The Best Content Management Software (CMS) of 2022

What Is Content Management Software?

Content Management Software is a software platform that helps users who don’t have technical or coding knowledge create and modify digital content. A CMS provides a user-friendly UI to interact with the database behind a website, and it lets users edit, publish and distribute content. Typically, a CMS provides WYSIWYG editing so that users can see what their content will look like before they publish it.

Most CMS also support collaborative work between users of the platform, allowing access to documents and other digital assets. Users can collaborate to add not just text but also graphics, audio, video, images and various interactive items to websites. They can then update and manage those assets at will.

With a CMS, users and content creators can focus on the customer-facing aspects of their websites, without having to be concerned about the back-end coding that makes it all happen. Many CMS systems provide ready-to-populate templates and modules to enhance productivity and make it easy to get content online. CMS also can be paired with record retention, digital marketing, marketing automation and AI features to provide greater functionality to websites and asset management functions.

Must-Have Features for Content Management Software

While the crucial features differ slightly for each business owner, there are certain core, must–have features of every CMS, including:

• Content editing and publishing. CMS should enhance and speed up the process of content creation and distribution. Built-in markdown editors, media libraries, SEO tools and personalization capabilities should work together seamlessly to provide a smooth content creation experience. The best CMS makes it easy to update and publish pages.
• Collaboration tools. When a CMS provides a customizable workflow process, your team has the tools they need to work together collaboratively. Available tools should include user roles and permissions, the ability to assign work and full versioning to allow tracking and reversion to previous work when needed.
• Search and archiving tools. A CMS should provide organization that streamlines workflow for everyone. The ability to tag and index documents and other digital assets is crucial, as is a robust search function that helps users find what they’re looking for, even if an item is misnamed.
• Having adequate security on a CMS protects data, customers and even brand reputation. Top CMS will include SSL, and security management features should also be in place, including fully customizable user roles, content permissions and module permissions, as well as authentication protocols.