Grocery shopping might seem like an odd analogy to use for choosing a content management system (CMS) for your website or web applications, but there are more parallels than you’d think.
As with grocery shopping, careful planning often leads to a successful trip, and selecting a CMS can benefit from the same approach.
In this article, we will break down this process and ease some of the anxiety you may have about selecting the right CMS for your website.
Know what ingredients you need
Making a list of what you need to sustain you is the No. 1 rule for an efficient grocery trip. Going into a grocery store without a list can waste time and money. The same goes when you’re shopping for a CMS.
Having a list of requirements is key. Are you creating a news/information site, an ecommerce site, or a searchable data archive? What features are must-haves? Are you more concerned about your budget or quality? What about scalability versus ease of use? Do you need something highly customizable?
The questions can seem never-ending, but you need to consider what is most important for you, as it will provide parameters for your decision-making and save you time and money in the long run. Defining your needs before beginning the shopping process will prevent costly mistakes down the road.
Weigh qualities versus cost
Organic blueberries or regular? Free-range or farm-raised salmon? Should I splurge on the preservative-free, all-natural ice cream or stick to the inexpensive store brand with ingredients I can’t pronounce? Having a budget is paramount, but it’s never the only factor when deciding how to stock your fridge or your website’s tech stack.
As is the case when choosing between 20 different types of potato chips, selecting a CMS involves balancing quality, preference, and cost. Remember, just like with groceries, the cheapest option isn’t always the best value, but the most expensive may not be the best fit either.
Some CMS options, like WordPress and Drupal are open-source and free to download, while others, like Kontent.ai and Squarespace require a subscription and/or licensing fees but offer more advanced or turnkey features. At this juncture, you have to consider trade-offs, and if you aren’t sure how to gauge the pros and cons of different CMS platforms, there is no harm in seeking expert advice.
NOTE: If you aren’t sure how to evaluate options, our team is here to help. Culture Foundry’s Wayfinding Workshops facilitate a deep dive into your website requirements to ensure they are aligned with your business objectives. From the optimal technology solution, including CMS selections, to information architecture and user experience, we can help you find your way and build a sustainable blueprint for website improvement.
Consider the user experience
Ever been frustrated while navigating an unfamiliar grocery store? Similarly, when choosing a CMS, if possible, choose one that isn’t too labor-intensive for your team to use. If you and your team find navigating the CMS you select to be too cumbersome – if it impedes rather than extends your autonomy – it won’t serve your company’s needs. Finding a system that matches your team’s technical capability and doesn’t involve a steep learning curve is important to long-term success (and your peace of mind). This approach will also free up your team’s time to focus on other areas of the business.
Additionally, customer support and CMS “learning communities” whether organized by the software provider or independent users can be important factors to consider. CMS providers such as WordPress and Drupal have extensive online communities that eagerly share tips, tricks, and best practices with other developers looking to learn. If you have an internal web development team that needs in-the-know resources to tap, choosing a CMS with that fringe benefit will be beneficial for them.
Plan ahead
When grocery shopping, it’s wise to plan meals for the week ahead and assemble your shopping list with the ingredients needed to prepare them. The alternative is to haphazardly grab what looks appetizing in each aisle and hope you can fashion disparate components into something edible before you hit their collective expiration dates. (Yes, avocados, chicken tenders, and Twinkies are yummy in their own right, but can you combine them in a casserole?)
This principle also applies when choosing a CMS. You want to consider the future implications of the system and ensure that it aligns with your business goals. Will the CMS you select be able to grow with your business? Can it handle high traffic and third-party integrations? Is speed important for you? Choosing a CMS that is flexible and future-proof will prevent you from having major hiccups (and regrettable leftovers) down the road.
CMS platforms our clients use
Our developers work with a variety of content management systems, and they can also craft a decoupled or “headless” CMS if that makes sense for your business. Here’s a rundown of the CMS platforms the majority of Culture Foundry clients currently use, along with overviews and the perceived benefits of each:
1. WordPress
- Overview: WordPress is an open-source CMS that started as a blogging platform but has evolved to power a wide variety of websites, from blogs to ecommerce businesses to nonprofit organizations.
- Benefits:
- User- and SEO-friendly
- Ideal for both developers and non-technical site managers
- Elaborate ecosystem of plugins and themes for customization
- Extensive community support and available documentation
2. Drupal
- Overview: Drupal is an open-source CMS known for its power, scalability, and flexibility, often used by larger/enterprise organizations and government entities.
- Benefits:
- Highly customizable and flexible
- Ideal for complex websites
- Strong security features
- Advanced content management and user permission settings
- Manages large amounts of data and complex content architectures
3. Craft CMS
- Overview: Craft CMS is a flexible, developer-centric CMS designed to build custom, feature-rich websites with ease. It’s known for its robust content management capabilities.
- Benefits:
- Developer-friendly with powerful templating and customization options
- Clean, user-friendly interface for content editors
- Strong focus on performance and security
- Excellent for custom websites with specific needs
4. MODX
- Overview: MODX is an open-source CMS and application framework that emphasizes flexibility and creative freedom, allowing developers to build highly customized websites without constraints.
- Benefits:
- High level of customization and flexibility
- Lightweight and fast, with minimal bloat
- Strong focus on security and scalability
- Developer-friendly with full control over the codebase
5. Shopify
- Overview: Shopify is a proprietary, cloud-based CMS, specifically designed for ecommerce. It allows users to easily set up and manage online stores with integrated payment options and inventory management.
- Benefits:
- Easy to use, with a no-code interface
- Robust ecommerce features, including payment gateways, shipping management, and marketing tools
- Scalable for small-to-large stores
- Integrated hosting and security
6. Omeka
- Overview: Omeka is an open-source CMS designed for digital collections and exhibits. It is popular among institutions, such as libraries and digital archives, that want to showcase historical documents, multimedia files, special collections, and/or scholarly research.
- Benefits:
- Ideal for creating and managing digital collections and exhibits
- Simple interface, specifically designed for non-technical users
- Customizable with plugins for specific academic and archival needs
- Strong focus on metadata and Dublin Core standards for cataloging
Conclusion
Choosing the right CMS doesn’t have to be daunting, and I hope this has made the idea of shopping for one a bit easier to digest.
And if you’ll allow me one more food analogy, think of Culture Foundry as your all-in-one nutritionist, personal shopper, and chef; we’ll meet with you and tailor the CMS recommendations you seek to your needs and tastes. And then, we’ll help you do the cooking!
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