How to choose the best CMS for your charity
It’s a big deal choosing the right content management system (CMS) for your charity. That’s because, once you’ve made your decision, it’s fairly hard to backtrack.
You need to do some due diligence to give yourself the best chance of getting it right.
And this guide will walk you through the questions you should ask yourself before choosing a CMS, so that when it comes time to take the plunge, you can make an informed decision based on what's best for your organisation.
First, let’s start with the basics.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is a system that lets you create and manage the content of your website. It allows you to update the content of your website yourself, rather than having to pay someone else to do it for you.
A CMS can be used to:
Build a new website from scratch
Edit your existing site with more advanced features
Be an alternative to having a custom-built website
The disadvantage of a custom-built website is that you rarely (or never) see the back-end of it and have to pay someone else to make changes to your site.
First things first…
The first step is to figure out what kind of website you need, and how it will best serve your audiences.
Do you want a simple site with a donation form and an events calendar?
Are you planning to create lots of content in the form of blog posts or articles?
Will your site be mostly static, or are there certain pages that need to be updated regularly - like news or volunteer opportunities?
The answer to these questions will help you to determine the kind of CMS you need. But due to the importance of the decision you’re about to make, there’s a bit more to think about…
Five things to consider to help you choose the best CMS
Here are five areas worth looking at to help you find the best CMS for your charity.
Use these five areas as a checklist guide to help you make the right decision and to look out for any red flags.
1. Ease of use
Ease of use is one of the most important things to consider.
It’s likely you’ll have multiple people who will be updating pages and content on your site, so the easier it is to use, the more chance you’ll have of it being accessible to all users.
Ask yourself:
Is the user interface intuitive?
Are there clear explanations of how things work?
Is there help available if you get stuck or need more information?
2. Security
A good CMS should have a number of security features built in, such as password protection, encryption and an easy way to back up your site’s database.
You should have the ability to set passwords for individual users so they can only access the parts of your site you have given them permission for.
This is vital to protect sensitive information like personal data or financial information that people provide when making donations or signing up for newsletters.
3. Customisation options and extensions
A CMS that offers customisation and extension options will allow you to add new features, change the look and feel of your site, or even build something completely new.
Choose a CMS that has a wide range of extensions available.
Examples of additional functionality include payment processing, membership management or event registration.
Remember that the best CMSs also include features that can help you with your SEO strategy and can even help you see where you’re getting it wrong (or hopefully right!).
4. Maintenance and support
Maintenance and support is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a CMS. The best CMSs will have staff who are available to help you if you need it, and can provide updates as needed.
You should also make sure that your CMS provider offers maintenance plans so that you're not paying for updates or fixes when they come up.
It’s sensible to choose a provider who has experience working with charities. If they don't understand your specific needs, then they may not be able to provide the kind of support that will help keep things running smoothly (and keep donors coming back)!
5. Pricing
After comparing different options and narrowing down your selection based on features and functionality, it's time to start thinking about pricing.
Some platforms, such as the hugely popular Wordpress, are free for the basic setup (before you think about a template or paying someone to customise it for you).
Others, such as Squarespace, charge monthly fees or require custom development work before they're ready for use by more non-technical users.
CMSs such as Drupal or Joomla can be more of a steeper learning curve to use and are suited to larger charity websites with complex technical needs.
We got this 🙌
The right CMS for your charity will be the one which fits your resources, expertise and budget… and most crucially what you need it to do for you and your audiences.
So there we are, the basics of choosing a CMS for your charity website. If you're still not sure which one is right for you, we can help… we’re experts, in fact.
Get in touch today and let’s have a chat.
And finally… you may be wondering what CMS we use at Wild SEO Agency. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we’re big fans of Squarespace (other CMSs are available of course!)