When we run a Competitor Analysis’ one of the first thing’s we look at is what CMS (Content Management System) your competitors are using, to see if we can exploit a weakness, or what can we learn if they’re doing well. Being on the correct CMS for your business can lead to success or if you’re on the wrong CMS it will likely lead to failure.
Your online footprint should show a journey, as your business develops and grows your online presence needs to grow with you. So, take comfort in knowing that what worked for your business many moons ago, may not work for you now, this is a common challenge.
“Relton Associates is awesome when it comes to digital strategy and marketing. They understand exactly what you need and how to make things work. The effects are almost immediate, the results are outstanding. When it comes to online marketing, there is no match for them.”
G Fackelmann
[Google Review Oct 2020]
Open source versus Closed source CMS'
The difference between Open source versus Closed source CMS’ is like night and day. A Closed source CMS means you don’t have access to the source code, this is huge as you can’t see it or modify it. You have lost control and have to work within the constraints of the CMS. If you’re successful in your digital marketing and on a Closed Source system (which will be harder to do versus Open Source), there’s a good chance you’ll outgrow your CMS.
Ecommerce ready
Many decent CMS’ are already set up with ecommerce in mind. This means they have plugins that solve many ecommerce challenges. For example, CMS’s already have the tool that makes uploading products to Google Shopping a breeze. Other CMS’ may need us to engage with 3rd party scrapping tools and some CMS’ just can’t cope. Another example of why choosing the correct CMS for your business is critical.
SEO friendly CMS
All CMS’ claim to be SEO friendly, many aren’t telling you the whole truth. Closed Source CMS’ are notorious for being weak on SEO. You can’t alter their code; it is much harder to influence search engines like Google if you can’t give your webpage the correct META description or page title. You need a CMS that has SEO tools baked into their offering as standard and is Open Source.
Bespoke Websites versus Off-the-Shelf CMS’
Bespoke CMS’s are purpose built for the business by web developers using various Tech Stacks and various coding languages. They enable a business to achieve amazing results and really focus on the User Experience (UX). There’s literally nothing you’re not able to achieve with a bespoke built website. There are some areas you will need to consider from a business perspective though:
- When you need a simple update completed, does it have to go to the developer to do or has your system been built in such a way that the marketing executive can do it? If it has to go into the developer, it will join a queue, and most likely be at the bottom of their list of things to do. It can literally stop marketing departments from doing their job
- Finding someone to make changes to your Open Source WordPress CMS is not difficult, with over 50% of the websites in the World built on WordPress. However, finding a developer/coder who knows the language your bespoke CMS is built on, let alone the tech stack, can prove challenging and expensive.
- Managing your company’s digital risk is real. A bespoke CMS built by a 3rd party agency may ‘tie you to them’ as they’re the only ones who understand the code. Getting someone else in to look at will be challenging because; agencies prefer to work in CMS’ they’ve built and more importantly understand. The other option is to build a Development Team, which for a non-savvy business is a risk and often expensive
We love a well-executed bespoke CMS solution. They can give you a significant competitive advantage and be difficult to replicate. They can literally be anything you want them to be, the above is to ‘give you the reader something to consider’. We are able to support most CMS solutions, but from a strategy point of view, will make clear recommendations.
The aforementioned CMS elements are just a few of the main reasons to consider when choosing the correct CMS for your business. There are many more elements to consider, all very important. As well as ensuring you have a CMS that is not under-spec nor over-engineered.
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