How to Customize CMS for Your Business? A Guide Using Drupal as an Example

A CMS system is the foundation of any modern website or business platform. Choosing the right tool that adapts to a company's needs is crucial for effective content management. In this article, I’ll provide a detailed guide on understanding and matching a CMS to an organization's requirements. I’ll use the flexible and functional Drupal as an example. I invite you to read the article or watch an episode of “Nowoczesny Drupal” series.

What does CMS flexibility mean?

The flexibility of a CMS lies in its adaptability to user requirements. Drupal, as an open-source platform, offers a rich set of tools that enable the creation of both simple and advanced content management systems. As a result, the CMS can support a variety of applications - from corporate blogs to complex news portals.

Drupal structure - backend

The Drupal backend is responsible for managing data structure, permissions, and content. This is where editors and administrators enter data, configure content types, and define user roles.

Key backend functions:

• Data structure: defining content types, fields, and relationships between them.
• Permissions and roles: the ability to specify who and what can edit, view, or publish.
• Content editing forms: the standard Drupal installation profile offers by default the content type "article" with fields such as:
  • title,
  • image,
  • formattable content,
  • tags.

Editors can use the frontend editing tool (available in the Droopler distribution) to quickly edit content directly from the user interface.

Drupal structure - frontend

The frontend differs from the backend in that it is responsible for the visual presentation of the content, which is stored in Drupal. Thanks to the built-in Twig-based template system (taken from the Symfony framework), you can easily customize the look of the website.

Default themes in Drupal:

1. Olivero - Drupal's default theme, used in most standard installations. It provides the basic look of the website, but in real-world deployments, it’s often modified or replaced.
2. Claro - a modern look for the administrative interface, improving the backend user experience.
3. Droopler - a Drupal distribution with its own dedicated Droopler theme, tailored to specific business requirements.

Drupal also allows you to use external frontend systems, such as:

• mobile apps (e.g., for iOS and Android),
• web applications, built using technologies such as Next.js and React.

In practice, this allows you to create a headless CMS based on Drupal, where the backend manages the content, and the frontend is created in whatever framework best suits the project's requirements.

CMS development for a company blog

Below, I outline the steps to expand a standard Drupal profile and create a functional blog system to support marketing efforts. We implement all the stages in a practical way, leading the changes in the structure and functionality of the system.

Step 1: Open a standard Drupal profile

Start by installing Drupal with the default installation profile. After logging into the admin panel, go to the "Structure" tab and check the available content types. By default, you see two types here: "Article" and "Simple Page." The "Article" type contains basic fields such as title, image, content with formatting, and tags. Click on "Manage Fields" to view the detailed structure of the "Article" type.

Step 2: Analyze the needs of the system

Determine what features you want to add to your blog. You need to introduce:

• Content type "Author" with biography and photo,
• Content type "E-book" with the ability to add a PDF file and assign categories,
• Relationships between articles, authors, and e-books to easily manage content relationships.

Step 3: Add a new content type "Author"

Go to "Structure" → "Content types" and click "Add content type." Enter the name "Author" and save the changes. Then, click "Manage fields" next to the newly created content type and add:

• Field "Bio" - select the type "Text (long)" and save.
• Field "Photo" - choose the type "Image" and also save.

After adding the fields, go to the "Display form" section and arrange the fields in a logical order.

Step 4: Create the content type "E-book"

In the section "Structure" → "Content types" click "Add content type" again. Enter the name "E-book" and save. Then, in "Manage fields" add:

• "File" field - select the "File" type and save.
• "Category" field - select the "Taxonomy reference" type. Here, you create a new category dictionary, which will be used to assign e-books to the corresponding subject groups.

Step 5: Expand the "Article" type to include relationships with authors and e-books

Go to "Content Types" → "Article" → "Field Management." Add new fields:

• "Author" - select the type "Content reference" and set it to refer to the content of the type "Author".
• "E-book" - again select the "Content Reference" type and point to the "E-book" type.

Step 6: Customize the forms and field layout

Enter the "Form display" tab for each content type. Arrange the fields in a logical order, grouping them thematically. For example, in "Article," set the title, content, and image fields at the top and the author and e-book fields at the bottom of the form.

Step 7: Configure the display of content on the website

For each content type, go to the "Display" tab. Set the way the data is presented, such as displaying the author's photo in full size and their biography as text under the entry. For e-books, we configure the visibility of the category and the button to download the file.

Step 8: Test the new data structure

Go to the "Content" section and click "Add Content." Fill out the sample forms for the "Author," "E-book" and "Article" types. Check that all relationships work correctly - that authors and e-books are correctly assigned to articles and that the content display looks as intended.

With these steps, you can create a modern and flexible blog system that meets all your needs and supports the company's marketing efforts.

Content types in CMS, which you can customize

The CMS should be tailored to the types of data that will be stored in it. Therefore, it’s worth asking yourself whether the types of content created by your organization match the structure of the data in the system and whether they match the fields in the content form.  

These may include:

• Web pages to support marketing efforts,
• Product Information Management (PIM) systems,
• Social networks, e-learning, knowledge bases,
• Event and multimedia content management systems.

The primary function of any CMS is to enable the creation, distribution of content, and management of permissions. Drupal allows making simple content entry forms and more advanced data structures.

Static and dynamic content structure in CMS

In CMS systems, you can distinguish two approaches to content structure:

Static content structure

• The content addition form has a fixed field layout.
• Implementation costs and lead times are lower.
• There is no flexibility in page layout but greater ease of use.

Dynamic content structure

• Allows you to create content using components (e.g., banners, text, forms).
• It provides more flexibility for editors as they select components for each piece of content.
• Requires additional programming work and user training.

Drupal, with its Paragraphs module, is great for building flexible structures. Editors can create websites consisting of different components, allowing them to customize the layout according to current needs.

Use of content structure in Droopler

Droopler uses the Paragraphs module, which allows you to compose pages from different elements in any order. For example, you can add a banner with an image at the beginning of the page, followed by other sections - text, forms, or multimedia. Editing is also facilitated by the aforementioned frontend editing function, which allows you to modify content directly on the page, making the editors' work faster and simpler.

Droopler is an excellent choice for companies that need a flexible CMS that allows them to create complex pages and landing pages without having to involve developers in the day-to-day management of content.

Changing the content structure in the CMS - implications and practical tips

Changing the structure in a CMS, especially when moving to dynamic solutions such as the Paragraphs module in Drupal, has specific consequences and requires consideration of many technical and organizational aspects. A dynamic structure allows you to create flexible content layouts, but at the same time requires more involvement in implementation. Below are the key considerations.

Consequences of introducing a dynamic content structure

• Higher implementation and maintenance costs
  Implementing a dynamic structure requires more programming work, as components need to be designed, tested, and adapted to different layouts. Frontend modifications are also necessary, which can generate additional costs.
• Risk of errors in content layouts
  Components, although designed separately, can look unsightly or work incorrectly in certain configurations. For example, components may be too close together or have too much spacing, requiring additional testing and adjustments.
• Greater demands on editors
  Dynamic structures offer flexibility but require editors to be thoroughly familiar with the available components and their options. Lack of training can lead to mistakes, such as building the wrong content layout.
• Longer implementation time
  Creating a dynamic structure is more time-consuming than implementing simple, static forms. Preparing components and integrating them requires additional testing and optimization steps.

What to look for when implementing a dynamic structure?

• Testing the components
  Before implementing a dynamic structure, it’s important to thoroughly test how the various components work together in different combinations. Testing should take into account not only aesthetics but also responsiveness and functionality on different devices.
• Understanding and training editors
  Dynamic structures introduce additional options, but their improper use can result in errors. Training and documentation should be provided to editors so they know exactly how to use the system, and to avoid incorrect component configurations.
• Precise pricing and budget analysis
  When planning changes, it's a good idea to ask developers for a detailed cost estimate. In Drupal, the pricing can be prepared in the form of man-hours, story points or sprints, depending on the team's methodology. The analysis should also take into account potential savings in editors' time and better organization of content.
• Implement improvements gradually
  Instead of implementing all the changes at once, it's a good idea to break them down into stages. This allows you to see the effects of the first implementations more quickly and to better adapt subsequent stages to the actual needs of users.

Customizing the CMS for the company needs - summary

The flexibility of a CMS such as Drupal allows it to be tailored to a company's unique needs. With proper planning, consultation with developers, and the use of available modules, it is possible to create a platform that not only supports marketing activities but also increases the efficiency of editors.

If you’re thinking about implementing changes to your current CMS or are just facing building a suitable solution, we can help you create a custom content management solution. Customizing a platform to fit your business needs is an investment that will pay off in better performance and greater user satisfaction.