When you run any sort of website or blog, you will want to have a content management system (CMS) that does everything you need, giving you control over your site. The type of CMS that you have in place really depends on your budget, your needs and the platform you have chosen.
Some people decide that the option for them is to hire professional support like an umbraco developer. Others choose to go it alone. Whichever route you are taking, here are a few of the top questions that you should ask.
Is it Easy to Use?
Most content management system (CMS) systems aim to give people at least a basic level of usability, even if they don’t have a great technical background. You will want to be able to do things like update text, add photos and videos, and refresh your blog pages. For the more complicated updates, you may need to call in the professionals.
Is it Within Your Budget?
You may well be able to negotiate the price of your CMS with the system vendor, but you obviously need to choose one that fits in with your budget. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should always go for the cheapest option either. You also need to take into account things like licensing fees, and other costs for updates and upgrades.
How Secure is it?
Hackers often try to target content management systems, so you need to be careful with which one you choose – some have bigger security issues than others. It is worth doing some research to find out the history of the ones that you are looking at. If the system does get hacked, you need to find out what they can do about it.
Do They Offer Technical Support?
This is a particularly important point if you are not going to be relying on any other technical support. Again, this is where a little bit of research can really go a long way. Browse through some forums to find out what others have said in the past. Look up what methods of contact they have and whether or not they offer 24-hour support.
Is Your content management system (CMS) SEO-Friendly?
Search engine optimisation is one of the most important aspects of any modern website, so you need to ensure that you choose a system that doesn’t adversely affect your rankings. Some content management systems come with SEO tools to make this process easier.
Does it Allow Integration of Web Analytics?
Ideally, you want your CMS to give you the ability to track things like conversions and site visits. While some platforms have their own tracking systems, others will let you integrate existing ones like Google Analytics.
If you are in the process of choosing a content management system, hopefully you have a little more information about the types of question that you should be asking. Choose correctly and you have the foundation of a great website that is easy to update and customise as you please.
