You're starting a new business. How can you make sure your content management system is the right fit?

2 Compare different CMS types

When it comes to content management systems (CMSs), there are many types to choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Open-source CMSs, for instance, are free or low-cost and offer a great deal of flexibility and customization, yet they require more technical skills, maintenance, and security updates. Proprietary CMSs, on the other hand, are owned and controlled by a specific company or vendor and provide more stability, support, and security; however, they limit your choices, access, and ownership of your content and can be more expensive. Finally, headless CMSs separate the content creation and management from the content delivery and presentation. This allows you to use any front-end technology or channel to display your content but requires more development resources and expertise. Examples of all three types of CMSs include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla for open-source; Squarespace, Wix, Shopify for proprietary; and Contentful, Strapi, Sanity for headless.

3 Evaluate the CMS features and capabilities

When selecting a CMS that matches your content strategy and type preferences, it's essential to evaluate the features and capabilities they offer. Consider aspects such as user interface and ease of use, content organization and management, SEO and analytics, design and customization, security and reliability, and integration and compatibility. User interface should be intuitive and user-friendly, with the ability to create, edit, and publish content without coding or technical assistance. Content organization should be structured with tags, categories, folders, or metadata. SEO should include URL rewriting, meta tags, sitemaps, or robots.txt while analytics should integrate with external tools like Google Analytics. Design should have the ability to use templates, themes, or plugins for customization. Security should include regular backups, updates, and patches to prevent data loss as well as encryption, authentication, or authorization features. Integration should have APIs, webhooks, or SDKs to connect content with other systems along with support for different formats like HTML or JSON.

4 Test and review the CMS options

Finding the right CMS for your new business is a critical process. To ensure you make the best decision, it's important to test and review the CMS options you have evaluated. Sign up for a free trial or demo and explore the features and functionalities in action. Read reviews and testimonials from users and experts who have used the CMS and objectives similar to yours. Ask for references or case studies from the CMS vendor or developer and contact them to gain more insight into their experience with the CMS. Lastly, compare the costs and benefits of each option to find one that offers the best value for your money and time. Keep in mind initial purchase or subscription price, ongoing maintenance, support, and update costs, as well as return on investment. It's not an easy task, but by following these tips you can make sure your CMS is a great fit for your new business.