Why Your Business Website Should be Built on a Cloud-Based CMS

What is a CMS? 

A content management system, or CMS, is software designed for building and managing websites. Most CMSs include templates that allow anyone to create a basic website without knowing any coding languages. A CMS handles the infrastructure of your website so that you can focus on the actual content that your audience is seeking.  

CMSs have templated options that can help quick-learning, tech savvy individuals create a basic website. A templated site should help you get started. In order to incorporate best practices for marketing and standards in your industry, you may want to consult with an experienced web designer. A stunning custom website will help you stand out in today’s crowded marketplace to attract users and drive qualified leads. Reach out to us if you would like to explore standard and customized options that could help you increase revenues from your website! 

Cloud-Based vs Traditional On-Premise CMSs 

Cloud-based CMSs are also known as SAAS (Software as a Service) content management systems. They take care of hosting for you. Cloud-based CMSs offer fantastic website solutions that are built with leading technologies so that creating great content and growing your business can be your priority. It is what you do best, after all! 

Traditional content management systems are usually purchased or downloaded for free (such as WordPress) and installed on-premise. You host on your own server or pay a hosting company to host the CMS files and subsequent websites for you.  

Attractive Features of a Cloud-Based CMS 

Adaptability

SAAS systems are said to be “future proof.” Changes happen when they are needed, and you don’t need to worry about scheduling reboots, updates, and re-installs. No need to stress about downtime for system upgrades either. All you need to worry about is having a stable internet connection. 

Maintainability 

Cloud-based CMSs are incredibly low maintenance in comparison to their more traditional on-premise counterparts. All necessary technology upgrades are done for you by a team of expert developers behind the scenes, so that you don’t accrue hefty bills without notice from your web developer, nor do you have to worry about down time to upgrade your system or spend time or energy on crisis management if your system is down. Outages are rare, and not your responsibility to repair with a cloud-based system. 

Making updates to your pages is also much simpler with cloud-based systems. Most changes can be made with the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor. All changes to your website are published live on your website immediately. With on-premise CMSs, many changes must be made in the code and then reuploaded to your host to show live on the site. Navigating these on-premise CMSs can be confusing, and easily causes problems if anything is placed or coded incorrectly. 

Support 

SAAS systems are created, maintained, and improved by a team of experienced web developers that are experts in that specific system. They offer tech support as needed and are usually available around the clock for any troubleshooting or to discuss feature requests and solutions. Furthermore, if you partner with a web design or marketing agency, they will even take care of that communication for you. 

Tightened Security 

Some people worry about the security of anything cloud-based, but their fears are unfounded. Cloud-based CMSs are incredibly secure, with several layers of security protecting you and your company. Being that security is also monitored for you by a team of experts, if there is a rare occurrence of a breach, it is dealt with and fixed immediately, once again reducing your risk of downtime for system maintenance. 

• Physical security - controls who has access to servers 
  
• Network security – built in firewalls, monitoring, Security Sockets, Layer (SSL) 
  

• Data Security – encryption, routine back ups, back up distribution, back up disposal 
  
• Access security – secures cloud infrastructure and individual CMS instances 
  

Speed 

One thing that users seem to unanimously agree on is that cloud-based CMSs run much smoother than on-premise systems. They are less buggy or glitchy and have a much greater bandwidth for traffic. Cloud-based CMS companies are very picky when it comes to choosing a server for their solutions. Many of the key players in the SAAS space actually use Amazon’s web servers for hosting to ensure they are lightning fast. Images are the most common reason for slow site speed since image files are so information dense and if not done properly can be larger than necessary. SAAS systems often come equipped with Content Delivery Networks (CDN) to improve site speed via lazy loading, resizing images, image storage solutions, and more.  

Get Your Head in the Clouds 

If you aren’t already using a cloud-based CMS, it’s time to think about it! Leave the tech stuff to the pros, so that you and your team can focus on your content and the success of your business. The website design experts at Smart WSI Marketing work within cloud-based CMSs to give you a high-performance website that will get you results. Get in touch with us today to learn how your business can benefit from a cloud-based CMS. 

Lynne Motkoski, Digital Marketing Consultant

Specialty: Digital Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]

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Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.

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