What type of CMS platform should my website use?
The best types of content management systems to use are the opn source CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla or Magento. At Hopping Mad we use WordPress all the time for our website builds. They are super easy to use, very SEO friendly and above all you are never locked into contracts that some web companies will insists on if you use their proprietary CMS platforms. THIS CAN BE A MASSIVE ISSUE AND COST YOU LOTS OF MONEY IF YOU ARE LOCKED INTO A CMS CONTRACT!
Questions to ask your web developer about the CMS platform they intend to:
- The time and effort needed to add or remove features throughout the website once the site has been launched. Just remember that once you do have the CMS it is impossible to change CMS’s once the site has been built and this means that the choice you make from the beginning will impact your websites ability to have add ons in the future.
- If you are going to have an ecommerce site that will generate enormous amounts of traffic you will need a CMS that will not crumble under the weight of the traffic. It has to be robust and sturdy enough to facilitate this and allow as many people to shop on the site at one time as possible. great eCommerce CMS platforms are Magento + WordPress.
- You obviously want your site to rank on Google so your CMS needs to be able to allow the ease of use of titles, meta tags and descriptions. This way it encourages Google to index your site with each new addition of content, which in turn will help with your online ranking. Most CMS’s will allow for this but double check with your web programmer the ease at which you can add titles and other SEO goodies.
- The CMS should allow you to be able to get into the web site and add content easily. If you are a business that relies heavily on your site to sell your product or service you do need a CMS platform that allows this information to be added with a minimum of fuss.
- Is the CMS secure? WordPress for example is an extremely secure platform – some in house built CMS systems may not have all the security plug ins – so be warned!
- Is your website responsive? If not, your CMS should allow your developers to transform your current desktop site to a more mobile friendly solution.
- How much do I have to pay you each and every month for my website to be on your CMS platforms? MAKE SURE YOU ASK THIS ONE! I bet its between $20-$40 per month extra…which is a total waste of your hard earned money!
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHICH CMS PLATFORM IS RIGHT FOR YOU? CALL 02 9360 8514.
Why WordPress is a Great CMS?
- Being open source means that once the site is built it can be transferred to almost any web company that has a basic understanding of the WordPress CMS Platform. You can even choose a preferred hosting platform for this CMS.
- There are no monthly maintenance fees as might be with a customised CMS. A good example of this is a company I know of that charges a hefty monthly fee for the use of their CMS. They state that this is necessary because of all the add ons they are making to the CMS as well as all the security updates and phone support. This is simple not true and is basically a huge rip-off. With WordPress there are no monthly fees at all. PLUS most of the security add ons are totally FREE.
- WordPress is an awesome eCommerce platform. If you want to sell online then WordPress is one of the best CMS systems around. With easy update modules you can add/delete products, change prices and make content amends easily.
So if you are thinking about getting a website for your business call us today at Hopping Mad Designs – we offer a all in one web servcie that includes search engine optimisation and internet marketing as well.