What Content Management Systems do you use?

A website's Content Management System (CMS) is what gives our clients the ability to edit and control their website. We have a variety that we prefer and some that we avoid, though we always choose the CMS that will best fit the needs of our client.

Content Management Systems we prefer

Sanity

Sanity is our preferred CMS because of its versatility and security as a headless CMS. Read our blog post about Sanity to learn more about why we like it so much.

WordPress

WordPress is the most popular CMS on the market (it’s free), and we have spent years developing WordPress websites of varying complexity. WordPress is an all-in-one solution, which can make it very powerful, but also very cumbersome. It's not the newest or hottest CMS available, but it is tried and true. Free sometimes comes at a cost, with little control of the tools available or any support.

Webflow

Webflow is an “all-in-one” page builder with a powerful CMS. We use Webflow for simpler website projects that start with a template, and we like that it is easy to train clients to use Webflow. There is one monthly licensing fee with Webflow, but you must work within the tools available.

Shopify

As the name implies, Shopify is made to build, manage, and host eCommerce websites, but it has CMS functionality as well. We often put clients on Shopify if they have relatively uncomplex eCommerce needs. Shopify, too, has one monthly licensing fee.

Honorable mention: Statamic

While we haven't had the opportunity to use Statamic for a client project yet, our research shows that it is a promising headless CMS, and we are excited to try it out.

Content Management Systems we avoid

HubSpot

Don't get us wrong, we love HubSpot for marketing automation, but we find its CMS very clunky and frustrating to use. We will happily integrate HubSpot into our clients' websites, but we avoid it as a CMS.

Joomla and Drupal

We have inherited client websites on both of these CMSs, and we find them both to be difficult to operate. Both platforms are open-source and are built by a team of independent developers. They both lack the power of WordPress and the flexibility of a headless CMS like Sanity. Many would disagree with this, but investing in one of the niche platforms is not wise for small and mid-market companies. If you have an in-house development team that’s into this stuff, go for it.

Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)

While we like many of Adobe's products, we find that this new incarnation of Magento is difficult to work with and not worth the time and money invested. Options like Shopify or WooCommerce are far better for managing eCommerce websites.

Choosing a CMS is probably the biggest decision you make during a website redesign. Your choice will likely have the most bearing on how much your team likes (or dislikes) working on your website. We take this decision-making process very seriously, and we will take time to learn your needs in order to recommend the best option for you.

If you are wondering which CMS is right for your needs, drop us a line and ask to speak with Kevin Saffer, our director of technology. He has a wealth of content management knowledge and is happy to share.