Launching a website is an exciting part of running your own business, but in today’s digital landscape the process can be nerve wracking with so many technology options available.
For most small to medium sized businesses the simplicity and efficiency of a content management system(CMS) is an ideal solution. Currently there are over 71 million websites on the internet using a CMS. Unfortunately there are so many CMS platforms available choosing the best for your business needs can seem overwhelming. In this guide we’ll explore some of the most popular and simple CMS options and provide practical tips to help you choose the best platform to meet your business needs.
What is a CMS?
A content management system also known as a CMS is software that allows you to build and manage all aspects of your website without having to use code. Without a CMS a developer would be required to write HTML, CSS, Javascript and more to get a website up and running in addition to managing files to and from the website hosting server for any updates. With a CMS content management, delivery, code and databases are managed so you can focus on your website’s user experience and visual aesthetic.
Understanding your needs:
Before choosing your CMS you will need to have an understanding of your businesses digital needs currently and into the future. Here are some important questions to consider:
- What is the primary goal of your website? You will want to have a good understanding of your business needs and whether your website will be used for e-commerce, content publishing, portfolio display or another purpose based on what goals are important to you.
- How tech-savvy is your team? Some CMS platforms will require more technical expertise than others so you will need to consider who and how your website will be built and managed in the future. Important things to consider are your security needs and how website maintenance will be handled.
- Do you plan to post content regularly in the form of a blog or videos? CMS platforms differ in how they manage content. Recognizing the type of content you will need to have on your website is crucial for selecting a CMS that is best suited to your content needs.
- What level of customization will you need? Most CMS’s offer extensive themes, plugins and flexibility in design layouts while others can limit creativity and functionality. It’s important to assess how much you will need to customize the look, feel and functionality of your website. While some platforms offer flexibility, custom coding may be required.
- How does the CMS handle SEO? A vital part of your website’s success will be search engine optimization. You will need to consider how each CMS platform supports SEO best practices and what if any limitations there are.
- How important is scalability? Looking to the future of your business will the CMS be able to handle business growth, increased web traffic and content or will you need to move to a more robust platform in the future.
We encourage you to think about your business needs as they relate to your website and create a comprehensive list that reflects your website’s content, technical requirements, and future aspirations. Not only will this list help you better navigate the mirriad of CMS options available and find one that works best for your business goals, it will also help you move the needle forward in your online business strategy.
Types of CMS:
After you have a solid understanding of your website’s needs, it’s time to jump into the diverse world of content management systems. Each type of CMS has its own set of benefits, features, and functionalities. With so many options available we will stick to just a few that are suitable for small to medium sized businesses keeping flexibility, ease of use, and scalability in mind. These criteria are essential to ensuring the CMS can grow with your business without sacrificing the user experience of your team and your customers. While some platforms provide a plug and play experience like Squarespace and Shopify, others will take more time to master like WordPress and Hubspot especially when it comes to customization. Let’s explore these options to find the perfect fit for your website’s goals.
Squarespace: Squarespace Is best known for its design-centric approach to websites and is Ideal for small business owners and creatives that are looking for an all in one website builder. It includes beautifully designed templates and user friendly functionality with an extensive design community frequently creating new designs available in the squarespace marketplace. While coding skills are not needed for squarespace it does give some flexibility for those that need it. Squarespace’s subscriptions include everything needed to stand a professional looking website quickly.
WordPress: WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world with extensive community support. It is ideal for a myriad of users from individuals to large enterprises due to its flexibility and scalability. WordPress allows for extensive customizations through themes, plugins, and e-commerce solutions. Due to it being open source new things are built to extend WordPress core features constantly. With that in mind it will require regular maintenance to keep up with updates. While WordPress is a great CMS solution having a web development professional help with the setup and maintenance is highly recommended. Unlike Squarespace and some other CMS’s WordPress does not include hosting.
Hubspot: Hubspot is more than a CMS and is ideal for businesses that need a robust and powerful integrated marketing solution that includes sales and customer services tools. While the subscription cost is at a higher level the suite of tools offered to enhance your marketing efforts are fantastic. While hubspot offers an extensive knowledge base working with a web development and marketing professional to help set this help ease any potential headaches.
Shopify: While each of the CMS’s discussed here offer e-commerce solutions Shopify is a robust platform solely meant for e-commerce. Shopify also offers an array of themes and plugins to enhance its core features while also allowing for extensive customisations. Shopify also includes hosting in their subscription model. With any e-commerce platform there are many things to consider including advanced security features when dealing with payments as well as appropriate merchant integration etc… Having a development partner with e-commerce expertise is highly recommended.
Each platform we have discussed provides a vast amount of functionalities that can be tailored to different business models. The goal is to choose a CMS that not only supports your current needs but will support your business as it evolves. This is where the value of working with a professional to guide you through your decision making process becomes invaluable. Web development professionals not only understand the nuances of varying CMS platforms but also how they align with different business models.
At Unit 8 Media we specialize in helping businesses like yours navigate these choices to help ensure that your website not only looks and functions great but also engages your audience and supports your business growth objective. Don’t let the complexity of CMS selection and implementation slow your progress. Contact us today to discover how we can help you make an informed decision.