Trendy content material administration methods are sometimes perceived as serving one in every of two functions — both operating a weblog or an ecommerce web site. However that may be a widespread false impression.

Magento CMS is effectively referred to as a strong resolution for constructing a novel storefront and managing on-line shops of any dimension and complexity. What is usually missed are the opposite advantages of Magento, which embody its content material administration capabilities. On this Magento CMS tutorial, you’ll discover ways to use Magento as a CMS and why Magento could also be the perfect platform for constructing a powerful on-line presence.

Can you employ Magento as a CMS?

Powering greater than 2 hundred thousand web sites worldwide, Magento CMS maintains its place among the many high ten hottest content material administration methods. On the subject of constructing and managing on-line shops and marketplaces, the Magento ecommerce platform is of prime consideration. WordPress, one other standard CMS, together with the plugin WooCommerce, might be the one open supply software program for ecommerce that’s used extra often.

Utilizing Magento as a CMS vs. Magento for ecommerce

Magento has been designed to serve the necessities of ecommerce. This contains constructing and managing a catalog of merchandise, processing orders, and storing buyer info, amongst many different options. On high of that, Magento CMS is called an open supply ecommerce platform that enables for nearly infinite customization.

Utilizing numerous extensions and customized modules, you possibly can create a really distinctive storefront and combine numerous companies, together with cost gateways and analytics instruments. Nevertheless, the ability of Magento CMS is paired with its complexity, as you’ll usually want to rent a developer or perhaps a complete group to deliver your concepts to life.

Magento web page builder

With the introduction of Magento Commerce 2.3, the world was lastly in a position to see a drag and drop content material administration resolution added to the built-in platform’s performance. Magento Open Supply customers had been in a position to leverage the brand new Web page Builder performance solely three years later when Adobe lastly included it in Magento 2.4.3 and later variations.

Even supposing quite a few web page builder extensions existed earlier than Magento CMS launched its official resolution, the discharge of Magento Open Supply 2.4.3 was an enormous step in the direction of full website enhancing, and, finally, to utilizing Magento as a full-fledged CMS resolution.

Magento 1 and Magento 2

Magento CMS has an extended historical past, and the ecommerce platform has undergone a number of modifications to turn into what we all know at present as Magento 2. Magento 1, which remains to be utilized by hundreds of retailer homeowners, reached its finish of life in 2020. Magento 1 customers are inspired to maneuver to Magento 2 which continues to develop and develop. Or, you should utilize an answer like Protected Harbor from Nexcess to remain on Magento 1.

Though Magento 2 might be thought of a successor to Magento 1, the 2 platforms are completely totally different, which made migration from one platform to the opposite a moderately difficult course of. Content material administration performance supplied by Magento 1 is extraordinarily restricted, and no main updates have been launched for it since its finish of life. Magento 2 is the one possibility you need to be contemplating for a Magento CMS.

Magento as a CMS for search engine optimization

Magento CMS options go effectively past the excessive customization capabilities that make it a sturdy ecommerce platform. Magento is extraordinarily search engine optimization pleasant, which is ensured by two fundamental elements — its pace and quite a few superior search engine optimization optimizations included. Magento CMS options embody enhanced URL construction, sitemaps, meta descriptions and tags, and product rank on all main serps, together with Google.

Web site efficiency and web page load time have turn into one of many fundamental rating elements too. Because of quite a few updates launched with every new Magento CMS model, any delays in bringing content material to the tip consumer have been virtually eradicated if there are not any limitations imposed by the internet hosting supplier.

Quick question processing is a significant concern for all ecommerce platforms. Magento CMS ensures it by utilizing Elasticsearch as its fundamental search engine. Elasticsearch largely outperforms MySQL/MariaDB on ecommerce web sites, offering blazing-fast pace and impeccable relevance of search outcomes.

Find out how to use Magento as a CMS

With unequalled efficiency, efficient search engine optimization, and an in depth record of content-optimized themes and extensions, Magento CMS generally is a good resolution for each content material administration and ecommerce duties. With the introduction of the two.4.3 model, Magento has turn into an much more engaging possibility for all enterprise homeowners.

Furthermore, Magento CMS presents wonderful choices for creating responsive web sites. Having content material tailor-made to the necessities of every customer relying on their gadget traits and private preferences can considerably enhance content material engagement and construct model loyalty.

Magento content material components

From the two.4.3 model, every Magento CMS obtain presents a listing of options for content material administration, which embody CMS pages, blocks, and widgets. The content material components out there within the Magento CMS Web page Builder are similar to these different content material administration methods embody as a part of their built-in content material editors’ performance.

The content material administration menu is obtainable from the primary web page of the Magento CMS dashboard. Let’s check out what every content material component can be utilized for.

Utilizing Magento pages as a CMS vs. Magento for ecommerce

Pages are the central a part of Magento content material administration performance. Magento CMS pages help you create web site content material by including important design components like textual content, photographs, blocks, widgets, and hyperlinks. The Magento CMS pages supply all vital options for operating each an ecommerce website and creating weblog content material.

As you create extra content material, new pages will seem within the pages desk together with their title, distinctive ID, and tackle. Every new Magento CMS obtain can have just a few pages created by default, which embody the default residence web page, a customized error web page if the requested content material cannot be discovered, and pages outlining the privateness coverage.

When including a brand new web page, Magento CMS will ask you to supply its title and outline, in addition to another info.

You’ll be able to go straight to content material enhancing by selecting Edit with Web page Builder from the content material tab.

The Magento CMS Web page Builder presents a extremely intuitive design, so it is possible for you to to create any type of internet content material in a matter of minutes, even you probably have by no means used any drag and drop content material editor earlier than.

Static blocks for content material

Together with new content material components distinctive to every internet web page, you possibly can create static blocks to then have them positioned on totally different internet pages. Because the title suggests, static blocks are content material components that may current sure info that continues to be unchanged.

The blocks web page supplies very comparable performance to what Magento CMS presents for internet web page creation and administration. After you save a brand new static block after having it created with Web page Builder, you possibly can then add it anyplace on the web site.

Magento widgets

Magento widgets are much like static blocks, however there may be one fundamental distinction — widgets are placeholders for dynamic content material. Magento CMS widgets supply an ideal method so as to add real-time dynamic content material to your web site to extend engagement and make the consumer expertise extra customized.

You’ll be able to create customized widgets, which, nevertheless, will contain some coding, or select one of many default sorts of widgets Magento CMs presents. Not too long ago Considered Merchandise, Catalog Merchandise Checklist, and Orders and Returns are essentially the most often used widgets that help you enhance gross sales by making a extra interesting buying expertise.

Alternate options to Magento as a CMS

Even with all the advantages that Magento CMS presents, it’s not all the time the right resolution for each enterprise. Selecting a content material administration system is an important step in constructing your on-line presence, and all elements and particular necessities have to be taken under consideration.

We’ve to confess, Magento’s native CMS capabilities is probably not as superior as these of the opposite main content material administration methods. On this part of the Nexcess Magento CMS tutorial, we’ll assessment what alternate options you possibly can contemplate and how one can combine them with Magento to leverage amplified capabilities and create a seamless consumer expertise.

Connecting Magento with one other CMS

Probably the most spectacular Magento CMS options is that you may simply combine it with one other content material administration system. The principle purpose that Adobe permits for such integrations is exactly as a result of Magento 2 and different standard CMS platforms usually complement one another versus competing with one another.

As an alternative of getting to decide on between the 2, you possibly can leverage the strong ecommerce capabilities of Magento and content material administration options of one other CMS like WordPress or Drupal. The best approach to combine Magento CMS with one other platform is by utilizing one of many quite a few extensions.

Magento vs. WordPress

WordPress is likely one of the main platform concerns for any kind of enterprise. Powering round 40% of the entire web, WordPress serves the varied wants of enterprise homeowners by combining CMS and ecommerce options. WordPress’ give attention to the frontend and ease of use make it an interesting alternative for a lot of. WooCommerce, which typically might be known as a separate ecommerce platform, is in actuality extra of an add-on for constructing and managing a web based retailer.

Let’s check out what units the 2 standard platforms aside and why there are not any winners and losers when evaluating the 2.

Magento vs. Joomla

Initially created as a platform for constructing portal-like web sites, Joomla has turn into a content material administration system able to operating a web site of just about any variety. Whereas Joomla generally is a higher resolution for smaller companies, Magento stays the platform of alternative for constructing subtle storefronts and operating giant, advanced on-line shops.

Backside line: utilizing Magento as a CMS

The significance of natural content material for growing engagement and constructing model consciousness cannot be overstated, particularly in ecommerce. As a strong ecommerce platform, Magento has undergone dramatic modifications over the previous few years, which allowed it to turn into one of many main content material administration methods for operating a web based enterprise.

So can you employ Magento as a CMS? Undoubtedly! Excessive customization capabilities mixed with an in depth record of choices for content material administration have allowed Magento to satisfy the varied wants of enterprise homeowners.

Nexcess takes delight in powering hundreds of internet sites operating on Magento, ensuring small and enormous companies keep on-line no matter something. Construct and increase your on-line presence by unlocking the ability of the open supply ecommerce platform with Nexcess managed Magento internet hosting plans.

Take a look at our plans to get began at present.