Why your CMS needs to be enhanced with great search | Algolia

Content management systems (CMS) have revolutionized the way businesses manage their digital content, making it more accessible and reader-friendly. With over 73 million websites powered by CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Squarespace, and Wix, these systems facilitate the entire content lifecycle without requiring specialized technical knowledge or coding. CMS platforms enable users to create, publish, change, manage, and store various types of content easily. The content is stored in a database and presented in a display layer, with design and functionality tailored for specific organizations using templates and extensions. Additionally, CMS supports workflows and role-based permissions (e.g., authors, editors, merchandisers). There are three types of CMS available nowadays: traditional, decoupled, and headless. Traditional or "coupled" systems have a back end (content repository) and front end (display layer) that are hard-wired together. Decoupled CMS separates the content management application's front end from its back end, offering more flexibility in presenting content across different platforms. Headless CMS removes the front end entirely, allowing for multiple types of content distribution to various display destinations like websites, mobile phones, and watches. Search functionality is crucial for any content-heavy CMS as it enables users to quickly find relevant information within a vast ocean of data. A search-enhanced CMS can lead to higher click-through rates, increased end-user engagement, and better understanding of user needs or customer experience in ecommerce. When choosing the right CMS for your business model and revenue goals, consider industry-specific solutions, size-based options, and support for omnichannel distribution. Additionally, evaluate search functionality by assessing compatibility with platforms, plug-ins, and extensions; search speed; data analysis capabilities; personalization features; and implementation and support requirements.