Choosing the Best CMS for Your Website

Choosing the Best CMS for Your Website
Robert Morrison
8/4/2014
Updated:
4/23/2016

When you are building a website, there are many things you are going to need to keep in mind. Obviously, it is best to hire a team to build your website. If this isn’t affordable, installing a CMS is the next best thing. Today’s CMS software makes it easy to build any type of website, no matter how low or high-end the site is. If you are new to the world of website design, and don’t know what a CMS is and how it can benefit you, read on.

Advantages

One of the downsides to using HTML is that websites aren’t interactive. In order to get noticed online, you need a website that stands out, and that is interactive. Before, special skills were needed to achieve this. Now, you can use CMS to help you create amazing websites that are completely interactive. This is great for small to mid-size businesses that want to manage their own websites to save money. Some of the advantages include:

  • Easy to Use – You don’t need special training to use a CMS. It is as easy as your Word program, and even has drag and drop functionality. The admin panel is self-explanatory, and there is plenty of helpful information available for website building newbies.

  • Constant Frontend Design – Using a CMS will allow you to make changes to add content to your website without changing anything else. Simply install a design template that will never change, unless you decide to change it yourself.

  • Save Money – You will find many inexpensive CMS packages online, as well as many that are free to use. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to build an awesome website.

  • Do Your Own Troubleshooting – You can learn how to solve your own problems, and there are free support forums for when you need help. There are sometimes paid forums as well, where you can find lots of great help and advice.

Disadvantages

There are some disadvantages to using CMS instead of HTML or a hand-coded site, such as:

  • Security – There is much less security, and it is easier to hack.

  • Customization and Scalability – You can add more pages and improve functionality with a hand-coded site. CMS is less scalable, and offers limited customization capabilities.

Reasons why You Need a CMS

  1. Save time and money

  2. Manage your own content

  3. Create a website that is inexpensive and responsive

  4. Create a blog site

  5. Have a site with built-in SEO elements

  6. Your site has less than 1,000 pages

  7. Others can manage and edit the site from any computer

  8. Low maintenance costs

Choosing the Best CMS for You

While some CMS have loads of features, you may not actually need more than a few. Choose a CMS that meets your specific needs. Look at the pros and cons of the various CMS available, and find the one that is right for you. Read reviews of top website builders on http://www.webbuildersguide.com/! Ask other website developers which CMS they recommend. Here are some more important tips to help you choose the best CMS:

  • Find a CMS that is completely user friendly, otherwise you will have difficulties creating your website.

  • Look at the various free CMS to see if they offer the features you need.

  • Find out which CMS is going to be able to grow with your business.

  • Make sure it is scalable.

  • Look for CMS that offer free trial periods, and try out a few to see which ones work best for you.

  • Make sure it has the plugins and extensions you need for complete functionality of your website.

Image Source: Milind Alvares