7 min read
Content management systems: WordPress, Shopify or headless?
A content management system is where you change the text, images and products on your website. The choice matters more than most people think, because it decides what will be easy later and what will be expensive. Here are the most common options, honestly.
WordPress
WordPress runs a large share of all websites in the world. It is free, flexible and it is easy to find people who know it. With WooCommerce it becomes an online store as well.
The drawback is that the quality depends entirely on how it is set up. Every plugin adds code that loads on the pages, and updates and security are your responsibility. A well set up WordPress site is good; a badly set up one is slow and fragile.
Shopify
Shopify is built for online retail, and it shows. Hosting and security are included and it is easy to start. It suits a store that wants to sell without thinking about the technology.
On the other side there is a monthly fee, and many features come from add on apps that also cost monthly. Before you choose, check that the payment gateway and the delivery service you want to use in Iceland connect to Shopify.
Wix and Squarespace
The quickest way to get a site up, with everything included. It suits a simple site that rarely changes. The drawback is that you do not own the site, you rent it, and it is hard to move it elsewhere later without starting over.
Headless: the system and the site apart
In a headless setup you keep your content system, for example WordPress or Shopify, for editing, but the site visitors see is built separately and reads the content from it. You work in the same system as before, but the site becomes much faster and more secure, because visitors never come near the system itself.
The drawback is that design changes need a developer, and the starting cost is higher. It pays off when the site sells or takes bookings and speed turns into revenue.
How to choose
Answer four questions. Who will update the site every day, and what do they already know? Do you sell products or take bookings on the site? Does Google matter to the business? And do you plan to keep the site for five years or one? The answers nearly choose the system for you.
Choose the system by who will work in it every day, not by what is in fashion. If that person already knows WordPress, it is usually the best foundation, and the speed can be fixed with a new front end on top of the same system.