8 Things To Consider To Pick The Right CMS Platform For Your Business

The web Content Management System (CMS) is the heart of your online promotional campaign. Your content may be very good. But if the enterprise Content Management System (CMS) can't show or handle it properly, it won't matter in the end. I have seen plenty of business reach a stalemate only because their CMS couldn't keep up.

The problem with choosing a CMS platform is that there is no one perfect CMS out there. Your requirement and budget will help you to determine which CMS platform will work best for you. To compare CMS platforms, there are certain essentials you must keep in mind. These essentials will make your workflow easier.

This article will tell you if you should use an open-source content management system and compare the leading CMS platforms. Go over the list of these 8 features to narrow down your options and choose the best CMS platform for your business.

#1 Is The CMS Simple to Use?

Most modern CMS platforms are extremely simple to use. These let the website owners use the platform without needing specialized technological skills such as coding. Two examples of such user-friendly platforms are Weebly and Strikingly. You shouldn't need a lot of technical know-how to use any leading CMS platforms.

You must ensure that the CMS platform you choose is simple to upload and upgrade contents, add photos and videos, integrate connections, and make other necessary changes. Also, adding, customizing and removing web pages should be easy.

Both the most tech-savvy and least tech-savvy employees must find your CMS straightforward and user-friendly. If it's only you, you'll want to make sure you can use it efficiently and easily so you can focus on other areas of the company.

#2 Is The CMS Search Engine Friendly?

SEO or search engine optimization improves your website's visibility. It improves the consistency and quantity of web visitors by helping you score higher in search engines. Unfortunately, SEO is not that simple. To make it simpler, you need to choose an SEO friendly CMS and look for a platform with built-in SEO plugins.

Using CMS that aren't SEO friendly is a waste of money. Look for these issues to ensure SEO-related functionality.

 
Analyze how the CMS creates new URLs. The links should look like this www.exampleurl.com/page/subpage instead of this www.exampleurl.com/page123wasd12?id=xyz.
Users should be able to create their own titles and page description on the platforms.

 
There should be integrated SEO software used with the CMS.

Most of the leading CMS platforms provide plugins that enable users to completely control the SEO of their website, including page descriptions, names, and other elements. Your CMS platforms should take care of the technical aspects of SEO for you.

#3 Is The CMS Budget-Friendly?

You should get the pricing stated on most content management system providers. Also, there can be some extra costs, such as licensing fees. Other charges may be required for updates, themes, or additional plugins. Be clear on all the related costs before choosing a CMS platform to not spend more than your budget.

 
#4 Is The CMS Platform Secure?

Hackers and cybercriminals primarily target the enterprise content management system. Some CMS platforms have major security flaws, which may make them easier to hack. Before purchasing, research the vendor's previous security issues (if they had any). Ask these questions.

How will the vendor respond if the CMS is hacked? How does the vendor fix the problem and protects against future issues? See what other users have to say about the platform's stability. Choose a CMS which provides updates and security patches regularly.

 
#5 Is It Possible to Integrate Web Analytics with The CMS?

Tracking and evaluating the effectiveness of your contents provides valuable information regarding your target audience. The results of these finding help you to mould and develop your future contents. Your CMS must have built-in analytics. It should be able to integrate with other analytics platforms such as Google Analytics. Also, you should be able to track specific metrics straight from your dashboard.

This feature will help you analyze where your target customers live, what they use, how they communicate, and which contents perform well. You can use this data to generate more engaging content for your audience. Besides these, your CMS should allow you to monitor conversions, page times, and site visits, among other data. CMS like WordPress have their own analytics systems to use.

#6 Does The Vendor Provide Any Technological Assistance?

A safe CMS platform should have excellent customer support. As a website owner, you have to ensure your brand's integrity. To do that, you must secure your own data and customers' data to keep your business operating smoothly. When it comes to security, look for a Web Application Firewall, a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and a support staff to solve immediate problems.

See if the updates occur automatically. Even if they don't, it should be fairly easy and straightforward. Some CMS, especially free ones, depends solely on FAQs and community forums for support. Learn beforehand what you need to do in an emergency, such as when your website fails. If you don't want these troubles, purchase a CMS that provides live assistance 24/7. You should be able to communicate via email or helpline.

 
#7 Can The CMS Handle Multiple Websites or Pages?

You may run more than one websites for your business. In that case, you need a CMS that allows you to control them all from a single place. Instead of logging into several pages to complete tasks, you should be able to edit these websites from a single dashboard. Logging in, again and again, can be annoying. It also eats up your precious resources. Choosing such CMS will allow you to effectively manage everything.

 
#8 Is It Easy to Add Social Media Links?

To improve your business, you will need to use social networks to communicate with your audiences by integrating them into your website. The seamless access to the website and social media accounts will provide customers with a consistent experience.

Ask these questions:
Can I quickly add social media buttons to my site?
Are the posts suitable for different social networking platforms?
Is it possible to schedule social media posts with this CMS?
Is social network monitoring available on my dashboard?
Is there a compatible add-on or plugin I can use if these features aren't built in?

These resources expand your audience and push referral traffic to your blog, as well as saving you time and simplifying integrated marketing.

Final Thoughts

Even while shopping these days, we either ask Siri to suggest a brand or waste time on Pinterest and Instagram looking at what fashion influencers are wearing. On the other hand, the field of e-commerce changes every day. That's why picking the right CMS for your e-commerce business can be a little complex—we have to think of everything from promotion to design to technological skills, as well as possible future needs! The key to success is to combine selling with storytelling.

So, now that you know everything you need to know for choosing a CMS platform, do your research based on these 8 features, and choose the suitable CMS for you and your team.

Originally posted in: https://dropshipusa.io/blogs/news/things-to-consider-to-pick-the-right-cms-platform-for-your-business