Which CMS is best for ecommerce?
Behind every standout ecommerce experience is a standout CMS.
5 minute read
What role does a CMS play in ecommerce?
Simply put, a content management system (CMS) equips brands with the essentials needed to turn an online store into a compelling customer experience.
Here are some ways a CMS contributes to the successful running of an ecommerce website:
Product management, order processing, and customer management
A CMS with an integrated ecommerce platform or ecommerce functionalities allows you to easily add, update, and organize products and product catalogs, including descriptions, prices and currencies, images, and categories. Automation of order processing helps manage the entire order lifecycle for your online business, from cart management to checkout, payment processing, and order fulfillment. By integrating CRM tools, you can store customer information, track purchase history, and manage customer accounts and customer support, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Content creation and management
Think of a CMS as a website builder, enabling you to create and curate various types of content, such as product pages, landing pages, and blog posts which can help drive traffic and improve SEO.
SEO and marketing
Many CMS platforms come with built-in SEO features and marketing features. Meanwhile, email marketing, social media, and analytics integrations can help you promote your store and keep track of performance.
Customization and design
A CMS provides templates and design tools to customize the look and feel of your online storefront, ensuring it aligns with your brand identity across all potential touchpoints.
Security and compliance
A content management system helps ensure your ecommerce store is secure and compliant with regulations such as GDPR, by providing features like SSL certificates, data encryption, and regular updates.
Types of CMS platforms
There’s a CMS solution to support online store owners of every size, from small businesses and medium-sized businesses to enterprise companies with ambitions of taking on ecommerce giants such as Amazon and eBay. Here are some of the most common types of content management systems you’ll encounter in your search for the perfect fit for your brand.
SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) CMS
These are cloud-based platforms that offer a user-friendly, subscription-based service. They are scalable and easy to set up and manage, with hosting and security typically handled by the provider.
Benefits of a SaaS CMS for ecommerce: The benefits of a SaaS CMS include scalability, seamless integration with other ecommerce software and systems via APIs, faster time to market, and typically a lower cost of ownership than open-source options.
Best for: Scaling medium-sized and enterprise B2B, B2C, and D2C businesses.
Open-source CMS
Although highly customizable, self-hosted open-source platforms require technical knowledge for website development and when customizing for specific business needs.
Benefits of an open-source ecommerce CMS: Open-source CMS solutions provide readily available code for ecommerce developers to view, edit, and customize, with troubleshooting and support from open forums.
Best for: Startups and small businesses.
Headless CMS
Unlike a traditional monolithic CMS that couples the front-end and back-end, a headless CMS separates the front-end presentation layer (your online store’s design) from the back-end content management system. This allows for more flexibility in how ecommerce content is delivered and displayed across different devices and platforms.
Benefits of a headless CMS for ecommerce: Highly scalable, a headless CMS enables you to offer content to any buyer, in any environment or channel.
Best for: Scaling medium-sized and enterprise B2B, B2C, and D2C businesses.
9 essentials to look for when choosing a CMS for ecommerce
Content management systems vary in terms of features, functionalities, and capabilities. To get your products and brand messaging in front of the right people, in the right places, you’ll need a solution capable of both managing modern ecommerce business needs and empowering your teams to turn everyday interactions into engaging, revenue-driving experiences.
When choosing a CMS for your ecommerce brand, there are several key features to look for to simplify marketing tasks and ensure a seamless user experience. Typically, the best CMS platforms will prioritize:
- Ease of use: A user-friendly interface that allows even those who consider themselves complete beginners to easily add content and customize their store's look and feel without needing advanced technical expertise in web development.
- SEO support: Built-in SEO tools to optimize product descriptions, images, and other content, making your site SEO-friendly and easier for search engines to crawl and index your site and boost search visibility and rankings.
- Integration support: Seamless integration with other ecommerce tools and systems, such as payment gateways, CRM software, shipping providers, and inventory management systems through APIs, plugins, or built-in features.
- UX optimization: Tools to enhance the user experience, such as customizable navigation, product layout, shopping cart settings, and other advanced features.
- Content management: Features for organizing and categorizing content with tags and metadata, as well as an intuitive interface and tools for easy content creation and management by content marketing teams and other users.
- Community support: Access to a community or support network for troubleshooting and advice.
- AI enablement: A CMS with AI-powered features increases productivity and speeds time to market by generating product descriptions, blog posts, and other content.
- Rapid performance: Lightning-fast site speeds and loading times improve Google rankings and user experiences.
- Scalability: Modern CMS platforms are designed with a modular architecture, allowing your organization to add or remove features as needed. This flexibility helps in scaling the system up or down based on your business needs and requirements.
Deciding which CMS is best for your ecommerce brand
While weighing up the various pros and cons of different content management systems, you’ll need to think about the return on your investment. Pricing models vary for content management systems and one of the most important considerations when choosing an ecommerce platform is the total cost of ownership, including subscription fees, transaction fees, and any additional costs for plugins, add-ons, or extensions. Future-readiness, scalability, and flexibility are other important factors to keep in mind if you want to avoid having to upgrade or replatform every couple of years.
To make an informed decision about which content management system is best for your ecommerce company, read “Which CMS is right for my business?”