Choosing a CMS really can make or break your small business website.
With thousands to choose from you can quickly become overwhelmed. Choose incorrectly and you’ll be stuck managing a slow loading website with awkward design…which immediately turns off visitors who were once potential customers.
The good news? Choosing your content management system doesn’t have to be difficult.
Time to break it down…
What you’ll learn:
- What Is A CMS? Why Does It Matter?
- Best CMS Features for Small Businesses
- Top CMS Platforms Compared
- How Do You Actually Decide?
What Is A CMS? Why Does It Matter?
CMS stands for content management system. It’s a website building platform that allows you to create and manage a website without any code.
In other words, it does all the publishing for you from blog posts to simple page updates.
Simple enough right?
But wait.
Not all CMS platforms are created equal. Most major CMS’s these days cater to different niches. Think bloggers vs large scale ecommerce stores vs online education websites. Choosing a platform that doesn’t align with your business needs will only result in lost time and money.
According to recent industry data, nearly 64% of websites use some form of CMS to manage their online presence. That number is constantly rising as more businesses seek convenient website solutions that don’t require hiring a team of developers.
If you’re running a small business you want your CMS to be built with responsiveness in mind. Websites that aren’t properly displaying on mobile devices are quickly losing visitors. Over 60% of website traffic is coming from mobile phones. If your site isn’t built responsively, those visitors will bounce faster than you can say CMS. Working with a professional marketing agency in Jacksonville will make sure your CMS is built properly from the start so you don’t lose any traffic.
The main takeaway here? You want a CMS that allows you to easily build a responsive website that loads quickly and looks professional.
Best CMS Features for Small Businesses
Before comparing some of the most popular platforms it’s best to understand what features you should care about. Here’s a short list of must-have features when selecting your CMS.
Must be Mobile Responsive
Not arguing with you here. Websites with responsive design have an 11% higher conversion rate than those that don’t. Having a mobile responsive site is also Google’s preferred ranking factor. In other words, pick a CMS that offers mobile responsive themes/templates right out of the box.
Ease Of Use
Here’s the thing… when you’re a small business owner you wear many hats. Spending days or weeks learning how to manage your new website is not ideal. You want a CMS that offers a clean intuitive interface so you can easily;
- Edit content on the fly
- Add new web pages or blog posts
- Upload images and media
- Configure basic SEO elements
Basically, if you need a developer or web designer to make simple changes, this CMS isn’t for you.
Speed & Performance
Nothing turns off a visitor quicker than a slow load time. Did you know 53% of mobile shoppers will abandon a site that doesn’t load in 3 seconds or less? When comparing CMS’s look for lightweight solutions that prioritise speed.
Having seconds matter when it comes to loading speed can mean the difference between gaining a customer or losing one.
SEO Friendly Website Structure
SEO begins with your CMS. You want your platform of choice to have clean URLs, meta tags, header tags, and XML sitemaps built into the core. The less plugins you have to attach to your CMS to get up and running with SEO, the better.
Security
Regardless of the size of your business hackers are always going to try to target your website. Choose a CMS that prides itself on providing secure platforms. Regular security updates, SSL certification, and secure login credentials are a must.
Top CMS Platforms Compared
Believe it or not there are hundreds of different CMS Platforms out there today. But don’t freak out just yet! As a small business you really only have to be aware of a few top notch options.
WordPress
WordPress is by far the most popular CMS platform in use today. It has been around since 2003 and powers over 43% of the web. WordPress offers unlimited scalability and boasts tons of themes and plugins for just about any website need you can think of.
WordPress is completely free to use. However, you’ll be required to pay for hosting separately. Hosting for small businesses range from $5 – $30 a month.
Best platform for: Business owners who want complete control and scalability.
Shopify
Shopify was built with ecommerce in mind. It’s a complete sales and payment platform designed to help you manage your online store seamlessly. Setting up a Shopify store is extremely easy and doesn’t require any technical skills.
Shopify offers plans starting at $24/mo with discounts for annual subscriptions. While Shopify includes hosting in its monthly price, eCommerce stores will need to factor in additional costs for transaction fees.
Best platform for: Online storefronts that desire an easy setup.
Wix
Wix is one of the fastest growing CMS platforms in the world right now. Wix websites are built using drag and drop technology that makes website creation simple for beginners. No coding required.
Wix allows you to have a website for free but with limited access to features. Depending on your needs you can expect to pay between $16-$32/mo for a Wix website.
Best platform for: Quickly creating a simple website for your small business.
Squarespace
Squarespace makes beautiful templates that many small business owners love. If you’re looking for a platform that has amazing designs built into every template, Squarespace might be the platform for you.
Squarespace plans range from $16-$36 depending on your needs. Similar to Wix they offer discounted rates for customers paying annually.
Best platform for: Creative and service-based businesses.
How Do You Actually Decide?
Now that you know what a CMS is and have reviewed the top platform options how do you actually decide? Follow these quick tips and you’ll be set.
First ask yourself what you need the website for. Are you selling products? Go with Shopify. Do you need lots of room for blog posts and content scalability? WordPress all the way. Need something simple and visually appealing? Try Wix or Squarespace.
Understand your budget. Some platforms offer low monthly fees that include website hosting while others are completely free but require you to buy hosting separately. Determine what you can afford and go from there.
Look towards the future. Your website will need to scale as your business grows. Don’t settle for a CMS that works today but won’t be able to handle high traffic volume down the road.
Most importantly, make sure your CMS plays nice with mobile visitors. It’s no longer a luxury your site can go without. If you aren’t offering a seamless experience on every device you are losing traffic.
Wrapping Up
At the end of the day choosing the right CMS boils down to a few key steps.
- Identify what you need the website to do
- Know your audience (Most users are on mobile.)
- Compare your top platforms WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace
- Determine which CMS will scale with your business.
- Don’t sacrifice website speed and security.
Picking the right CMS will make your life exponentially easier. Not only will it save you time but it will reduce stress and help your business grow for years to come.
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