If you’re a business looking to start a new website, then you're probably considering which content management system (CMS) is right for your business. There are three popular CMS platforms used on the Internet today, these are WordPress, Drupal and Joomla.
Although these platforms differ substantially they do have a few similarities in common. Firstly all three are free to download and the constant updates makes them easy to use and customise. They also all offer access to online communities to a growing base of online technical support that provide the expertise to get your website where you want it. Below we delve a little deeper into each of these CMS platforms and what they offer.
WordPress
Let’s start with the most popular CMS on the Internet today. WordPress takes the title as the most used CMS platform with over 60 million websites. The system is packed with themes, plugins and add-ons that assist you in creating your own unique website. It provides non-techies the ability to create their own website in a matter of minutes the core is already there all you have to do is insert your own images, text and logos. There are thousands of themes to choose from and these are all customisable to your company colours. So much more than a blogging platform, WordPress plays host to some well-known brands like CNN, Sony, Ford and Ben & Jerry's.
Drupal
Drupal is a little more complex than WordPress. It was designed to provide web developers the opportunity to build complex websites. Drupal is a more versatile and customisable platform than it’s competing rivals which means there is more expertise and time required to develop a website on this platform. Drupal sites mainly consist of online stores and data rich websites. Of the three, Drupal is the least popular, mainly due to the level of expertise required to develop on this versatile platform. Some well-known brands that use Drupal are Mattel, McDonalds Australia and Universal Music.
Joomla
Joomla slots somewhere in between WordPress and Drupal based on popularity. Joomla is best described as a user-friendly version of Drupal when it comes to design and maintenance. It allows users to create a more complex website with the ability to sort and share content in a flexible structure. Joomla gives users access to customise the system to suit their requirements. It is widely used for ecommerce sites that feature a larger, more complicated shopping site. Here are some popular websites using Joomla; Harvard University, Linux and MTV Greece.
The above is a quick overview into the three main CMS platforms used today – WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. These are all available for free download and use. Once you know what type of website you are after it will be a matter of finding the best CMS platform that fits your requirements.
