When your website isn’t performing as well as you’d like, you might point fingers at a number of outside factors. The marketing team isn’t driving enough traffic! Our content writers need to perform better keyword research to improve our SEO! We need to do better user research!
Sure, these could be contributing to the problem. But it could simply be the site itself, and you might just need a better content management system. If you’re experiencing any of these issues, you may want to consider a switch.
Your site is slow
There’s plenty of research on how long users will wait for a page to load before they abandon it. The bottom line is, the faster the better. Your site will also perform better in search engine results if it loads faster.
A number of factors can contribute to slow loading times, but it could mean that it’s time to upgrade your content management system. If your site takes ages to load pages or media assets, you may need to upgrade to a more powerful system that’s better equipped for the challenge. Some of the more basic CMSs just weren’t designed for complex sites with a lot of content.
Get down to the root of the problem so you can speed things up. Your site should be focused on your user’s experience. Don’t give people a reason to leave your website frustrated and potentially never come back.
You want to add features that it doesn’t support
Maybe you have a team of in-house developers or you work with an agency that built and supports your site. If you go to them with new feature requests and they’re constantly coming back with bad news, consider switching to a CMS that can better support your organization’s needs.
Smaller companies often start with systems that can get up and running quickly out of the box, but these options often aren’t scalable. If you need to go beyond the basics, start researching other options that can better serve you. The migration process might be time consuming, but it’ll be worth it when you have all the bells and whistles that create a better experience.
It doesn’t prioritize accessibility
Your website needs to be accessible for individuals with disabilities, and your content management system should make it easier to stay compliant with the latest accessibility guidelines. For example, users should be able to navigate your site without a mouse, all content should be accessible to screen readers, and all images should have alternative text. If your content management system doesn’t make it easy to create an accessible experience, switch to another system that makes it a priority.
Your staff has a hard time managing it
People often get caught up in thinking about how their site performs for site visitors, but how well is it working for your employees who have to manage and maintain it? Are you frequently hearing grumbles from your content editors because your UI is a nightmare? The name says it all; your content management system should make it easier to manage your content.
Talk to your staff to see what their biggest complaints are. Some issues might be resolved with some basic training, but if you have a veteran team member who still struggles with certain processes, there’s something more serious going on. Switch to a more intuitive and efficient option to keep them happy and make their lives easier.
It doesn’t have a reliable support team
Site security and maintenance are incredibly important. For peace of mind, you want your site running on a CMS that has a strong support team behind it. Your CMS of choice should get regular security updates to ensure it’s up to the latest standards and that you’re not vulnerable to a breach.
We love Drupal in part because it has a dedicated security team that stays on top of issues. There are security advisories for both Drupal core and its contributed projects with varying levels of security risk for the exploits found. This helps us stay on top of any potential problems for our clients’ websites.
It looks outdated
When was the last time you updated your site’s design? A clunky and dated looking website isn’t doing you any favors. Your CMS should be able to keep up with the latest web trends and best practices. If it can’t, kick it to the curb for something better.
Find the best fit for your business
When it comes down to it, your website should act as a catalyst for your business’ success, not a source of frustration. If it’s slow and lacks features, your staff has a difficult time managing it, or it’s not accessible, it’s time to consider a move to a CMS that can hold its own.