How to Choose a CMS

Published in CMS

Choosing the wrong CMS can lead to a significant waste of time and money. How do you avoid this? By taking the time to carefully decide which CMS is right for you or your team.

Start with the End in Mind

Before deciding on a tool, you need to understand who will use it and how. While this seems obvious, it is often overlooked.

In most cases, a solo site operator will want to add content to the CMS, press publish, and have the content appear on the web. Quick, simple, frictionless - content creation is hard enough as it is! For this use case, a traditional CMS like WordPress is probably the best tool for the job.

In a larger team, content creation may involve more steps and include editors, designers, marketers, and developers. The process might start with a writer before handing it over to a designer to format and include graphics or interactive elements. Then a developer might need to write the code.

All CMSs, at their core, allow you to create, edit, update, and publish content. There's a lot of similarity in how this is done, but also many differences. How your CMS needs to function will vary depending on your content creation process.

It's important to be clear about what type of content you need to create, who’s involved, and the steps in that process before committing.

Consider the User Experience

Everyone needs to complete their tasks comfortably. Different users have different needs, so you have to consider how the CMS caters to them all.

A writer may need to update SEO descriptions or titles. Is the process straightforward? You won't have a writer editing code, right? What about the developer experience? Do developers have as much control as possible, or are they restricted by the CMS? These are the sorts of questions that need answering to ensure a pleasant experience.

The right CMS will hide complexity for non-technical members and provide technical users with all the control they need.

Vendor Lock-in

It's essential to understand the extent to which you're locking yourself into a particular ecosystem. Companies often try to trap you, making it difficult to migrate to a different platform if needed.

Here are some questions to consider to avoid vendor lock-in:

  • Data Portability: How easy is it to export your data? Can you transfer your content, user data, and other assets to another platform easily?

  • Customisation and Flexibility: Does the CMS allow for extensive customisation, or are you limited to what's offered? A flexible CMS can adapt to your needs without being tied to the vendor's roadmap.

  • Open-source vs Proprietary: Open-source CMSs generally offer more freedom and control over your site. However, making the most of this freedom requires some technical knowledge. Proprietary solutions might be easier to use initially but could come with long-term restrictions and costs.

You'll need to evaluate the pros and cons of freedom and simplicity.

Evaluate Scalability, Future Growth, and Integration Capabilities

Your project may start small, but it might not always be, so choosing a CMS that can grow with your needs is essential. If you're planning for growth, over time you'll probably need more advanced features, better performance, and the ability to handle more traffic.

Additionally, a CMS rarely operates in isolation. It needs to integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack to streamline workflows and ensure data consistency across systems. Whether it's integrating with your CRM, email marketing tools, analytics platforms, or other software, the CMS should facilitate data flow between systems.

Budget and Hidden Costs

Budget is always a consideration. It may seem cost-effective to go with a cheap or 'free' platform, but trust me, hidden costs always creep in, and they can quickly add up. You have to consider the costs of additional plugins, themes, hosting, security, and ongoing maintenance.

Sometimes, investing in a slightly more expensive solution can save money in the long run by reducing the need for third-party add-ons or support.

Test Before You Commit

Before making a final decision, I recommend testing your CMS options. Create a few sample pages, test the content creation process, and see how well the CMS integrates with your tech stack.

This will give you a feel for the platform and help identify potential issues. It’s better to spend some time testing than to face deal-breaking challenges down the line.

A Few Recommendations to Help You Get Started

This isn't an extensive list at all. Just a short list to help you get started.

  • WordPress: The most popular CMS in the world and for good reasons. It's great for bloggers, small businesses, portfolio sites, and so much more. You name it, and someone has done it with WordPress. That doesn't mean it's always the right tool for the job, but it's often a great place to begin if you're just getting started.

  • Squarespace: Great for small businesses and professionals who need a stylish, easy-to-use platform. It provides beautiful templates, e-commerce, analytics, and blogging tools. Because it's a closed system, it’s less flexible but very user-friendly.

  • Drupal: Suitable for larger organisations with complex content management needs. It's great for websites that require intricate workflows, custom content types, and multi-language support. However, it requires more technical expertise to set up and maintain.

  • HubSpot CMS: Perfect for businesses that need integrated marketing and CRM capabilities. HubSpot CMS makes it easy to manage content, track leads, and automate marketing tasks. It’s especially useful for teams that rely heavily on inbound marketing strategies.

We're Just Scratching the Surface

This guide provides a starting point, but there's much more to consider when choosing the right CMS for your needs. Each project is unique, and factors such as specific functionalities, user permissions, and content workflows can significantly impact your decision.

If you find the selection process overwhelming or need tailored advice, I am available for consulting to help you decide the right platform for your specific requirements. Feel free to reach out for personalised guidance and support.

Conclusion

By starting with the end in mind, considering the user experience, evaluating scalability, assessing integration capabilities, and being mindful of your budget, you can make an informed choice that meets your current and future needs.

The best CMS for your project is the one that aligns with your specific use case and goals. Take the time to map out your content creation process, involve all stakeholders in decision-making, and test your options. Careful consideration will set your project up for growth and success.