share/
The following report shows CMS market share trends till August 2021:
| CMS | Market Share (August 2021) |
| WordPress | 65% |
| Shopify | 5.9% |
| Joomla | 3% |
| Wix | 2.6% |
| Squarespace | 2.6% |
| Drupal | 2.2% |
| Bitrix | 1.5% |
| Blogger | 1.4% |
| Magento | 1% |
| OpenCart | 1% |
Source: https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/content_management
So far, we have covered what CMS is, how it functions, its significant parts, and how they are interconnected.
In the following sections, you will read the list of popular CMS platforms and which CMS platform is best for your website.
Total Live websites Built With CMS Platforms
| CMS Technology | Live Websites |
| WordPress | 28,183,568 |
| Wix | 4,565,423 |
| Squarespace | 2,750,270 |
| Joomla! | 1,580,832 |
| GoDaddy Website Builder | 1,624,154 |
| Weebly | 1,019,509 |
| Duda | 705,120 |
| Blogger | 672,560 |
| Drupal | 562,655 |
| Jimdo | 486,843 |
Source: https://firstsiteguide.com/cms-stats/
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List of 10 Most Popular CMS Platforms
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Joomla
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Drupal
- Bitrix
- Blogger
- Magento
- Opencart
1) WordPress
WordPress is the most popular among all the CMS platforms. Although the WordPress interface is best for blogging, it doesn’t end here. It dominates the other markets, including eCommerce.
Writing just one simple section cannot cover WordPress. One can even publish a guide writing about WordPress. However, here are some general things about WordPress you can follow shortly.
Do you know that
- WordPress is a self-hosted CMS platform
- The official site of this self-hosted platform is WordPress.org
- You can instantly build a WordPress site by using the editors like Gutenberg or Elementor.
- There are thousands of themes and plugins you can use to customize your website.
WordPress allows its users to add:
- Forms and live Chat sections
- Themes of the built-in visual builder and split testing
By using the WordPress CMS platform, you can create a user-specific brand.
2) Shopify
Shopify is also a popular CMS platform after WordPress. It provides eCommerce website development services that create a visual appealing among the consumers.
Let see the features of Shopify:
- Shopify is easy to set up
- It provides SEO and marketing facilities
- Associated with a strong management system
- Easy to manage
- Provides exceptional security
- Ensures top-notch support
3) Joomla
Joomla is an alternative type of CMS platform. Like WordPress, it offers more functionality to its users. More of Joomla in the following:
- Open-source CMS like WordPress
- Built-in multilingual support
- Open to advanced functionality and content management options
Joomla CMS platform is ideal for building membership, community, and social networking sites.
4) Wix
The CMS platform of Wix facilitates its user in multiple ways, including logo creation, SEO with advanced analytic tools, and a lot more.
Features of Wix:
- Unique professional logo in a minute
- Develop website outlook with artistic illustrations
- Ensures superb and hassle-free customer support
- Advanced SEO tools
- Analyze site’s performance
5) Squarespace
Squarespace is a DIY website builder solution. It allows you to create engaging and attractive websites with an array of features.
Let’s see how Squarespace features a website:
- Modern Templates
- Style Editor
- Template Switching
- Built-in Mobile Websites
- Drag-and-Drop Management
- Direct Editing
- Mobile Information Bar
- Custom CSS
6) Drupal
In the digital content management system, Drupal adds a new wave. If developers can use it in the right way, Drupal can perform as a powerful CMS tool. Here are the focus points of Drupal:
- Highly flexible
- Favored by large corporations and government agencies like NASA
- 44,000 modules are available in the directory
- Thousands of free themes that can manage large volumes of data and heavy traffic of a complex website
One thing is that you should notice Drupal’s blogging capacity. It is not as outstanding as that of WordPress.
7) Bitrix24
Bitrix24 offers its users a unified set of tools that help the users in managing their contacts, messages, emails, files, tasks, and projects. This software is unique and user-friendly. It supports both web-based and mobile applications suitable for iPhone or iPad devices.
Features of Bitrix:
- Instant messages
- Calendar sharing
- Activity Stream intranet center
- CRM
- Company structure
- Bulk email
- Daily planner
- Extranet
- CRM reports
- Simple access assignment
- Sales funnel
- File sharing and versioning
- Photo albums
- User Profiles
8) Blogger
In the beginning, Blogger seemed to be a platform only for online daily notes. However, it has become one of the popular CMS platforms today. Let’s check its features shortly:
- Easy to work
- Mobile responsive
- SEO-friendly
- Fast and Stable service
- Reliable system
- Both free and premium facilities
- 24/7 customer support
9) Magento
Like other CMS platforms, Magento is also user-friendly, flexible, and an all-inclusive content management system that allows enterprise business runners to drive their online business profitably.
- The self-hosted version of Magento is Magento Open Source
- Reliable for building an eCommerce website
- Highly flexible and secure
However, users often find Magento complex to learn and take advantage of its built-in functionality and extensions.
10) OpenCart
OpenCart is a highly customizable eCommerce platform. Some of its features are in the following:
- Open-source and customizable
- Numerous integrations
- Free platform
- Never come up with ongoing development costs
11) Webflow
Webflow’s visual CMS platform is similarly flexible and secure. Webflow focus points are:
- Available for creating and customizing sites
- You can use its hundreds of pre-built templates, or you can start from scratch.
- You can add extended functionality by using third-party integrations or embedding HTML code.
For designers or developers who have the coding skills and proper knowledge, Webflow is a plus point to execute their creativity.
Conclusion
Let’s recap what you have read so far.
CMS stands for a Content management system that allows you to build websites even if you do not know to code. CMS has two pivotal parts, including CMA & CDA.
You have learned almost eight types of CMS platforms and also get some information about them. It will help you to choose the best CMS platform for your website.