Choosing a CMS? Think about this!

– I started as a self-taught developer over 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 world of CMS 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 requirements and needs conflict with each other. You may have performance and scalability requirements and want to run cloud solutions with cache 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 get the speed forward and can focus on your main goal instead. Then the web or intranet becomes a tool and a force that helps you get where you want. Not an obstacle or an annoying budget item.

And to make the right CMS choice, there are, according to Joakim Jormelin, a bunch 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 provider for a test environment. "You don't go and buy a car without a test drive".

Dare to talk budget

"These are our needs and this is our budget", dare to talk money! This also makes it easier for us as partners to prioritise what to build. You also avoid buying what you don't need. And keep track of what's what. If you buy a cloud package, both license, operation and possibly support are included, which cannot be compared with a pure license cost.

Think about the editors

It should be easy for the editor. Period. If an editor's manual is needed, there is a great risk that the solution is too complicated. Complicated solutions can certainly give you as a customer the freedom to make adjustments, but it often becomes too complex for the 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 website 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 work actively with SEO yourself, just like with the content in general. To achieve a good ranking, you need good and interesting content, good tagging (SEO) and engagement from visitors.

Checking accessibility

All platforms support the creation of accessible content, but it is important to team up with a partner who understands what it means. Just because the CMS supports it doesn't mean the site will pass all accessibility tests. As with SEO, it depends on how the partner implements the CMS and how the editors work with the content.

Look forward

Look up! What is your long-term goal? And what concrete goals do you have? 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 often it is 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 – have the answers, so work closely together. The partner knows the platforms, products and technology – you as a customer know your business and where you want it to go. Work together from the start, it will be so much better than if you work separately.