Choosing the right CMS

There are so many CMS solutions out there, that choosing which one to go with is a very important decision for your company.  Picking the wrong product could limit your ambitions, and in the worse case scenario, both lose you business and cost you money.  CMS solutions can be targeted specifically for a company external website, for an internal intranet or for both – so it’s vital you don’t choose the wrong CMS.  There are a whole range of options for content management out there, and you’ll only be able to select the right CMS for your business if you know what you’re looking for. 

 

How do you want to have your website structured?

Consider the way that you wish your information to be laid out.  Do you want to go for a step by step page structure, where your customer clicks through each page to get to the next?  Or would you rather go for a tree structure, where every page is accessible from a menu? 

 

Who do you want to manage your content?

You might have one specific person in mind who will carry out all your web content editing for you.  Or, you may wish to give the work out to different departments.  In that case you will need to set different access levels to different people, ensuring that only certain colleagues can access certain areas of the site.

 

Will your website be multilingual? 

Do you need a website in more than one language?  If so, ensure that your chosen CMS supports this option, so you can quickly and easily produce copies of your website in different languages.

 

Do you want a search facility on your website?

Customers can be hard to please.  If they can’t find information easily or quickly enough on your site, they will look elsewhere – i.e. they will go to your competition instead.  Make sure your CMS system has an integrated search engine, so that searching within your site is straightforward.

 

Does your website need special features?

Do you want a forum on your website?  Or perhaps you’ll need an online shop?  You’ll need to make sure that your chosen CMS supports the added dynamic extras that your website requires.

 

Do you need your intranet linked to your extranet?

If your company deals in products, for example, you may wish to link your intranet with your external website – meaning that stock numbers and prices can be instantly updated without hassle.  You’ll need to make sure that you choose a CMS which can handle a connection between third party systems.

Will you need to publish extensive structured information?

If you will need to have a large database such as a catalogue, then you should be aware of this when choosing your CMS.  Your chosen CMS should have a good interface which enables you to update your information quickly, and be compatible with data in various different formats (such as XML and CSV for example).

 

What technical features should a good quality CMS have?

As a customer, unless you are a web expert, it is hard to know exactly what you should be looking for.  Here are a few of the features you should be looking out for when selecting a good quality CMS:

• Security
• Security is a very important aspect of a website, especially if you will be conducting online sales.  The main thing to ensure is that the Content Management System communicates between the server and the browser by using HTTPS.  This prevents passwords being saved or hacked into, and ensures the security of your site.

• Three level structure
• The best CMS solutions are built using a three level structure which consists of a database, then the executive scripts, then the templates.  This is the best way to ensure that your site is flexible and adaptable, as well as lowering the costs involved in producing quality web design.

• Modular structure
• A good CMS will enable you to install various modular systems at the click of a mouse, allowing you to install a shop or a forum for example.  It should be straightforward to carry out, and the options should always be available.

• Straightforward interface
• The CMS will be useless to you if you find it difficult to use.  The best CMS will have a very straightforward interface, which makes it clear how it works and you will feel comfortable in using. 

• WYSIWYG
• The CMS solution should have an excellent What You See Is What You Get structure, which allows the users to add their content easily, and generates the complex HTML codes for them. 

• Compatibility with different platforms
• It’s important that the CMS you choose will allow your site to be compatible with other platforms.  You may use Macs at your company, but you want your site to be compatible with PCs as well as handheld devices such as PDAs and mobile phones as well.  Your CMS should not only allow your site to look good in different browsers, but also in different operating systems.

• Search Engine Optimisation
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a very important factor.  If your site cannot be seen by the major search engines, then you will lose business.  A good CMS solution will make your site easy for the search engines to view and list.

 

There are many more technical aspects to CMS, and if you’d like to know more we’d be very happy to help you.  We’ll offer you our expert advise on a no strings attached basis.  We’re confident that our chosen CMS system, TYPO3, is the best there is and can offer you all the solutions you need for your site.  We look forward to hearing from you.