"Which is the best content management system on the market?"
We hear this question very often from our customers.
"That depends!"
This is our often unpopular answer. Every company has different needs that should be covered by a CMS.
Only by precisely analysing and evaluating these needs can a CMS be found that will become a growth driver and not lead to clueless editors and frustrated business units. In a CMS evaluation process, the specific requirements from all corners of the company can be collated and the right decision made on this basis.
We have listed the 10 most important criteria that you should use to evaluate a content management system. This will give you a clear overview of what you should pay particular attention to during the evaluation.
1. range of functions: Which features are essential in a CMS?
The required range of functions ultimately depends on the needs of your company. However, some functions are relevant for almost every company:
Internationalisation: in order to be able to publish content in different languages and countries, the system should support multilingualism. A clear translation management system with import and export functions makes your life easier.
Rights & role allocation: Who can do what? Individual departments should only be able to edit the pages relevant to them; an intern may be able to create content, but not publish it. A well-configurable roles & rights system is a "must" for every CMS.
Publish workflows : Publishing workflows can be used to submit content for review or add comments. The editorial workflow should be able to be mapped in the system.
SEO: Extensive setting options for search engine optimisation should be part of the system's basic repertoire. What good is good content if it can't be found?
2. User satisfaction: How easy is the system to use?
No matter how many functions a CMS has, if it does not offer a good user experience, your editors will not enjoy using it.
The system should be self-explanatory and clear. Frequently used functions should be easily accessible. Beware of cluttered and unintuitive interfaces that require too many clicks for each work step.
Can I edit a lot of content at the same time? Is it easy to create new translations? User reviews and testimonials are a certain indicator here, but ultimately only one thing helps: try it out for yourself.
3 Editor Experience: How good is the online editor?
One of the core tasks of a content management system is to be able to create appealing content. This allows you to offer your customers an exceptional digital experience.
An editor should be intuitive to use and offer a quick and good preview of the content. In addition, convenient functions such as an integrated image editor or a live preview can make work much easier alongside writing.
It is worth taking a closer look here, as the editor experiences on offer can differ considerably.
4 Security: Is the CMS becoming a gateway?
The security of your data is certainly also a top priority in your company. A CMS should therefore comply with current security standards and ideally also have the necessary certifications. However, it is often not the systems themselves that are the problem, but third-party plug-ins.
Native CMS functionalities are therefore always preferable to plugins. If plugins still have to be used, they should at least come from a reputable provider and be regularly updated with security updates.
This is because defacements and cross-site scripting attacks are not only embarrassing, they can also lead to an entry on the Google blacklist and thus to SEO disaster. The restoration of the SEO ranking can be associated with considerable costs, as can the technical restoration of the website. Security gaps can also damage your company's reputation.
5. customisability: I do it the way I like it
With website builders such as Wix or Squarespace, you can realise your project within a few weeks, but you find yourself in a rigid corset that severely restricts your creative options.
Mapping a special product configurator with them can prove to be impossible. However, customisability always correlates with the implementation effort. The more options I have, the more expensive it becomes.
You should therefore ask yourself: is the special product configurator just a gimmick or is it essential for the success of the project and therefore justifies the investment in a more customisable system?
6. Headless vs Coupled: Do we really need a headless CMS?
A headless CMS, such as Storyblok, separates the presentation level (front end) from the data and configuration level (back end). They offer the advantage that different frontends such as apps, websites or intranets can be operated but maintained in a centralised system. In addition, when the website is relaunched in future, only the front end needs to be replaced, which significantly reduces costs.
Due to the ease of integration, all medium to large CMS projects should be capable of headless use. Fortunately, most systems now offer this.
For smaller projects, however, the headless approach can lead to unnecessary complexity and you can gain speed with the traditional "coupled" approach.
7. integrability: Does a CMS fit into our system landscape?
As a digital partner, we know: A CMS rarely comes alone. ERPs, CRMs or PIMs are usually in tow. The seamless integration of these systems is often part of the digital strategy and should be taken into account.
Are there plugins for these systems? Is it possible to inform other systems via webhooks? Does the CMS even offer a Zapier-style automation service? Native headless systems naturally have an advantage here; they can also be operated purely via a web API and can therefore be easily integrated into other systems.
8. Future-proofing: Is there a lock-in effect?
In order to be able to plan for the long term with the CMS, it is important that the CMS system is also supported and maintained by the provider in the future. In addition, the solution should be well established on the market so that you do not run the risk of becoming dependent on the implementing agency.
Are there enough partner agencies for the CMS? Is the underlying technology popular with developers? If you ask yourself these questions, you can counteract a lock-in effect.
The hip CMS start-up with a revolutionary new approach may be sufficient for a PoC, but for a long-term solution you should fall back on established players such as Storyblok.
9. performance: How performant is the resulting page?
A study by Google has shown that increasing the loading time of a website from one to three seconds leads to a 30% higher bounce rate. In other words, that's 30% fewer potential customers.
This metric alone shows how important website performance is. Techniques such as caching or static site generation (SSG) can significantly improve the speed of your website, but the underlying system architecture should also be designed for performance in order to achieve good results in the long term.
10. Price: What costs should be considered?
When you start comparing CMS systems with one another, you quickly realise that most providers prefer not to say out loud what they cost. In a previous analysis, we were unable to find the licence costs for 16 of 37 systems tested on the website.
These are often only disclosed in a personal discussion after the requirements have been recorded. This makes it difficult to compare prices. You should therefore first make a pre-selection based on other criteria before comparing the solutions at cost level.
In addition to the licence costs, there are of course also investment costs. Budget must be planned for conception, design, development, project management, integration of existing infrastructure and processes, SEO optimisation and content migration. The costs for hosting, updates and support during operation must also be taken into account.
Some systems offer intelligent solutions here and can therefore keep acquisition costs low.
Conclusion
When choosing a new CMS system, you should not rush into anything. Factors such as cost, security and integration into existing systems are crucial. But you should also consider performance, customisation and the general question of whether a headless CMS is generally necessary before making a purchase. You should therefore plan enough time for requirements analysis and research.
With our 10-category checklist, you already have a good overview and are sure to make the right choice for your company. We will also be happy to advise you on the most suitable CMS system for you.
Are you searching for the right CMS?