What this guide is for
CMS decisions often start with familiarity or trends. That leads to slow sites, painful editing, and expensive rebuilds.
Start with workflow. Then choose the simplest tool that supports it.
Step 1. Write down your editing reality
These answers matter more than the brand name of the CMS.
- Who edits content, one person, a small team, or many authors.
- How often content changes, weekly, monthly, or seasonal.
- Whether approvals are needed before publishing.
- Whether content needs scheduling.
- Whether multiple languages are required.
- What has to be editable, pages only, posts, events, downloads, products, campaigns.
Step 2. List your content types
A good setup treats content as structured data, not a wall of formatted text.
- Pages, such as services, about, contact.
- Articles and guides.
- Case studies and portfolio entries.
- Events, listings, or vacancies.
- Downloads, policies, reports, toolkits.
- Products and simple shop items, if relevant.
Step 3. Decide how much layout freedom you want
Total freedom sounds nice. It often creates inconsistent pages and broken layouts.
- Structured content. Editors fill fields. Layout stays consistent. Speed stays predictable.
- Flexible blocks. Editors assemble sections. Strong rules are needed.
- Full page building. Editors drag and drop anything. Governance becomes hard work.
Common CMS routes for small teams
Route A. Static site plus a headless CMS
Best for speed, security, and clean content structure.
- Works well for pages, articles, campaigns, case studies, and simple shops.
- Content stays structured, which helps reuse and consistency.
- Publishing is controlled, usually via a build and deploy process.
Watch outs:
- A build process adds a step to publishing.
- Preview and workflow need thought, especially for non-technical teams.
Route B. Traditional CMS with themes and plugins
Best for teams who want familiar editing, with careful governance.
- Quick to start.
- Many integrations exist.
- Editing feels direct.
Watch outs:
- Plugin piles increase risk and page weight.
- Themes vary wildly in markup quality and accessibility.
- Speed often drifts without strict rules.
Route C. Hosted site builders
Best when speed of launch matters more than long-term control.
- Setup is fast.
- Editing is simple.
- Hosting and updates are handled.
Watch outs:
- Limited control over performance and technical SEO details.
- Export and migration limits.
- Accessibility depends on the platform and templates, with less room for proper fixes.
A practical decision flow
- If speed, security, and low maintenance matter most, choose a static site plus a headless CMS.
- If many authors publish daily and need a familiar editor, choose a traditional CMS with strict governance.
- If the site is short-lived and content is simple, a hosted builder may fit, with clear limits accepted up front.
Governance rules that protect performance
Tool choice matters. Rules matter more.
- Set a page weight budget for key page types.
- Cap third-party scripts, then review quarterly.
- Standardise patterns for forms, navigation, and modal components.
- Provide content guidance for headings, links, and images.
- Add a release checklist for accessibility, performance, and tracking.
Red flags during selection
- The demo focuses on visuals, not workflow and publishing safety.
- No one discusses performance budgets or third-party scripts.
- Accessibility is described as a plugin or an overlay.
- Export and ownership questions get vague answers.
- The plan relies on adding plugins for every requirement.
Next step
Write a one page CMS brief. Include content types, editing roles, approval steps, and performance limits. Use it to compare options and avoid picking a tool that fights your workflow.