15 Best CMS For Small Business Owners To Manage Their Content

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Selecting the right content management system can feel overwhelming, especially when juggling your small business's demands. In business blogging, the suitable CMS is more than just a tool; it's the backbone of your online presence, affecting everything from your website's performance to your team's productivity. This article will guide you through comparing and choosing the best CMS for small businesses and startups so you can focus on what matters—growing your business.

Speaking of growth, Feather’s notion to blog is a game changer. This tool enhances productivity and keeps your content fresh and engaging.

What Is a CMS & How Does It Work?

Best CMS for Small Business

A CMS, or content management system, is your all-in-one tool for website creation and management; no coding skills are required. With an intuitive interface, it lets you:

Edit

Manage

Publish content

Instead of coding, you can customize a site using templates and add-ons. The CMS allows multiple users to collaborate on the back end easily. But how does it achieve all this?

How a CMS Simplifies Website Building

First, let's contrast it with building a site from the ground up. You'd start using HTML to lay the groundwork with text and images. Then, you'd style everything with CSS to align with your brand's look. For advanced features, you'd use JavaScript. You'd upload these files to your server. Every update requires:

Downloading

Editing

Reuploading files

This process is time-consuming and prone to errors. A CMS is a game-changer for those without coding skills.

The Two Core Components of a CMS

A CMS comprises two main parts:

Content management application (CMA)

Content delivery application (CDA)

These components handle the backend complexities, like code and database queries, so you can focus on building your site. Instead of starting with a blank HTML page, you use a content editor. This lets you easily add:

Text

Links

Images

Other elements

Simply drag, drop, or click; no coding required.

Types of CMS You Should Know About

Best CMS for Small Business

All-in-One Website Builders: The Easy Path for Small Businesses

All-in-one website builders offer a simple and efficient way for small businesses to get online quickly. These platforms are designed for ease of use, with intuitive CMS tools that let you manage everything from SEO to blog content without needing tech savvy. They come with pre-built templates and features that handle the look and feel of your site and the backend functionality. These are perfect choices for those just starting or who don't need extensive customization.

Open-Source CMS: Freedom and Flexibility at a Cost

Open-source CMS platforms provide unparalleled control over your website's design and functionality. This freedom comes with a learning curve, making them better suited for web developers or larger businesses. You'll be able to customize just about everything, but be prepared for:

Higher development costs

A more complex setup process

If you want to create a unique, tailor-made site and can afford the investment, open-source CMS is the way to go.

Cloud-Based CMS: Outsource Your Infrastructure

Third-party providers host cloud-based CMS solutions in two flavors:

Full cloud

Partial cloud

Businesses that want to outsource their CMS infrastructure often choose this option. Full cloud CMS doesn’t allow for customization, while partial cloud, hosted on your server, offers more flexibility. These systems usually require ongoing support, but they can relieve the burden of managing your infrastructure.

Enterprise CMS: Heavy-Duty Solutions for Big Organizations

Enterprise CMS platforms are built for large institutions that need to manage vast amounts of content and users. These systems offer advanced features and capabilities, including the ability to gather and organize unstructured data like:

Emails

Reports

They're designed to help organizations efficiently deliver relevant content to their audience. If you're part of a large organization with complex content needs, enterprise CMS might be the solution you're looking for.

Headless CMS: Content Management Without Limits

Headless CMS platforms separate the backend content management from the front-end display, allowing you to publish content across multiple platforms. They let you do it all from one place, whether you're delivering content to:

Websites

Mobile apps

IoT devices

This approach is ideal for businesses that need flexibility and scalability in managing their content.

Your No-Code Solution for Effortless Blogging and Email Newsletters

Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service that lets you publish through Notion without coding skills. You can:

Set up a subfolder blog

Customize the design with CSS

Manage everything easily

Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!

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Does My Small Business Need a CMS?

Best CMS for Small Business

A CMS can be your best friend if you've got a small business with a website. It doesn't matter if you've got a simple page or a full-blown online store; navigating the complexities of building and managing a site is way more manageable with a CMS. These systems help you create and manage content with ease. You don’t need to know a single line of code. This makes them essential for small businesses.

User-Friendly Design

A CMS is about simplifying things, even if you could be better with tech. Many CMS platforms offer a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" (WYSIWYG) editor. This means you can see your changes as you make them, allowing you to:

Adjust your pages

Edit content

Update your website with zero hassle

Hiring a developer for every tweak is a thing of the past.

Update Anywhere, Anytime

CMS platforms are web-based, which means you can log in from anywhere to update your site. All you need is a browser. You make your changes, save them, and you're done. No complex server setups or messing with code. This accessibility allows you to keep your site fresh, no matter where you are.

Customize To Fit Your Brand

A CMS lets you tailor your website to match your brand’s style. Change fonts, colors, and layouts with ease. Plus, most platforms support plugins and extensions, so you can add new features like:

E-commerce tools

Social media integrations

As your business grows, your website can grow with it.

Built-In Security and Performance

A strong CMS offers security features to protect your site from hackers or bots. These platforms also optimize your site’s loading speed, which is crucial for better SEO rankings and user experience. You can focus on your business without worrying about security or slow load times.

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15 Best CMS for Small Business Owners To Manage Their Content

Best CMS for Small Business

1. Feather: Simplifying Content Management

Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service with a unique twist—it lets you publish blog content and newsletters through Notion without coding or design skills. By writing in Notion, you can automatically publish to a Feather blog set up in a subfolder format, which is better for SEO.

Feather also enables businesses to manage CRM and website blog functions through Notion, offering:

Customizable design options

Email collection features

Plus, you can set up and send newsletters to your subscribers directly from Notion.

Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!

2. WordPress: The Powerhouse of CMS Platforms

WordPress is the most popular CMS, powering over 43% of websites worldwide. Originating as a blogging platform, it has evolved into a comprehensive CMS for building any type of site, including:

Ecommerce

Membership sites

It's free and open-source, offering thousands of themes and 55,000+ plugins to help you customize your site and extend its features.

3. Joomla: Feature-Rich But Not for Beginners

Joomla is an open-source CMS with a user-friendly dashboard similar to WordPress, but it’s better suited for experienced developers. It offers unique out-of-the-box features but lacks automatic update scheduling, making it challenging for beginners. Joomla is not for the faint of heart; it’s best left to those with technical knowledge and coding skills.

4. Shopify: A One-Stop Shop for E-commerce

Shopify is a fantastic CMS for e-commerce businesses, offering all the functionality you need to run an online store. It's a bit pricier than some other CMS options, but it's worth it for the ease of use and features. Shopify's interface is user-friendly, so you won't need to hire help, and it offers 24/7 support for any questions.

5. Wix: Affordable and Easy to Use

Wix is an affordable and easy-to-use CMS platform, even for beginners. It offers a content manager for collaboration, easy blog and media management, templates, and scheduling features. Wix includes hosting, security, and a custom domain name, with pricing starting at $17 per month. You can get more with higher-tier plans that include:

Marketing tools

6. Squarespace: A Creative Platform for Entrepreneurs

Squarespace is a drag-and-drop eCommerce CMS platform with customizable templates for creative entrepreneurs. It boasts all-in-one platform features like:

Hosting

Domain registration

Website-building tools

Squarespace doesn’t offer free access but has a 14-day free trial and transparent pricing.

7. HubSpot CMS: A Powerful Tool for Startups

HubSpot CMS offers free CMS software with the following:

Theme library

Drag-and-drop editor

Premium cloud hosting

Website analytics

And more

It’s easy to use, mobile-friendly, and perfect for startups without technical expertise. HubSpot CMS empowers startups to create and customize their websites without breaking the bank.

8. 6Valley: A Complete eCommerce Solution

6Valley is a comprehensive Laravel eCommerce CMS that supports:

Multi-vendor

Single-vendor businesses

It’s mobile-optimized and offers lifetime access with a one-time payment. 6Valley is a great market-ready solution for businesses with notable features like:

Multiple payment methods

Social media integrations

And more

9. Webflow: For Designers and Marketers

Webflow is a visual CMS best suited for designers and marketers with design skills. It’s hosted on Amazon Web Services and offers a drag-and-drop interface. Webflow provides multiple hosting plans at different prices, with features like:

SSL certifications

Two-factor authentication

And more

10. Ghost: A CMS for Bloggers

Ghost is a CMS designed for bloggers, offering a headless CMS experience. This means that content can be delivered in various ways, such as:

Website

Mobile app

If you’re not a developer, you can still use Ghost to blog without worrying about the technical aspects.

11. Contentful: A Headless CMS for Custom Websites

Contentful is a headless CMS that presents content as data using an API, making it more challenging for non-technical users. It’s great for companies or individuals creating a custom website with other digital platforms and for those who need flexible content delivery.

12. Craft CMS: User-Friendly Content Creation

Craft CMS is an open-source CMS focusing on a user-friendly content creation process. It makes it easy to work with custom content types and control the front end with Twig templates or a headless setup. Craft CMS is great for those who want a straightforward content management experience.

13. BigCommerce: Multi-Channel Selling

BigCommerce is a well-known hosted CMS for ecommerce stores, offering a multi-channel approach to selling. You can sell via your:

Own store

Amazon

eBay

And more

Pair BigCommerce with WordPress to get the best of both worlds.

14. Zephyr: A CMS for Agencies

Zephyr is a cloud-hosted CMS that markets itself to agencies building client websites. It offers a maintenance-free alternative to other agency solutions like:

WordPress

Drupal

Zephyr is only available to agencies, so individuals must work with an agency partner.

15. Grav: A Lightweight CMS

Grav is an open-source flat-file CMS that doesn’t require a database. It queries content from text files, making it lightweight and easy to deploy. Grav is an excellent option for those who want a simple CMS without the need for extensive resources.

CMS Vs. Website Builder

Best CMS for Small Business

When building a website, choosing the right tool is critical. Do you need a CMS or a website builder? The difference is significant. A CMS, or content management system, is like:

WordPress

Drupal

Joomla

These platforms are best for brands that need highly customized sites. They offer advanced features such as:

Content management

Media integrations

User management

Code editing

Although setting up and launching a site with a CMS will take longer, creating sophisticated, scalable websites is worth the effort.

Website builders are ideal for an all-in-one solution for website-building tools and web hosting. Examples of user-friendly platforms that provide design tools and hosting services include:

Squarespace

Weebly

They help you build visually appealing websites quickly. With a CMS, you can create complex and scalable websites with advanced customization options. The right choice for your project will depend on factors such as:

Site's design

Functionality

Ease of use

What Should a Small Business Consider When Selecting a CMS?

Best CMS for Small Business

Speed and Accessibility: Hit the Ground Running

When running a small business, you need technology that keeps up with your pace. Web-based CMS platforms shine in this area. They're fast, reliable, and accessible anywhere. You can log in through a web browser and make changes on the go without dealing with complex code deployments or FTP servers. This ease lets you focus on what matters—growing your business.

Ease of Use: Keep It Simple

A CMS should replace tools that require programming skills. So, pick a system that’s intuitive and easy to use. Ensure the interface is straightforward to build immersive landing pages without a hitch. The goal is to empower you to create and maintain your site with minimal fuss.

Customization: Flexibility Without the Fuss

No code doesn’t mean no control. An ideal CMS offers extensive customization options, along with ease of use. Check out the following:

Available extensions

Built-in features

Themes

You want a platform that allows you to customize your site to fit your brand’s unique style and needs without becoming complicated.

Cost-effectiveness: Budget-Friendly Choices

Small businesses often work with limited budgets. So, look for CMS options with flexible pricing plans. Choose a platform that offers different subscription tiers. This lets you pick a plan that suits your current needs and scale up as your business grows.

Security and Performance: No Compromises

You can’t compromise on security. When evaluating CMS options, choose one that keeps your:

Data

Client information

Visitors safe

Look for features like:

Firewalls

Backups

SSL certification

Ensure the platform supports security add-ons to protect your site as it evolves.

Why Is Choosing The Right CMS Important For Small Businesses?

Flexibility to Innovate: Empower Your Team

Choosing the suitable CMS is like giving your team the keys to a new playground. Technical staff can focus on keeping everything running smoothly, while non-tech folks can easily create and update content. This flexibility transforms your team into a well-oiled machine, ready to seize opportunities as they arise.

Promote Collaboration: Make Teamwork Effortless

A CMS is a game-changer for collaboration. Features like version control and task assignments allow your team to work seamlessly. Everyone knows what they must do, and content gets published without a hitch. Regular updates keep your marketing fresh and in line with your goals.

Optimize for SEO: Boost Your Visibility

A good CMS makes search engine optimization a breeze. You can tweak titles, meta descriptions, and tags to align with the latest SEO practices. This optimization is crucial for climbing the search engine rankings and attracting organic traffic to your site.

Easy Site Maintenance: Keep Things Running Smoothly

CMS platforms simplify site maintenance with automated tasks like software updates and link management. This ease of maintenance ensures your site stays:

Fast

Secure

Up-to-date

Your team can handle routine tasks without needing extensive technical know-how.

Cost-Effectiveness: Save Money in the Long Run

Investing in a suitable CMS can lead to significant savings. You can allocate resources more effectively by streamlining content management and reducing the need for IT support. This intelligent investment pays off over time, freeing up funds for other essential areas of your business.

How Does a CMS Impact Website SEO?

Your CMS is like the blueprint for your digital house. It organizes how content flows, ensuring clean navigation and logical hierarchies. Think easy-to-follow menus and intuitive internal links. This makes it a breeze for search engines to crawl your site and rank its relevance. Users and search engines can navigate effortlessly when your CMS supports this seamless structure.

The Speed Race: CMS and Page Load Times

Imagine opening a book only to find the pages glued together. Frustrating, right? A slow-loading website is just as off-putting. Your CMS should be optimized for lightning-fast performance to keep bounce rates low and user satisfaction high. Look for features like:

Caching

Image optimization

Clean code

These ensure snappy load times, which search engines love—and reward with better rankings.

Turbocharge Content Optimization with CMS Tools

Your CMS should come packed with features that make optimizing content a cinch. You can easily add:

Meta tags

Keywords

Descriptive URLs

These tools ensure your content aligns with SEO best practices, giving your pages a better chance to shine in search results. An efficient CMS lets you focus on crafting valuable content while it handles the technical stuff.

Winning the Mobile Optimization Game

With mobile-first indexing, your CMS must cater to mobile optimization. Responsive design features, like adaptable themes and templates, guarantee your site looks fab on any device. A mobile-friendly interface enhances the user experience, which search engines reward with higher rankings. Choose a CMS that makes mobile optimization a no-brainer.

Mastering Technical SEO with the Right CMS

A good CMS simplifies technical SEO. It lets you efficiently manage:

Canonical tags

Robots.txt files

XML sitemaps

These tools help search engines navigate and index your site efficiently. A CMS that streamlines these processes keeps your site search engine-friendly and your SEO on track.

Staying Current with Regular CMS Updates

Security and performance are critical for a successful website. A CMS that offers regular updates keeps your site secure, fast, and compatible with the latest SEO practices. Outdated platforms can lead to vulnerabilities that harm user trust and SEO rankings. Choose a CMS that prioritizes regular updates and maintenance.

Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today—create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!

Is it Expensive to Use a CMS for a Small Business?

Using a Content Management System (CMS) doesn't need to break the bank for small businesses, but the costs can swing wildly based on your needs. Popular platforms for content management include:

WordPress

HubSpot CMS Hub

Joomla

Feather

Affordable Customization for Small Businesses

WordPress

WordPress.org is often the top pick for small businesses because it’s affordable and customizable. Expect to pay around $9 to $15 yearly for a domain, $7.99 monthly for hosting, and up to $200 if you want premium themes. It's a budget-friendly option, but be ready to pay for plugins and add-ons if you wish to all the bells and whistles.

HubSpot CMS

HubSpot CMS Hub is a more robust choice with a heftier price tag. The Professional plan starts at $360 per month, and the Enterprise plan is $1,200 per month. It’s a solid choice if you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing, sales, and customer management solution.

Joomla

Joomla's pricing tiers start at $99 for personal use, $199 for business, and $399 for agencies. It’s a solid middle ground if you need more flexibility than WordPress but don’t want to pay for HubSpot.

Feather

Feather is a lightweight option that integrates with Notion (which has a free plan). It costs $39 to publish your blog. It’s a low-cost, easy solution if you mainly need a blog. If you’re running an e-commerce site, WooCommerce is free to use with WordPress, but you’ll still need to cover costs for:

Domains

Hosting

Some paid plugins or extensions

Drupal

Drupal is known for its flexibility and ability to handle large amounts of data, but its pricing isn’t always transparent. It’s generally considered more expensive and complex.

FAQs on Best CMS for Small Business

Best CMS for Small Business

What’s the Best CMS for Your Small Business?

Picking the best CMS is like finding the right tool for a specific job. Your choice depends on what your business needs. A small business often looks for:

Simplicity

Flexibility

Room to grow

Many CMS platforms let you create slick websites without needing to be a coding wizard. Feather, for instance, works seamlessly with Notion, making it a top pick if you’re already using Notion for content management. You can publish blog content and newsletters straight from Notion while optimizing for SEO and efficiently collecting emails.

Need a Beginner-Friendly CMS? Look No Further

If you’re a beginner, you want an intuitive CMS that doesn’t require tech skills. Creating and managing content is easy with features like:

Drag-and-drop editors

Pre-built templates

WYSIWYG functionality

Feather is great for beginners because it uses Notion’s simple interface. This allows teams to work together and manage content without any hassle.

What’s the Go-To CMS Today?

There are plenty of popular CMS platforms, but the best fit often depends on your:

Business size

Website type

You’ll want a CMS with a range of:

Plugins

Themes

Community support

For small businesses, Feather stands out. It integrates smoothly with Notion, letting you publish content while enjoying built-in SEO features and newsletter management. It’s a popular choice for those seeking simplicity and effectiveness.

Speed Matters: Which CMS is Fastest?

Speed is crucial when choosing a CMS. It affects both user experience and SEO. The fastest CMS options usually optimize the backend for quick loading times and support caching tools. Feather, when used with Notion, offers a lightweight and efficient way to publish blog content. This helps small businesses maintain a fast-loading, SEO-friendly site without technical know-how.

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Go From Notion to Blog With Ease Today With Feather

Every small business knows the struggle of managing a blog. Feather is here to help. It’s an SEO-friendly platform that lets you publish blog content and newsletters through Notion. No coding or design skills are needed. Your team can focus on creating content, not wrestling with technology.

Feather lets you publish your blog in a subfolder format, which is better for SEO than having it on a subdomain. This way, you can easily collaborate with your team during publishing. Feather also allows you to set up and send newsletters to your email subscribers directly from Notion. It’s like getting the HubSpot experience without leaving Notion.

Maximize Your SEO With a Subfolder Blog

Search engines love subfolders. Feather allows you to set up a blog in a subfolder format (domain.com/blog) instead of a subdomain (blog.domain.com). This way, your blog gets the SEO benefits of being part of your main website. You can easily manage your blog and newsletter from one place—Notion.

Feather also offers options to change design with:

Custom CSS

Collect emails

And more

It’s like getting the HubSpot experience without leaving Notion.

Collaborate With Your Team During the Publishing Process

One of the best things about Feather is that it makes it easy to collaborate with your team during the publishing process. In Notion, you can easily:

Write

Edit

Organize your blog content

Then, publish it to your Feather blog with a few clicks. This way, you can get input from your team before hitting publish. Feather allows you to set up and send newsletters to your email subscribers directly from Notion. It’s like getting the HubSpot experience without leaving Notion.

Send Newsletters to Your Email Subscribers Directly From Notion

Feather also makes sending newsletters directly from Notion to your email subscribers easy. You can write and organize your newsletter content in Notion, and then send it to your subscribers with a few clicks. This way, you can get input from your team before hitting send. Feather allows you to set up a subfolder blog, which is better for SEO than having it on a subdomain. It’s like getting the HubSpot experience without leaving Notion.