A web content management system is typically capable of performing core CMS functions mentioned above. On top of this, however, web CMS may also include the following features:
- SEO-friendly URLs
- Customizable templates to manage content presentation
- Permission-based access control
- User and group functionality
- Content organisation structures (i.e.: hierarchy and taxonomy)
- Content virtualization
- Versioning and workflow management
- Collaboration platform
- Delegation between user groups
- Language or user support
- Integrated file managers
- Integrated audit logs
- Install and upgrade wizards
- Compliance with website and accessibility standards
Not all CMSs will have the same features, you’ll need to research which of the features is most applicable to your project and client – then decide on the CMS.
Common Considerations & Concerns
Security
First, take a close look at the security offered by your CMS. Having your site hacked is the last thing you want, especially if e-commerce is a component of your site and you’re storing sensitive client information.
The issue is accurately judging the security features of a CMS is difficult. Every CMS lists security as one of it’s important features, but if you lack the technical expertise to test this yourself, you’ll need to research user forums carefully to see if security issues are common.
Hiring a consultant to evaluate the security level of your candidate systems, and even assisting you in setting up the security settings of your install is a good investment.
Search Capability
Search is one of the most important features of any CMS and it’s often the most overlooked. If your web site is driven by content, people need to be able find it in an intuitive manner and through multiple options.
When considering a CMS check how search works:
- Is the search fast and responsive?
- Can you perform basic searches?
- Do advanced filtered searches to help narrow down the results?
- How well those results displayed?
- Can you customize the result?
- Dig into the documentation, and find out how the CMS indexes your content.
- Does it index the entire page or just the categories?
- Do you need external documents like PDF and Word files indexed, and if so, do those capabilities exist?
- Etc.
Search Engine Optimization
Another consideration is the code that the CMS generates when creating pages. Is it lean, standards-compliant, and accessible? Often people will look carefully at a system’s feature set but pay no attention at all to the code that the CMS actually generates. Bloated code, inaccessible links and content, and coding errors can result in poor site performance, and lower page rankings on search engines.
Make sure the links are search engine friendly and don’t end in long string of generating characters. At this point, there is simply no excuse for a CMS not to output clean, well-structured, standards-based HTML. If you don’t see this, consider using another CMS.
Costs – Upfront and Ongoing
You should also closely examine the license you agreed to when selecting a CMS. If you’re paying a license fee, this fee is often per seat, so make sure you understand how this can impact your overall cost upfront.
Proprietary CMSs also often limit what you can do with the system in terms of extending or changing the internal code. If you have a development team that plans to make changes to the system, you might be agreeing to a license that prevents you from doing that. You should also explore the license even if you’re using a so-called open-source CMS. Well, many of these are covered under the very generous new General Public License, there are many, many licenses that are considered open source that have varying degrees of restrictions.
Editing
One of the most important user-friendly CMS features is the WYSIWYG editor, or ‘what you see is what you get’ text-editing tool which works like Microsoft Word. This tool allows you to manipulate the webpage source code without having to actually code the underlying programming language (HTML).
Summary
Bottom line, understand what you are and what you’re not allowed to do under your license agreement and find one that works for your needs. Finally, don’t overlook the documentation available for a CMS. Documentation can be sparse or often unorganized, especially with open-source content management systems. Find one that has detailed documentation that is organized and written in a style that’s clear to you, or whoever will be implementing your system. Look for install or quick-start guides that will walk you through the process of becoming familiar with the system.