It’s no secret that business owners constantly have a thousand thoughts running through their heads. From keeping up with the day-to-day operations as well as planning for the future, it can be challenging to remember to create content. Even if it is on your mind, it’s tough to carve out the time when you feel like you could be doing something “more important.” This dilemma is where content management systems, or CMS, can help.
CMS is a software application or product(s) that creates and manages digital content. So, what exactly does a CMS do? What are the components? How do I choose a CMS for my business? Finally, can CMS drive digital transformation?
Overview
A content management system helps create and manage digital content for an organization's web marketing team, making it an excellent option for those teams not familiar enough with coding to build a website from the ground up. Your CMS will help set up the behind-the-scenes of your online presence so that you can focus more on the forward-facing elements.
Not only can a CMS take care of infrastructural matters like storing images and creating webpages, but it can also handle issues like document management and digital workflow. In general, having a CMS is a great way to simplify the management of your website for both you and your visitors.
Mainly, a CMS consists of a content management application (CMA) and a content delivery application (CDA). The CMA lets you add content to your website and manage it quickly and easily, while the CDA is responsible for everything behind-the-scenes, like processing and storage.
Choosing a CMS
Some popular content management systems include WordPress.org, Joomla, Alfresco, Wix, and Squarespace. But which one is the best? That decision depends on your individual company goals. CMSs all differ in price and features, so first, define your budget to eliminate those that are out of your price range.
Then, consider what operations you want your CMS to handle. Features might include video publishing or image hosting, for example. You should also think about how easy you need your CMS to be. If you have no coding experience, you may look for something more user-friendly, while other CMS platforms are great if you’re a bit more familiar with coding. If SEO is important to you, be sure your CMS can handle optimization tasks.
On this note, especially if you’re looking for a bit more help, think about the size of the developer community. If you choose a CMS with a broader community, you’ll have a more significant resource for help and answers to your questions.
Additionally, consider what technologies your new CMS will need to integrate with. What software are you already using? For example, how do you track your analytics? Be sure whatever CMS you select can work seamlessly with the technology you already have.
Finally, determine how many groups of users will need to access your CMS. Different systems will allow different levels of administrative privileges, so discuss with your team to discover who will need access for each task.
CMS and Digital Transformation
When we think about digital transformation, the whole concept can be a little intimidating. A lot of us don’t have the time, money, energy, or resources to rebuild our online presence from scratch completely. However, in today’s fast-moving world, having a robust website is vital to a successful business. If you can’t solidify yourself on your website, you’re not as likely to attract new customers and keep them as loyal visitors.
Digital transformation boils down to changing your internal and external systems to create a more pleasant and efficient experience for your visitors. Some important things you should think about include modernizing your digital tools, automating your business processes, and leveraging machine learning and analytics. A quality CMS can help with all of these factors.
Implementing a high-quality CMS can help handle the nitty-gritty of web development so that you can focus more on tailoring your content to your audience. This is especially helpful if you’re looking to redesign your business, as you can deal with your new goals moving forward and leave the difficult technological matters to your software.
While a CMS won’t solve all your problems, it’s undoubtedly a great place to start. It can help you deliver a higher quality experience to your visitors and let you more easily see what’s working and what’s not so that you can more clearly discover the new direction for your business.
Investing in a content management system can prove to be a game-changer for your business, whether you’re trying to get ahead of the competition or are looking to change your image completely. There are many resources available, so with some research, you’ll be able to find the right CMS to serve your business’s needs.
