What features are an enterprise CMS must have?
If you’re not sure what a step up from WordPress looks like, here are some key features, functions, and hallmarks of an enterprise CMS.
1. Headless content management
Enterprises are facing increasing pressure to support omnichannel digital experiences on a vast array of devices. A traditional CMS, even one that tacks on APIs and calls itself headless, won’t cut it.
Enterprises need a true headless CMS that can store frontend agnostic content and enable marketing teams to optimize and deliver the content on whichever devices or channels their audience demands.
Can WP support headless?
While you could use the REST APIs WordPress provides as a headless solution, you’ll lose out on the themes and other presentation features that are a core competency of the platform. WordPress isn’t built from the ground up to provide a headless or hybrid CMS solution like many other platforms.
2. Multi-site management
Many enterprises have dozens or even hundreds of websites for different brands, global regions, or product lines.
Large companies need to manage all of these sites at a corporate level to maintain compliance standards and create a consistent overall message. Multi-site management lets marketers build, view, and edit every website from a single interface.
This makes quality control simpler to control and enables marketers to reuse content across sites for more efficient content creation.
Can WP support multi-site?
WordPress has a multi-site feature, but it’s not that simple to get started using because you’ll need to edit WordPress system files written in PHP. Multi-site also adds complexity to your WP installation, and many plugins may no longer be compatible.
3. Multi-tenancy
Maintenance and support are crucial to large enterprises that need guaranteed uptime and prompt security patches.
With multi-tenancy, the software for multiple clients is managed in one place by system administrators, so it streamlines ongoing maintenance and upgrades happen at the same time for everyone. Since updates are simultaneous, there’s only one version of the software for tech teams to support, leading to shorter response times and better service.
Can WP support multi-tenancy?
Similar to multi-site, WordPress can support multi-tenancy, but it’s not straightforward to set up and adds complexity to your WP architecture. Many SaaS solutions, on the other hand, provide multi-tenancy advantages out of the box.
4. Multi-tiered access privileges
An enterprise-level organization often requires multiple tiers of access privileges for specific tasks or types of content.
The enterprise CMS must not only allow administrators to specify which tasks each user is permitted to carry out within the system, but also which types of content and in which areas those users can work. These features are crucial for compliance, especially in industries that have strict regulations like healthcare and finance.
Can WP support multi-tiered access?
While WordPress has default roles for administrators, editors, authors, and other similar jobs, the platform doesn’t have out of the box functionality for permissions down to a granular level. Permission are only based on tasks or functions, not specific content.
5. Detailed analytics tools
A powerful enterprise CMS should also be capable of integrating with analytics tools like Google Analytics.
These tools can help content creators track which content generates the most traffic by location, time, or subject matter, as well as which devices the viewer uses to consume the content. Marketers can then see the data from these tools in their CMS dashboard and determine which types of content deliver the best results. Data-driven insights are critical in driving ROI for enterprise businesses.
Can WP support analytics tools?
There are WordPress plugins to add integrations for many analytics tools, but these vary in quality because they’re developed by the community. Third-party plugins can pose a security risk and lead to a buggy experience, and may not be a good idea for enterprise companies.
6. Security
While WordPress is the most popular CMS on the planet, it isn’t without its flaws.
A major drawback is its dependence on plug-ins, which can lead to security issues if they’re not carefully vetted. For enterprise-level entities, the consequences of a security breach are often magnified.
Businesses considering an enterprise CMS must examine the security features the platform offers, as well as the hours that will go into providing both internal users and external customers with the confidence that their critical data is protected.
Enterprise-grade software is generally built with security at the forefront and patch new vulnerabilities quickly as they arise.
Does WP support strong security?
It’s likely that you’ll need additional community-developed plugins to meet your business requirements. There’s no question that relying on a variety of third-party plugins can open you up to security vulnerabilities, so it may require more in-house development to ensure strong security.
7. High-level technical support
An essential component of any enterprise CMS isn’t exactly a feature; it’s a robust technical support system which users can rely on when things go wrong.
Open-source CMS platforms like WordPress have extensive online support forums and resources. While these resources can help users resolve issues for routine problems, they don’t offer immediate answers when mission-critical errors occur.
Does WP have high-level technical support?
There’s a large WP community that can answer questions you may have related to the core platform, but support for many plugins could be poor or non-existent. Enterprise companies can’t afford any downtime or a buggy user experience, so it’s essential that professional support is available beyond community-driven forums.