#Appropriate Content Management System (CMS) for modern website design
Open Source Content Management System (CMS) for a modern website design
A Content Management System (CMS) is a software package that is stored either on the company server or on the server of a provider. This system allows the webmaster and individual editors to create, edit and manage the content of a website. The system helps to separate editorial content from the design elements of the website, so that they can be edited individually – without interfering with the other functional area. Content can be better edited in this way. It is an Internet-based software that is connected to a database. Media content such as written content, integrated images and videos as well as forms or graphics can be captured, edited, saved and published using the same system.
From a technical point of view, the CMS is divided into three modules – the editorial system for entering texts, the so-called “Content Repository Module” for storing content and the “Publishing System” for publishing the content on the respective website. Other important tasks controlled by a CMS include rights management for access to the website and workflow management, i.e. the administration of individual workflows. The use of a CMS is interesting for websites that regularly post a lot of content. Which Open Source CMS is ultimately used in the company depends on the needs of the website operator or the company. Basically, it is a matter of considering the available plug-ins, the adaptability and the user interface as decisive criteria for the selection of the suitable system.
“Open Source CMS” – more variety and flexibility
The CMS of today is much more than the web presence of the company with which it presents itself to the outside world. Rather, it is about combining the factors content (German: Inhalt), commerce (German: Handel) and communities (German: Gemeinschaften) to create a unique brand experience, personalize all content and send it to its destination at the right moment via the desired channel(s).
Larger companies or groups of companies often still resort to CMS developed according to their needs – this is where the term “make or buy” comes into play. Behind this lies a company’s decision as to whether to use an externally developed CMS solution or its own development. For small or medium-sized companies as well as start-ups, which have only a small budget, the use of a suitable Open Source CMS offers a high savings potential. But also the following factors shape it:
The combination of innovation and speed enables the development of new business opportunities and markets. In the search for the right CMS that best fits the needs and requirements of their own company, it turned out that open source CMS can be used much more flexibly, have a broader range of functions and are updated at much shorter intervals.
Modern companies are subject to continuous change. New competitors appear, new business models are tried out – and customers expect their wishes and requirements to be met faster and better by the company. Because the programming code in open source CMS is openly accessible so that it can be changed by the company at any time. In addition, the high flexibility offers the opportunity to act agilely.
An open source CMS can be used by companies of any size. Small and medium-sized companies as well as large international corporations can use it quickly to develop a globally applicable strategy. Regardless of the size of the company, they also help to cushion an increased burden.
Open source CMSs typically have a developer community that contributes to the development of innovations. This increases the innovation capability of the CMS, and helpful tutorials, tips or technical enhancements are constantly being developed and can be accessed online.
Open source and security are two sides of the same coin. Contrary to what might be assumed, the open program code is the main reason, because it is regarded as the basic attitude and is an integral part of the open source approach. Multifactor authentication and the use of firewalls are also standard.
Overall, it can be said that manufacturer-bound CMS are in most cases less flexible and more expensive, but always tailored to the individual needs of the company. In addition, they are equipped with fewer functions and can only be integrated into existing IT infrastructures with difficulty.
The five most used Open Source CMS
In Germany, five different open source CMSs are offered, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. In this list, the three most used systems will be analyzed in more detail:
WordPress has been on the market since 2003 and was originally pure blog software. In the meantime it has been developed into a functional, flexible and comprehensive CMS, which enjoys great popularity worldwide. By the additional, free PlugIn WooCommerce a web page can be transformed also into an Onlineshop. The programming language is PHP, so both a PHP-enabled web hosting and a MySQL database are required. Since the functions can be selected by PlugIn and an incredible amount of PlugIns are available, the system is incredibly flexible and can be designed very individually.
- Open source code and suitable for commercial use
- Low costs for hosting the website with WordPress – all functions can be made available for about 5 euros
- Easy to use, the functions are intuitively understandable, so that the maintenance of the website can be done wonderfully by the operator of the website.
- WordPress can be enhanced with additional functions via plug-ins
- High security standards and the large community that uses the CMS to develop web applications give security
- Content can be optimized according to SEO criteria using the YOAST plug-in. Here, too, no basic previous knowledge is required.
- Be careful with PageBuilders such as Elementor or PageBuilder, as their integration can pose a security risk due to missing updates.
- Due to the many plug-ins an increased area is created, which is endangered for attack possibilities from the net the IT security.
- Programming knowledge is required for individual modifications that are not planned in this way.
The CMS Joomla! was created in 2005 and has no permanent founder, but through the spin-off of a community from CMS Mambo. The CMS uses HTML in combination with PHP as programming language and is especially suitable for building websites. For content managers, it is a gold mine of different, practical tools and a simple administrator interface to create and maintain the texts.
- Joomla! is very flexible and offers a lot of functions and plug-ins.
- Has a large community of developers and technical enthusiasts
- All in all a harmonious CMS with up-to-date software
- More complex design, as the system is not designed intuitively
- Problems and disruptions frequently occur in the allocation of rights
- Many of the additional plug-ins are not free of charge, the implementation of updates is time-consuming, as they are not automatically possible.
The open source CMS Drupal was founded in 2010 and is considered one of the most innovative CMS on the market. Due to its huge framework, the CMS can be used by companies of different sizes, including individual adaptation of the web presence. With around 1 million users, the CMS is one of the most widely used systems in the world.
- User-friendly entry of new content
- Responsive design for optimal presentation on the mobile device
- Integration of social media such as blogs and forums
- Scalable and developed as a modular system
- No automated updates possible
- Complex for those who do not yet know how to use the system.
Again and again, new start-ups in the field of open source CMS development come onto the market, which also take modern technical developments into account.
Why WordPress has become number 1
Studies from November 2019 have shown that the classic Open Source CMS WordPress with 61.8 % worldwide and 46.8 % in Germany has achieved with a huge gap on 1st place. The open source CMS Joomla was number 2 with 4.8 % and Drupal ranked third with almost 2 %. Who sees these numbers, recognizes fast that WordPress offers potentials which the other manufacturers do not hold ready.
Whether for the creation of online markets, job exchanges, directory sites or classic websites, to name just a few examples, and – by integrating the eCommerce plug-in Woocommerce – WordPress can be used for everything.
WordPress works in a modular system, so that web or online shop operators can assemble their desired system. There are 55,000 plug-ins that can be downloaded and integrated in a compatible way.
The high use of WordPress by has two effects. On the one hand the developers constantly create new components from the community, on the other hand they contribute substantially to ensure the security against hacking and attackers from the net. This also means closing existing security gaps quickly and consistently.
The website operators can maintain and update their website themselves because WordPress has established uncomplicated update processes that can be easily implemented.
A main reason why WordPress is so well received is the simple and intuitively designed backend in which the content is entered. Basically, it’s no more difficult than using Microsoft Word. Images and links can also be integrated without any problems.
The YOAST plug-in covers the topic optimally with help and suggestions for improving rankings in search engines such as Google. The effectiveness of the measures on the ranking can be seen in the data of the system – if they are set to green, the visibility is higher.
Future “Headless CMS” – decoupling of content and design
Access to company content is always via new touchpoints. In addition to classic websites, these can also be eCommerce shops, device formats such as smartphones, “Internet of Things” devices or language assistants. A major influencing factor is the development of web content – since new devices are constantly calling up content from a wide variety of sources.
Today, an Open Source CMS – including that of the market leader WordPress – uses the “Headless CMS” technology. Here the functions that are usually executed via the backend (in the core the creation, storage and administration of created content) are separated from the frontend functions (primarily presentation and provision of content). It has three major advantages for the executors of marketing campaigns and strategies:
- the new touchpoints, which go beyond those of the network or the mobile network, can be more easily and quickly integrated into the system and supplied with content. The API-based approach – where API stands for “programming interface” – plays an important role here. Content can be retrieved without formatting and played back at the endpoints.
- Today, digital frontends are seen as the most important points of contact to prospects and customers. The “Headless CMS” helps to improve the digital experience when visiting an entrepreneurial touchpoint. The decoupling of front- and backend makes it faster and more flexible.
- The two areas of company organization and software architecture interact. In a monolithic system, it is very difficult to work on systemic improvements, especially against the background of agile, independent teams.
These three points reveal the true strength of a headless CMS, because its use supports and promotes digitization and agility. This is where the small, modern CMS providers such as Contentful, Directus or Cloud CMS come in, relying on a cloud solution.
