Essential step of a company, the website is part of a global communication strategy. Avant d’entreprendre la création de son site Internet, il est indispensable de se poser les bonnes questions :
Choice of host,
Choice of the type of hosting and the options offered: disk space, CDN, SSL, multisites ...
Domain name
and finally the choice of the management tool for your website.
Indeed, this last question is very important for the continuation. Most site management tools meet most needs, showcase sites, institutional sites, blogs or e-shop. Some are more suitable than others for this or that type of site, but overall, the choice of tool should not be limited to this dimension.
This is a delicate step which will require a precise analysis of the costs, of your skills and / or competences available in your company or to come and of your time!
Costs
All website management tools offer different services and therefore do not have the same costs. You will need to accurately estimate your needs and your budget to gradually eliminate the list of available CMS.
First, we must consider two main types of CMS :
the CMS Open Source. These last are free and their code is fully accessible. BUT and yes there is a ‘but’, it requires to be a minimum autonomous on the web language. There are communities and forums dedicated to the tool which can be of great help as well as paid plugins which can provide turnkey solutions. Updates to the tool, plugins and all parameters will be done by you.
the CMS in SaaS . They are often paid or partially free (limited functionality and / or presence of ads). Indeed, a service provision is provided for all the technical part (Database, server configuration, updates, etc…). The themes offered are aesthetically well done and you will certainly find the one that best suits your business. The downside…. your site's SEO is quite limited and you won't easily make it to the top search engine results. Which is essential today to set itself apart from its competitors.
Maintenance
Not all CMS are created equal for the maintenance of your site: some require manual updates to avoid security breaches, others update automatically and others are maintained by a service provider but not all are equal when it comes to reactivity ... Depending on your knowledge and your availability in terms of time, one choice or another will be preferred. If your technical knowledge is limited in this area, it is preferable to go through a SaaS CMS where a service provider will take care of the technical part for you.
Ease and simplicity of handling
It is certain that the Turn-key websites are more fun. These page editors are easy to learn and allow you to add text, images and all content quickly with extensive options in terms of aesthetics. However, the paid CMS offers much more advanced and customizable features.
Also, do not think that once your site is launched you will no longer need to access it either in free or paid CMS. Technical updates but also content will be essential to make your website sustainable.
A business website is the showcase of your business. We find important information such as your address, your logo, your products, your services…. In short, this isyour business identity.
This storefront, like a physical storefront in a street or shopping mall, must catch the eye and stand out from the crowd to be seen!
It is therefore both a communication tool, a sales support tool and a very powerful and powerful marketing tool.
There are two types of website.
the showcase site or blog,
the eshopcalled online shop or E-shop website.