While Joomla, Magento and WordPress are free to use, this doesn’t make them the best choices for your business. Familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of these popular content management systems to determine which meets your business needs.
Using Joomla
· Better CMS than WordPress:
WordPress was designed as a blog platform, not a CMS. Because Joomla was designed as a CMS, it does this better than WordPress and offers the same ease of use and plugin library as WordPress does.
· Easy Install:
Like WordPress, Joomla is very easy to get started with, so you can get your website up and running quickly. Some Joomla hosts make installation an even easier process through automation. If you don’t want to handle all the details, go with one of those.
· Difficult to Customize:
The casual user will find the learning curve steep, and you may not have the time to devote to this task. If you really want to customize your Joomla site, you may need a developer.
· Limited Access Control:
While Joomla supports access control, which lets you set permissions for each person, it’s limited.
Using Magento
Magento was built as an ecommerce site. Beyond this clear advantage, pros and cons include:
· Ecommerce Features:
Magento integrates well with Google Analytics, Google Wallet, Google Website Optimizer and PayPal. If you want a fast ecommerce site that offers your customers flexible payment options and nets you rich analytics, this is essential.
· Supportive user Community:
The Magento users and developers have come up with a wide template, extension and widget library. If you opt-in to Magento, you’ll find the user community helpful.
· Not very DIY:
Unlike WordPress, it’s challenging to get started in Magento. You’re better off hiring a developer to create your site, but it’s also difficult to find skilled Magneto developers.
· Finicky Hosting:
Designers and developers who complain about Magneto’s slow speed probably aren’t using the right hosting environment. Magento requires a good server and Web host, and these aren’t cheap.
Using WordPress
WordPress is a popular and free blogging platform that also doubles as a versatile CMS. Top pros and cons for the small business owner include:
· Easy to use:
WordPress is extremely easy to get started with, which means you can get your site up and running very quickly. Your resulting website will be quick and clean, and this is the major selling point of WordPress.
· Easy Admin and Updates:
Web designers love WordPress because it’s easy to update and administrate once the initial site build is over.
· Needle in Haystack:
With over 12,000 plugins, finding the right module can be a bit like searching for the proverbial needle. You may find that you spend a lot of time wading through the library, time that could be better spent elsewhere.
· Not the Best Ecommerce Option:
If you want a dedicated ecommerce module, WordPress is not the best choice. Other CMSs offer more robust ecommerce modules, which are capable of handling high traffic levels.
At the end of the day, there’s no one right CMS for every business. You may opt for a system that is easy to learn, or one that offers extensive customization but requires more skill. Knowing a few of the pros and cons of Joomla, Magento and WordPress can help you choose the CMS that will best meet your needs.
