Content management systems (CMS) are an important tool for your business as they provide a framework for how your web content is designed and managed. Content has a job to do, and if it’s not engaging your readers, you need to know. Fortunately, the right CMS platform will help make your site more engaging for customers.
How do you choose the best CMS platform for your business? We’ve included some tips to help you below.
Business Needs
The first step is to identify your business needs. By doing this, you can determine what features you need and which ones you don’t. There are many types of CMS platforms available, and there’s no point in investing in one that won’t meet your needs. Some things to consider include the type of website that you have (brochure, multiple, or inter-connected) and third-party software integration.
Core Functionality
Once you have your business needs listed out, you can start reviewing CMS platforms that make sense for you. Identify the core functionalities of each to narrow down your options. Though most platforms are multi-functional, they each have their own set of core functionalities. For instance, WordPress is one of the best CMS platforms for blogging. Magento shines in terms of security and e-commerce.
Scalability
In order to keep people engaged and coming to your website, you must create more content. Some industries use content clusters to make their content marketing most effective, but all need some degree of flexibility. Some of the best CMS platforms for scalability include Magento, Drupal, and Sitecore. Also, consider the options to support plugins such as social media, chat tools, and more.
Customization
Not only do you need scalability to keep users engaged but also customization. Look for CMS platforms that undergo improvements and changes to the content and design. Of course, these changes shouldn’t be so often and so massive that you can’t keep up with them. Updates should be easy to manage and “just enough” to continue improving the user experience.
Security
Your CMS platform needs to be protected from malicious attacks. Fortunately, security continues to improve with each update that is rolled out. Still, it’s important to review all options for your customer management system and identify which ones have the best security. Drupal is considered to be the most secure of the top three CMS platforms (WordPress and Joomla are the other two).
Support
What happens if something goes wrong with your CMS platform? Open source CMS platforms have large communities, which means it’s easier to get support in a timely manner. SaaS platforms are smaller and provide their own support. There are pros and cons to both, so do your research to better understand the level of support provided.
In the end, there is no right or wrong content management system. It’s about finding what will help your business meet its needs and goals. Taking the time to find the right CMS platform will pay off in the long run.
