The most critical decision your company will make is choosing the right content management system for your website. It can be the difference between having a highly successful revenue-generating website and struggling with the need for help to keep up. A CMS is just a tool at its core, but choosing the right one can make your website future-proof and high-performing in terms of digital experience. A poorly chosen CMS, however, may lead to wasted time, frustration, and costly repairs later on. Additionally, integrating CRM systems can enhance the user experience and improve customer relationship management, boosting your website’s performance.
Key Factors in Choosing the Right CMS Platform:
This guide will focus on the most critical factors to consider when selecting a CMS for your business in 2024. It will help you decide and prepare your business for digital success in website development.
Factor #1: Needs of Your Team
The CMS you choose will influence multiple departments in your business, from content creation to marketing, development, and customer service. Therefore, you must know what all those teams need before you decide.
Customization: Can your marketing team create custom landing pages without developer help? How much flexibility does the CMS allow?
Ease of Use: Is the back end easy for content editors to navigate? How intuitive is it for developers?
Team Collaboration: How will different departments (marketing, sales, customer service) collaborate with the CMS? Does it streamline workflows?
Technical Architecture: Does your team have the expertise to manage and maintain the CMS? Or will you need training or additional hires?
Factor #2: CMS Hosting Category
There are three options for CMS hosting: self-hosted, cloud-hosted, and SaaS. The category of hosting will affect flexibility, performance, and control.
Self-Hosted CMS: This gives you the most control over your server and website but requires technical expertise to manage. It is suited for larger businesses with complex needs and dedicated IT teams.
Cloud-Hosted CMS: Cloud-hosting services like Pantheon and ManageWP make maintenance easy, such as security updates and performance monitoring, helping developers focus on website development without worrying about infrastructure.
SaaS CMS: With SaaS solutions like Squarespace or HubSpot, you’re delegating much of that control to the provider – security and performance, to name a few. On the plus side, SaaS solutions can save money and time to launch but are generally less flexible.
Factor #3: Headed CMS vs Headless CMS
A traditional CMS does both ends of your website, from front-end presentation to managing the back-end of your site. A headless CMS only handles the content management side and leaves the actual front-end presentation to be done by the developer, depending on the customization and level of flexibility required.
A more typical CMS suits business needs relatively well, whereas simplicity is the major aspect. A headless CMS is suitable for companies that need total design and user experience flexibility, especially when the site is complex, or the UI needs to be very interactive.
Factor #4: Which CMS to Choose?
When deciding between different CMS options, consider your specific requirements:
Customization: How customizable is the CMS regarding both design and functionality?
Scalability: Can the CMS scale as your business grows?
SEO Features: Does the CMS offer built-in tools for optimizing your site for search engines?
E-commerce: If you plan to add an online store, does the CMS offer e-commerce features or integrations?
Support and Community: Does the CMS have a large support community or access to expert help?
Factor #5: CRM Systems and Website Integration
If your website needs customer interaction management, consider CRM systems integration. Many CRM systems can seamlessly integrate with CMS platforms to help you manage customer data more effectively. This integration is especially beneficial for businesses aiming to improve customer relationships through website development efforts.
Wrap up:
In the end, selecting the right CMS and integrating a CRM system is vital for your business’s digital success. Choosing a flexible, scalable CMS and effectively managing customer data with CRM systems can enhance your website’s performance, boost user experience, and improve customer relationship management.
