The short answer is yes! 

You should absolutely choose a CMS that caters to your business. But that’s a vague statement. CMS is a significant undertaking even if you don’t make a big financial investment in one. It integrates with your entire operations and team. It also requires meticulous training, which means your team has to dedicate time to learning it. So, it is advised that you choose a CMS that aligns with your business’s needs and goals.

As a web development agency that chooses a CMS for our clients almost every day, here is what we have learned about finding the perfect one for your business. 

What is the role of a CMS? 

A content management system (CMS) is a web-based application that manages the production, storage, and delivery of content for websites or web applications. It can be used to create and manage both static and dynamic websites.

Content management systems are designed to help you manage your site content, such as text, images, audio files, video files, and other media. They provide an interface for managing all aspects of your website including the creation of new pages and content.

For your business, your CMS should do the following:

• Your CMS should help you manage all aspects of your business platform including the creation of new pages and content.
• You should be able to use it to easily update all relevant information on your website in one place with just one click.
• You should be able to create different types of pages for different types of users or segments like customers, prospects, etc.
• You should also be able to use it to build internal portals like product catalogs or customer support portals, which allow employees to connect with specific areas without having to go through multiple steps or jump from one screen to another each time they want access to information related to a topic.

Types of CMS platforms

Open-source CMS platforms

These are the most common type of CMS, and they have a broad range of features and functionality. They are available to anyone but require the right skills and technical knowledge for the users to get the most out of their small but crucial investment.

Proprietary CMS platforms

Proprietary CMSs are built by companies and organizations that develop, maintain, and market their own software products. As a result, they may be more expensive than open-source options, but they also tend to offer extensive customization options and add-on modules that can boost your website’s performance.

SaaS CMS platforms

In this type of CMS, your site is hosted on a cloud-based service provider who offers you all the necessary services to run your site in exchange for a subscription fee. This saves you from having to learn how to program or build a website yourself — you just pay a small monthly fee and get everything done for you in one place!

How to choose the right CMS for your business

Some of the benefits of using a CMS include:

– Easily managing your content with drag-and-drop editing tools.

– Publishing new content from anywhere in the world.

– Controlling access to your site with customizable user permissions and security systems.

– Easily adding new pages and subpages with no programming knowledge required.

If your CMS isn’t doing either of these, you need to choose a better one for your business. Here’s how you can do that. 

Evaluate your needs

The first step in choosing the right CMS for your business is evaluating your current needs. Is it time for a new platform? How does it fit in with your goals and priorities? The best way to answer these is by talking with your team because they are the ones who will be primarily using it. Ask them what they like about the current system and what they would like to see improve before investing in a new one.

Ask if it makes your job easy

As mentioned earlier, a CMS has to integrate with your entire team and all your operations. So, this is the time to assess if there will be any major issues that may stand in your way of migrating everything over smoothly. Having this knowledge ahead of time can save both time and money later on.

The CMS that you choose should be able to handle the needs of your team. It shouldn’t be so hard to use that it makes you want to pull your hair out. And it also needs to make it easy for non-technical people on your team (who may have different backgrounds and skills) to contribute their own content and edits.

You should also consider how much time it will take you and your team members to learn the new system. If there are multiple developers or designers on your team, then this will affect how long the project takes. As you can tell, you need to consider every aspect carefully before putting your money down on a CMS. 

Compare features

It is important that you understand what the CMS has to offer and how it will help your business grow. For example, if you are looking for an eCommerce platform, make sure that it has features like payment integration, shipping options, and order tracking. If you are looking for a blogging platform, make sure that it allows users to easily publish blog posts and manage social media accounts.

Bear in mind that a good CMS will have all of the features that you need, but still not burn a hole in your pocket.

Assess how secure your CMS is

When it comes to security, there are two main types of attacks: external and internal. An external attack is where someone tries to access data from outside the system (for example, if a hacker tries accessing customer details via emails or social media). 

On the other hand, an internal attack is when someone tries accessing data within the system (for example, if a hacker tries accessing files through SQL injection attacks). A good CMS will have security measures in place that prevent both types of attacks from happening (so make sure you read up on this!).

Check how scalable it is

Scalability should be one of your top priorities when choosing a CMS; otherwise, you can’t expect your website to grow over time without having issues with performance. A CMS is a long-term investment and not the easiest thing to replace. So, you ought to consider both your current and future needs. And if your CMS can’t support your growth, it won’t be the right investment for you. 

Choosing the right CMS for your business is a lot like choosing the right partner for your business. You need to know what you are looking for in order to find the right one. So, if you are not sure about your needs, our web development specialists can help you find the perfect solution for your business. Reach out to us to get started!