How to choose the right Content Management System?

I had a wonderful opportunity to work with an Indian startup for a week and they specialized in Drupal technology. While preparing for the interview, I started researching about the content management systems, its types and benefits after adoption. In my last blog, I drafted in detail the need for Content Management System.

This blog will focus on the factors to be considered while choosing the right CMS for your organization. I have worked in several small and medium enterprises and now understand the various factors which prove to be a blocker for timely decision making. Going ahead with the concerns of organizations before adopting a technical solution, let us have a look at the factors:

• Narrow down your objective – You should be clear on what issues could be resolved by implementing a new CMS. One should always focus on the challenges faced by their teams both in the past and present scenarios. The more the brainstorming the better the objective statement. You should always focus on what to be achieved first followed by how to achieve it.
• Analyze the present resources – When we talk about adopting a new CMS, it becomes imperative for us to consider the resources in hand. In small companies, the ratio of technical to non-technical staff may vary. The other concerns could be the age group and the resistance among staff for getting trained on a new tool. It is advisable to understand your team’s concern before taking a call.
• Technical specifications – Make sure you have clearly defined the technical requirements keeping in focus the current systems. For example, you might have an in-house ERP system to manage user details with financial records. Now you look forward to a content management system which demands integration. You should always consider the configuration of your current system, the scope of integration and maintenance requirements.
• Budget – Knowing your budget will lead to you to pick the IT solution supporting maximum customization options. The more expensive the tool, the less will be the complexities in managing the solution. The happier will be your team. The budget could also hit you in case of hiring experienced resources to manage the solution.
• Ease of use and training options – Look forward to solutions that are easy to use for your team. Many times, the solution providers organize training sessions and workshops for knowledge transfer. The company should ensure that the entire team participates in it.
• SEO friendly – Make sure your CMS is not a bottleneck in itself while implementing best SEO practices. The creation, edition and promotion of content should be smooth and free-flowing. It is the content which boosts the rank of the website. Look for a CMS that automatically address the on-page SEO tasks.
• Workflow designing – Clarity on the types of operations to be carried upon using the tool is must-have. These workflows will help you design processes among departments. It will then lead you to the responsible resources followed by roles and responsibilities.
• Authorization levels – While finalizing the workflows, you will gain an understanding of expected user types and parallel authorization accesses to be provided. This factor is important as the customization level in the codes get introduced this way.

Folks, hope to have made the mark here in making you understand the factors to be considered while selecting a CMS for your company.