Media and Publishing CMS Development
We implement complex news websites based on the flexible and secure Drupal CMS.
At Droptica, we make sure that digital publishers and editors can work comfortably and quickly (e.g., thanks to AI solutions) and that end users can easily browse the content they're interested in.
We create easy-to-edit websites for digital publishers
When we plan and build web portals, we design their architecture in such a way that the users who manage content in the publishing CMS system have the greatest possible ability to make changes themselves. It's not just about adding articles, but also editing elements in the header or footer of the website, modifying the home page and category pages, creating new categories, and so on.
We want editors and digital publishers to be the ones who expand the content structure of the site themselves, without any programming. This way the online news portal can grow faster and cheaper.
We know the different directions of development of news portals and we build the system so that in the future it can be expanded with new features or integrated with new external software (e.g. mobile application, AI tools, content delivery systems such as the platform of the Polish Press Agency). In the case of our systems, there is no fear that when the client asks "can you change X", the team will answer "it can't be done".
Who do we build news websites for?
Many media and publishing teams need to deliver large amounts of content to their audiences on a regular basis. Here are examples of companies we've worked with to learn more about their needs. As a result, we know how to create an online news portal that meets editorial challenges.
Newspapers, magazines and publishers
Television stations
Sports organizations and clubs
Financial news portals
Tourism news portals
Non-profit organizations
City offices
Universities and colleges
Technology solutions on media and publishing CMS
Depending on the client's business requirements, we select the appropriate tools for the developed publishing CMS system. Below, you’ll find a list of technologies, integrations, and functionalities that we’ve implemented for our clients.
Technologies and architecture
- PHP/Drupal + Twig,
- Headless CMS (Drupal) + React/Next.js Frontend,
- Headless CMS (Drupal) + mobile app.
Optimization and performance
- Optimization for mobile devices (responsive web design),
- SEO optimization,
- Integration with CDNs for faster page loading (e.g., Cloudflare),
- Integration with performance monitoring tools (e.g., New Relic).
CMS content management and functionalities
- Migration of data from previous CMS,
- Expanded system of roles and permissions (e.g., by category or content type),
- Workflow (editorial workflow) for content creation, aligned with editorial processes,
- Digital asset management,
- Multisite - support for multiple domains through a single CMS,
- Multilanguage - support for multiple language versions,
- Multisite + multilanguage - a combination of multiple domains and multiple languages in each domain,
- Automatic download of content from other news websites (e.g., PAP, Reuters),
- Automatic tagging and categorization of content,
- Website search functions.
Third-party integrations
- Integration with AI tools (e.g., Content generation and enhancement),
- Integration with newsletter systems (e.g., Mailchimp, Mautic),
- Integration with social media (automatic content sharing),
- Integration with video platforms (YouTube, Vimeo).
Security
- Additional modules and configurations to improve security,
- Security against DDoS attacks.
Monetization and advertising
- Advertising management system,
- Support for paid subscriptions (e.g., paywall, access to premium content),
- E-commerce modules (e.g., selling digital products, content access, etc.).
Analysis and reporting
- Reports, charts, and analyses related to published content.
Notifications and user interaction
- Push notifications,
- Personalization of content for users,
- Search engine with advanced filters.
Websites for digital publishers - what is there to know?
Is a website on Drupal for digital publishers always a good choice?
The benefits of choosing Drupal as a publishing CMS are apparent for news portals, where several editors and digital publishers add dozens or hundreds of articles daily.
If, on the other hand, the news portal project you want to build will be updated infrequently (e.g., you plan to add a few articles a month or less), it's better to opt for another technology, such as WordPress, for cost reasons.
What does it take to efficiently build a website for digital publishers?
Stages of news website creation
We divide every project into such stages:
At Droptica, we often work with clients who are in the planning stages of a project and need assistance from the very beginning, especially in creating specifications. We offer such clients a checklist to be used at the beginning of the work. It helps determine which technology solutions should be included in the CMS for publishers, such as a module to increase security or integration with social media.
It also happens that clients go through the initial phase on their own, preparing ready-made graphic designs. In this case, we get involved in the programming and implementation of the system. We can also join the project at any stage if the client feels that our support is needed.
How much does it cost to build a website for digital publishers?
The cost of building a news website depends on what is to be implemented in the system.
Why should you outsource a website for digital publishers to Droptica?
- We’ve been developing various types of news portals for more than 10 years.
- We have experience in implementing large, medium, and small web portals.
- We not only do programming but also design a thoughtful look, configure servers, and develop the website after launch. We also offer 24/7 support.
- We build news portals based on the Drupal system, which we know very well. The combination of technical knowledge and familiarity with the specifics of news portals means that we complete the work quickly and tailor the CMS perfectly to the client.
Discover our projects
If you'd like to see in more detail what projects we've recently completed, what features we've implemented, or what integrations we've done, contact us.
We'll show you our implementations during a short meeting. You can also see examples of our projects in the Case Studies section.
Zawsze Pomorze - news publishing CMS
For the news magazine Zawsze Pomorze, we created custom CMS, based on a Drupal distribution Thunder that is aimed at professional publishing. This choice reduced implementation cost and provided our customer with top-class functionalities. We also integrated the CMS with the ad server and suggested the best hosting solution that handles traffic spikes on a news website.
PZPN - CMS with sports news and multimedia
We created the headless CMS system for The Polish Football Association. The solution feeds three websites and internal systems with data. The CMS consists of ready-made components destined for certain pages. The editors use them for articles, like match descriptions, that need to have a similar look and elements every time.
Media and publishing content on our blog
Take a look at our articles with tips, tricks, and good practices for media and publishing companies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We usually start new projects within 1 to 6 weeks after signing the contract. It depends on the situation with other projects. When we talk to each client, we let them know how long it will take to start a project at any given time.
We can go into development and support mode. We've described the details on the Drupal Support subpage.
The client can also take over the development and maintenance of the website. Then, if necessary, we're available for consultation - as part of the Drupal Consulting service.
We’ll need access to the data (e.g. access to the current CMS and database) to estimate the time needed to migrate the data. We’ll also need to talk to the editors to determine how they use the current CMS and note what causes problems, what needs to be improved, and what features are not needed in the new CMS.
Yes, we can build a news portal based on a design provided by the client or purchased online. It’s important that the design is available in the Figma tool. Then the developers can map it exactly when creating the appearance (frontend development).
