Nobody buys a car without test-driving it. Or a house without experiencing how each room feels like. Choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) requires a similar amount of decision-making from you.
A CMS solution is a passport to a better online presence for your web-based business. You get greater efficiency and freedom in updating the content/design of your website. You also get access to great functionality that can never be achieved with a static website.
The decision to opt for a CMS solution is not an easy one. In this article, we will put you on the right path to choose the perfect platform to meet your business needs.
1. First, think whether you really need a CMS solution.
A lot of business heads are confused about opting for a CMS solution. They really are not sure about how useful a CMS will be to them. Are you confused as well? This confusion can be cleared by asking yourself the following questions:
Q. “Do I need a blog on my website?”
Q. “Do I need a website that’s high on functionality and user interactivity?”
Q. “Do I need an ordinary employee (a non-technical person) updating my website on a frequent basis every month?”
Q. “Do I need to give remote access to users sitting in different parts of the globe so that they can download or work on data shared on my website?”
If you have replied in the affirmative to any one of the above questions, then you should get your site a CMS solution!
2. Prepare a checklist of business objectives you wish to achieve
The type of solution you choose will depend on the business goals you have for your website. For example, your objectives could be one or all of the following:
- A dynamic e-commerce functionality that can be accessed by thousands of shoppers every day.
- An interactive blog that can accept reader comments.
- A password-protected intranet section for employees and customers. Remote access should be instant and error-free.
Your checklist may comprise all or some of the objectives mentioned above. Having a checklist in hand will be useful while talking to technology vendors about the right solutions.
3. Begin a thorough evaluation process with these 7 words
Get in touch with technology vendors offering CMS solutions. Here are some of the questions you should be evaluating:
Q. Which CMS platform should I opt for? Is it going to be Drupal, Joomla or WordPress?
Q. How quickly can the solution be implemented in my working environment?
Q. Will there be any integration problems with my legacy systems?
Q. How scalable is the CMS solution? Is the solution advanced enough to perform as good in 2025 as well?
Q. How SEO-friendly is the solution? Is social media integration possible?
Q. What kind of support can I expect from the platform’s Open Source community? How big and developed are they?
And finally, the most important of all:
Q. How budget-friendly is the solution? What kind of costs will be incurred by my company for development, staff training and maintenance?
Hope you found this article helpful. For further help in choosing the right CMS platform for your business, call us at 512-228-9657 or send an e-mail to info@redcrackle.com.
