What Is the Best CMS for Startups?

Your content management system (CMS) plays an integral role in your content marketing strategy. Without the right CMS, you won’t be able to display or manage your content to its best advantage, so it won’t have the impact you want. In fact, your CMS can be the difference between success and failure when it comes to driving revenue, brand awareness and market penetration.

Choosing a CMS can be challenging, however, especially if you’re unsure about which functions you need or – as a startup – you’re on a limited budget.

In this post, we’ll look at what a CMS platform is and examine what you need to prioritise when you’re searching for a solution.

Definition of a CMS for startups

A content management system is a system that helps users manage and change the content on their website, without there being any requirement for technical knowledge. In other words, a CMS allows you to build a website without having to understand or write code from scratch.

Rather than having to independently build a system for creating web pages, storing images and other capabilities, a CMS handles all aspects of the basic infrastructure, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the business.

Examples of CMS for startups

WordPress is a popular content management system for startups, while other popular content management systems include Joomla, Drupal, Magento, Squarespace and Wix. In WordPress, for example, you can create and manage:

• Static websites

• Blogs

• Online courses

• eCommerce stores

• Membership sites

• Portfolios

What’s the best CMS platform for startups?

Each CMS has its own benefits and features to suit varying types of businesses. However, there are some general aspects to keep in mind when choosing a CMS for your business:

• Open-source vs proprietary or cloud: Open-source software relies on a community of users to contribute to its development and improvement. This can make the CMS more intuitive.

• Ease of use: You’ll need to assess the level of technical knowledge you need to have to use the CMS effectively. WordPress, for example, allows you to build a complete site without understanding code, but if you have access to developers, you may want a solution that allows for more direct involvement in building your website.

• Customisation: How easy is it to add new features and functionality? CMS solutions often come with applications called modules or plugins, whether ‘out of the box’ or as an upsell to your platform. These can be used to help you create structured content for news items, events, or bios. Look for a platform that is customisable to the needs of your business.

• Third party integration: Can the CMS integrate with your CRM (customer relationship management system) or e-commerce platform?

• Scalability: Can the CMS grow with your business? You need to choose a solution that can expand as your website changes over time.

• Flexibility in design: In a world of ‘cookie cutter’ websites, it's essential that your site stands out and has an original look.

• Security and support: These options can be a big factor in your decision-making process. Some platforms are more secure than others, so do your research to ensure your source code is sound.

You also need to consider budget and licensing when you’re choosing a CMS. Some platforms are free, while others will require you to pay a fee. Be realistic about both initial costs and ongoing fees, as well as hosting and future development. It may be worth looking into funding for startups to help you with the set up costs and ongoing maintenance.

Choosing the right CMS isn’t easy, and it makes sense to ‘try before you buy’ by downloading a trial installation and evaluating each system using the above criteria. It’s worth taking the time to do so, since making the right decision could be critical for the health of your organisation going forward.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.