Every modern online business to thrive has to consider implementing a Content Management System (CMS). It provides the framework and functionality for web design and development and helps in the quick management of content. A CMS offers a centralized platform to create, edit, and manage all your organization’s content. The coronavirus pandemic has further digitalized the economy and highlighted the need for going online.
When it comes to choosing the right CMS for business, there are certain factors worth considering:
- Understand your goals
The goal behind the implementation of CMS for each business is different. Know why your website needs a CMS to thrive online and list down the goals you are looking to attain with the implementation. Determine your goals through a brainstorming session with your key employees to ensure that you know what’s important and what’s not. Identifying goals is important before you select the tool as it will influence your decision and also the implementation process.
- Determine ease of use
A CMS is not a highly technical tool to be leveraged just by developers or designers. It should be equally accessible and easy to use for marketers and content managers to upload and manage content quickly. Therefore, consider the ease of use of the Content Management System before you make the final purchase. It is important functionality to consider as most of the users might not be technically sound.
- Costs
Many CMS’s available in the market are free, but only the basic version of the software. Consider a CMS that meets your requirements, helps in achieving your goals, without breaking your bank. Remember that you don’t have to just factor in just the cost of the software, but also implementation and maintenance charges, ongoing costs associated with any software. If you aren’t diligent, the process can cost you much more than you anticipated. Ensure that you are working within your budget and the stipulated timeline and don’t end up with a half-done website and zero finance.
- Customization
As a business, implement a CMS that offers customization features. Customizations are carried out to make the software more tailored to your business needs and are an important functionality. The top CMSs available in the market have an open architecture that allows customization. No business is alike and the goals vary significantly, therefore always adopt a CMS that grants important features and functionalities. Customization makes your website more suitable to meet customer demands and grants flexibility to end-users.
- Integration
A CMS cannot function as a silo. It needs to work in tandem with other functionalities and exist as a unit. The CMS must work well with marketing, sales, communications, and other project management initiatives of the organization. Start with a technology audit and assert if it works well with your existing tools. The better integrated your CMS is with marketing and other functions, the more seamless will be your marketing machinery.
- Access Control
Your chosen CMS should have the functionality of granting access to specific admins for specific parts of the job. This grants the organization better control of its processes while maintaining security. As your business keeps growing, the number of contributors to the site may also increase. For eg, a junior editor might require the permission of his senior to put up content online. In this case, you need a content management system that allows permissions to people to perform certain roles on the site. This helps in maintaining the quality of the site.
- Security
Every business requires a CMS that can keep the content and customer data secure from possible threats. When looking for a CMS in the market, consider if the software has built-in security features, releases frequent upgrades to keep the product secure, supports any infrastructure-level upgrades, and whether the modules or plugins are secured. There are millions of brute force attacks on a popular CMS every day, which makes it crucial to invest in security.
- Support
Your CMS should offer after-sales support and services to meet your urgent business requirements. There might be issues with your site that require intervention from the technical team of the implemented software or hosting infrastructure. Without adequate support, your website performance can lag severely affecting your business process. Training your staff on using the system also comes under necessary support. Ensure that your CMS is offering the required services.
Ensure that the CMS aligns with your business needs and helps you keep your content updated and offer a great customer experience. Contact Citytech today to implement a CMS for your business. We have got you covered!