5 Mistakes to Avoid when Choosing a CMS Platform
Content Management Systems power the flow of information for every business. They act as building block for web development in the Web 2.0 era. Choosing a content management system (CMS) is a complex processes and full of pitfalls. With a large number of CMS solutions available to choose from, people often end up making the wrong choice. Here are five mistakes that you must avoid.
Mistaking CMS As Web Development Tool
Most businesses consider CMS to be a web development tool. Though in the popular culture it is being marketed as a web development tool, the role of a CMS extends farther than just that. So before selecting one, you need to look at the broader picture on how it can be applied and used to increase the productivity and profitability of your business.
Failure to Assess Needs
What is the core need of the CMS platform? Do you plan to launch an online store, a blog, corporate website or an intranet information repository? Many businesses make the mistake of choosing a CMS platform merely based on their popularity factor. For instance, WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world but when it comes to developing an online store, Magento offers you more flexibility and scalability.
Thinking Bigger To Be Better
You don’t need a sword to peel a fruit and it won’t make your job any easier. Before you settle for a complex and feature-rich CMS solution, just spare a moment and contemplate whether it makes your job easier or complex. Contrary to the myth, there are thousands of small CMS platforms (proprietary tools) which can be tailored to meet the niche needs of your business. They often serve you better than the open source platform that all of us go gaga about. Your choice should be completely based on your needs and nothing else.
Seeing CMS From Past Experience
Businesses that have had painful experience with a CMS in the past often tend to review new ones from the prism of their past experience. They only look to overcome the issues they had with their past CMS. This is a wrong approach towards choosing a CMS platform. You not only need to overcome your prior problems, but also need to come up with a platform that can further your business.
Rating IT Requirements over Business Requirements
This is definitely a cardinal sin businesses tend to commit. They look at a CMS purely from an IT perspective, and do not bother to look into their business needs. While, this may be an economically viable solution for a short term purpose, it is definitely a bad move in the longer run, considering the needs and goals of your business. The choice for CMS technology should be based on the needs of your sales, marketing and operations team and you should listen to your IT team last!
Semaphore Software is a market leader in CMS development and offers solutions for all the top CMS platforms including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, and Liferay to name a few. Contact us through info@semaphore-software.com to know more about the services we offer and possibilities for improving your ROI.
