There are many different CMS vendors and products available today. Choosing the right CMS may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Use the tips and information found here to find the right CMS for your needs and your business.
Don’t Try to Build a Custom or In-House CMS
While it is nice to think your team can build the CMS you need, in most cases, this is something that will fail. It doesn’t matter how much you plan for this, your team doesn’t have the experience to handle the array of complexities that go along with the creation of a CMS. The total amount of developer support that is needed long-term will outweigh the cost of buying the CMS. Also, custom builds are prone to failure.
Avoid Relying on Developers too Much
If you do this, it is a recipe for disaster. The development speed is what should dictate your business moves. Be sure the content management system that you use allows your teams to focus on implementing strategies and campaigns that increase web traffic, rather than spending too much time trying to manage technology.
Be Sure to Choose a Scalable CMS
Scalability should be something you are constantly thinking of. Any growing business is going to experience change and these changes are going to impact your website. Be sure you choose a CMS solution, such as Umbraco, that will grow quickly and be scaled as needed in order to strengthen your business.
Select a CMS that Provides Support for Omnichannel
Even if you have a business that is only leveraging mobile or desktop sites right now, be sure to consider some other properties that you have no looked into yet, but that may be beneficial down the road. Right now, there is content that exists in the form of digital assistants, kiosks, jumbotrons, mobile, AR/VR, and more, and there is no sign that this is going to stop in the future. Be sure to choose a CMS solution that is able to support these new challenges when you are ready.
Don’t Be Limited to a Single Code
It doesn’t matter how amazing your CMS system is. If there aren’t any programmers available, it is going to eventually fail. Some of the most common headaches related to CMS will stem from the need to hire resources that are very specialized or skilled in the proper CMS infrastructure. This is often limiting and will create bottlenecks. Try to choose a system that will let your developers use his strengths and the code necessary for the preferred programming language.
Support Takes Priority Over Software
A system may provide everything you need, but if the platform team isn’t available to provide help when it is needed, it can spell disaster for everyone involved. Finding the right system that will let your developers work without having to disrupt the creation and the management of content will help to save your business both time and money.
Test and Acquire Proof-of-Concept
Before you decide to implement a new CMS for your entire website, be sure to test the CMS and to get proof-of-concept. Be sure to implement just a section of your website first and then get end-users and team members to check everything from authoring and creating pages to establishing the right workflow process. With testing, you can mitigate an array of issues that may not be evident upfront.
When it comes to finding the right content management system, there are more than a few factors to consider. Finding the right program will pay off and help you build a website that leads to your business’s growth and success.
