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Everything you need to know about choosing the best CMS for e-commerce

woman holding credit during online checkout on e-commerce website

Content is crucial for a thriving e-commerce website. And a content management system (CMS) is the easiest, most efficient option for creating, publishing and editing content for your e-commerce site. Whether you’re posting item descriptions, communicating with customers or building an audience through social media, the right CMS for your e-commerce business can simplify and streamline these tasks.

What is an e-commerce CMS?

An e-commerce CMS is a platform specifically designed to facilitate the management and organization of content for online stores. It provides website owners and administrators with tools and functionalities that enable them to create, edit and publish various types of content without the need for coding or extensive technical knowledge.

An e-commerce CMS allows users to manage product description pages, promotional banners, pop-ups, marketing emails and other content elements that are essential for running an online store. It streamlines the process of content creation and enables website owners to efficiently update and maintain their online catalogs.

By utilizing an e-commerce CMS, e-retailers can easily assemble and present their digital product catalog, which includes content objects like product photos, item descriptions, and customer reviews. This cohesive presentation allows for a more immersive and engaging shopping experience, ultimately leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

Alistair Wearmouth
By Alistair Wearmouth
September 12, 2022
In order to successfully scale their e-commerce business, brands need to think beyond simple listings for individual products on their online shelves. They need to adopt what's known as 'commerce as content' into their marketing approach in order to reach customers at all touchpoints of the buying experience.
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Why do you need a CMS for your e-commerce site?

A CMS is essential for your e-commerce business for a variety of reasons, inclduing:

  • Simplified content management: A CMS provides an intuitive interface that simplifies the process of creating, editing and managing content on your e-commerce site. It eliminates the need for coding or technical knowledge, allowing you to easily update product descriptions, images, prices and other content elements.
  • Time and cost efficiency: With a CMS, you can efficiently manage your website content without relying on web developers or designers for every small update. This saves time and reduces costs associated with outsourcing content management tasks.
  • Scalability and flexibility: As your e-commerce business grows, you'll need to continuously add new products, update information, and optimize your content strategy. A CMS offers scalability and flexibility, enabling you to effortlessly expand your website's content and adapt to evolving business needs.
  • Consistent branding and user experience: A CMS ensures consistent branding and a seamless user experience across your e-commerce site. You can maintain a cohesive design, layout and style throughout the website, enhancing your brand identity and establishing trust with customers.
  • SEO optimization: Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for improving your website's visibility in search engine results. A CMS often includes built-in SEO tools and features that help optimize your content for better search rankings. You can easily add meta tags, optimize URLs, create XML sitemaps, and implement other SEO best practices.

What features should you look for in an e-commerce CMS?

When it comes to selecting a content management system (CMS) for your e-commerce business, there are several important factors to consider. An effective CMS can simplify the creation, publishing, and editing of content on your e-commerce site, whether it's item descriptions, customer communication, or social media engagement. Here's what you should look for in an e-commerce CMS:

With Shopify, harness the power of an e-commerce platform to start, grow and manage your business. Then, effectively engage your audiences by telling stories about your products, as well as generating awareness and driving loyalty to them, all from within Brightspot CMS.

  • Integration readiness: Ensure that the CMS you choose is ready for seamless integration with your existing proprietary data sources, digital experience platforms, enterprise applications, and marketing tech software. Pre-built integrations allow you to connect storytelling and marketing capabilities with your point-of-purchase and inventory-management systems, enabling smoother operations.
  • Omnichannel delivery: Look for an e-commerce CMS that supports omnichannel content delivery. This means the ability to optimize and deliver content across various channels, including digital platforms, radio, television, print or digital kiosks in physical stores. Providing a consistent and optimized experience on all channels enhances customer engagement and drives sales.
  • Responsive design: Your e-commerce site should be accessible and visually appealing on different devices, such as computers, smartphones, smartwatches, and other mobile devices. Select a CMS that incorporates responsive design principles, ensuring that your website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes. This way, you can provide a user-friendly experience, regardless of the device your potential customers use.
  • Personalized content: A powerful CMS should offer capabilities for creating personalized content tailored to individual customers. Look for a CMS that allows you to target visitors based on factors like their geographic location, browsing history, and past purchases. Delivering relevant content to each customer enhances engagement and increases the likelihood of conversions.
  • Detailed analytics: Analytics play a vital role in optimizing your e-commerce content strategy. Seek a CMS that provides built-in analytics or integrates with popular tools like Google Analytics. This ensures that you can collect and analyze crucial data on user behavior, such as the devices they use, their locations, and the content they interact with most. These insights enable you to refine your content strategy and drive better results.

By carefully evaluating these features and functionalities, you can choose an e-commerce CMS that empowers your business to effectively manage content, engage customers across multiple channels and drive successful online sales. Contact us today to learn more about how we have empowered business across the world to transform their e-commerce results with a content-to-commerce approach.

In summary: Considerations for choosing the best CMS for e-commerce

What is the best CMS for e-commerce?

When it comes to determining the best CMS for e-commerce, the choice depends on various factors such as your specific requirements, budget, technical expertise and scalability needs. For these reasons, here's why we think Brightspot is the best choice for your e-commerce business:
  1. Brightspot is a robust and user-friendly CMS that offers a range of features tailored for e-commerce businesses. It provides an intuitive interface for content management, allowing you to easily create, edit, and publish product descriptions, promotional content, and other essential elements.
  2. One of the key strengths of Brightspot is its flexibility and scalability. It offers customizable templates and themes, empowering you to create a unique and visually appealing online store. Additionally, Brightspot supports easy integration with various third-party plugins and extensions, enabling you to enhance your e-commerce site's functionality as your business grows. This includes a powerful new integration with Shopify, allowing sellers to easily build dynamic and compelling stories about their products by combining the power of a true storytelling platform with the e-commerce features available through Shopify.
  3. Brightspot also prioritizes search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities. It offers built-in SEO tools and features to optimize your content, improve search rankings and drive organic traffic to your site. This helps increase visibility and attract potential customers.
  4. Furthermore, Brightspot provides comprehensive analytics and reporting functionalities. You can track key metrics, gain insights into user behavior and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. This data-driven approach allows you to make informed decisions and optimize your e-commerce strategy for better results.
It's important to note that while Brightspot is a highly regarded CMS for e-commerce, the "best" CMS ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences. It's recommended to evaluate different CMS options, including Brightspot, and consider factors such as ease of use, customization capabilities, integrations, support and pricing to determine the most suitable CMS for your e-commerce business.

What are some of the best examples of e-commerce website powered by Brightspot CMS?

June 16, 2023
Banner Solutions sought a new e-commerce platform that could overcome limitations, support individual channels and deliver an engaging user experience. After evaluating options like Adobe Experience Manager and Drupal, Banner Solutions chose Brightspot for its flexibility and seamless integration capabilities.
November 05, 2019
While Mattress Firm's brick-and-mortar stores are recognizable to many Americans, the company has recognized the importance of bolstering its digital presence, as have many traditional retailers. To enhance its online footprint, Mattress Firm collaborated with Brightspot to revamp both MattressFirm.com and its blog, The Daily Doze.
August 16, 2018
Sotheby’s provides seamless editorial-to-auction integration for more than 600 auctions annually. See how the company’s long-term partnership with Brightspot continues to meet and exceed user expectations, as well as drive digital growth and revenue for the international auction house.
CMS use cases
Drive revenue growth with a commerce platform that treats each of your products as content.

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About the Author
Nancy Mann Jackson
Nancy Jackson has been writing about business and technology since 2001. She has written for technology brands including Oracle, Planview, Codility, Brightspot, Zinnia and Brightly Software. Her work also has appeared in publications including Entrepreneur, Fortune, Forbes and CNBC.com. She’s based in Huntsville, Alabama.

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