Do you know what I am tired of hearing?
What CMS (Content Management System) platform to use for my professional website? Which CMS platform will be the best?
Well, the answer to these questions depends on several factors since the feature of different CMS platforms is unique from one another. So, before choosing the right CMS platform, you have to know your preference first.
In this article, I will discuss the best CMS for a professional website in 2020. To lead you to the right path, you will also get a section where I have shared what key features the best CMS platform should contain.
And first of all, let me share a short brief about what the CMS platform is.
So, let’s give a closer look.
Introduction to CMS Platform
A CMS (Content Management System) is an application that will allow you to manage and publish content on the web following an intuitive method.
A wide range of CMS platforms is available, and all of them have different unique features. Using a CMS platform, you can easily create any type of site as per your requirement; even you will not require to use any sort of code.
You can index your content, change it whenever necessary, use visual editors you can format it, and many other benefits you will get from a CMS platform.
However, modern CMS platforms come with a lot of tools that enable a person to create and design an eye-catchy website.
Moreover, additional features are also accessible in a CMS platform. All you need to do is – install plugins or extensions. And before installing, check whether your CMS platform supports that plugin/extension or not.
5 Best CMS for a Professional Website in 2020 – Review
As I already stated, CMS platforms come with a variety of options. All of them have one thing in common – they are easy to install and use.
Find the below list of the best CMS for a professional website in 2020.
1. WordPress
Key Features:
- The powerful editor will assist a person in customizing content with ease.
- Excellent customizable option.
- Vibrant and helpful community.
- User-friendly interface and easy to use.
The truth is – WordPress is the most buzzing word in the website industry. WordPress is widely used, and the most common CMS platform over the last many years. In the CMS platform market, this platform is the KING.
Although WordPress started its journey as a blogging platform, the growth of this platform is far beyond that. This platform is user-friendly, and you can customize it as per your preference by using different themes and plugins.
You will get an impressive experience with WordPress in terms of content management. Without any hassle, you will be able to publish a new post, and if you require any edits after posting, its powerful editor feature will allow you to do so comfortably. Moreover, it takes updates at due time, comes with a user registration feature, and it has a helpful community.
Unlike everything, WordPress also has a downside. Sometimes, to get specific functionality, you may have to set up a combination of different plugins or extensions.
2. Joomla
Key Features:
Available with an updated user management system.
Offers a unique design for every page.
Suitable CMS platform for professionals.
A strong pick for custom post types.
Many people prefer Joomla over WordPress as their website’s CMS platform. It has all the unique features that make it a strong competitor of WordPress. Although a beginner will face problems working with Joomla at the beginning while the other features of this CMS platform are enjoyable.
When you require to manage many “custom post types,” Joomla will be the best choice at this point. As a result, if you own a large text content-based website, look no further and install Joomla as your website’s CMS platform. It is available with many user management options, and this way, it has become one of the best CMS platforms for membership-based sites.
Additionally, Joomla provides multilingual support outside the box. What does it mean, do you know? It means, if you want to show multiple languages on your website, installing any additional plugin or extension is unnecessary. Lastly, Joomla permits you to use several outlines or themes together for a variety of content.
However, if you are a professional, Joomla will be a wise pick. Since it is not a beginner-friendly CMS platform compared to WordPress, you will need many practice sessions to learn using CMS on your website.
3. Drupal
Key Features:
Advanced taxonomy system.
Most secure CMS platform in the market.
Updated permission settings and user management system.
Precise control over the website users.
Drupal is another open-source CMS platform that you can’t keep outside of the best CMS for a professional website in the 2020 list. However, in terms of market share, it stays behind WordPress and Joomla, but that doesn’t mean it is a less significant CMS platform.
The features of Drupal are quite similar to Joomla. For custom post types, Drupal offers a flexible system. Thus, dealing with custom posts is much easier in Drupal. Moreover, if you are looking for a CMS platform that can control the website users precisely, Drupal will be the best pick without any confusion. Even handling multilingual sites out of the box is not a complicated task for Drupal.
Moreover, the unique feature of Drupal is – the taxonomy system. You might be wondering what this taxonomy system is. In easy words – connecting, relating, and classifying a website’s content is pretty straightforward with this taxonomy system. You will find these words in “vocabularies” in Drupal.
However, it will not be a wise decision to pick Drupal as your CMS platform unless you are experienced in web development. Also, for a beginner, it requires a learning curve.
4. Typo3
Key Features:
A great CMS platform for larger and enterprise-level websites.
Provides multilingual support.
A single installation is enough when you need to control several websites.
Shareable data and tools among different websites.
Now we are leaning towards the lesser-known CMS platforms. However, it doesn’t mean that these CMS platforms are less valuable compared to other platforms. These platforms are well-known for their more specific features.
For example, I can talk about the Typo3 platform. This CMS platform has scalability as its prime selling point and helps a person to create an enterprise-level website. Let’s say; you may need to build an intranet and think about which CMS to use. In this regard, Typo3 will be the best solution.
Out of many cool features, Typo3 is popular for its multilingual support. The good news is; it enables its user to use multiple websites with a single installation. As a result, it is saving you time, and you can concentrate on other workings. You will hardly find a CMS platform that will allow you to share website users, extensions, and templates so that you can use several websites that fall under a single umbrella.
The notable point is, it is a good CMS platform for larger websites. It is advisable not to use Typo3 if you own a smaller website. Also, knowledge of web development is necessary to use this CMS platform.
5. Serendipity
Key Features:
Comes with easy customization features for your website.
A great option for bloggers.
Delivers excellent results for performance-oriented websites.
Features anti-spam.
If you are searching for a CMS platform for your small blog, without thinking twice pick Serendipity. You will not sweat while installing and using Serendipity. The fact is, it is one of the lightest CMS platforms available in the market.
Because of its built-in dynamic caching settings, it provides excellent performance. This open-source CMS platform is PHP-powered, and you can build and maintain any type of website. However, it is specially designed for blogs. The interface is powerful and simple. As a result, you will not face any trouble managing and editing your blog content.
Additionally, it supports English, French, German, and Danish language. Moreover, the setup process is easy, and after installing it, your website will get an elegant look. The user interface is not a complicated one, and you can learn to use it within the shortest possible time.
This CMS platform will not deliver the best result for larger projects. Its biggest drawback to using it is the ability of platforms to receive, transmit and detect pingbacks and trackbacks inevitably.
How to Select the Best CMS for a Professional Website in 2020?
By reading the above CMS platform definition and reviews of the best CMS for a professional website in 2020, you have already understood the CMS theory.
In this section, let’s look at a few important features that the best CMS platform should include.
Easy to use
The best CMS platform makes creating and editing content easier than a typical CMS platform. It means the platform should include a dragging-and-dropping interface so that you can easily add multiple elements to your pages.
Also, in the best CMS platform, the editing process has to be quick and straightforward. Otherwise, you will have to spend a lot of time editing the post after publishing it.
Design
When you are picking a CMS platform, check whether it is offering you a wide range of website design templates or not. Also, the CMS should allow you to customize these templates as per your need without typing the codes.
Both of these features are available in the best CMS, and this way, you can save valuable time.
Data Portability
A great CMS will assist you in exporting your website data and moving it anywhere.
You may need this feature if you decide to change the hosting company as well as the platform. At that moment, you will need to make a backup of your website data so that you can install the same data to your future platform.
The data portability feature will assist you at this moment, and with the help of this feature, you can easily move your data anywhere.
Plugins and extensions
All the websites are not similar in terms of design and many other features. The fact is, a CMS platform will not be able to fulfill all the requirements with its built-in features.
Then how a CMS platform can help if you need to add any additional features to your website?
Well, at this point, plugins and extensions are a great solution. The best CMS platform will help you by accepting many necessary plugins or extensions or software so that you can add different and unique features to your website. These are similar to an app for a CMS platform.
Cost
Price is one of the major factors that you will need to keep in mind.
You may think the best CMS platforms come with an expensive price because they come with all exclusive features.
But the case is not like that. You will find some CMS platforms are fully free and most of the best CMS platforms are available at an affordable price.
It would be best if you look at the price list of different CMS platforms and pick the one that suits you most.
Supportive community
Although most CMS platform allows a person to build a website without typing any code, some questions and confusion will always be there.
The best CMS platform service providers have a big supportive community, and they are always ready to provide support to their customers.
Look for a CMS platform that provides excellent customer support through an impressive supportive community.
Final Thoughts
The best CMS platform for professional websites in 2020 will deliver you a lot of benefits. Don’t make the decision lightly. Read this entire article thoroughly, and I believe you will be able to make a precise decision.
Also, while picking a CMS platform, think about your preference. Since changing the CMS platform frequently is impractical, it is significantly important to pick the right platform at the beginning of your blogging career.