We all know that content is critical to the success of our online endeavors. Content improves page rankings on popular search engines allowing more users to view the site. For e-commerce sites and internet marketers this denotes more sales and for freelance writers this suggests more page views. Content management systems allow this to occur more easily and efficiently.

A content management system (CMS) is a system that manages the content of a website. The software organizes and aides the creation of documents and other forms of media. A content management system is most often a web application that manages the sites and created content. Most websites would not exist if not for the availability of content management systems.

Most Popular CMS Examples

There are hundreds if not thousands of content management systems available on the web. Since it’s too difficult to collect all of them, the most popular content management systems include:

• WordPress
• DotNetNuke
• Joomla
• Freestyler
• Drupal
• Metadot
• PHP-Nuke
• RedDot
• Mambo
• Ez Publish

The main appeal of utilizing a content management system is the ability to update the content on a website with little hassle. This is extremely attractive to those with little technical knowledge as they can maintain their website without needing to know any advanced techniques.

There are many reasons website owners want to update their content depending on the type of site. Some of these reasons include; updating news and events, displaying the latest products and services, updating contact information, creating case studies, formulating articles and showcasing clients.

Content management systems can be used in many ways such as a product catalog, for document tracking, as a corporate intranet site, for job postings, for e-commerce applications, and as real estate portals. The diversity of uses of a CMS is limitless allowing for flexibility and growth.

The best features of a content management system include the easy handling of multiple users according to their roles such as an administration role, editor role and viewer role. Also, continent management systems allow for an easy update of website content through backend forms.

Content management systems are the most viable option available for the organization and updating of content, handling of users as well as the diversity of uses and number of systems. For web newcomers and veterans alike, content management systems can improve business, organization and overall online presence.

You have all heard about the more popular open source content management systems such as Joomla and Drupal. However, there are many more open source content management systems out there that are more than capable of accommodating the needs of your website. In fact, some of the less popular CMSs actually provide features that cannot be found in the standard CMS. Not all CMS live up to their developer’s hype though, so we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the top 20 open source content management systems.

1. Drupal: One of the most popular and powerful content management systems available. Many believe Drupal is the best.

2. WordPress: While this CMS was originally made for blog publishing, it has quickly become a one of the most popular CMSs on the planet.

3. Joomla: Considered to be in the top three of any CMS list, by any CMS user. Joomla has been used to build many corporate and professional websites, such as the United Nations page.

4. b2Evolution: A fully functional weblog creation utility/CMS that provides support for several categories/sub-categories, skins, multiple blogs, comments, statistics, photo management, and anti-spam filters.

5. Movable Type: Similar to WordPress, Movable Type is also a very capable blog creation utility which is commonly used for creating dynamic sites.

6.Alfresco: A very capable professional CMS providing a variety of document management features.

7. Xoops: This expandable object-oriented CMS is extremely simple to use, and is very popular amongst PHP coders.

8. e107: Another popular PHP-based CMS specifically designed simple and fast creation of community portals and professional sites.

9. DotCMS: A Java wCMS (Web Content Management System) with included events management e-communications,  and personalization/CRM tools, an AJAX calendar, eCommerce hooks and much more.

10. ImpressCMS: An open source CMS designed for efficient site building and maintenance. This CMS is supposed to be an excellent solution for business users who are building a business oriented community website.

11. Exponent: A competent CMS that lets webmaster conveniently create and maintain dynamic sites   with absolutely zero coding experience.

12. KnowledgeTree Document Management System: A comprehensive document management system specifically designed for business collaboration and easy document storage and organization.

13. Liferay: This CMS provides an enterprise portal solution using Web 2.0 and Java technologies.

14. Pivot: A CMS utility designed for the management of dynamic websites, blogs and online journals. Includes a variety of post organization features.

15. Magnolia: Commonly used by Government websites, this CMS provides a user-friendly editing interface that lets authors preview content exactly as it would be seen by the website visitor. This CMS has the top of the line (best-breed) JAVA technology.

Conclusion

The above list is by no means a comprehensive one, however. There are many more open source CMS available, and the only way to make a fully informed decision would be to review every CMS you can find. If you;re not willing to do so, then the above list will help you decide which CMS is right for you based on the key features of each CMS listed.

Content management systems let you build and operate a website with very little technical experience, and absolutely no programming or web development skills. Using a content management system is about as easy as operating Windows, so if you’re confident in your ability to control your operating system, then you should be able to build and maintain your site effectively using a content management system. There are many content management systems available on the market today, some of which are free.

Although all content management systems offer a lot of the same functions, there are some very big differences between each CMS. The main differences are in the actual user interface, in which all of your site’s administrative functions can be handled. Generally speaking, all content management systems strive for a user-friendly interface, as this makes their software more appealing, but there are definitely those that are easier to use than others.

What Makes a Good CMS?

The real key to a good content management system is not the basic CMS itself, but rather it’s compatibility with third-party web applications known as plugins, which enhance the overall functionality of the software. Without these plugins many content management systems would be essentially useless when trying to execute more advanced functions. Aside from their compatibility with plugins, a good CMS will have to be very user-friendly, as this is the interface you’ll be using  primarily to manage your website on a routine basis.

What is the Best CMS to use with Plugins?

Although nearly all popular content management systems are compatible with plugins, there is one that stands far above the rest – WordPress. WordPress was originally designed as a blogging platform, but thanks to the plethora of plugins that have been developed for it in the recent years, many people now use it to create, organize and maintain fully functional websites. There are literally hundreds, if not thousand of plugins created specifically for the WordPress platform, and although the program was originally a blogging platform, it is now used as a CMS by personal, small business, and even corporate users.

How Do I Use Plugins with WordPress?

Using a plugin with WordPress is extremely simple. All you need to do is download the plugin (it will be in a .zip file), and then go to the plugins area of your WordPress administrative panel. Then look for the area called “Add New.” At the top of this section you’ll find the option to upload your plugin. Simply upload the plugin and then activate it. Different plugins do different things, and are therefore placed in different areas of the administrative interface. If you’re having trouble finding out how to use a certain plugin you can visit the plugin home page, or you ca ask people in the WordPress forum, which is another reason why many people find WordPress to be such a user-friendly solution. Since so many people use WordPress on a daily basis, you’re guaranteed to find an answer to nearly any question you can imagine.

In the past, building websites required advanced skills in internet technology and various programming languages. Webmasters needed to be well-versed in HTML, PHP, CSS, and other programming fields, in order to create even a relatively simple website. Many times website owners would have to pay web developers a hefty fee to set up their website for them, and in many cases this still happens today. However, as the the internet has become more user-friendly, and with the advent of web 2.0, website owners can now use what are called CMS (Content Management Systems) to build, organize and maintain their websites. Some of these content management system let users upload preset themes that can be customized easily within a user-friendly interface. One of the most popular content management systems available is WordPress.

What is WordPress?

Although WordPress is actually a blogging platform, it is commonly used to create static web pages and complete websites. WordPress is basically a website administrative interface that lets you control every aspect of the site using tools that even the most novice users can utilize. These tools let you post text, images and any other kind of media quickly and easily without having any programming knowledge whatsoever. WordPress is updated on a regular basis you don’t have to worry about it becoming obsolete at all. WordPress can be installed by a complete novice using tools provided by your web host such as Fantastico or Simple Script.

WordPress Plugins

One of the most appealing aspects of WordPress is it’s expandability. By using a vast array of plugins, users can do just about anything they desire with ease. New plugins are being created everyday, and they can be installed in less than one minute by even the most inexperienced webmaster. Once installed the plugin resides in the left side of the WordPress interface in the navigational bar, where you can easily adjust the plugin settings and control every aspect of your site’s functionality. Using plugins like the All-in-One SEO pack, you can even automatically optimize your site’s pages for the search engines.

Creating Static Web Pages with WordPress

Since WordPress was originally a blogging platform, creating a regular website can present some challenges to the novice user. The main problem is that the latest post will always be displayed at the top of the main page, which makes it hard to design a website as you would like it. Every time you add a new post, the order of your content will be disrupted since the latest post will be displayed at the top of the front page. This obviously is not desired if you want to have your content arranged a certain way. So how do you fix it? Well the answer is actually quite simple – use a plugin! There is a plugin called StickyOrderer that will let you organize your posts in the fashion want them, and you can do this on every page of your site! Using this plugin alone you can create well organized websites, instead of scattered blogs.

Having a capable Content management system is one of the most important parts of maintaining and operating a website successfully. A good CMS will facilitate and expedite the process of uploading, organizing and editing content on your website within a centralized- user-friendly interface. Having a tool like this at your disposal will boost the overall productivity of your business, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the business, such as marketing and advertising.

It should be noted however that not all content management systems are the same. Each CMS has a list of features that differs slightly, and the user interface of each CMS also varies greatly. In this review we’ve outlined the key features of a commonly overlooked, yet very useful CMS – Cushy CMS.

Implementing Cushy CMS

Using Cushy CMS with your website is a simple process that can be set up in a matter of minutes. You also don’t have to worry about the risk of using a software that you may not enjoy, as the software can be tried for free with full functionality. This means you can use the software on as many websites as you’d like, and as many computers as well. Cushy CMS is an unlimited free CMS solution that is easy to use, and can be installed by even the most novice user.

Ease of Use

Aside from being free, one of the best aspects of the Cushy CMS is it’s user-friendly visually appealing content creation/organization module. In fact, the process is so simple, it is explained in less than three minutes on the official Cushy CMS website. Users can add content, optimize pages and create search engine friendly websites with a few clicks and some simple editing. The learning curve for the Cushy CMS is almost non-existent, as even the most novice user can add photos and text to their web pages with very little effort.

Branding Cushy CMS as Your Own

Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of this CMS i that it can be redistributed as your own CMS solution, for whatever price you’d like. The only catch is you’ll need to purchase the Pro Plan for $28 a month to re-brand the software and resell it. Aside from having reselling rights, you’ll also have access to any future upgrades of the software as well. The Pro Plan also offers a plethora of features that make re-branding and customizing the software simple and fun. For example, you can change the color of the user interface, and you can even use whatever domain name you’d like to sell the CMS. With the Pro Plan users also have access to RSS feeds that let you easily track page changes and other site updates. The pro plan also includes direct email support, and compatibility with 12 different languages.

Conclusion

Overall, Cushy CMS is a very capable content management solution for both the novice and experienced user. Any web designer looking to create their own CMS for their clients should definitely consider Cushy CMS because of it’s reselling capabilities.