8 Smart Tips on Choosing the Right CMS for Your Mobile App
Mobile Application Development and Content Management: Tips from the pros.
With so many Content Management Systems (CMS) in the market, choosing the best one for your mobile app can be pretty challenging. After all, mobile apps have grown in popularity tremendously, especially now that there is a pandemic.
Nonetheless, looking for a flexible solution that works with all kinds of channels and devices would be ideal. Something that fits with the microservices architecture and boosts efficiency during every stage of mobile app development.
Here's the thing: How you present your brand and app to your audience plays a crucial role in your success.
That said, picking the suitable CMS for your mobile app means all the difference, whether it will fail or succeed.
This post will walk you through the eight smart tips on how you can pick the suitable CMS for your mobile app.
Mobile App Development: Goals
When it comes to mobile application development, it is imperative to identify your goals first. The same thing goes when looking for a suitable CMS option.
What do you want to achieve through your CMS? Do you want to boost your engagement and sales or raise awareness of your mobile app?
Apart from setting these key objectives, you can also look into how to incorporate them into your mobile app.
Let's say you want to boost your app engagement. Maybe you can work on creating an interactive game app. Another option is to zero in on what features your target users need. Doing so ensures that your app is frequently used, allowing people to do what they need to do without the hassle.
Consider a Headless CMS
A Headless CMS will integrate API-driven headlines with some front-end elements from a conventional CMS.
This is a stark contrast to just using a traditional type of CMS. With traditional CMS, the front end and the back end are fused. Hence, the types of content you can publish and where are limited.
Strive for Microservices Architecture
Many innovative companies are already working on a microservices architecture. This kind of architecture uses a cloud technology that's used to disassemble monoliths.
It differs from independent services that develop, deploy, and maintain technology separately.
Whether it's your mobile app, inventory system, or payment gateway, it would be ideal for connecting it with an Application Programming Interface (API). Then, your CMS should be able to slot into that system seamlessly.
Look for Mobile SDK and Optimized Delivery Features
Every mobile app has various developmental needs. If you're searching for a CMS optimized for mobile apps, make sure it comes with a mobile-specific software development kit (SDK).
This will equip web developers to create dynamic, custom mobile apps.
What makes a headless CMS like Agility CMS better than a conventional CMS has a content-first approach. It also provides access to full APIs and displays content in any desired way.
A headless CMS with a mobile SDK allows you to pull out the app's content through an API. That way, the content and IT teams can work together to get the app queued up for approval.
This process allows you to launch your mobile app to the market more quickly.
Check Content Update Features
A mobile app CMS increases your agility in the online marketplace.
With a headless mobile-first CMS, your marketing and content teams can start creating and publishing content. All while your app is waiting for an app store approval.
Every time you want to update your site's content, the moment it goes live, you don't have to go through the cycle of build-release approval.
Because the app's functionality and the content are separate, you can tweak the content any time you want without needing to break or resubmit it.
Lean Towards Framework Independence
Although there are many app development frameworks, note that these come with their strengths and weaknesses.
The most important thing when picking a CMS is that it should always be framework independent. Choosing an independent CMS framework is ideal, as it is future-proof.
Consider Scalability
The sudden spikes in traffic, company expansions, and more can affect your mobile app's consumption and requirement. The same thing goes for its CMS.
You must use a scalable CMS to help boost your efficiency despite all these sudden changes. That way, it will be stable and work even if there are variations in usage.
Arrange a Demo
As soon as you arrange a response from CMS vendors, the next thing you can do is pick out a response that best suits your business's needs. Then, you can contact the vendor to arrange a demo for you.
Make sure that all your stakeholders are there during the demo. If they have questions, they can easily ask themselves and see how the system works.
Look for Manageable Content Flow
Your content flow should be how that content will be sourced, created, approved, managed, and delivered.
Let's say that the content delivered to your organization is late. Then, your content workflow is the culprit. It doesn't matter how simple or complex a workflow should be; what's important is that it is well-defined.
Doing so helps maintain the efficiency of your CMS.
For most mobile apps, a great CMS is needed for a more streamlined process in creating, approving, editing, and then reusing content.
Over to You
Remember that a great CMS allows you to craft, manage, and distribute your content in your mobile app without the hassle.
However, you should consider some factors when choosing a CMS for your mobile app.
For one, it would help if you could manage your content regardless of your device. Second, working with your content, IT, and marketing teams should be a breeze.
That way, everyone's on the same page, and content production will be efficient.
Hopefully, the above tips can help you pick the right CMS software for your mobile app. Good luck!
About the Author
Kenneth Sytian is the CEO of Sytian Productions, one of the leading web design services in the Philippines. He has been designing websites and developing web apps for more than a decade.