Content management systems are a must in today’s complex online environment given that most companies don’t have full-time developers on staff to create their web presence from the ground up. Unfortunately, these CMS services can also be quite costly, making it important to minimize expenses wherever possible. 

When looking for a CMS platform your business can implement for under $100,000, there are many options at your disposal, such as: 

Umbraco

This open-source code for developers who can build a site from the ground up is free to use. Umbraco uses easy-to-use cloud-based software that easily helps even the least tech-savvy people build sites. This keeps costs down as you won’t need a developer at hand.

The platform’s UI is famously user-friendly and can handle third-party extensions as well as all the custom additions you might need. It uses C#, JavaScript and Razor, giving you flexibility in terms of your website development. It also has courses and tutorials to become an Umbraco developer and answer all your platform development questions.

Shopify

Used by more than a million sites, Shopify is an eCommerce platform that offers ease of use and hundreds of templates for your online store. In addition, there are more than 1,200 apps that offer different functionality, so you can customise your online store with the features you need. Shopify also has many features that help your store optimise its SEO to be ranked higher by Google.

There are some limitations using Shopify for customisation that could require users to hire expert help. Even avoiding that could mean asking technical questions on a developer forum since Shopify doesn’t provide direct tech support. Overall, though, the service is affordable and effective for most businesses that need an eCommerce site.

NopCommerce

One of the best things about NopCommerce for businesses on a tight budget is that it is completely free. The open-source platform can also be customised to fit a business’s individual needs. As a result, users say it is a better program than many others without a cost. On the downside, the platform does lack some of the reporting features you can get with paid platforms. Support is through forums only, which can be problematic for some.

Other Open-Source Solutions

Many other open-source CMS platforms are available to manage content. While there are limitations on functionality, the following are some affordable options that can be considered.

WordPress – Best for blog content, this widely used free CMS has a plethora of themes and plugins for customization. In addition, the platform is mobile friendly and SEO ready out of the box. It also makes it easy to make updates from any location. That said, some themes and plug-ins have a cost, the core software requires frequent updates, and some third-party plug-ins are buggy and don’t work as advertised. WordPress can be configured for eCommerce but will require more work. In addition, page speed can be slow, which hurts SEO.

Joomla! – Based on PHP and MySQL, this free open-source CMS is handily basic, making it easy to use. Add-on customised features require some level of development expertise. Like WordPress, some Joomla! plug-ins have a cost and are more limited than WordPress while at the same time being more complex.

Drupal – One significant difference with this CMS is that it can be decoupled or headless, increasing its functionality across different devices. Drupal also claims to be more secure for use with FinTech applications. However, design quality may not be as good as other CMS platforms, and installation is also difficult. It also has high system requirements.

Magento – This is Adobe’s CMS and claims “drag and drop” ease of use, personalisation for different customer demographics, and quick updates. Magento’s main drawback is that it requires a significant time investment to learn the entire system, which is complex. It also comes with a higher cost comparatively.

How do you decide?

As you can see, there are many different platforms available with different features and cost. Each platform's strength and weakness needs to be weighed with your business objectives and needs when you make your choice, along with your budget. 

With this is mind, Umbraco has the most to offer; with its low price tag (possibly free), a large number of customisable features, and a headless CMS that enhances the user experience across all devices. We recommend Umbraco as the best choice for a CMS for under $100,000 as it is set up to cater to a variety of business needs with the least amount of effort and hassle.

Enlighten Designs would be happy to help your company take their digital presence one step further by implementing a CMS with all the features you need for a seamless online web presence, Umbraco or otherwise. Learn more about our digital, user-friendly solutions.