One of the first decisions virtually all aspiring online entities inevitably have to make is choosing which content management system to use. Of the many that exist, four specific CMS seem to always sit at the top of the food chain: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento. If you’re a beginner to content creation, developing a digital marketing strategy, or selling goods and services online, then chances are you’ll be using one of these four content management systems.
But which one should you use for your specific online needs? The ins and outs of each CMS are as follows:
WORDPRESS
From a strictly content point-of-view, WordPress remains the most popular CMS option among greenhorn online entrepreneurs. It’s easy-to-manage thanks to its inherent blogger-friendly design. In addition, WordPress can also be used for such things as small-scale internal company websites where content sharing is the majority of activity taking place.
But the downside to the simplicity and pre-ordained look of WordPress means there isn’t a whole lot in the way of options and add-ons. Those with a desire to customize systems and a flare for design won’t be able with the restrictions imposed upon them by WordPress.
In addition, WordPress is not ideal for creating shopping carts and other business-related aspects of content management.
CONCLUSION: For aspiring bloggers, news aggregates, and other strictly-content forms of online business, WordPress is probably your best bet. But if you want something more customizable and above all more versatile, look for something else instead.
DRUPAL
Drupal is the complete opposite of WordPress in terms of customization and add-ons. Developers will have a field day sorting through all the various options they can utilize to craft their content management exactly the way they want it.
With such a wide variety of options comes drawbacks however. Inexperienced developers will not have an easy time sorting through the seemingly endless lines of code in search of the few elements they want to add into their CMS construction. This is especially the case when it comes to just about any cool thing Drupal seems to allow you to do, as these functions typically require the most developing skill.
With that said, there is no shortage of Drupal tutorials, forums, and guides available online which can be found via Google search. These can help you through the construction of everything from a mobile-accessible blog to a secured shopping cart for customers.
CONCLUSION: If you have the time and patience to go with that big imagination of yours, then Drupal is right for you. Just expect to become a developer in the process if you aren’t one already.
JOOMLA
Joomla could easily be described as an ideal blending of the best things about WordPress and Drupal; you can almost never run out of the pre-set options made available to you, but you can also expand your CMS into a more catered construct through further development. Thus Joomla is as attractive to beginners as it is to seasoned developers with an eye for design.
However, Joomla is not perfect. While designed to cater to both amateur and veteran, many people complain that the system is not easy to understand right off the bat. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Joomla recently completely revamped their system, which means tutorials and guides that exist online may or may not be of any use to you.
The good news is that the creators of Joomla are busy fixing these problems and are determined to make their CMS the most versatile one on the market.
CONCLUSION: Those unsure about their Drupal abilities who also don’t like the sound of the seemingly monotonous WordPress should look into Joomla as a possible alternative option to either.
MAGENTO
Magento was a little late in the game as far as the other major CMS are concerned, which is something that gives the system it’s own set of pluses and minues.
Focusing almost exclusively on ecommerce, Magento’s late arrival has allowed it to learn from the mistakes of earlier CMS. As such, you’re less likely to experience bugs and can afford to feel a little bit safer about the security.
However Magento’s late arrival also means that you shouldn’t expect anything particularly original from this content management system besides a unique mobile version.
But Magento has one thing that no other major CMS has: the power of Ebay, Inc. The multi-billion dollar Internet company owns 100% of Magento, which means this CMS isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and is sure to only continue to cater to ecommerce-focused business people.
CONCLUSION: Businesses who want CMS that look original without spending too much time on the development details will probably be pleased with Magento as opposed to other systems.
OVERALL CONCLUSION:
WordPress is for beginners, Drupal is for experienced developers, Joomla is for those looking for variety, and Magento is for people who enjoy the assurances of Ebay’s ownership.