Silverstripe is a relatively new flexible, open-source Content Management System (CMS). Over time it has gained popularity among marketers, developers, agencies, and content teams due to its functionality. Additionally, its Amazon Web Services Cloud Hosting (AWS) allows for market-leading reliability and flexibility.
WordPress is not new to most of us as it has been around for quite a while. The open-source CMS platform operates through PHP and MySQL. It is mostly used by agencies, enterprises, individuals, and SMEs. WordPress is the more popular choice but other better CMS like Silverstripe is available, depending on your requirements.
Here are some Silverstripe elements that make it better than WordPress.
Customization of Framework
Silverstripe has a highly customizable platform that allows adept PHP developers to create exactly what you need. Having a site that fits a specific purpose completely, and functions as intended is desirable to any site owner. With the extensively flexible framework, you can save money in the long run.
Like WordPress, it has plugins that don’t rely on a third-party, hence eliminating developer or plugin issues. But in WordPress, customization is limited despite the hundreds of plugins available. Your requirements will need to match what the plugin offers directly. As a result, your site could be similar to another site using the same themes and plugins.
Furthermore, the customization process is much faster in Silverstripe than in WordPress. Its code can be formatted and structured with ease without worrying about breaking functionality elsewhere.
Template Language
Silverstripe has its in-built template language. Not only is the in-house template language easy to maintain, but it’s also clean, and you can develop your site’s front end promptly. This makes future updates a simple task, and less time and money go into developing the site.
Usability
Silverstripe offers one of the cleanest user interfaces (UI) among other CMS options in terms of usability. It has fewer panels for more straightforward navigation coupled with a help panel that is easily accessed for those who are inexperienced.
WordPress has a somewhat more complex layout than Silverstripe since it started as a blogging platform. The plugins here can interfere with others, mainly if you are not a developer. But with proper training, you can easily navigate through WordPress.
The CMS
Silverstripe has a beautiful and easy to navigate CMS. The installation process only requires you to click the “Install Silverstripe” button. Moreover, it has an easy to use admin engine which separates themes and widgets from the CMS.
Security
In terms of popularity, Silverstripe is less prominent as compared to WordPress. This gives it an added advantage over WordPress as it’s less likely to get attacked and have its security compromised. It is important to note that its strong security is due to its connection across its interface and back-end technology, as well as being equipped with the tools to manage user/group permissions.
View Modes
There are three types of view modes offered by Silverstripe. They are accessible from the content editor to streamline the editorial process. The view modes include:
- Edit mode, which is suitable for lower resolution screens displaying the full CMS view;
- Preview mode, that displays a preview of the page you are editing; and
- Split mode, which you can use for high-resolution screens to provide a preview of the current page you are editing and the edit screen.
Extensibility
Silverstripe has a highly extensible CMS where core features are easily extendable with your website’s needs. The codes are also more manageable and can be modified, thus any future growth in your website is easy to support and accommodate.
GridField
GridField is a reusable code that comes with the Silverstripe framework used to manage data on your website. It presents the advantage of having a consistent interface where data is collected and saves you resources in developing the website’s interface and controls.
Site Migration
Site migration from one site to another host or domain is effortless. You don’t need to carry out any manual updates or use third-party tools to update database tables. In addition, you don’t have to run a search and replace.
Content Features
In terms of features for content teams and marketers, Silverstripe offers the following:
- content authoring that enables drafting and publishing of content in an intuitive and non-technical style
- versioning for tracking any changed versions of the content
- a rich-text editor used for painless and straightforward formatting of content
- a content queue for holding content in an organized manner as it awaits publishing
- asset management for storing and managing rich media files
- an approval process that associates approval routing between authors and editors
- a content repository that manages published and pending content, but does not approve, edit, tag, and store it
- internal search for searching content based on keywords, tags, metadata, and others
Silverstripe Platform
To help boost your site’s success, Silverstripe includes the following elements:
- user role and access management to allow you to grant access to specific features, data, and users
- internationalization, offering a different language for writing your content
- scalability features for creating an expansive web presence
- site SEO elements, including page headers, pagination, titles, Meta tags, and URL structure
- pre-built dashboards and custom reports for your site’s analytics.
- flexible navigation for building various taxonomies for indexing and storing your content
- API/Integrations which is used in specifying apps communication with other software; also, enabling data, logic, and object integration with other software or apps
Supportive Community
Silverstripe has extensive modules to choose from on their site, which add an array of great functionality. Meanwhile, its extendable framework makes it easy to include extra functionality if required. When you need a one-on-one consultation, the large and interactive community is there to provide assistance.
Conclusion
In summary, your ideal CMS will wholly be dependent on your site’s requirements and budget. For an easy-to-use, flexible business website with a built-in SEO that grows with your business, Silverstripe is your choice. It also offers a unique site with specific functionalities. As it’s not restricted solely as a CMS framework, you can also create brochure sites, business-critical documents, and transaction systems.
However, Silverstripe is more suitable if your company has an experienced developer. While creating a site on WordPress is possible without prior coding experience, Silverstripe allows for customized views of compound data that can be condensed and filtered efficiently.
