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CMS: what are they for and which is best for my website?

Thinking of launching your own website? Then you’ve probably heard of CMS, or content management systems. These software platforms are indispensable companions in web design.

Web design

What is a CMS?

Quite simply, it’s the tool that lets you publish and shape the content of your website to suit your needs. Think of it as the architect of your digital space, giving you the freedom to design pages, add new ones and structure everything without having to dive into complex code.
Whether you’re a blogging enthusiast, an entrepreneur looking to launch an online store, or a company looking to expand its web presence, a good choice of CMS is essential. Why? Because building and managing a website can be time-consuming. Opting for the right CMS from the outset means you won’t have to start from scratch in a few months’ time.

Designed specifically for website creation, CMS take care of the technical side, leaving you to concentrate on content. Whether you want to share articles, photos, videos or even manage an online store with products and orders, a good CMS makes the task much simpler.
But not all CMS are created equal. Some are more intuitive and suitable for beginners, while others offer greater flexibility but require a degree of technical expertise.
Choosing the right CMS means investing in the efficiency and longevity of your online presence. So, before you take the plunge, take the time to discover the different options available and choose the one that best suits your needs and skills. Whether you opt for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal or any other CMS, make it your ally in your digital adventure.

Choosing the right CMS

CMS can be classified into 2 categories: Open Source CMS and Hosted CMS :

Open Source CMS:

Open Source CMS represent a dynamic ecosystem where collaboration is king. Thanks to an active and diverse community of developers, these platforms are constantly evolving, offering a multitude of options and functionalities to meet the varied needs of users. This freedom to adapt and customize allows users to shape their website to their specific requirements, whether by adding extensions for new functionality or modifying the code for further integration. However, this freedom can present risks, particularly in terms of security, as the quality and reliability of extensions can vary considerably. Open source CMS include WordPress, Magento, Joomla and Drupal.

A good CMS simplifies the developer’s life and ensures perfect alignment between the customer’s vision and the platform’s technical capabilities.

Gaétan, web developer at Redbox

Hosted CMS :

On the other hand, hosted CMS offer a turnkey solution, often appreciated for their ease of use. With a user-friendly, intuitive interface, these platforms are accessible even to non-technical users, enabling easy management of content and functionality. What’s more, the closed nature of their code guarantees enhanced security, minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities linked to third-party extensions. However, this ease of use can sometimes be accompanied by a lack of control over the site, especially in the event of contract termination with the supplier. What’s more, migration to another platform can be arduous, if not impossible in some cases, which can be a major challenge for users wishing to change solutions in the future. Hosted CMS include Shopify, Squarespace, Webflow and WIX.

The best CMS will be the one that best matches your skills on the one hand, and the specifics of your projects on the other.

As you’ll have noticed, there’s a wide range on offer, and each CMS has its own specific features. As a result, the best CMS will be the one that best matches your skills on the one hand, and the specifics of your projects on the other. To give you an overview of the differences between the various CMS, we’ve drawn up a table comparing their characteristics.

At Redbox, we opt for the WordPress self-management system, which gives us a good balance between customization, ease of use and control. As a digital agency, we regularly create websites for our customers using this CMS. We can support you in the creation or redesign of your website, and we’ll explain how to self-manage your content once you’ve created it.

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