Skip Links

Back

There are many reasons to redesign your website: revitalizing your brand, improving the user experience, drawing more conversions, or keeping up with the times. Another, more logistical reason to redesign your website is to have a CMS that’s suited for your team’s unique needs.

A CMS, or content management system, provides a way to create and manage content on a website without prior knowledge of web programming or markup languages. The website is often tied to the CMS, but can also be headless, or decoupled, where the CMS is only running the backend. 

There are many different types of CMS softwares with a broad range of uses. Tech-focused platforms like Joomla and Drupal are powerful tools in the hands of the right developers. Site builders like Wix and Squarespace have limited functionality, but are easier to use for beginners. We find that WordPress, which is used on over 60% of the internet, has the best of both worlds; however, there are many other CMS options that might be the best for your site, such as Webflow, a newcomer we’ve loved using. Each has some benefits and drawbacks. Let’s check these, and a few others, out.

 

A banner that reads: "500 words of creative inspiration every week - Subscribe" and links to a landing page about Clique's newsletter: Open Tabs

CMS Options

Using a CMS may require finding an agency or a partner to get the best result, especially when determining the website redesign cost. Even though you may want a partner to help pick the best option, it’s always beneficial to go into that conversation from a knowledgeable place.

As a creative digital transformation agency, here is our list of CMS options to consider based on flexibility, cost, required skill level, security, and support.

WORDPRESS

WordPress is the oldest, and most popular, player in the game. It is considered one of the best open-source platforms and combines beginner friendliness with the potential for tech-savvy folks to add in additional customization. At Clique, we primarily use WordPress because it’s easy to implement creative solutions and find niche plugins and add-ons. 

WordPress can be used to build almost any website. Pricing can vary widely based on many different factors including complexity and whether the site is being made independently or with an agency. WordPress is a step up from website builders like Wix (or alternatives to Wix, including Squarespace and GoDaddy) with more customization options. On the flip side, if your current CMS is unusable beyond developers, WordPress is a great, flexible option. 

Check out an example of the custom development work we did in WordPress for Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

PROS

  • Extremely flexible
  • Beginner friendly 
  • Customizable with expert assistance
  • Supported by a large community
  • SEO friendly 
  • Huge selection of themes and plugins

CONS

  • Likely will need a partner to meet specific custom needs
  • Add-ons that are not compatible with the site or outdated may be a security risk 
  • Plugin and site maintenance may require advanced knowledge

 

A screenshot of Red Rock Amphitheater's Homepage

 

WEBFLOW

Webflow is a newer player in the game, and is primarily marketed towards designers looking for a no-code/low-code website builder. With the need for fast and cost-effective developments, these platforms are changing the landscape of web development, and Webflow is at the forefront. 

At Clique, we’ve been using Webflow to take advantage of its quick and design-focused approach. Webflow is great for those looking to build a detailed website with little knowledge of code. It is also a good option for anyone wanting a step up from a website builder like Wix or Squarespace. Like WordPress, prices can vary widely as Webflow offers over 6 different paid plans. 

Check out this example of a project we launched in a couple short weeks in Webflow for Einstein Mission.

PROS

  • Powerful visual editor geared towards designers, allows for boundless creativity
  • Faster to design and launch a website on Webflow than on platforms that require custom development 
  • Self-contained—core platform gives you the tools you needs to build a website out-of-the-box
  • Live prototyping

CONS

  • Not as beginner-friendly as builders like Wix or Squarespace
  • Limited plug-in and third party options
  • No live chat or phone support

 

Einstein Mission's Homepage

 

SHOPIFY

Shopify is the most used eCommerce platform. Online sellers can set up and manage their store in a safe and efficient environment.

It’s a great option for any company with eCommerce needs that does not necessarily have the capacity to design out an entire site. With a myriad of themes and apps, plus an inexpensive startup option, it is an ideal choice for new sellers. For those needing a more complex store, Shopify offers multiple customizable paid plans.

PROS

  • Supports WordPress integrations 
  • Easy and quick setup process 
  • Automatically updates software
  • All Shopify stores are automatically PCI compliant (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) by default 

CONS

  • Might have limitations for certain types of businesses or products
  • Limited customization

 

JOOMLA

Like WordPress, Joomla is an open-source, page-oriented CMS. It boosts more flexibility than WordPress, but is geared more towards developers. 

Joomla is great for individuals looking to flex their dev skills. As for companies, Joomla is best suited for larger companies that may have some extra money set away to hire a web designer. 

PROS

  • 6,000+ extensions available 
  • Can build complex sites using Joomla’s built-in customizability 

CONS

  • Extensions may be tedious to manage
  • Lack of automatic updating may leave room for security issues
  • Steep learning curve for beginners
  • Can be quite expensive to build a site

 

SQUARESPACE

Alternatives to Wix, like Squarespace and other website builders, offer a quick and easy solution for small businesses to create and manage their own site with little to no coding experience. 

Squarespace is one of the most used website builders. It is specifically designed to be utilized by users with little to no experience building websites. If you have a small business, and not a lot of custom needs, then this may be the option for you! 

If you want the ease-of-use of a Squarespace site, but with more advanced functionality and customization, you might be interested in our Rapid Impact Projects (which we build out on WordPress), one of our approaches to web development that utilizes pre-existing templates for less pivotal pages, allowing for more customization on higher priority pages.

PROS

  • Extremely easy to use and set up 
  • No coding or design knowledge needed
  • Clean design templates
  • Fairly inexpensive paid plans

CONS

  • Lacking in SEO considerations
  • No custom development
  • No “checks and balances” to ensure elements like performance enhancement and accessibility are implemented correctly

 

WIX

Wix is widely known as one of the most popular website builders. With a drag-and-drop design function and hundreds of pre-made templates, nearly anyone can build a website on Wix. 

Wix is the ideal site for any budget-conscious individual who wants to get a functional site up quickly.

PROS

  • Easy to build 
  • More SEO-focused than Squarespace
  • Powerful design tools
  • Inexpensive paid plans

CONS

  • Limited features
  • No “checks and balances” to ensure elements like performance enhancement and accessibility are implemented correctly
  • Must pay for a domain separately

 

DRUPAL

Drupal is the 2nd largest CMS ecosystem for self-hosted solutions, and like WordPress and Joomla, Drupal is open-source software that’s free to download. Out of the three, Drupal is the most tech-focused. It is designed by developers, for developers. 

If you’re a company with high technical needs and a dedicated web design budget (or an awesome in-house web developer), Drupal may give you the full flexibility you need to make something complex. 

PROS

  • More flexible on site structure
  • Large selection of highly customizable themes
  • Considered to have the greatest security of the open-source softwares

CONS

  • Tedious initial set up
  • Not beginner-friendly
  • Harder to find niche plugins or integrations 
  • Advanced knowledge of PHP, HTML, and CSS needed for full customization
  • Will need a web designer, meaning the price to build could be quite steep

 

MAGENTO / ADOBE COMMERCE

Magento is now owned by Adobe and called Adobe Commerce. The platform can be used to create large online shops.

Adobe Commerce is the best option for larger stores with experienced owners. So if you’re looking to level up to “expert,” Adobe Commerce is the way to go. 

PROS

  • Scalable depending on size of business
  • Full customization functionality
  • Huge marketplace for extensions

CONS

  • Not the most budget-friendly option
  • Will require extensive experience in web development
  • Updates will need to be installed manually 
  • One of the most expensive options for an online shop

Looking Forward

The CMS landscape is always changing, and we are constantly looking for new and better ways to redesign and build websites. We’re keeping tabs on Headless CMS as a newer innovation in the industry. 

A headless or “decoupled” CMS is a content management system that acts as a back-end only content repository. A headless CMS creates just a backend for people to upload info, sort how they want to, and not be tied with visual aspects. In short, it separates where content is stored from where it is presented. Check out some of the headless CMS platforms we’ve been following:

Finding a CMS that works for your needs is a large deciding factor within the website redesign process along with considering the overall cost, brand revamping, messaging strategy, and potential partnerships. Hopefully this article has helped you on your website redesign journey—we’re big nerds about this stuff, and hope our experience can help you as you update your website. And if you’re ever in the market for a partner in building out your website, you can always reach out to our team.