The WordPress CMS or Content Management System is the most popular CMS on the internet. For instance, Nearly 30% of websites on the internet are built on the WordPress platform. So, what exactly is a CMS and why does it matter for building your website?
Learn everything you need to know about choosing a Content Management System for any type of website, and why WordPress is the most popular. Find out what criteria to consider when choosing a CMS. And, see what the difference is between WordPress websites that are custom-built and static HTML sites.
How to Choose a CMS: Is WordPress CMS Right for Your Business Website?
The internet is home to so many different types of WordPress CMS websites that it is easy to see them all as a blurry singularity. With nearly 2 billion websites on the internet as you read this, how do you know what kind of website is right for you? The first thing to realize about the websites you see on the internet is that most of them are built with a Content Management System (CMS), like WordPress.
Around 30% of websites are built with WordPress – making it the most popular CMS on the internet. Other popular CMS platforms include Drupal and Magento. But, not all websites are built on a CMS, which begs the question: why not, and on what platform are non-CMS websites built?
Why Choose to Build a Website on a CMS vs Website Builder Tool?
Apart from CMS platforms, like WordPress, Drupal, Magento – and others – you find an increasing number of websites built with website building tools, or drag-and-drop website builders. To begin with, you have to understand the difference between a CMS and a website builder.
Website building tools allow you to create your website with a drag-and-drop interface. Examples of this include Wix, GoDaddy websites, Squarespace, and WordPress. These platforms are great for building all types of websites, but they differ in handling website hosting.
When you build a website with one of these cheap-and-easy tools, you often have to give-up technical flexibility, and migrating your existing website can be nearly impossible. Professional websites for small businesses and big businesses, alike, use a CMS.
What is Important in a CMS? Choosing the Right CMS for Your Site
Often, it takes more time to build a website with a CMS, as opposed to a website builder tool. But, the benefits are well worth the time and patience. Ultimately, you get a website that expands the functionality of your business and acts as an individual asset.
As was stated, WordPress.org is the top choice for most custom web development projects. But, some CMS platforms offer different benefits, so how do you know if the WordPress CMS is right for your website? Every business has different needs and aims for its online presence, and there are several factors to consider when choosing your website’s CMS.
CMS Backend Ease-of-Use
Who will be using the backend features of your website? If your business has an in-house IT department, maybe ease-of-use isn’t something you need to worry about. On the other hand, if employees will use the CMS features regularly – as might be true for an educational institution website – you might want to consider the easiest-to-use platform available.
The extent to which a workforce can easily adopt the interface and functionality of your CMS can either help or hinder your business’s workflow efficiency. Anyone who needs to interface with the CMS should feel confident in their ability to use the platform effectively. WordPress is the most popular option for professional websites because it provides an easy-to-use backend dashboard and robust customization functionality.
Customization, and Security Criteria for a CMS
The extent to which your team needs to customize content on your website depends on the site’s purpose. The ideal CMS provides a flexible and easy-to-use platform for customizing design elements. But, the more things you can customize, the more you can break. Unless your team includes a web developer, there is a fine line between having enough customizable access and having too much.
In general, all types of websites have a CMS that allows you to add, alter, and delete content on the site. But, good website developers carefully built-in safeguards to keep you from unknowingly or accidentally editing or alter source-code. To that end, your CMS also needs safeguards for users. In general, the WordPress CMS allows you to have the most easy-to-access control over your website, which is why it is so popular. Talk to a web designer for a free consultation to learn more about the benefits of building your website on the WordPress CMS, and how to get started.