Select the right CMS in 6 easy steps

Key factors in choosing a CMS (or a DXP)

One of the first questions we hear when starting a new web engagement is:
“What CMS do you recommend?”

It’s a valid question. Your Content Management System (CMS) — or today, your Digital Experience Platform (DXP) — is a mission-critical decision. But jumping into technology decisions before clarifying your digital strategy is like putting the cart before the horse.

Executives often suspect their existing CMS is to blame for poor site performance. Sometimes that’s true. But in many cases, the real issue isn’t the platform — it’s the strategy (or lack thereof) guiding its use.

Most modern platforms, when selected with intent and implemented thoughtfully, can become accelerators of your strategy. The right solution helps reduce time to market, lower total cost of ownership, and increase user engagement, conversion, and satisfaction.

Start with strategy, not software

Before evaluating CMS options, ask these foundational questions:

• Who is our audience?
• What are we trying to achieve?
• How will we measure success?

Once you’ve aligned around these answers, a digital consultancy like Modus can help translate them into a purposeful strategy, an experience-forward design, and the most suitable technology solution.

It’s not just a CMS anymore

The landscape has evolved. Businesses today aren't just publishing content — they’re delivering personalized, connected experiences across channels. That’s why many organizations are moving beyond CMSs toward Digital Experience Platforms.

What’s the difference?
A DXP builds on the foundation of a CMS by offering:

• User-level personalization based on behaviors, preferences, and historical data
• Omnichannel delivery across websites, mobile apps, email, kiosks, and more
• Seamless integration with CRMs, eCommerce engines, CDPs, marketing automation, and analytics platforms
• Composable architecture, making it easier to swap in best-of-breed tools over time

Whether you land on a traditional CMS or a full-fledged DXP, the goal is the same: deliver dynamic, personalized experiences that align with your brand and meet users where they are.

What to look for in a modern CMS or DXP

At Modus, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. The right solution depends on your goals, resources, and tech ecosystem. At a minimum, look for:

• Ease of content updates for non-technical users
• Template flexibility for different types of content and layouts
• Scheduled publishing/retirement controls
• SEO-friendly content meta-tagging
• Editable navigation and menus
  

6 key evaluation criteria

When it’s time to narrow your options, consider these six factors:

1. Features & functionality

Does the platform support everything you need to do — content creation, localization, personalization, A/B testing, etc.? Can it grow with your future needs?

2. Design flexibility

Does it enforce rigid templates, or allow for modular, component-based design? Will it accommodate multi-brand or multi-site needs with design consistency?

3. Content workflows

Does it match your governance model? Whether it’s a solo content manager or a distributed team, your platform should support workflows, approvals, and permissions that reflect reality.

4. Technology ecosystem compatibility

Will it play nicely with your existing systems? From marketing automation to customer data platforms, modern CMS/DXP solutions must integrate with the rest of your stack. This is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s essential for delivering seamless experiences.

5. User accessibility

Is it usable by the people who will actually work in it? Some platforms are designed for developers, others for marketers. Choose based on who will own content operations day to day.

6. Total cost of ownership

Don’t just look at the license fee. Consider implementation costs, ongoing support, hosting, training, and internal resource capacity. Can the platform support multi-tenancy to reduce overhead? Will you need external partners for infrastructure or maintenance?

Weigh your options

Technology alone won’t solve your business problems — but the right platform, aligned to your strategy, absolutely can.

If you take the time to clarify your objectives and user needs up front, you may find that selecting the right CMS or DXP becomes less about picking features and more about enabling meaningful, measurable growth.

Who knows — once your strategy is crystal clear, you might discover you don’t need a new platform at all. But if you do, you’ll be equipped to choose wisely.