Gone are the days where building a site from scratch is the quickest and most efficient solution.
Every business looking to build an online presence, big or small, needs a CMS in their arsenal nowadays. It allows them to create and manage digital content on a much faster and efficient scale.
However, not all platforms available right now are equal in terms of capabilities.
With the vast variety of CMS platforms today, many may be asking how to choose a CMS that’s right for them. Well, we have to take into account several factors to see which one would fit them best.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right CMS blog platform your team and website.
First, you have to figure out what kind of CMS platform you’re looking for. Do you want an open-source CMS, a proprietary CMS, or a SaaS CMS?
The most popular content management systems, such as WordPress, are open-source. A SaaS CMS is a virtual solution hosted in the cloud, which is why we also call it Cloud Content Management.
A proprietary CMS is a software from a company that you have to pay to use. You’ll usually have to pay a fee every month or year for the updates and support.
Each one has its pros and cons; you’ll have to study your business’ needs and goals to see which CMS platform is the right solution for you.
The right CMS platform for you may depend on your current skills and how much you’re willing to learn.
For example, you have previous experience with WordPress, and you have enough knowledge about it. In this case, it may be preferable for you to stick to its CMS platform. This will allow you to be more productive and it will consume less time for learning.
However, limiting yourself to a basic CMS when you’re a developer will limit your creativity. You may have to choose a platform that will better suit your skills and creative vision.
If you have experience with a certain language, you would want to choose a CMS based on that language. There are Java-, Python-, and PHP-based CMS, so the choice would depend on your current knowledge.
If you have none, take the time to learn which would fit better for your team. PHP CMS, for example, is quick and easy to launch, while a Java CMS is OS-agnostic and may require more work to deploy.
For reference, WordPress, one of the most popular CMS platforms, is PHP-based.
SEO is stressful in and of itself, so it pays to choose a CMS ready with SEO-related features. One common problem with a content management platform is that the URL might not be efficient. This messes up with your SEO efforts as search engines prefer URLs that are clean and short.
In some platforms, the URL might show up as something like, “www.website.com/url12742/?defhlagy_sa.” A good CMS would produce a clean URL – something like, “www.website.com/url/best-CMS.”
It should also allow you to write meta titles and descriptions, which are also important for SEO optimisation. A bonus is if it also allows extensions and plugins for managing SEO.
While we’re talking about plugins, your CMS should also be able to integrate useful tools. These help in extending the functionality of your website.
At the least, your platform should offer social media widgets and other online marketing tools. You should also be able to integrate CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planner) systems.
An open API (Application Programming Interface) allows you to build apps and websites separated from content management tools. You integrate them via an API, which allows you to use the front-end tools of your choice. This should also allow you to integrate other external and internal systems with your CMS.
The CMS platform you’ll choose also has to allow changes on the design and layout of your website. It helps if you have a template to follow, but it’s better if you can customise the interface. In turn, this will allow you to customise the user experience on your website.
In short, it must have the right tools to fulfill your creative needs. The user experience relies on the aesthetics of your website, as well. That’s why it’s important that you have the freedom to tweak and change some aspects to deliver the kind of experience you’d want for your visitors.
CMS platforms come in a variety of prices, which you should see on their websites. There are even free ones for you to try, but note that there might be costs that aren’t apparent. For this reason, you have to ask to ensure you’re aware of all the costs associated with the CMS.
Often times, there are additional costs aside from the package price. You may have to pay a licensing fee, some customisation fees, and such.
Of course, it’s not all about the price – a free CMS might save you a lot, but does it fit your needs? Does it have the features you’re looking for?
We recommend against getting a free/cheap one for now and then buying the best one for you later. You may have a harder time later migrating your content to a new CMS. The initial savings you got might not be worth it in the end.
For this item, you need to answer the question, “where do you plan to take your business?” You have to know your business’ goals to find a CMS that fits.
Do you see your business expanding on a global scale? Are you thinking of publishing multiple websites in the future?
If so, you have to look for a CMS that aligns with your goals. You’ll have to be able to manage all your websites in one dashboard. Remember, it has to be able to grow with your business and cope with any changes.
Whichever CMS blog solution you’re looking for, you also have to consider the host of your website. It’s important that you choose a reliable one to ensure data protection, scalability, and more. Contact us now and let’s discuss a web hosting solution for you.
