Choosing a CMS? Think about this!

– I started as a self-taught developer more than 20 years ago. After a few years I got a job as a web developer and realised that this was the most fun thing in the world. In 2004 I slipped into the CMS world and that's the way it is.

Why is it difficult to choose a CMS?

– Because it's a difficult question with different parameters and it's in our nature to try to simplify this kind of decision. Sometimes the requirements and the needs are in conflict with each other. You may have performance and scalability requirements and want to run cloud solutions with cached instances around the world. Then suddenly there is a conflict with GDPR and the question becomes – should we scale down to a worse web solution or adapt to GDPR requirements?

What are the biggest benefits of landing the right CMS?

– That you gain momentum and can focus on your main goal instead. Then the web or intranet becomes a tool and a force to help you get where you want to go. Not an obstacle or a burdensome budget item.

And in order to make the right CMS choice, according to Joakim Jormelin, there are a number of important things to consider:

Ask for a test environment

Not sure how to best meet your needs? Start by consulting with a partner. Buy in time from an independent partner to guide you. Also, ask the CMS vendor for a test environment. "You don't go and buy a car without test driving it".

Dare to talk budget

"These are our needs and this is our budget", dare to talk money! It will also make it easier for us as partners to prioritise what to build. And you won't have to buy what you don't need. And keep track of what's what. If you buy a cloud package, it includes a licence, operation and possibly support, which is not comparable to a pure licence cost.

Think about the editors

It should be easy for the editor. Period. If an editor's manual is needed, there is a high risk that the solution is too complicated. Complicated solutions may give you, the customer, the freedom to make adjustments, but they are often too complex for editors. Instead, stick to your original idea and always start simple.

Ensure support

What does support look like? Make sure there is a large and wide network of developers and partners connected to the platform you choose. The site should be able to live on even if you decide to change implementation partners. Operational support from platform providers can be a good complement to a partner's management offering.

Prioritise SEO

Double-check that there is good support for SEO; built-in support for SEO is more or less a hygiene factor these days. And don't forget: you can always get some automation, but you need to actively work on SEO yourself, just as you do on the rest of your content. Achieving a good ranking requires good and interesting content, good tagging (SEO) and visitor engagement.

Check availability

All platforms have support for creating accessible content, but you need to team up with a partner who understands what that means. Just because the CMS supports it doesn't mean the site will pass all accessibility tests. As with SEO, it also depends on how the partner implements the CMS and how the editors work with the content.

Looking ahead

Look up! What is your long-term goal? And what are your concrete goals? Do you already know that you will want to build an intranet on the same platform or connect to campaign websites, for example? Check that these possibilities exist and are financially justifiable, cheap now can mean expensive later. Many times there is a plan and a vision for the business, too rarely is it tightly tied to the website and what you want to achieve with your new CMS.

Team up

Neither of you – neither you nor your partner – is sitting on the fence, so work closely together. The partner knows the platforms, the products and the technology – you, the client, know your business and where you want to take it. Work together from the start, it's so much better than working separately.