There are different CMS solutions that we can use and it is important to make sure that we are continuously updated about the capabilities and features of new CMS. With a good CMS solution, we should be able to build a real and functional website. Many content management systems are made using PHP and MySQL, but we could find those that are based on Microsoft .NET technology. These systems are also as capable and could become a worthy solution for our situation. Here are some .NET CMS platforms that we should consider to use:
DotNetNuke:
It is the most popular .NET CMS platform and it is a capable, free community version. Some DotNetNuke versions are available for commercial purposes. It is usable for small, medium-sized and big companies. When choosing the community version of DotNetNuke, it means that the version is a community-based platform.
DotNetNuke is a very mature and stable solution. We should be able to build webpages bery easily. Unfortunately, modules or widgets availability is lower than major PHP-based platforms, especially WordPress. For non-technical folks, content editing should still be quite easy to do.
Kentico:
Compared to DotNetNuke, Kentico is a more serious type of CMS. It is versatile enough to handle the requirements of small websites to enterprise-level websites. Kentico is a relatively mature platform and it has plenty of widgets and modules. There are custom widgets designed for Kentico based on the .NET technology. Kentico isn’t a free platform, depending on the availability of components, it is available from $2,000 to $15,000. It has an excellent marketing component and can be improved with eCommerce capability.
Sitefinity:
Sitefinity is an excellent product based on .NET platform. It continues to be equipped with various functions and features. It caters to a niche marketplace, while a free version is available, primarily intended to increase brand awareness among CMS users. Sitefinity is best used for small and mid-sized businesses that need a capable but not too complex platform. Sitefinity has various basic CMS capability for content management and complex marketing capability. Sitefinity is a commercial products and depending on the availability of components, it could cost up to $10,000.
Sitecore:
Sitecore is one of the leading .NET content management systems. It is an enterprise-oriented platform and can be scaled depending on the business requirements. It is known for its ability to compete well in the enterprise market. Sitecore comes with a wide variety of functionality and it should be able to address the needs of many companies due to the availability of core content manager. Sitecore is equipped with standard .NET tools and infrastructure, so many users will be comfortable using it.
At its core, Sitecore has a structured content and things can be proper managed site-wide. This CMS should scale properly to multiple websites and web farms. It also has proper load balancing concepts. Sitecore comes with a robust and advanced marketing suite, making it appropriate for various marketing purposes. Sitecore can be quite expensive, up to $80,000 for each company-wide installation.