Choosing a CMS to create a website
Looking for a quick, simple solution for creating and managing your website? Installing a CMS could be the right answer for you.
What is a CMS?
A CMS (Content Management System) is an easy-to-use interface for creating a dynamic and responsive website. It is also designed to simplify webpage creation for users who are not familiar with programming languages.
There are hundreds of different types of CMS designed for various uses, such as:
- Writing articles and publishing them in a blog.
- Showcasing a business through a company website.
- Selling products online on an e-commerce website, with payment modules installed.
- Creating a community website, designed to share information between several web users.
If you do not know how to create a website, take a look at our guide on how to create a website in 5 steps, which details everything from choosing your domain name and Web Hosting plan to publishing your first pages.
Why use a CMS to create a website?
A "handmade" website, i.e. a website made without installing a content management system, requires the involvement of people who are able to develop a website from A to Z. The developers have to be familiar with programming languages such as HTML/ PHP/Javascript, etc.
Creating a website like this will offer you more flexibility to tailor your website specifically to suit your preferences, but it will take a very long time to develop.
A CMS, installed on 45.4% of websites worldwide (source: W3techs.com), offers many advantages:
Easy to use
CMS systems usually have a back-office (admin panel) with a clear layout, which makes it easier to create a website and its webpages via a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor - where the user can see the final result directly.
User friendly / Mobile friendly
Each CMS has a selection of templates to create a responsive website, meaning that it will be adapted for mobile devices.
Multi-users
You can delegate roles for each user that will work on your website: editing a page/accessing a code...
Advanced customisation
You can add extra features to your website by downloading extensions in your CMS menu.
Here are some examples: a field for subscribing to the newsletter, buttons that link to social networks...
Community
The most popular types of CMS have a community space where users can share their thoughts and advice, and help each other improve their websites.
Higher SEO ranking
Each environment showcases your content, improves performance for your webpages, and boosts your ranking in search engine results (SEO)
Comparison of open-source CMS systems
Around 100 different types of open-source CMS are available to download, so it would be impossible to compare them all. We will compare the most popular types of CMS, and highlight what makes them stand out. Find out which CMS is best suited to your requirements for creating your website.
WordPress
As the 'golden child' of LampCMS (open-source), WordPress was originally designed for people with a passion for blogs. In 15 years, it progressed from competing against Bloggers and Overblog, and became a leading global CMS — more than 60% of websites based on an open-source CMS use WordPress! Without a doubt, this solution is the easiest to install and manage from the OVHcloud Control Panel. It also offers access to a very wide range of ready-to-use templates and extensions, which allow you to design your website quickly with most website configurations.
In short, WordPress is an ideal tool for anyone looking to use a solution that is simple, easy and quick to set up, without needing specialised technical knowledge. Moreover, it offers solid guarantees in terms of SEO. However, WordPress quickly reveals its limits when it comes to complex projects, since it isn't designed for them. It also requires a higher degree of vigilance in terms of security, as its popularity makes it a bigger target for hackers.
Joomla!
Created as a fork (separate software developed independently using the source code of existing software) from CMS Mambo, Joomla! spent a long time ahead of the most popular open-source CMS systems on the market...until WordPress was launched. Easy to install and configure, this solution allowed people to create websites quickly without needing any specialised technical skills.
Since version 3 was released, this solution has been miles ahead of its competitors in terms of security. It also offers interesting solutions for customising rights and profiles, as well as for the management of multi-sites - allowing you to consider using rich platforms, including private spaces (intranet, extranet). Until then, these solutions were reserved for use with other, more complex solutions.
Drupal
This last open-source CMS experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity. Originally designed as a platform for creating social networks, Drupal quickly gained recognition as a solid and highly customisable CMS, due to its integration of Symfony framework (a group of reusable components) as a support.
This flexibility makes it a favourite CMS for web agencies when they handle ambitious, tailor-made projects. Through its creator, Dries Buytaert, Drupal has also popularised the "decoupled CMS architecture" concept, which has already become a massive hit. However, this solution requires a certain level of technical skill for the user to benefit from it.
TYPO3
Although TYPO3 is a little less well-known than its LAMP counterparts, it is still quite an interesting CMS, supported by a solid community in Germany where it is very popular. It's a complex tool, but it offers the advantage of being highly customisable.
eZ Platform
eZ Publish is one of the oldest open-source CMS systems on the market. Strangely, it also continues to be one of the least well-known platforms. This Scandinavian solution still sets itself apart as one of the most advanced solutions available. However, it takes a while to become familiar with the concepts that have given it its reputation. This is why it's mainly aimed at professionals seeking to gain an understanding of a solution that offers real guarantees in terms of customisation, scalability, security and roadmap.
Over the last few years, eZ Publish has turned into a multi-channel digital platform named eZ Platform, which continuously adapts to suit the needs of web and digital marketing professionals. It has an advanced interface with e-commerce solutions, live customisation, behavioural measures etc.
SPIP
SPIP is a French abbreviation for Internet Publication System. Cocorico is a LAMP solution that is particularly popular in France, where it was originally created. It played a large part in popularising the concept of CMS in France in the early 2000s, making a name for itself as the French government's preferred platform at the time.
The emergence of a fork named Agora has undoubtedly played a part in shaking up the market, but SPIP continues to be a solution that is relatively easy to install and manage for those who wish to use an alternative to WordPress, for example. The solution is also still particularly popular in the world of teaching, and with associations.
E-commerce CMS (e-commerce engines)
Strictly speaking, PrestaShop and Magento are not CMS systems, but e-commerce engines. You can use them to create an online store, adding product folders and payment methods to it.
PrestaShop
As a favourite for many online retailers, PrestaShop is undoubtedly one of the most well-known e-commerce solutions on the market. It's relatively easy to set up and configure, and stands out due to its vast catalogue of extensions. With this French solution, you can create an online store in record time, and at a low cost.
Although it sets itself apart with its tailor-made projects, its intrinsic qualities have managed to attract leading brands. And without any doubt, this is a must-have solution for anyone looking to get started in e-commerce.
Magento
This e-commerce solution quickly became a benchmark on an international scale. Since it is particularly robust and highly configurable, it is mainly designed for complex and ambitious projects that need to be highly customisable, and require a certain level of technical expertise. It is worth noting that the user will need some time to familiarise themselves with its admin interface, and that a solid infrastructure is required to use it to its full potential.
How do I install a web CMS with OVHcloud?
For 1-click modules
OVHcloud offers 1-click installation for 4 modules: WordPress, Joomla! Drupal and PrestaShop. When you order a Web Hosting plan or log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, choose the module you want, and in a few minutes you will receive the credentials required to log in and configure your website.
More information is available on our guide for using 1-click modules.
For other types of CMS
Download files from CMS websites, then move them to your server. More information is available in our guide on moving files using FTP.
We offer optimised installation for the following modules: WordPress, PrestaShop, Joomla! and Drupal. However, we do not offer support for installing and configuring a CMS.
The advantages of hosting your website with OVHcloud
- Anti-DDoS protection: Your website will always remain accessible, even in the event of an attack.
- CDN: Use our 19 points of presence (PoP) across the globe to redistribute the content of your websites locally, and reduce response time.
- Free HTTPS: A Let's Encrypt SSL certificate is installed for free, so that you can have HTTPS protocol on your website.