Peter Boyd is an attorney and the Founder of PaperStreet. He has successfully helped 1,500 law firms with their websites and marketing.
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For many law firms and business owners, their website is what creates revenue and leads people to them. That said, one of the most critical decisions an owner needs to make relates to the choice of a content management system (CMS) for managing their website. However, picking the right CMS can be complicated unless you fully understand and know what you need before assessing your choices and selecting one.
If you thoughtfully consider your requirements as far as what’s needed before picking a CMS, you can save money and avoid choosing something that simply doesn’t do the job or meet your needs. So, what do you need to look for in a good CMS? Below are just a few things to keep in mind as you start your search.
Having a secure CMS should be a top priority.
If security never crossed your mind as part of your CMS requirements, add it to the top of your list. A quick review of recent news stories shows an increase in all types of hacking attempts and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and it’s clear that the cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing. Where security used to be optional, it has now become mandatory.
Don’t take chances with your valuable data (and revenue) by selecting a CMS that does not feature wide-ranging security options that can be used by all individuals at your firm or in your business, including those who are not technically inclined. The CMS company you choose should take security as seriously as you do.
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There are a few features you can check for to help ensure that security is the CMS company’s top priority. A quality CMS will:
• Limit access to core CMS files.
• Provide automatic updates.
• Offer various user permission levels.
Another thing that is just as important and can go hand in hand with the CMS is the web host. You should focus on using one that provides automatic updates, error logging, access logging, up-to-date PHP, and checks for user enumeration. Plug-ins can also help with security as well—however, not all plug-ins are available on all content management systems.
The CMS should be easy for most (if not all) users.
Website designers and developers have the mental bandwidth to handle more complex tasks when it comes to websites. However, there may come a time when someone less technical will need to make changes and/or updates to the content on your site. Whether it’s the lead attorney at your law firm or a blogger for your clothing business, everyone should be able to change content as necessary (and with ease).
The back end of your CMS should be intuitive to the average person such that he or she should be able to edit content, add pages and/or incorporate new media without needing a week of training or extensive instruction.
There are several “free trial” CMS options available for businesses to try before going all-in, some of which offer two-week trials and others that offer 30-day trials. Give those a shot to ensure that all planned users feel comfortable and are at ease while utilizing all of the CMS’s features.
Make sure the CMS has the core functionality you need.
It’s natural for people to take into consideration the need to add, edit, delete or organize webpages when thinking about a proper CMS, and it may seem that these tasks are an obvious inclusion in all systems. But surprisingly, that’s not always true.
Accordingly, it’s important to ensure that the CMS you choose has the core functionality you need and expect. For example, you’ll want to consider whether or not you actually need a CMS or a blogging platform. For businesses and firms that don’t intend to upload articles regularly or take part in heavy inbound marketing, WordPress might not suffice. For those with online stores, a traditional CMS might be a better choice.
The CMS you choose should be easy to maintain.
As the saying goes, “time is money.” Law firms and business owners in general do not have time to worry about whether or not their CMS is doing what it’s supposed to do when it’s supposed to do it, so ease of maintenance is crucial when making the choice.
When executed correctly, a good CMS will not only give your business a chance to streamline and optimize content production, but it will also assist in lowering your overall operating costs. How? A secure and easy-to-use CMS typically needs less maintenance and lowers the cost of ownership.
There are several ways to assess whether a CMS is easy to maintain before investing in it. First, you should look to see how often the CMS is updated and check on when the last update was performed. You should definitely avoid a CMS that is no longer being developed and/or maintained. Also, you can tell a lot by its look. If the CMS looks outdated, then the user interface might be harder to navigate. Looks can be a factor, so you are encouraged to check out some pictures to see examples regarding ease of navigation.
By choosing a CMS that is more secure and doesn’t need as much updating, things are likely to run much smoother, and it may even negate the need to have dedicated staff, which can mean saving thousands of dollars when it’s all said and done. Now, wouldn’t that be worth it? Choose your CMS wisely.
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Author: Peter Boyd, Forbes Councils Member
