Building our own CMS: when does it make sense?

Some time ago we decided to build our own content management system, which we will offer to clients for managing their websites. Before writing the first line of code, we had to think the whole thing through – not only from a programming point of view, but above all from a design one.

Lessons from ‘bloated’ systems

Many of our loyal and new clients were already using one of the available CMSs. Most often it was WordPress, which undoubtedly holds a large share of the market. Working with various systems, however, we kept running into the drawbacks these ‘bloated’ content management systems bring. And it was exactly that experience that finally pushed us into building our own.

.NET Core and React: staying the course

Our software development relies mainly on .NET Core from Microsoft and the JavaScript framework React from Facebook. With these tools we build fast, modern applications – and not only for the web. When designing our own CMS, we decided not to stray from that path. What does it bring? Above all:

• Separate development of the server and the user interface. Work moves faster, so we can deliver the application in the shortest possible time.

• The speed and support of .NET Core. Combined with React, it makes the web interface pleasant to work with.

What it means for the CMS itself

Besides speed, mainly lightness and security.

• Only what the website really needs. The application will carry only what it actually requires. Other content management systems often keep parts in production that the website never uses. That increases memory use and, above all, slows down page loading – and a slow website is unpleasant for visitors and often the reason they leave.

• Security. Very widespread content management systems tend to be more exposed to attacks and often contain holes that attackers exploit to steal data. Thanks to .NET Core and additional security features, our CMS will be able to protect your data reliably.

What the new system will offer

Our content management system will be at least as capable as its competitors. Alongside classic pages and posts, it will offer a special editor for assembling content from simple and more complex components, giving pages a fresh and consistent design.

Other standard features will include management of:

• media files,

• users and roles,

• menus,

• environments,

• and above all SEO (search engine optimisation).

The whole system is also modular, which makes it easy to integrate new specialised extensions. With every update it will become a better and more powerful tool.

An interface you do not have to study

When designing the interface, we took established conventions into account – especially the cleaner layout of the administration, partly inspired by WordPress.

We wanted users to focus on creating content, not on learning a new interface.

What comes next

We will soon be putting the finishing touches to our work and presenting the first version of the new TwoDo content management system to our clients. In parallel, we are working on a new version of our own website – which will, of course, run on the new CMS as well.