Build a website and manage content that scales.
Launching a startup means constantly making decisions, and one of the most important early ones is how you’ll build and manage your website. Well-designed business websites can establish your credibility, boost visibility to generate leads, and give potential customers a place to learn about you.
You don’t need a full-time developer to get started: A content management system (CMS) can help you quickly publish new pages, edit content, and add features so there’s no delay once you’re ready to open your doors.
A CMS provides a visual interface for your site, so you can make adjustments as your products and audience evolve. Read on to learn about the best content management systems for startups and how to find the right one for your website.
Why your startup needs the right CMS
Building a website is a fundamental early step for startups, but coordinating the moving parts behind it can be a challenge.
Different teams will need to create and update content, from campaign launches and educational blog posts to investor announcements and hiring portals. Developers can be expensive for new businesses, so a CMS that fits your organization’s needs is a solid alternative.
A CMS turns your website into an interactive asset your entire team can confidently update. These platforms create shared workspaces that are intuitive to navigate and allow for cross-department collaboration.
They also keep information organized so content doesn’t become scattered across local files or email threads. And included approval workflows prevent mistakes from going live. With more operational clarity, your startup can scale efficiently without stretching your budget.
Choosing a CMS for your startup: Key factors to consider
Before selecting a CMS, it’s helpful to identify what you currently need and may want as your startup grows.
Here are several factors to keep in mind while looking for the right CMS:
- Ease of use: It should be intuitive enough that non-tech-savvy team members can use it.
- Cost: Consider the initial subscription cost, plus added expenses for plugins, themes, maintenance, and customer support.
- Scalability: It should support your future goals, whether you’re building a simple landing page or a multi-page website, without requiring a rebuild.
- Flexibility: Your CMS should let you customize designs and add new content as your needs change.
- Security: Underlying protocols that protect your site from breaches and bad actors will keep customer data safe and position your company as trustworthy.
- Integrations: Integration with other tools in your tech stack reduces manual work, so the more your CMS can accommodate, the more efficiently your team can operate.
6 great CMS platforms and website builders for startups
Your CMS needs depend on multiple factors, like your industry, intended audience, and growth stage. The best CMS platforms and website builders are flexible enough to accomplish both today’s needs and tomorrow’s goals from a single interface.
Here are six standout CMS platforms to help you find the best option for your business:
1. Webflow
If you want to build a completely customized website without learning how to code, Webflow is a fantastic choice. It pairs a visual design platform with a built-in CMS, so you can create and publish outstanding content.
It has search engine optimization (SEO) friendly features and manages hosting at the outset, making personalizing titles, descriptions, and sitemaps more straightforward.
Webflow is tailor-made for startups and design-minded teams who want modern layouts and room to scale. With over 7,000 templates and startup website examples, you can quickly start building without compromising any part of your brand image.
2. WordPress
WordPress is an open-source CMS with a large library of plugins and themes, serving as a website builder with low upfront costs. Its flexible page creator offers the option to add features, swap designs, and scale without rebuilding your website.
However, you’ll need to take extra steps to host your website (separately or through WordPress) and be mindful about how many plugins and themes you use. Too many add-ons can slow your site down and increase maintenance and security work, costing time and money.
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3. Wix
Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder with built-in hosting and SSL, so you can start publishing content without the hurdles of self-hosting.
There’s a free tier, which comes with a Wix-branded URL and watermarks at the bottom of every page. Paid plans start at $17/month and offer more customization options, so you can test multiple features and design ideas before publishing.
Most Wix designs are template-driven, and you can’t swap out templates on an existing site, so redesigns are complex and time-consuming. Fast-growing startups may quickly outgrow Wix, especially if you need advanced plugins or brand identifiers that aren’t part of the basic building suite.
4. Squarespace
Popular for its minimalist templates and Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor, Squarespace helps less technically savvy users publish modern-looking sites. It has ecommerce functionality and blogging features, with hosting and SSL built in, making it a good fit for online shops.
While the templates are sleek and professional, customization is limited. There’s no free tier, but Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. The lack of easy template switching, autosave, version history, and robust app store may limit your ability to adapt to changing needs as you scale.
5. Shopify
Shopify specializes in ecommerce websites. It gives startups room to grow with the option to become a “headless CMS.”
This uses application programming interfaces (APIs) to deliver store-based content on websites and apps. That means the backend is separate from the frontend, granting you more control for design customization and flexibility.
The initial setup of a Shopify site is more complex than drag-and-drop platforms. While the intricacies mean your website will be relatively future-proof, you’re more likely to need developer support with building and maintaining custom storefronts.
Also, the cost of enterprise-tier plans is higher than other CMS platforms, so if you aren’t taking advantage of all of Shopify’s features, you’ll likely find better value elsewhere.
6. Drupal
Drupal is an open-source CMS with strong security and customization capabilities. It suits startup teams that need more control over content creation and complex workflows, such as page-specific permissions or multi-page forums.
It’s built to scale, which means it can handle high traffic and content-heavy sites. However, Drupal’s complex nature means the setup and customization usually require developer input. Getting started can take longer and have a steeper learning curve.
If your startup is still in its infancy, other platforms may be easier to use.
CMS selection checklist for startups
- Define website goals. Decide what your site needs right now (landing pages, articles, an online store) and your longer-term needs (store locators, case studies). You shouldn’t have to switch platforms to grow.
- Set a realistic budget. Consider subscription cost, plus hosting, security, and add-on fees, and whether you’ll need developer support to get started.
- Verify ease of use. Non-technical team members should be able to update pages and publish content without external support.
- Check collaboration options. Real-time collaboration features allow members to make changes without interrupting others’ workflows.
- Compare scalability features. Customizable content structures and built-in hosting with a lot of uptime will support your growth as traffic increases.
- Review security features. Built-in security with regular updates protects your site and user data, so potential customers feel more confident about engaging with it.
- Test integrations. Verify it works smoothly with your existing marketing tools. Website integration reduces manual input, so having it in advance will save time and energy.
- Run a free trial. If building a mock webpage or multi-page collection is easy and comes with all the features you need, it might be the right CMS for you.
Get started with Webflow for your startup website
Choosing the right CMS impacts how your startup appears online, especially in the early stages of your journey. How quickly you can launch consistent, professional new pages influences how people relate to and trust your company as it scales.
Webflow provides a scalable, next-gen CMS to stay on top of all your workflows. With a visual design environment, security, and built-in hosting, you can freely build and update websites without leaving the platform.
Start and grow your business’s website with confidence using Webflow’s thousands of templates and hundreds of integrations.
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