Does your business need a CMS at all?
A content management system isn't always the answer. For many small businesses a fast, secure website with no login at all is the better choice.
A different question
A couple of years ago I wrote a long post called What CMS should I choose?, putting 18 content management systems head to head. But there’s a question I skipped right at the start, and it’s one I now ask clients all the time:
Do you need a CMS at all?
For a lot of businesses the honest answer is no. And saying no can save you money, time and a fair few headaches!
What a CMS actually costs you
A content management system gives non-technical people a way to log in and change their website. That’s brilliant if you’re publishing every day. But it comes with a running cost that’s easy to forget:
- Updates. The CMS, its plugins and its server software all need regular security updates. Miss a few and you’re exposed.
- Logins. Every login page is a door someone can try to break into.
- Hosting. A CMS needs a server running a database and application code around the clock, even if nobody visits.
- Your time. Someone has to learn the system, remember the password and find the time to use it.
Now think about a plumber, an electrician or a small consultancy. How often do they really change their website? A few times a year? A new photo of a recent job, a price change, an updated phone number? For that, they’re paying for a CMS they barely use, and carrying the risk of one too.
The alternative: a website built ahead of time
Websites started out as plain files, sent to your browser exactly as written. No database, no login, nothing to hack. Modern static site tools such as Astro (opens in a new tab) bring that idea right up to date.
Every page is built in advance and served from a global network of servers. That means:
- It’s fast. There’s nothing to work out when someone visits. The page is already there.
- It’s secure. No login page, no database and no plugins to exploit.
- It’s cheap to run. Serving ready-made files costs a fraction of running a CMS server.
- It still looks and works like a modern website. Forms, maps, galleries, animations: none of that needs a CMS.
We practise what we preach
The website you’re reading this on has no CMS. We built pivale.co with Astro, and our content lives in plain files. When we want to change a page, we edit the file and rebuild the site.
We did the same for ORBPAK, a start-up who makes rechargeable 6V lantern batteries. They needed a professional website to win the trust of engineers and buyers who’d never heard of them. A lightweight Astro site on Cloudflare went live quickly, costs very little to run and scores 100 in every Lighthouse category: performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO.
Image: “Man in Orange Jacket and White Pants Wearing White Helmet Standing Beside White Van” (opens in a new tab) by Tima Miroshnichenko (opens in a new tab), Pexels License (opens in a new tab), via Pexels.
So how do you change anything?
This is the question everyone asks. If there’s no login, how do you update your website?
You email or call us, and we make the change. For most small businesses that’s quicker than logging in, remembering where everything is and hoping you don’t break the layout!
That’s exactly how our Lightweight websites work, and they’re built for local trades, small firms and sole traders:
- We start with a two-hour interview to learn about your business, then research your market, write the content, design, build and launch your site.
- Prices start from £2,995 + VAT. We agree the scope with you before we give you a price, because many clients like to add extras.
- Hosting and technical care starts from £45 a month + VAT, and keeps your site fast, secure and online.
- Want us to look after changes too? Content care is priced on request, depending on how much you expect to change.
- Your site can be live in as little as two weeks, depending on how quickly you review it.
When you do need a CMS
A static website isn’t right for everyone, and I’d never pretend otherwise. You probably do need a CMS if:
- Several people publish content, often daily.
- You need approval workflows, roles and permissions.
- You sell online, run member areas or connect to systems like an ERP or CRM.
- You manage lots of websites, brands or languages.
That’s where a platform like Drupal earns its keep, and it’s what we build for larger organisations. The point is to choose the tool that fits the job, not the one that’s always been used.
Not sure which you need?
If you’re a small business wondering whether a CMS is worth the hassle, give us a call. We’ll tell you honestly whether you need one, and if you don’t, we’ll build you something fast, secure and simple to run.
