How To Choose The Right CMS

In this consumer driven society, you have less than three seconds to grab a consumer’s attention before they leave your site. That’s why business owners are under more pressure than ever to develop a professional website—and without breaking the bank.

A content management system (CMS) does exactly that. CMS is a software that allows you to create and maintain a website from the convenience of your web browser. The idea behind a CMS is that business owners won’t have to start with a blank screen of code. Instead, business owners will have the framework needed to edit and manipulate templates that fit their needs.

In addition, a CMS is a quick and easy way to develop a website. However, with literally hundreds of options out there, choosing the right CMS for your business can be tricky. Here’s what to look for in a CMS:

▪ Good User Administration. Keep in mind that you’re not a web developer. A good CMS will provide your business with the framework needed to create a professional website as well as the accessibility to maintain the site on your own.

 Simple Template Manipulation. Business life can be hectic. Therefore, you will want the ability to take a basic template and quickly reconfigure it with your content, logo and personalization—time is money!

 Extra Functionality. Consumers have unique demands. Thus, it’s important to have the option to integrate different capabilities, like a forum or email database. It’s equally important to think in terms of five years from now—you will want the option to add new features in the future.

▪ A Helpful Community. Don’t be fooled by “free” open source systems. Paying a little extra for a CMS is the best way to ensure quality support when you need it. However, you should ask your administrator questions about additional fees for customer support and availability 24/7.

Choosing the right CMS or content management system is crucial—selecting the wrong software for your business can result in unnecessary hours of development time in the long-run. Take your time to careful examine all your options.