Skip to main content

Content Management Systems

Master content management systems (CMS) from traditional platforms like WordPress to modern headless solutions like Contentful. Learn how to empower content teams while freeing developers to focus on building features.

What's Covered​

This section provides comprehensive guides for understanding, choosing, and implementing Content Management Systems. Learn about traditional CMS (WordPress, Drupal), decoupled CMS, and modern headless CMS platforms (Contentful, Strapi, Sanity) with practical getting-started tutorials.

Topics​

Contentful Guide​

Complete guide to getting started with Contentful, the leading headless CMS.

You'll learn:

  • Contentful overview and features
  • Creating your first space
  • Content modeling (entries, assets, content types)
  • Using the Contentful API
  • Integrating with React/Next.js
  • Integrating with Angular
  • Image optimization and CDN
  • Localization and multi-language content
  • Webhooks and automation
  • Best practices
  • Real-world examples

Read Contentful Guide →

Why CMS Matters​

For Content Teams​

  • Autonomy - Update content without developer dependency
  • Speed - Publish changes in minutes, not weeks
  • Scheduling - Plan and schedule content in advance
  • Collaboration - Multiple team members can work together
  • Rollback - Undo mistakes easily
  • Analytics - Track content performance

For Developers​

  • Focus - Build features instead of updating text
  • Architecture - Better separation of concerns
  • Flexibility - Change frontend without touching content
  • Scalability - Content scales independently
  • Security - Reduced attack surface with headless CMS
  • Performance - Optimized content delivery

For Business​

  • Cost Reduction - Fewer developer hours on content updates
  • Agility - Respond to market changes quickly
  • Global - Multi-language and multi-region support
  • Omnichannel - Same content across web, mobile, IoT
  • Compliance - Better content governance and workflows
  • ROI - Improved productivity and time-to-market

CMS Types Comparison​

Traditional CMS​

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│   Traditional CMS           │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐│
│  │ Content  │  │ Frontend ││
│  │ Backend  │  │ Templates││
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘│
└─────────────────────────────┘
         ↓
    Website Output

Examples: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Shopify

Best For:

  • Blogs and content sites
  • Small business websites
  • E-commerce (Shopify)
  • Quick deployment with minimal dev resources

Pros:

  • Quick setup (hours to days)
  • No coding required
  • Large plugin/theme ecosystems
  • Cost-effective
  • Familiar interface

Cons:

  • Limited customization
  • Monolithic architecture
  • Performance overhead
  • Security concerns
  • Scaling challenges

Decoupled CMS​

┌────────────────┐
│  CMS Backend   │
└────────┬───────┘
         │ API
    ┌────┴────┐
    │         │
┌───▼───┐ ┌──▼────────┐
│Built-in│ │Custom     │
│Frontend│ │Frontend   │
└────────┘ └───────────┘

Examples: WordPress (with REST API), Drupal 8+, Contentful (with Contentful Web App)

Best For:

  • Transitioning from traditional to modern
  • Organizations with mixed technical capabilities
  • Projects needing both rapid deployment and customization

Pros:

  • Flexibility of choice
  • Easier migration path
  • API access
  • Familiar CMS interface
  • Best of both worlds

Cons:

  • More complex than traditional
  • Potential performance overhead
  • May require developer for API integration

Headless CMS​

┌────────────────┐
│Headless CMS    │
│(Backend Only)  │
└────────┬───────┘
         │ API
    ┌────┴──────────┬─────────┬──────────┐
    │               │         │          │
┌───▼───┐  ┌───────▼──┐  ┌──▼─────┐ ┌──▼────┐
│Website│  │Mobile App│  │Kiosk   │ │Voice  │
└───────┘  └──────────┘  └────────┘ └───────┘

Examples: Contentful, Strapi, Sanity, Prismic, Storyblok

Best For:

  • Modern web applications (JAMstack)
  • Multi-platform content delivery
  • High-performance requirements
  • Developer-centric teams

Pros:

  • Total frontend freedom
  • Omnichannel delivery
  • Better performance
  • Modern architecture
  • Enhanced security
  • Scalability

Cons:

  • Developer required
  • Higher initial complexity
  • More systems to maintain
  • Often paid plans for production

Traditional CMS​

PlatformBest ForPricingMarket Share
WordPressBlogs, business sites, WooCommerceFree (self-hosted) / $4-45/mo43% of all websites
ShopifyE-commerce only$29-299+/mo4.4M stores
JoomlaComplex sites, portalsFree (open source)2% of websites
DrupalEnterprise, governmentFree (open source)1.3% of websites

Headless CMS​

PlatformBest ForPricingSpecial Feature
ContentfulEnterprise, multi-platformFree tier / $300+/moBest-in-class API, GraphQL
StrapiSelf-hosted, customizableFree (open source)100% JavaScript, full control
SanityReal-time collaborationFree tier / $99+/moReal-time editing, GROQ
PrismicMarketing sitesFree tier / $7+/moSlice Machine, visual builder
StoryblokVisual editingFree tier / $9+/moVisual editor for devs

Decision Framework​

Choose Traditional CMS if:​

✅ You need a site running today ✅ Limited/no development resources ✅ Tight budget (free/cheap option) ✅ Simple blog or brochure site ✅ Team familiar with WordPress/Joomla ✅ Don't need custom functionality

Choose Headless CMS if:​

✅ You have developers on the team ✅ Need maximum flexibility and performance ✅ Building for multiple platforms (web + mobile + IoT) ✅ Want modern JAMstack architecture ✅ Need to scale horizontally ✅ Value developer experience and modern tooling

Choose Decoupled CMS if:​

✅ Transitioning from traditional to modern ✅ Need both built-in and custom frontends ✅ Want flexibility for future growth ✅ Have some development resources ✅ Support legacy systems while building new

Getting Started Path​

1. Assess Your Needs​

Questions to answer:

  • Who will manage content? (Technical skills?)
  • How often is content updated?
  • How many platforms (web, mobile, IoT)?
  • What's your budget?
  • Do you have developers?
  • What's your timeline?

2. Choose Your CMS Type​

Use the decision framework above to narrow down to:

  • Traditional
  • Decoupled
  • Headless

3. Evaluate Specific Platforms​

Traditional: Try WordPress.com (free trial) Headless: Try Contentful, Strapi, or Sanity (all have free tiers)

4. Run a Pilot​

  • Pick one content type (e.g., blog posts)
  • Set up the CMS
  • Create sample content
  • Build a simple frontend (or use built-in)
  • Evaluate user experience

5. Plan Migration​

  • Map existing content to new CMS
  • Define content models
  • Set up workflows and permissions
  • Train content team
  • Migrate content gradually

6. Launch and Iterate​

  • Start with one section
  • Gather feedback
  • Optimize workflows
  • Expand to more content types

Common Use Cases​

Blog or News Site​

Recommended: WordPress (traditional) or Contentful (headless with Next.js)

Why:

  • Frequent content updates
  • Simple content structure
  • Need for categories and tags
  • SEO-friendly

E-commerce Store​

Recommended: Shopify (traditional) or Headless (Contentful + custom frontend)

Why:

  • Product management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Payment processing
  • Order management

Marketing Website​

Recommended: Prismic or Storyblok (headless) or WordPress

Why:

  • Landing pages
  • Visual editing
  • A/B testing integration
  • Marketing automation

Multi-Platform App​

Recommended: Contentful, Sanity, or Strapi (headless)

Why:

  • Same content for web, mobile, voice
  • API-first approach
  • Flexible data modeling
  • Scalability

Enterprise Portal​

Recommended: Drupal (traditional) or Contentful (headless)

Why:

  • Complex workflows
  • Permission management
  • Multi-language support
  • Integration with enterprise systems

Best Practices​

Content Modeling​

1. Start Simple

  • Don't over-engineer upfront
  • Add complexity as needed
  • Focus on core content types first

2. Think in Components

// Good content model structure
BlogPost {
  title: String
  slug: String
  author: Reference(Author)
  publishDate: DateTime
  body: RichText
  heroImage: Media
  tags: Array(Reference(Tag))
}

3. Plan for Reuse

  • Create reusable components
  • Use references instead of duplication
  • Think modular

Workflow and Governance​

1. Define Roles

  • Content Creator (can draft)
  • Content Editor (can edit and publish)
  • Admin (full access)

2. Approval Process

  • Draft → Review → Approve → Publish
  • Use CMS workflow features
  • Set up notifications

3. Versioning

  • Always enable content versioning
  • Track who changed what and when
  • Easy rollback capability

Performance​

1. Use CDN

  • Distribute assets globally
  • Reduce latency
  • Improve load times

2. Optimize Images

  • Use CMS image transformation
  • Responsive images
  • WebP format

3. Cache Strategically

  • Cache API responses
  • Use static generation when possible
  • Invalidate cache on content updates

Resources​

Official Documentation​

Learning Resources​

Tools​

  • Netlify - Hosting for JAMstack sites
  • Vercel - Next.js and JAMstack hosting
  • Gatsby - Static site generator with CMS integrations

Next Steps​

Choose your path based on your needs:

  1. Ready to code? Follow Contentful Getting Started

Stop letting content updates slow you down. Empower your team with the right CMS today!