In the not-so-distant past, there was a time when a small business could thrive with just word of mouth and perhaps some TV or radio ads or space in newspapers or magazines. However, that time has essentially come to a close. Today, small businesses need websites to succeed. If you are trying to build a website with the limited time and budget available to a small business owner, deciding which CMS platform is the best choice for you is an important decision. These four CMS platforms are excellent options for small business owners:
1. HubSpot
The HubSpot CMS platform is specifically targeted at business owners, so if you’re looking for a great CMS for a small business, this may be the one for you. It is also superb for marketers, making it a good choice if you want your website to provide marketing for your business.
HubSpot gives you room to grow, so if you’d someday like your small business to be a big one, give it some consideration. HubSpot makes it easy to build a website even without technical skills using a drag-and-drop editor.
HubSpot offers excellent built-in security and provides options for greater customization if you want to hire a developer or have some coding skills. Unfortunately, you won’t get the HubSpot CMS for free, but you can give it a try for free.
2. WordPress
WordPress is among the most popular and commonly used of all CMS platforms. Not only is it feature-packed and easy to use, but it’s completely free, which makes it an attractive option for running a small business on a budget.
You can build whatever kind of website you like with WordPress without any skills in coding or other technical knowledge. You can even make money on your website using WordPress.
A wide variety of plugins and themes give you the freedom to customize your site however you’d like. Because WordPress is already optimized for search engines, you’ll find yourself showing up in Google searches regarding your business without having to do a lot of special SEO work. To make the most of everything WordPress has to offer, consider a WordPress Tutorial.
3. Joomla
Joomla is a great alternative to WordPress to consider. Like WordPress, it’s free. It offers a huge variety of extensions and templates for free, provided you get your own hosting and domain name.
Although it isn’t as well known as WordPress, it is a long-standing CMS platform with plenty of satisfied users and a reputation for good security from hackers. If you have some coding and website creation skills, this may be the platform for you.
Joomla gives you a wide range of options and the flexibility to customize your site to precisely what you want it to be without being confined to pre-existing plugins and themes. A vast community of users can help you get through any complex problems that you run into.
You can use Joomla to make money on your site and do a wide variety of other things. However, if you don’t have much understanding of website development and can’t code, you may find Joomla a bit too complex. It isn’t always the most compatible CMS with other extensions either.
4. Drupal
Drupal isn’t as well known as some of the other CMS platforms on this list, but it can be a great option for the right small business owner. Drupal is highly flexible, making it a great choice if you want a highly customized website.
On the other hand, you probably won’t be able to create a site on Drupal without coding knowledge. If you aren’t a developer yourself, you will likely need to hire a developer to use Drupal’s CMS platform.
For small business owners who want several people to help them in the development of their site, Drupal is a good option. It offers a system for creating roles and provides specific permissions so that everyone on your team will have just as much control as they need but not more than they need. A substantial community exists to help you if you run into any trouble as you’re programming on the Drupal platform.
Choose the Perfect CMS Platform for Your Small Business
Do you want your small business to thrive and continue attracting new business? The right CMS platform to build your business website is a critical decision. Whatever your goals in website creation, one of these platforms is likely to be the perfect choice for you.
Also read: 7 Pillars of A Successful Digital Marketing For Small Businesses