Invest in the right company from the start

When you’ve been in the digital business for as long as we have, you tend to know what clients want in a Content Management Solution (CMS). Usually that includes a solution that:

• is affordable, with a licensing model that fits well and isn’t oversized for the company’s needs

• is quick to implement with pre-built modules and widgets that can be used as-is or customized

• supports features like multi-lingual, personalization and online forms

• is also super easy-to-use and administer by non-technical people
  

We’ve also been around long enough to ask the harder question…what do clients really need to sustain and grow their business? 

That’s tougher to answer, of course, because it depends on many factors including the company’s existing infrastructure, long-term digital plan, in-house resources and capabilities, integrations, governance and auditing needs, and dozens of other factors. Most of those things vary from company to company, so it makes sense that choosing the best CMS requires a technical audit or assessment to determine the best fit. 

That being said, there is one critical characteristic of a CMS that you should put at the top of your must-have list because it will likely bring the best long-term return. What is it, you ask?

Make sure it is provided by a company that is a good partner with a solid product roadmap. This can’t be overstated

No matter what growth stage your company is in, your web needs are in a constant evolutionary state.  Even if you think you don’t have to update your site often because your products and services haven’t changed, think again. Your customers’ expectations are changing; your industry is changing; technology is changing, and of course, your business needs are changing. The problem is once you realize all that change is happening, it’s usually too late. You needed the new website feature or capability yesterday.

That’s just one reason why you should choose to invest in a CMS from a company who will evolve with you as your business grows. A company that watches the landscape, keeps a pulse on tech trends and anticipates needs before you even see them coming.

What does it mean for a CMS company to anticipate and respond to your needs over time?

• They remain vigilant about releasing security patches as vulnerabilities and outside threats on the internet arise.

• They pre-emptively communicate hot-patch fixes and updates before they ever become an issue.

• They allow simple API or plug-and-play integrations so that while you don’t have to rebuild functionality you get

• from other vendors you can still leverage data from them. A good partner should be updating those connections as third parties update their software, so your integrations don’t ever ‘break’.

• They create code efficiencies that allow for better, faster, more secure platform performance.

• They release additional features that your customers and the market is looking for and release enhancements that make your team more productive by improving capabilities or features to the admin interface.

• They leverage insights, customer feedback and research to deliver improved tools and capabilities that enhance a marketer’s ability to generate leads, create seamless UX experiences and tailor personalized content.

• They care about the implementation process and support by providing implementation partner on-going training, certifications, and updated developer toolsets.

So, what CMS companies provide regular updates and a long-term vision?

SilverTech works with several of the leading CMS platforms, including open source solutions such as WordPress and Drupal, and .NET solutions such as Kentico, Sitecore and Sitefinity. 

As CMS experts with over two decades of experience in this space, all our .NET CMS platform partners have been fully vetted and selected based on their on-going roadmap and vision as leaders in the space. 

Each company rolls out regular product updates and enhancements on a regular basis. It is our role as an implementation partner to then communicate and assess which updates or actions each client should take.

For example, Sitefinity, one of our .NET CMS partners, released their latest feature upgrades just this week with the introduction to Sitefinity version 13

There are so many options, and we are here to help

If you are planning a new website or new CMS migration in the next six to twelve months, we can help you evaluate vendors and make the best selection for your needs. This investment must evolve with your needs over the next four to six years, so the right framework is imperative.

Contact us to ask us any questions you have about selecting a CMS or an implementation partner or to request a CMS demo.