What Requirements Should Your Website’s CMS Meet?

What is a CMS website? It is a software that assists in the organization and presentation of content on a website. The main purpose of the CMS or “Content Management System” is to enable users to create and edit a site.

The tool makes it possible for you to manage how content such as text and images are displayed on the website. However, the function of a website CMS is not limited to making updates. This software has several other functions including:

1. Tracking user activity
2. Applying search management
3. Collecting user feedback
4. Hosting forums

All the functions make a website CMS a must have for anyone with a website. In fact, more than half the number of websites have a CMS. Just like anything else on the computer science industry, a quality CMS is a prerequisite for a great site.

So, how can you know if the website CMS you are using is efficient?

The in-depth answer to the question requires an understanding of what features a CMS should possess for it to meet the criteria for the best CMS for a website.

Let’s check the main requirements that a website Content Management System (CMS) should have:

1. Main Functionality

While selecting a website CMS, it’s important for you to carefully analyze the requirements of your business. However, you should also think of the future (what new functionalities that your business may need with growth). If a system doesn’t provide what you need now or in the future then it’s better not to select it.

2. Analytics

The best CMS for a website should allow you to track key metrics. This gives you an idea as to what is effective on your website. A CMS may do this by integrating with tools such as Google Analytics. Other providers come with their own analytic engines. Using integrated analytic tools is the best option since these are updated regularly.

3. Mobile-friendly Website

The importance of mobile-friendly websites and apps cannot be overemphasized. According to Statistics, more than 50% of traffic in 2018 was generated by mobile phones. So, if you want to have a larger impact on visitors, make sure the CMS you use comes with tools to create an equally amazing mobile-friendly experience for users.

4. Simplicity of CMS

People who are not tech experts should be able to use an efficient CMS. Any complex system makes it difficult for users to manage content. The best way is to check if people who are not experts are able to get acquainted with the system without much training.

5. Security

Cybersecurity is a serious problem for both website owners and visitors. Any security breach is even larger for sites that give users the opportunity to create and manage content. Administrators should have the capability of supervising all activities related to web content. This can allow them to control the access that every user has, thus maintaining website security. 

6. Templates in the CMS

Templates make it easier for users to build new content without wasting time. Templates also make it easier for you to remain consistent with your design and website display. This way you can create a similar experience for users each time they visit your site. With CMS templates, editors can maintain the quality of content on all devices used by visitors.

7. Support

Does your vendor offer you support? A vendor should be able to provide options that will meet the demands of your website. A good vendor should also be readily available through phone or email just in case you have questions.

8. Feedback

Collecting feedback from visitors to your site is crucial to the growth of your business. A user interaction functionality allows you to do just that. With this, you should be able to create chat forums, forms, and give users a platform to leave comments.

9. Content Management

For you to be efficient, your content management has to be top-notch.

So select a CMS that comes with effective content management.

It should have tools that allow you to edit content, should have plagarism checker and design it how you want. This feature makes it easy to give your content a personalized and yet sophisticated style.

CMS platforms should come with tools that make it easier for developers and editors to collaborate and create engaging content.

10. Multisite Functionality

Having a multisite functionality in your CMS is a great advantage. You can manage and access content on different sites through a centralized system. A CMS with this feature makes your work more efficient. However, a CMS platform with multisite functionality can be difficult to manage.

11. Media Optimization

Images and videos are just as important as written content, if not more. So your CMS should be able to allow you to edit, upload, and store various media files. Once you upload and store files, other people will be able to access them without any difficulty.

Also, this method of storing files makes it less likely that you would lose them. Teams should be able to quickly access and share real-time images and videos. The best way to easily find media is by having an organized way of storing it. Well organized content is both easy to find and use. It will also keep you from wasting time looking for specific files.

12. Digital Marketing

Another important feature of an efficient CMS is digital marketing. Your website is a great tool that you can use to increase sales. So select a CMS that offers various digital marketing technologies. These include:

1. CRM
2. Social media management
3. Automation

Having as many e-commerce capabilities and digital marketing technologies all integrated into one sets you up for success.

13. Third-party Integration

The majority of CMS platforms come with third-party plugins. Third party integration makes a CMS more convenient and may even reduce costs. But always take care when you use this functionality because it may be a cause in the breach of security. Additionally, third-party integration is only useful when you receive support throughout the entire time you use the CMS platform, not only at the beginning. So choose a platform that offers permanent support.

14. Scalability

The scalability of the CMS platform to use is another feature to look at. A great CMS would be able to handle changes in traffic, especially when you have a lot of visitors.

Failing to manage spikes in traffic can have a negative impact on your on the number of visitors coming to your website in the future. Some SaaS based platforms allow you to create an environment that works with different servers. Multi-servers make it easy for you to manage traffic effectively. Balancing the traffic on your website also helps you maintain speed and avoid cybersecurity attacks.

15. Versatility

Before choosing a CMS platform, you have to know just how flexible it can be. Make sure it can operate in various environments that you use in your company. For example, some CMS platforms work on Windows only while others may be on several operating systems. If a CMS platform only runs on one operating system, it may limit your hosting options later on. To avoid this, select a neutral CMS platform.

Conclusion

Selecting an efficient CMS is an important task. Today, there are several CMS vendors. Make sure you select one that offers all the above-mentioned features. After exploring the market and checking if everything meets all the requirements, the next step is for you to select the appropriate CMS. This will also depend on your budget and the needs of your website. Remember, it is pointless to select a CMS with features that you will not use. The main goal is to identify the main functionalities that your business need. From then on the journey becomes smoother.

About the author:

Nicole Cowart is a writer who loves writing about various topics including content management. She is interested in the IT/Software development and different tools that are used to create website content. Other interests include reading and traveling.

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