You may have heard the term CMS. It stands for Content Management System. But what is it exactly, and why should it matter to you?
What Is a CMS?
A Content Management System is software used to create, organize, and publish content. Most CMSs are known for streamlining the website creation and publishing process. On a website with a CMS installed, the content and media are managed through an administration area called the “backend” or “dashboard.” This area is also where you can manage the layout of the website.
There are many CMSs used around the world to build websites. Here are several of the most popular CMSs and the estimated number of websites that they power:
- WordPress: 26,701,000 active websites
- Joomla: 2,009,000 active websites
- Drupal: 964,000 active websites
- Magento: 373,00 websites
Why Use a CMS?
The main reason you’d want to use a CMS is because it allows you to easily create and manage your website content—and by that we mean text, images, video, audio, downloadable content, and other forms of content.
A secondary benefit that CMSs bring is easier integration of website features. If you need a feature like a contact form, events calendar, or email signup form, it’s generally easy to install a plugin providing that feature for the CMS you are using. The alternative would be to have a web developer build a custom solution for the features you need, which is generally more costly and time-consuming than using one made for a specific CMS.
A website built on a CMS is much easier to manage day-to-day than a website built from scratch.
Choosing the Best CMS
With so many different CMS options, choosing one can be challenging. Look for a CMS that:
- is known for being simple to install and configure.
- has a wide variety of themes and extensions.
- has an extensive and well-maintained support center.
One way to familiarize yourself with different CMSs is to search online for the themes and plugins (sometimes called “modules” or “extensions”) built for that CMS. You can get a feel for the different types of websites that are using that CMS.
Also, if you ever see a website that you love the look and functionality of, you can figure out what CMS it’s built with by checking WhatCMS.
Our Recommended CMS
For over a decade we have provided web hosting support and technology to customers world-wide. We know from personal experience which stands out as the best. Our choice shouldn’t be a surprise, considering that this CMS now powers 30% of websites on the internet:
WordPress
We have personal experience with WordPress and have become experts in this arena. WordPress has stood out with its incredible power and customizability. Companies like Sony, Facebook, Spotify, PlayStation, and even the country of Sweden use WordPress to support their online presence. WordPress also has arguably the largest development community over any other CMS—which means a greater variety of themes and plugins for you to choose from.
Interested in WordPress but need hosting? Take a look at our best-in-class WordPress Hosting, which is fine-tuned to deliver superior performance, security, and reliability.