Choosing the Right CMS: A Guide for Growing Businesses
Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. It is also often something businesses will pour a lot of resources into – money and time. This makes choosing the right Content Management System important, as it can impact what you are able to do down the line.
The CMS Conundrum: It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All
Choosing a CMS isn’t about finding the “best” option—it’s about finding the perfect fit for your unique needs. Here’s a framework to help you navigate this decision:
- Assess Your Tech Skills!: How tech-savvy is your team? Some CMS platforms require coding wizards, while others are friendly to the less technically inclined. Are you looking for something you can hop in and make edits with? Consider WordPress with a pagebuilder. Is it a huge site needing more flexibility that someone else will maintain? Maybe Kentico is your fit.
- Think About Growth: Will your chosen CMS keep up as your business expands? Nobody wants to be redesigning and developing their website every year. Sure, a new site can be needed every now and then for a refresh, but if you’re expecting some rapid growth, it might be a good idea to get the initial cost behind you, and work with something scalable, or you could end up in a whirlpool of website redevelopments.
- Budget Wisely: What is your budget? Every business has a budget, even if they don’t know it. How much you can spend will dictate how good the final product is. If you want a Ferrari, it will go fast – but it’s going to require a heck-load of maintenance. Want a Holden? It might not go very quickly or be well adapted for upgrades, but it will sure last you a while!
Small Business CMS Contenders: A Quick Rundown
Webflow: The Startup Superstar
Pros:
- Visual design flexibility
- Easy for non-developers
- Built-in hosting and security
Cons:
- Limited advanced functionality
- Can get pricey as you scale
Ideal for: Design-focused startups and small businesses looking for a quick, professional web presence.
WordPress: The Versatile Veteran
Pros:
- Huge ecosystem of plugins and themes
- Highly customisable
- SEO-friendly
Cons:
- Requires more technical know-how
- Security concerns if not properly maintained
Ideal for: Growing businesses needing more control and customisation, especially content-heavy sites.
Wix: The User-Friendly All-Rounder
Pros:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Abundant templates and design options
Cons:
- Limited flexibility for complex sites
- Hard to develop good designs
- Terrible for SEO
- Less control over site performance and hosting
- More expensive ongoing costs
Ideal for: Small businesses and entrepreneurs looking for a straightforward, quick setup without the need for technical expertise, good for those who prioritise ease of editing over aesthetic appeal and conversion.
Enterprise Solutions: The Heavy Hitters
For larger businesses with complex needs, options like WordPress VIP, Drupal, Sitecore, Kentico, Contentful, and Adobe Experience Manager come into play. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and each enterprise has its own needs, but our top pick for enterprises is usually Contentful.
Why Contentful? Its flexibility and API-first approach make it a dream for businesses to deliver content across multiple channels. It’s the Swiss Army knife of enterprise CMS solutions. With this said, its most important to get in touch first as our recommendations differ business to business.
The Bottom Line: Choose Wisely, Grow Confidently
As a website design & development studio, we’ve seen firsthand how the right CMS choice can transform a business. It’s not just about having a functional website— it’s about empowering your team to manage it and knowing when to outsource, making sure it works for your Ideal Customer Profile, and choosing something that can scale with you, not hinder you!
What’s your current CMS struggle? Book a call with us—we’re always up for a brainstorming session!