WordPress is by far the most widely used content management system (CMS). WordPress is behind more than 40% of all websites on the Internet. But in recent years, so-called headless CMS have become increasingly popular. These offer some significant advantages over the popular traditional alternatives. But which solution is right for you?
Content management systems are used to manage digital content. They are mostly used in connection with websites, but can also be used, for example, to provide apps with content. WordPress is a so-called monolithic CMS. It is a complete solution in which content is stored, edited and also displayed in the form of a website. For a few years now, however, the so-called headless CMS are becoming more and more popular. In them you can manage content as usual, but they are not responsible for displaying the content. This means that any other technology can be used to display the content.
A headless CMS has several key advantages over the classic architecture. First, content can be used not only on one web page, but in any number of places. For example, on a company's homepage, online store, and mobile app. Thus, the same central content can be accessed from anywhere and from any device.
Headless CMS are also very often combined with Static Site Generators. A Static Site Generator (SSG) fetches all content from a headless CMS and then creates a fully rendered website. The website thus consists of a few different files, which only need to be made available on the Internet. This offers some significant advantages. First, the site is much more performant because the page is already rendered and this process does not have to be performed by the CMS. The user feels this difference among other things when the page loads in the browser immediately and without delay. Another advantage is security. Since static web pages are only files and there is no CMS behind them, such a page is automatically much more secure and resistant to hacker attacks.
But what is the right choice for you - a traditional CMS like WordPress or a headless CMS? For small businesses that want to create their website themselves, we recommend WordPress. This is because it makes it very easy to create your own pages with a simple user interface and drag-and-drop features. For companies that want to invest a little more in their website and have it professionally done, we generally recommend the Headless variant together with a CMS like Sanity or Strapi. This allows for customization of the website and implementation of individual features.
If you are not sure which is the right solution for you, feel free to contact us. We are here to help you with website consulting and development.