How to select the right CMS platform: A strategic guide from Bluegrass Digital

At Bluegrass Digital, we’ve spent over two decades helping brands select and implement CMS platforms that align with their unique business goals. Whether it’s a large-scale replatforming or an upgrade to support omnichannel experiences, we know that success depends on choosing the right fit – not just the most popular platform.

We have worked with WordPress, Umbraco, Drupal, Optimizely, Sitecore, Contentful and many other popular platforms.

So, how should you approach CMS selection in 2025? Below are key insights and practical steps based on industry best practice and our experience with platforms like Umbraco and Optimizely.

1. Start with strategy, not software

Before looking at platforms, clarify your digital strategy. What does success look like in 12 months? Three years?

Key questions:

• What type of content do you manage, and who creates it?
  
• What level of personalisation or localisation do you need?
  
• Do you need to integrate with e-commerce, CRM, marketing automation or other tools?
  
• How quickly will your organisation grow or change?

A CMS isn’t just a publishing tool – it’s a long-term investment in your digital agility.

2. Understand the CMS landscape: Monolithic vs Headless vs Hybrid

The CMS market has shifted dramatically. Businesses now face a choice between:

• Traditional CMS (e.g. WordPress): tightly coupled front and back end.
  
• Headless CMS (e.g. Contentful): content served via APIs to any front end.
  
• Hybrid CMS (e.g. Umbraco, Optimizely): flexible architectures supporting both models.

Our view: Hybrid CMS platforms like Umbraco and Optimizely offer the best of both worlds – editor-friendly interfaces with the flexibility to power apps, websites and digital channels via APIs.

3. Focus on editor experience and usability

A powerful CMS is only valuable if your content team enjoys using it. Clunky interfaces lead to low adoption and inefficient workflows.
We recommend asking:

• Can non-technical users manage content confidently?
  
• Are workflows and approvals supported out-of-the-box?
  
• Is there support for multilingual content or multisite publishing?

At Bluegrass, we’ve seen teams thrive with Umbraco’s clean UI and customisable back office, or Optimizely’s intuitive content and experimentation tools.

4. Evaluate total cost of ownership (TCO)

Many CMS platforms offer low entry costs – but high long-term expenses due to licensing, plugins, maintenance or developer dependencies.

Key cost areas to evaluate:

• Licensing (commercial vs open-source)
  
• Hosting (on-premise, cloud, SaaS)
  
• Implementation and support
  
• Scalability and upgrade path

Umbraco’s open-source model is ideal for organisations seeking flexibility and control without licensing overhead. Optimizely offers a composable SaaS model with enterprise-grade support and innovation baked in.

5. Plan for long-term growth and innovation

Your CMS should evolve with your organisation. Consider platforms that:

• Offer strong upgrade paths and community support
  
• Allow for API-driven innovation (e.g. AI personalisation, headless delivery)
  
• Support DevOps and CI/CD pipelines
  
• Integrate with best-in-class Martech tools

Futureproofing matters. We favour platforms like Optimizely that enable experimentation and optimisation at scale, and Umbraco Cloud for seamless upgrades and deployment pipelines.

6. Work with the right implementation partner

The CMS is only one part of the puzzle. A skilled partner helps translate your needs into scalable, user-friendly solutions.

At Bluegrass Digital, we:

• Help define CMS requirements with key stakeholders
  
• Conduct proof-of-concept evaluations
  
• Implement scalable, secure, and elegant content architectures
  
• Provide training and ongoing support to ensure platform adoption and ROI

Whether you choose Umbraco, Optimizely, or another platform, the right partner ensures your CMS doesn’t just go live – it drives real results.

Conclusion: Fit for purpose, not just feature-rich

Your CMS should empower your team, not complicate your tech stack. Avoid buying into hype or bloated feature sets. Instead, focus on:

• Strategic alignment
  
• Usability
  
• Integration capability
  
• Long-term value

At Bluegrass Digital, we’re proud to work with platforms like Umbraco and Optimizely because they deliver on all fronts – flexibility, scalability, and usability.

Whether you’re building a global website, a high-conversion ecommerce platform, or an integrated digital ecosystem, we help you choose and implement a CMS that delivers measurable business value.

Talk to us before your consider your next CMS decision.