Over the past few years content management systems have become a must for any company looking to stay current and remain competitive in today's on-demand world. The upside is companies now have a broad array of content management systems to choose from and each with its own set of options and capabilities. 

However, there is a dismal downside to the plethora of CMS packages. There are many bloated, and poorly built systems on the market and choosing one that fits your companies needs is becoming increasingly frustrating. There is also an ever increasing list of unsatisfied companies with their current content management system. And for those just getting started, the prospect of migrating from a traditional static website to a Content Management System can appear to be a costly and difficult task.

Fortunately there are companies with the expertise to work with and decipher a clients needs and the ability to recommend and implement a solution well within most budgets.

What you need know

There are three types of system to consider...

• Bespoke (custom-built), and off-the-shelf varieties of
  • Open-source (typically no licensing fees) or
  • Commercial (normally annual licensing fees).

Choosing the right solution for your company takes a bit of thought and a partner that can understand your needs and is willing to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of each system.

Find the right partner...
Once you have decided you need a CMS or need to migrate from one CMS to another, here are three basic questions that should be addressed by your prospective development partner:

1. Are they willing to look beyond a single solution to find the best CMS to fit my needs?
   An agnostic approach to the available solutions is key. Some are only willing to work with a single CMS and then shoe-horn each client into that system.
   
   
2. Does the vendor have the resources to move between the various CMS solutions available?
   This one will come into play mainly if you are migrating from one CMS to another or you have particular needs in the way of hosting (Windows or Linux).
   
   
3. Is the vendor honest with you about what can be accomplished within your budget restrictions?
   Sometimes, licensing fees, implementation and design can conspire to destroy monetary constraints. Bespoke solutions are expensive in the way of development, but open-source can be just as expensive if heavy modifications are required to meet your needs.