Building a website is not an easy task. Besides good content, you also need a powerful CMS (Content Management System). A custom website developed on a good CMS has a great impact on your business. Most CMS available today are open-source and free to use. They offer a myriad of features and can be easily maintained. You don’t need to invest your money in developing a personal content management platform, there are many free platforms available that are completely developed, reliable and used by millions of users who trust them completely. Here is a list of best content management systems 2017.
WordPress
Whenever there is a talk about an open-source CMS the first thing that comes up to everyone is WordPress. Hundreds of easy functions, flexible tools and the ease of installing and using it make WordPress a popular CMS. There are thousands of users who have been using WordPress to build websites and blog. Upload any content on WordPress and the way it is displayed to the viewers is completely magical. There are some wonderful third-party add-ons and plugins which add on to the quick functionalities while also enhancing the quality of the CMS.
WordPress is one of the best content management systems because of its simple yet customizable functions it has to offer to its users. Drag and drop functions, undo tools, spelling checker are also some of the great features. WordPress also offers detailed instructions for those who are beginners.
SSL compatibility, content approval tools, and granular privileges make your content safe as the access is restricted as per the administrative levels that are set by you. Other security options from the perspective of a user are automatic problem-notification features, email verification, and captcha options.
There are ample add-ons in WordPress which a standard content management program should be comprised of such as site maps, email help forms, and blogs. It also happens to be one of the handful CMS programs which can generate charts and graphs. Along, with this, it happens to offer several add-ons and plugins both third-party and native useful for different businesses such as tracking, shopping carts, the point of sale system and inventory management. All the mentioned tools can be customized according to your business requirement with the help of labeled dashboard. WordPress offers a virtual space in which untested or new coding or software can be run safely known as the sandbox where the content changes can be tested before you can publish it.
From project management to project tracking everything WordPress offers everything.
The best thing about WordPress is that there is a huge community of users. If you are stuck with a problem you will get an instant solution if you post it in the community. There are discussion forums and user guides on the website you get email support too.
Drupal
Thousands of people use Drupal and like WordPressis an open-source CMS application. There are many modules and tools that will aid in creating content which is audience appropriate while also structuring your website in a way that it can be crawled by the search engines.
Drupal is a bit more complex than the other CMS platforms and might be a bit difficult for the beginners to work on. If you wish to exploit its functions and features then hiring a web designer would be a good option. Once developed in a user-friendly way the website you create with Drupal would not only be attractive to look at but also easy to work on. Websites with many users or several pages should opt for Drupal. Besides being user-friendly Drupal is also considered to be one of the most secure CMS platforms to work upon.
Flexibility is what Drupal is best known for as this is what expanding businesses always look forward to. Drupal offers some best plugins and add-ons to its users and has a fairly good selection of themes. The site wizard helps in getting your business online in no time. Drupal works with coding and you can expect a powerful website if you use them wisely. Also present are tools for document management, project tracking and the creation of database reports which happen to be important functions required to manage a business that deals in huge content. Websites built with this CMS will be able to sustain large amounts of traffic and manage a huge amount of content also.
You can easily get support if you are stuck with something. There are a huge community and discussion forums where you can ask questions or speak to people and know more about shortcuts or the CMS itself. There are chats, events, and meetups which happen among the Drupal users which you can participate in. If you are looking forward to a technical support then you can use social media or email the customer support of Drupal to find a solution for your query.
Joomla
Another CMS which is considered as one of the best content management systems is Joomla. Needless to say that Joomla can be molded according to your requirement. You will find hundreds of websites which have been built with Joomla including the Harvard University. Although all business sizes can build and run websites on Joomla but it has been thought to be perfect for small businesses. Plugins, extensions, themes, and add-ons are plenty which can be customized to develop your website in a way that is not only easy to use but also appealing to look at. The final result of your website will be professional, unique and interactive.
Creating a virtual shopping site is pretty simple, you have all the required tools in place. Add-ons on Joomla include discussion forums, photo galleries, and blogs, besides these, you can also let the users add content and add user contribution pages. Navigating the dashboard is simple, uploading and publishing content is simple. File distribution, document and project management not only give the full value of your created content but also give easy data access to the employees working with you. Joomla is SSL compatible so you have the option to secure the sensitive content and pages by making it password protected. Captcha tools ensure that no bot gets past your security.
You will have to look for answers in forums and online through the internet. There are online classes which are available on its website, however; there is no customer support that Joomla offers.
Magento
Magento is also an open-source content management platform on which you can build website or blog. This CMS is one that offers a myriad of features and options especially to develop a virtual store. Burger and Nestle have their websites on Magento. The platform also supports many languages and currencies making it perfect to if you have international customers also. Magento is perfect for all types of businesses both small and big. If you are not perfect in writing codes then you can follow a community where you can get the extensions with different features.
There are different templates to select from and the platform is quite simple to navigate. You can create powerful e-Commerce websites that would increase your traffic and your business output. You have the option to set up single or multiple e-stores and assign a different language to every store depending on the location at which they are available. There are ready to install themes which can be customized using your codes according to your requirement. Magento has been developed specifically for e-Commerce businesses which is why it has advanced features which offer pricing tools, product catalog, ability to add multiple attributes and image watermark capabilities. General content pages can also be added and formatted independently so the requirements of the content are met. You also have the customer account and grouping function. From shopping to carting and from billing to shipping every step is ultra smooth. The website can also be set up to create reports related to products, sales, performance, and even customers. The statistics can be stored for future use.
There are community forums of Magento where you can find codes or program the widgets yourself. Magento offers you performance review and technical consultations as they have partnered with thousands of experts. You can use their services for code audits, business analytics, and consultations. There are detailed guides and online courses, meetups and certified processes from which you can learn and master Magento. In short, Magento is a versatile platform which gives wondrous results without one having too many developer skills.
eZ
Next in the list of best content management systems is eZ which is also an open source content management system which offers drag and drop options and you can also manage all your websites from a single source. On eZ you can make changes or edit on the page directly. The framework on which it has been developed is Symphony and offers API.
Like all the leading CMS programs eZ also has different security tools and comprises of granular privileges which let decide and offer access to people on different software along with password protection given to different users.
Sandbox function lets you create, read, preview and test the content before you can publish it. Every change can be placed on the timeline which spontaneously makes the content live without you having to do anything else or taking an extra step.
eZ offers real time reports on every visitor activity that happens on your website so you know what content you should put on your website. It should be noted that eZ should not be used for e-Commerce websites as there are hardly any effective tools that will help in developing an online store, however, since the API of eZ is pretty powerful you can integrate third-party software and develop a virtual store. eZ would make a perfect website for all medium-sized enterprises and businesses.
You can drag and drop graphs, pictures and data to create to your content. It features an image editor which has already been included in the program using which you can edit the images and make it look clear, bright and beautiful. You can adjust the color, add effects, control the clarity and adjust the brightness of your images. The tools included in eZ let you create mobile friendly websites automatically. You also have the preview option so you can see how your website content looks before it can go live.
Your visitors can contribute content through wikis, blogs and discussions forms, all this can be done in a controlled environment. You can add tools like email help forms, search engines, site maps and live chat to your website so your customer has everything in one place.
eZ is easy to use CMS platform using which you can get a professional and powerful website built in no time.
Concrete 5
Concrete 5 comes with add-ons and pre-designed templates which can be customized with added codes. This open-source content management platform is perfect for those who wish to develop a website yet have the basic foundation where they can lay their requirements.
You can pick one theme and then use CSS coding or menu and personalize it. Every page can be formatted in every aspect and images, stacks, videos, responsive grid points and layout modules can be added to it. The drag and drop function along with WYSIWYG editor helps in achieving amazing results that match your brand. The websites that are created using Concrete 5 are fully responsive which is one of the most important features that a CMS should have as users mostly use their smartphones to access websites and make purchases through them.
Conrete 5 is secure and has its own set of tools for the security of its websites. The CMS has been tested at hackerone.com. The software can be modified without overriding the core. It is SSL compatible and can track login histories.
There are tutorials and it also comprises of detailed documentation which has been made by the developers and other users. There are forums where you will find support and you also have the option of paid assistance here.
The above are some of the best content management systems of 2017.