CMS Hub, a content management system by HubSpot, is a deeply powerful website builder — but it’s much more than that. With the HubSpot's CMS, you can create, manage, optimize, and report on your website all in one place. You can also generate leads and cultivate relationships with them using the built-in free HubSpot CRM and lead capture tools.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “But where do I even get started?” — don’t worry. There are 8 essential things you need to know when getting started with CMS Hub. Once you’ve mastered these, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a CMS expert.
Getting Started With CMS Hub
- CMS Fundamentals
- HubSpot Marketplace
- Content Creation
- SEO
- Content Strategy
- Organization & Management
- Web Analytics
- Traffic Analytics
1. CMS Fundamentals
Before you dive headfirst into HubSpot's CMS, you need to understand the basics. What are the tools in the CMS, and how do they work together?
CMS Hub includes tools for content creation (landing pages, website pages, blog), tools for design (design tools, marketplace), a tool for SEO, a tool to connect your website domain, and a tool for file management. It also includes free HubSpot tools like reporting, forms, live chat, and CTAs, just to name a few.
One of the most important fundamentals to know about CMS Hub is how modules, templates, and pages relate to one another. This graphic breaks down that relationship:
For more information about the fundamentals of CMS Hub, check out this article.
2. HubSpot Marketplace
The HubSpot Marketplace is an online directory of thousands of pre-made templates and modules that you can use to build a website with zero design or development experience. There are free and paid products catering to all industries and design styles, so there’s truly something for everybody.
It’s a good idea to get familiar with the Marketplace and how to navigate it to find what you need. You can use products to create a website from scratch, or add pages and modules to your existing website in HubSpot.
3. Content Creation
The tools for content creation in the CMS are landing pages, website pages, and blog. Each tool makes it easy for you to create and publish content, as well as schedule content to be published in advance.
Get familiar with these tools by creating test pages and blog posts, and play around with the different formatting and styling options in each.
4. SEO
Today, SEO is a major concern for almost every marketer. Luckily, HubSpot's CMS comes with built-in SEO optimizations like compressed images, minified JavaScript, and automatic SSL provisioning. But you can also level-up your SEO using some of the additional SEO features in the CMS.
One simple way to immediately boost your SEO is to use the optimizations tab in the page and blog editors. It will make sure you’re following all on-page SEO best practices to help your content rise to the top of the rankings.
5. Content Strategy
HubSpot makes it easy to plan and implement a topic cluster content strategy with the SEO tool. Use this tool to map out your topics and topic clusters, link your content together, and analyze its performance. The tool also gives you helpful suggestions on which topics to write about, as well as analytics if you have Google Search Console integrated.
Looking to learn more about content strategy? Check out this lesson from HubSpot Academy on creating topic clusters and pillar pages.
6. Organization and Management
An organized CMS is like an organized desk (or computer desktop). Keeping your CMS properly organized will make it easier to find what you need when you need it and make changes on the go.
The most important part of CMS organization is to establish a clear naming structure for all assets in your account. To do this, think about the terms you’d use to search for something when you need to find it. Make sure to stick to your system, and that your team sticks to it as well.
7. Web Analytics
Once you have a website up and running, you want to know how well it’s performing. Web analytics will help you do just that.
In HubSpot, there are several analytics reports you can use to inform your inbound marketing efforts. The website analytics report will reveal how well each piece of content is performing, and where you might need to make changes.
8. Traffic Analytics
Web analytics go hand-in-hand with traffic analytics. They allow you to dig deeper into engagement, conversions, and traffic sources.
Having this data easily accessible in HubSpot makes it easy to learn more about your visitors and turn them into qualified leads.
Want to learn more about how to get started with CMS Hub? Check out the CMS for Marketers course from HubSpot Academy, which will teach you everything you need to know to implement and manage your CMS Hub.
Want to connect with others on HubSpot tips, tricks, and updates? Head over to the HubSpot Community to join a conversation or start one of your own.
