Content is king, not only on an informational or blog website, but also in an online store - that's what everyone knows nowadays, even if they've only been around eCommercial themes for a short time. And since content is king, you really can't do without a proper Content Management System - CMS for short. When you start diving into this topic and want to take advantage of the solutions offered, you'll quickly discover that you can opt for Wordpress, Joomla! or Drupal, or, in the case of an online store, for solutions available as part of the use of your chosen sales platform (e.g. Magento, Shoper or PrestaShop). But will you immediately understand why you should actually have a CMS in your online store?
Content management system - what is it for?
CMS is a software that is supposed to help you publish (add, modify, delete) content and other materials on your website or internet service (e.g. on a news portal). This is its main function, but not the only one - equipped with appropriate solutions, the system can also collect data, maintain a calendar, allow to run a blog, send newsletters or even be responsible for the configuration of products (e.g. by adding them to appropriate categories). For this reason, it can also work perfectly well in an online store.
All the mentioned activities are carried out with the help of easy-to-use tools (especially the content editor) available from the platform's administration panel. The solutions used, expanded to a basic degree, allow for the configuration of various elements visible on the website. What's more, the CMS allows selected members of the team (not a single individual) to operate the system, and thus to conduct content marketing activities quickly and effectively.
For websites and online stores
The CMS offered on the market are different in terms of their complexity and expansion, but all allow you to make changes to the site even without knowledge of HTML or PHP. With their help, you can create both a simpler website of an informative nature, as well as an advanced platform with sales objectives.
Thus, it seems intuitive to divide CMS into two groups: those designed for websites and blogs and those created for sales purposes. In the case of websites, the system allows primarily for effective content management by publishing articles and various multimedia content (adding and removing photos and graphics). Sales platforms, on the other hand, allow you to conduct eCommerce activities by providing the necessary functionality to manage products and incoming orders: the ability to publish an offer, equipped with a shopping cart and order form, as well as the option to generate a list of customers and orders. Sometimes there are also more advanced CMS, which allow you to check inventory or manage promotions and discounts.
Why is it worth having a CMS?
The reasons why you should decide to implement a CMS for your online store are related to the basic functionalities that this system provides and its characteristics. Having a CMS seems to be an obligation when you plan to regularly expand the content on your website, wanting in this way to build the position of the site in the search engine, increase brand trust or loyalty of the audience. CMS will also allow you to build storytelling, which will bring great results in terms of brand recognition. What is more, it will ensure that the digital customer journey will be even more complete.
CMS can also be useful when we plan to expand abroad and make our online store available in different languages, or when we have a very large number of subpages. The content management system is distinguished primarily by a very high flexibility and dynamism in the work on individual subpages, so it significantly facilitates management.
Of course, we can also mention the support for SEO and SEM activities - the CMS allows you to make various changes from the technical side, which will positively affect the position of the online store in Google search (e.g. through plugins allowing for hierarchical organization of content, handling of 404 errors or optimization of graphics).
CMS - types
The basic division of CMS includes two types: open source ( free open source license) and closed source ( author' s). The first type includes systems available free of charge, equipped with a number of free graphic templates, ready-made modules or plug-ins, which can be adapted to your needs. Author's CMS, in turn, is prepared under a special order and is characterized by full customization to the needs of the individual client. When choosing this solution, however, you should take into account the fact that modifications to the CMS will require the involvement of a developer, and the costs will be significantly higher than when using ready-made solutions. On the other hand, in this way you gain constant support, which can prove to be a lifesaver in some situations.
We provide a comparison between these two options in the table below.
| Open source | Author's |
|---|---|
| free | high creation and maintenance costs |
| can be managed without programming skills | the need for developer support |
| limited adaptability to one's own expectations | perfect fit for the diagnosed needs of your organization |
| quick error catching and correction | permanent support from the software house |
| possibility to use ready-made themes and plug-ins, as well as updates | no possibility of using another agency |
Sometimes a third solution is also mentioned - a paid subscription system provided as a service (SaaS, such as Shoper). In this case you don't have access to the code of the site, and you share the system with other customers. SaaS allows you to interfere in graphic matters and manage the site to a really limited extent - it doesn't give the possibility of greater customization (no possibility of free modification of files).
CMS versus PIM
"Why should I implement a CMS when I'm already using a PIM?" This issue often raises concerns for online store owners or eCommerce specialists. While the question is not unfounded, the difference between the two systems is significant. PIM, which stands for Product Information System, allows you to manage - as the name suggests - information about the product, which means making sure that the same information about the product (e.g. size, price data) appears simultaneously in all channels on which sales are conducted. What's more, PIM seamlessly combines new information with existing images and content, making it extremely useful in any online store.
Unfortunately, PIM will not work where the content does not relate to the product - for this reason, it is worthwhile to opt for both solutions, integrated with each other. After all, it's one thing to enter technical data about a specific product and send it to other channels, and quite another to create an article on a blog aimed at building an appropriate image of the company.
How to choose the right CMS for online store?
When you are thinking about choosing the right CMS for your online store, first of all you need to analyze which type will be right for you - open source or original. To do this, it's a good idea to start by diagnosing your business needs and then thoroughly researching the available free solutions. You should primarily pay attention to the features that each system provides - whether it will simply give you exactly what you need.
You should also check if its admin panel is clear, easy and intuitive for you to use, as well as the level of security or technical support. What else should be taken into account? It is necessary to check whether the CMS chosen by us is characterized by the possibility of expansion in the future. It is worth taking care of this at the beginning, because the subsequent migration to another CMS may be associated with increased costs. It is also important whether the system will integrate seamlessly with other extensions of our chosen platform, on which we run eCommerce business.
If you diagnose areas in which the available offers are insufficient, perhaps you should commission the creation of a dedicated CMS for your company.
What can we do for you?
Do you already have a CMS that you have managed for the last time, and now you would like to integrate it with your Magento 2-based online store? No problem - we will integrate your system with the eCommerce platform via API to ensure that you will not lose any data. We understand how important a customized content management system is for your eCommerce business.
