Are you thinking of creating your first website? Did you know that you can create your own website without any advanced programming knowledge? A content management system makes it possible. CMS (Content Management System). An integral part of any business is a web presence, and a functional and modern website is a must! However, if you start looking for information on this subject, you will find that choosing the right CMS is not that simple. It is important to choose from a variety of solutions the one that best suits your needs and expectations. How to do this? Read the article in which we have prepared a comparison of the most popular CMS systems!
Building a website - can anyone do it?
Creating a first website seems (and in part is) a major undertaking. However, the truth is that any average web user can do this with the right content management system. On the other hand, it is far too much to claim that anyone can build a fantastic website in a few hours. An experienced web master - yes. Without experience and knowledge, you will encounter problems on your way. With patience and by following, for example, tutorials, you will certainly overcome them.
Before you go about creating your place on the web, it is necessary to purchase of a domain and hosting. This is the first, basic step, without which it is impossible to move forward. The best solution is to personally buy the domain and hosting from the provider. Why? Because you will then fully own the website. This makes it easier for you if, for example, you want to move the site to another address in the future.
Which CMS should I choose? Comparison of the most popular CMS systems
Below is a comparison of the most popular CMS systems. Be sure to read it if you are planning to create a website. The decision should be preceded by an analysis of the capabilities of the individual content management systems. Why is this so important? Because when the buck stops and it turns out that the service does not meet your expectations, it will not be possible to transfer your existing website to another service provider.
WORDPRESS.COM
WordPress.com is a CMS on whose website you can read that supports the 41% Internet. Although the pedigree of WordPress can be described as blogging, sites of all kinds - even small online shops - are now being created using this system. What has contributed to the popularity of WordPress? First and foremost ease of use, plenty of free plug-ins and templates. However, there is no shortage of drawbacks to the solution, which is wordpress.com. First of all, you have to pay for the domain, once created the site is not yours, and WordPress founders can share their ads on it. Other limitations include the lack of a connection to Google Analytics, no ability to edit the site code and only 3GB of disk for image files.
WORDPRESS.ORG
Not everyone is aware that wordpress.com and wordpress.org are two different platforms. What is the difference between these two content management systems? The main difference is that with wordpress.com, the website you create will be hosted on WP servers. In contrast, when you choose wordpress.org, o hosting you will have to take care of it yourself. This means that although the whole system is free, you have to pay for hosting and a domain (as well as some plugins or themes). However, this feature of wordpress.org qualifies as an advantage. Why? Because by choosing this solution, you have control over the site - you will be its full owner. WordPress.org is open source (open source)which is constantly being developed and improved by the associated community.
Here are some of its advantages:
- more than 50,000 plug-inswhich allow users to tailor their sites to their specific needs, and their installation is similar to installing an app on a smartphone - everyone can handle it! Plug-ins also available SEO for website optimisation (e.g. YoastSEO, Rank Math SEO)
- more than 8,000 motifs
- the possibility of editing the code of the page, as well as linking it to the Google Analytics
- possibility edit addresses URL (important from an SEO point of view)
- if you have hosting and a domain name, the system is free and you are in full control of the site
It is pointed out as a disadvantage of wordpress.org that some themes require knowledge of coding and that updates have to be done yourself. These are not very onerous drawbacks, and certainly do not cross this system off the list of potential candidates.
JOOMLA!
The origins of Joomla! can be traced back to 2005. The project is a derivative of the Mambo systemwhose creators came into conflict (caused by a change in the licence, which introduced several important restrictions). According to the information on the Joomla! website, it is a CMS that allows you to create websites in minutes. How? There are 5 steps to follow: buy a domain, set up the service database, unzip the distribution package, place the files on the server, run the installation wizard and then give it the following details: service name, database, access passwords and email. Once the software is installed, you get a page with the service menu and basic structure.
Despite assurances from the developers, Joomla! may be problematic for those inexperienced in web developmentand its operation sometimes requires specialist knowledge. It is therefore particularly recommended to those who have had experience with coding and wish to set up a large website. The advantages of Joomla! are, above all, its practically unlimited expansion possibilities, easy installation and high level of user support. The disadvantages include a small database of free templates and high server requirements.
What about SEO on Joomla? At the article management level, we have the ability to set our own personalised metatitles and meta descriptions. The CMS also allows SEO-friendly URLs to be entered. However, to enter positioning to a higher level, opt for paid extensions For example, Easy Frontend SEO, SEO Simple or the most popular - sh4040SEF.
HOME.PL
Home.pl is a leader on the Polish hosting market, whose services are used by approximately 250 000 customers. However, creating a website with home.pl is not free - price fluctuations are very high due to current promotions. Outside of promotions, the cost of the service is between PLN 400 and PLN 1,000 per year. On the plus side, it is easy to build the site using blocks and customer service. However, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of this CMS. These are, above all, the high price in relation to the low functionality, the difficult registration process and the unsuitability of the platform for SEO activities.
WIX.COM
Wix is a CMS that enables creation of search engine websites. This platform has 90 million users. Wix is easy to use, intuitive and, in addition to a database of 500 templates, it also has a database of free images that can be used, for example, when designing a website. This CMS is available in both free and paid versions. If you choose the free version, WIX will place its advertisements on your website. The disadvantage for some people may be that customer support is only provided in English. Also, the possibilities to edit your website for SEO are limited.
CMS content management systems - executive summary
In addition to those mentioned in the article, there are other CMS systems that have their supporters. These include, for example Webwave, Jimdo or Webnode. It is difficult to unequivocally identify the favourites, but if you go by the numbers, the most users trusted WordPress. And for good reason. It is functional and easy to use. It is also cost-effective, and free plug-ins allow strong personalisation of the site. The choice of CMS for a planned website should be analysed in detail to avoid disappointment and problems in the future. The basis is to determine what the nature of your site will be. If it is a blog/information site, then wordpress.org is the most popular, safest and, in our opinion, the best choice for beginners. Importantly, it allows for efficient SEO optimisation, thanks to free and easy-to-use plugins.
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