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27 Headless Cms And Seo

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This article explores how a Headless CMS can support SEO efforts due to the exceptionally fast site speeds that can result from a well configured site.

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<h2>Headless CMS and SEO</h2>

<p>This blog will explore the link between Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Content Management Systems (CMS), specifically focusing on how a Headless CMS can lead to impressive SEO results. </p>

<h2>Introduction to Headless CMS</h2>

<p>The curiously named category of Headless CMS is a relatively new category of Content Management Systems (CMS) that has emerged in recent years as an increasingly popular CMS. Its popularity has been primarily amongst B2B/ commercial users ranging from eCommerce sites to International brands to growing/ <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-growth">scaling B2B SaaS</a> companies. The names of those brands who have moved across to Headless reads like a “<strong><em>Who's Who</em></strong>” of major brands and includes everyone from adidas to Nike to Netflix, through to B2B SaaS companies like Intercom, Stripe, and Teamwork.</p>

<h2>Mass Exodus: So Why Are They Moving?</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/benefits-headless-cms">benefits of a Headless CMS</a> are particularly appealing to those looking to migrate to a highly performant platform and away from some of the issues associated with more traditional legacy platforms like WordPress. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/wordpress-issues">Issues with WordPress</a> are well documented, and include security vulnerabilities from plugins, through to performance issues due to <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/website-bloat">website bloat</a> (amongst other factors), and maintenance overhead (over the years as the site matures and scales).</p>

<p>Other traditional CMS (also known as Monolithic CMSs) be they Squarespace, Wix, or Webflow can also be problematic for those looking to scale their businesses. </p>

<p>What works well in the early years becomes a problem a few years down the line. </p>

<p>There is thus a mix of push and pull factors informing <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-migration">website migration</a> decisions, be they problems with existing CMSs or the appeal of a modern Headless approach that helps address many of the legacy issues typical with traditional CMSs.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Understanding Headless CMS and Traditional CMS: Key Differences</h2>

<p>When it comes to Content Management Systems for powering websites there are some fundamental differences to be aware of.</p>

<p>Unlike Traditional CMSs which are designed to manage both content and the front-end, a Headless CMS focuses exclusively on <em>‘content management’</em>. After creating and editing the content, it is published via an Application Programming Interface (API) without any involvement or impact on the front-end. The Headless CMS does not have any control or input on the front-end, unlike Traditional CMSs which aim to provide a unified solution for both content and front-end management.</p>

<h2>What Does All This Mean In Practice?</h2>

<p>It means that the initial website build for a Headless CMS website is not determined in the CMS by tweaking an existing template. A front-end designer will need to create and implement a design. Herein lies the crux, for those more resource-constrained clients a template-based approach will suffice, but for those who prioritize the user experience, security, and performance, the lack of a template won’t be an issue. They will be looking to engage a designer to create a beautifully designed site that is also optimized for conversions using the best tools and technologies they can find.</p>

<p>Hence when it comes to CMS selection the old adage applies - it is very much a ‘<strong><em>horses for courses</em>’</strong> decision. In short, your exact requirements should determine the CMS selection, and these evolve as your website (and company matures). Thus when it comes to Headless CMSs, they are rarely used to power a companies first website but do represent a natural upgrade path for those on a growth-oriented journey.</p>

<hr>

<h2>The Key Benefits of a Headless CMS</h2>

<p>So what are some of the Key Benefits of a Headless CMS?</p>

<p><strong>1- Unparalleled Speed</strong></p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/jamstack-headless-cms">Jamstack Headless CMS</a> approach to web development, which combines Static Site Generators (SSGs) and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), results in exceptionally fast page loading times without the need for any supplementary optimization of the frontend code. A Headless CMS is a vital component of this approach, allowing for unparalleled website performance. </p>

<p><strong>2- Impressive Security Credentials</strong></p>

<p>Headless CMSs are known for their exceptionally high level of security. With a decoupled architecture, a Headless CMS can offer better protection against a variety of attacks. Many Headless CMS platforms provide access controls and single-sign-on features that reduce the number of login credentials required and make monitoring CMS access more straightforward.</p>

<p>Compared to traditional CMS setups, Headless CMS can minimize the impact of DDoS attacks because the client-side performs content rendering in the browser. In traditional setups, login forms and other entry points may directly point to the server, necessitating constant attention to security measures to prevent unauthorized access. In contrast, with a Headless CMS, the provider assumes the responsibility for security, ensuring that the statically generated front-end remains safe from attack.</p>

<p><strong>3- Perfect for Scaling</strong></p>

<p>One of the key benefits of Headless CMSs is their highly scalable architecture, which allows organizations to handle increased traffic and content without incurring additional costs. By utilizing cost-effective hosting and licensing options, Headless CMSs can provide a more cost-effective solution than traditional CMSs.</p>

<p><strong>4- Built Especially for Marketing Teams</strong></p>

<p>Many Headless CMS solutions are primarily designed to cater to the needs of technology leaders, but Contento takes a different approach. Contento has created a Headless CMS solution that is not only user-friendly for the tech team but also enjoyable for the marketing team, who will be spending a significant amount of time in the application after deployment.</p>

<p><strong>5- Supports Omnichannel Strategies</strong></p>

<p>Due to the proliferation of new technologies and the widespread use of smart devices, businesses are increasingly focusing on delivering seamless and consistent experiences across multiple devices and touchpoints. Brands that rely on traditional content management systems often struggle to provide responsive content that can adapt to different digital platforms. In contrast, with a Headless CMS, businesses can produce content once and publish it instantly across various channels, providing a highly efficient and effective solution.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Traditional CMS and SEO</h2>

<p>When it comes to SEO and Traditional CMS it is apparent that in many instances SEO is primarily an ‘<em>afterthought</em>’ and is thus not a crucial concern.  </p>

<p>Looking at some examples:</p>

<p>With Squarespace, there is a rudimentary SEO setting (as of March 2023) within the Page Setting tab which consists of three elements:</p>

<p>- SEO Title (Optional), </p>

<p>- SEO Description (Optional), </p>

<p>- and a toggle related to <em>“Hide Page from Search Results</em>”. </p>

<p>This is a pretty basic SEO deployment.</p>

<p>When it comes to WordPress, the world’s most popular CMS, the plugin Yoast is the leading WordPress SEO plugin. </p>

<p>As numerous commentators have pointed out, <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/fast-website-speed">site speed</a> is a key ranking factor and WordPress sites often fare poorly on Lighthouse speed tests serving to undermine the efforts of a dedicated SEO plugin.</p>

<p>Of course, your SEO success or otherwise is contingent on a whole host of factors, some within your control, and some not. A lack of in-house SEO ‘know-how’ is often a primary cause of issues as in many cases junior content creators simply don’t know the basics. </p>

<p>However, if you can marry ‘<em>best of breed</em>’ SEO know-how and execution with a blazingly quick CMS you are going some way towards giving yourself a shot at the much-coveted page 1 ranking on Google for a chosen keyword.</p>

<hr>

<h2>How Headless CMS Improves SEO?</h2>

<p>While we don’t know the exact criteria that impact SEO we do know some of the factors that are typically at play. </p>

<p>These consist of a mix of technical SEO elements (often on-site elements) as well as off-site elements. Off-site elements are largely related to securing backlinks (preferably from high Domain Authority sites) based on a key premise that the more ‘good’ 3rd party sites that link to your content the higher the perceived value of the content. </p>

<p>On-site elements typically include:</p>

<ul><li><p>page loading speed, </p></li><li><p>internal linking, </p></li><li><p>keyword use in meta titles and meta descriptions, </p></li><li><p>URL / slug configuration (incl canonical URL’s)</p></li><li><p>structured data markup, and </p></li><li><p>how a site renders on a mobile as well as many other factors.</p></li></ul>

<p>With <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/headless-cms-seo">Headless CMSs and SEO</a>, several underlying factors play to the strength of the Headless CMS category:</p>

<p>1- Site Performance (Site Speed)</p>

<p>2- Mobile Experience (Responsive design)</p>

<p>3- Structured Content Emphasis (a <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/structured-content">structured content</a>-based approach helps with SEO)</p>

<p>When it comes to other on-site elements it is fair to say that some Headless CMSs fall short. However, Contento, the Headless CMS we describe further below, has been built with SEO in mind, and thus includes the technical SEO elements baked in so that those working on content can ensure they are taking care of the SEO elements within the platform. </p>

<p>It is also worth pointing out that site speed is not just about SEO, there is a direct correlation between site speed and conversion rates. Targeting a 1 second page loading time makes a commercial difference also in terms of increased conversions.</p>

<hr>

<h2>The Importance of Structured Content in a Headless CMS for SEO</h2>

<p>According to Carrie Haine, a Digital Strategist and Founder, Tanzen </p>

<blockquote><p><em>Structured content is content that is planned, developed, and connected outside of an interface — so that it's ready for any interface. It means breaking down content into the smallest reasonable pieces — with each of those pieces holding the characteristics of the thing it represents.</em></p></blockquote>

<p>Although there are numerous advantages to adopting a structured content approach, we'll focus on its primary SEO benefit: it enables search engines to better comprehend the content's subject matter. Structured content achieves this by explicitly and visibly linking the searcher's query to your content.</p>

<blockquote><p><em>Structured content is a technology-agnostic way of organizing and tagging content in consistent, predictable ways. Think of it as a way of enabling people and systems to take advantage of patterns across a body of content, making it easier to find, mix and match, and redeploy content components at a moment’s notice to any device, channel, or format.</em></p></blockquote>

<p>— Getting Started With Structured Content</p>

<p>Most Headless CMSs including Contento, are set up to leverage a structured content approach, with the use of fields, blocks, and ‘<em>reusable components’</em>. </p>

<blockquote><p><em>From an SEO perspective, it helps search engines like Google better understand what your content is about, increasing your chances of that content being ranked more highly in search results, and of it being shown to the right users.</em></p></blockquote>

<p>In short, the structured content approach common in most Headless CMSs aligns well with the requirements of Google’s search engine as it tries to understand what the content is about so it can serve it based on relevance.</p>

<hr>

<h2>How Headless CMS Affects Page Speed and SEO?</h2>

<p>Site speed has been a known ranking factor for over 10 years since the 2010 Google announcement:</p>

<blockquote><p><em>You may have heard that here at Google we're obsessed with speed, in our products and on the web. As part of that effort, today we're including a new signal in our search ranking algorithms: site speed. Site speed reflects how quickly a website responds to web requests. We encourage you to start looking at your site's speed (the tools above provide a great starting point)—not only to improve your ranking in search engines, but also to improve everyone's experience on the Internet.</em><br>Google Search Central Blog (2010)</p></blockquote>

<p>As Matt Southern went on to argue in the Search Engine Journal in 2022 </p>

<blockquote><p><em>Google is said to prioritize speed when it comes to ranking search results, giving fast sites an advantage over sites that take longer to load.</em></p></blockquote>

<p>While relevance will always be the key driver for Google, the user experience will likely remain a key ranking factor as illustrated by their ongoing focus on speed be that through Lighthouse (Google) or PageSpeed Insights. </p>

<p>In short, the evidence indicates that Google rewards fast sites, and as a ranking factor for SEO it is one to focus on. Of course site speed is not really about SEO, it is also tightly correlated with conversion optimization. The faster the site the higher the conversion rate all things considered. </p>

<hr>

<h2>Key Considerations for Choosing a Headless CMS for SEO</h2>

<p>When evaluating a new Headless CMS it is worth assessing the SEO capability especially if the site you are migrating has significant numbers of pages, and has decent organic ranking. </p>

<p>Some Headless CMSs put more of a focus on SEO than others so it is worth asking the question on a Demo so you can assess how sophisticated the SEO module or feature is. All vendors will likely claim their SEO module is strong, but from our experience, that is not always the case. Ideally, you’ll want your marketing colleagues to be able to:</p>

<ul><li><p>Edit / customise URL’s (slugs)</p></li><li><p>Set Meta Titles and Descriptions (with validation rules flagging breaches of wordcount and the like)</p></li><li><p>Optimise images including Alt Tags</p></li><li><p>Set pages as “No index no follow” where appropriate (e.g. on pages where gated assets are housed)</p></li><li><p>Manage canonical URL’s so you can signpost which content is the best representative page</p></li><li><p>Easily identify internal linking opportunities for the target keyword</p></li></ul>

<hr>

<h2>Headless CMS and Content Optimization for SEO: Best Practices</h2>

<p>When it comes to best practices I recommend that those responsible for content creation have a good understanding of key SEO principles. Ideally, they use a selection from the following tools to help their content creation process:</p>

<ul><li><p>aHrefs</p></li><li><p>Grammarly</p></li><li><p>Surfer</p></li><li><p>SE Ranking</p></li><li><p>SEM Rush</p></li><li><p>SERPSTAT</p></li></ul>

<p>Topic ideation is also important:</p>

<ul><li><p>Is the content they are writing valuable to key target personas?</p></li><li><p>Are they writing content to a clear plan (as captured in an editorial calendar? </p></li></ul>

<p>A common issue I see in B2B SaaS companies is that content creation is farmed out to a junior marketing person who lacks the domain knowledge, and experience to craft a compelling piece. </p>

<p>Finally, once published content needs to be amplified through a range of channels incl social from both personal and business profiles. </p>

<hr>

<h2>An Introduction to Contento - Headless CMS</h2>

<p>Contento is a Headless CMS with some distinctive characteristics. It offers all of the key features you’d come to expect from a leading Headless CMS including:</p>

<ul><li><p>A REST API for super fast and flexible querying</p></li><li><p>A visual editor that allows you to preview your content in real-time</p></li><li><p>A first-class asset manager to manipulate and compress images</p></li><li><p>A  structured content modeling capability to manage content</p></li></ul>

<p>However, it has a particular focus in mind which helps it to stand out from the crowd.</p>

<ul><li><p>Unlike most of the competition, it is designed with the needs of marketing in mind (the majority of others are very developer-centric)</p></li><li><p>We assume the primary use case is for powering a B2B SaaS or technology website (this assumption allows us to bake in features that support this specific use case).</p></li><li><p>We’ve doubled down on usability so it is genuinely intuitive and even enjoyable for content creators to use</p></li></ul>

<hr>

<h2>Contento PageSpeed Insights</h2>

<p>So when we looked at our site homepage as powered by our own Headless CMS, Contento the highly performant nature of the site was evidenced in some pretty impressive scores:</p>

<p><strong>Desktop </strong></p>

<ul><li><p>Performance 100</p></li><li><p>Accessibility 98</p></li><li><p>Best Practises 100</p></li><li><p>SEO 92</p></li><li><p>First Contentful Paint 0.6S</p></li><li><p>Largest Contentful Paint 0.7S</p></li></ul>

<p>As the site is a relatively new site the Domain Authority is low and thus our SEO efforts have yet to pay off in terms of organic traffic. However, as we continue to embark on our SEO journey we do so, confident in the fact our underlying CMS architecture is supporting our efforts.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Summary</h2>

<p>When it comes to SEO, there are lots of areas that freelancers and agencies focus on, be that ‘on site’ or ‘off site’ activities. A typical engagement starts with an audit, an analysis of keywords, and an editorial calendar. Popular third-party tools like SEM Rush, aHrefs, SE Ranking, Screaming Frog, and Uber Suggest may be referenced as tools to support content generation efforts.</p>

<p>An often overlooked element is the underlying Content Management System (CMS) powering the website. Most SEO specialists will be familiar with WordPress (and Yoast) given the market dominance of the platform. However, running a mature site on WordPress can be a significant factor inhibiting the potential of your SEO efforts. Marrying a Headless CMS, with a clear SEO and content strategy will help ensure you are giving your site every chance of succeeding. </p>

<p>Finally, it is worth noting that SEO relies on numerous factors from technical elements, to employee know-how, to site speed, to the content and its relevance for those searching for answers. Migrating to a Headless CMS won’t in isolation deliver results.<br></p>

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Summary

This blog will explore the link between Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Content Management Systems (CMS), specifically focusing on how a Headless CMS can lead to impressive SEO results.

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Headless CMS and SEO

26 Headless Cms Digital Agencies

Working for a digital agency ? Take a look at a Headless CMS like Contento today, and see first-hand why the category is exploding.

<h2>Headless CMS Digital Agency</h2>

<p><strong><em>Tl;dr</em></strong></p>

<p><strong>This blog explores the fast growing category of Headless CMSs and argues that your digital agency should consider offering that website capability for the right fit clients.</strong></p>

<h2>Introduction</h2>

<p>When it comes to utilizing a Headless CMS for your <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-website">B2B SaaS website</a> you will generally need some external support; be that in the guise of a freelancer, or specialist Headless CMS Digital Agency. This blog outlines some of the key elements you need to be aware of to ensure a successful website relaunch.</p>

<hr>

<h2>B2B SaaS Focus</h2>

<p>Before we commence, it is worth flagging that this blog is written from the perspective of <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-growth">growing B2B SaaS companies</a>. There are hundreds of Content Management Systems (CMSs) on the market. Selecting the correct option for your use case is highly context-dependent. Hence the focus of this piece is on marketing and tech leaders in high-growth companies in sectors like B2B SaaS, and the broader technology space. </p>

<hr>

<h2>Issues with WordPress</h2>

<p>We take the position that the well-documented <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/wordpress-issues">issues with WordPress</a> mean that WordPress is simply not fit-for-purpose for growing and scaling B2B SaaS companies. </p>

<p>We make several assumptions about the requirements for those working in B2B SaaS which we feel are incompatible with WordPress (without throwing a lot of money at the problem).</p>

<p>These WordPress issues include:</p>

<ul><li><p>Security vulnerabilities (due in part to typical reliance on plugins)</p></li><li><p>Usability issues (struggles on the part of junior marketers to manage websites)</p></li><li><p>Performance issues (problems with website bloat and sluggish performance)</p></li><li><p>Ongoing maintenance costs (just to keep the site from going down)</p></li></ul>

<p>When it comes to the assumptions we are making about B2B SaaS marketing team requirements we are assuming that:</p>

<ul><li><p>Content and inbound marketing are important elements of the marketing strategy</p></li><li><p>A strong SEO capability is important</p></li><li><p>A genuinely intuitive UI/UX content platform (or CMS) is ‘non-negotiable’</p></li><li><p>A blazingly fast beautifully designed website is ‘table stakes’</p></li><li><p>There is a decently sized marketing team (more than 3) and some budget to deliver on the above requirements.</p></li></ul>

<p>Given the issues with WordPress and the requirements we are seeing amongst B2B SaaS companies, the curiously named category of Headless CMS is emerging as an increasingly popular choice. </p>

<p>So what is a Headless CMS and why the sudden appeal?</p>

<hr>

<h2>An Introduction to Headless CMS</h2>

<p>A traditional Content Management System (CMS), commonly referred to as a legacy or monolithic CMS e.g. WordPress, is a system in which the front-end presentation and back-end data storage components are closely interconnected.</p>

<p>In recent years, Headless CMS has emerged as a contrasting approach. </p>

<p>A Headless CMS is a content management system that provides the backend content repository and APIs to facilitate the retrieval and modification of content. Unlike a traditional CMS, it does not include a pre-built front-end for displaying content, allowing developers to use any front-end technology or framework of their choice to deliver the content to end users. This decoupling of the content management functionality from the presentation layer offers greater flexibility, scalability, and agility in creating and delivering digital experiences across multiple channels and devices. </p>

<hr>

<h2>What Does a Headless CMS Do?</h2>

<p>A Headless CMS is best considered as the content platform or repository where the website content is stored, edited, and published. This <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/structured-content">structured content</a> is then delivered via an API to various ‘<em>heads</em>’ be they a website or IoT device or screen. The missing piece is of course the display layer or front-end. This is where your front-end developer comes in. </p>

<p>You will need a front-end developer/designer to create the front-end design. Of course, there are Pros and Cons to this approach. The template-based approach of legacy CMSs is more cost-effective, however, as mentioned above the requirements of growing B2B SaaS companies are such that a beautifully designed site optimized for conversions will typically trump the requirement for a hastily built site based on an existing template. </p>

<hr>

<h2>What are the Advantages of a Headless CMS?</h2>

<p>So what are some of the advantages of choosing a Headless CMS?</p>

<p><strong>1- Unrivaled Speed<br><br></strong>Blazingly fast page loading times can be achieved without requiring any additional optimization of the frontend code. A Headless CMS is part of the <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/jamstack-headless-cms">Jamstack Headless CMS</a> approach to web development and marrying Static Site Generators (SSGs) and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) can deliver an unparalleled site performance. </p>

<p><strong>2- High-Level Security</strong></p>

<p>A Headless CMS tends to offer a very high-level of security due to several factors.</p>

<p>A decoupled architecture can provide better protection against various attacks. Access controls and single-sign-on features are often available in many Headless CMS platforms, which can reduce the number of login credentials required and enable easier monitoring of CMS access.</p>

<p>Compared to traditional CMS setups, headless CMSs can minimize the impact of DDoS attacks because content rendering is performed on the client side. In traditional setups, login forms and other entry points may directly point to the server, necessitating constant attention to security measures to prevent unauthorized access. In contrast, with a Headless CMS, the provider assumes the responsibility for security, ensuring that the statically generated front-end remains safe from attack.</p>

<p><strong>3- Scalable and Cost Effective</strong></p>

<p>Headless CMSs are designed to be highly scalable, allowing organizations to handle increased traffic and content without incurring additional maintenance costs. By reducing the amount of maintenance required and utilizing cost-effective hosting and licensing options, Headless CMSs can offer lower maintenance costs than traditional CMSs.</p>

<p><strong>4- Beautiful UI/UX - Enjoyable Content Management</strong></p>

<p>With a Headless CMS like <a href="https://www.contento.io">Contento</a>, the UI/UX is designed with the marketing team in mind (which is not a typical case). Far too many Headless CMSs are designed solely with the needs of the technology leader in mind. Contento is different. We have doubled down on ensuring that the use of our Headless CMS solution is <strong><u>enjoyable</u></strong> for the marketing team, who post deployment will after-all be spending a lot more time in the application than the tech team. </p>

<p><strong>5- Deliver a Seamless Omnichannel Experience</strong></p>

<p>By offering more purchasing channels, including mobile, web, and in-store, an omnichannel strategy enhances the customer experience. Businesses are thus increasingly prioritizing seamless and consistent customer experiences across various touch points due to the emergence of new technologies and the widespread use of smart devices. However, brands that rely on traditional content management systems are struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for responsive content that can adapt to different digital platforms. With a Headless CMS it is a case of produce once, and publish everywhere in an instance.</p>

<hr>

<h2>What are the Disadvantages of a Headless CMS?</h2>

<p>There are several disadvantages of Headless CMSs, so it is important to be aware of these before making the switch.</p>

<p><strong>1- It is not an all-in-one Solution </strong></p>

<p>With WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and other traditional CMSs there is no decoupling of the front and back ends. With Headless there is a need to plug in other components of the Jamstack (all via API’s) to put a website live. (All very straightforward for relatively junior developers).</p>

<p><strong>2- Developer Dependency</strong></p>

<p>You will need access to a front-end developer/ designer to set everything up (as well as to craft the design). In most cases ongoing maintenance is negligible but as the site evolves you will need access to a developer. The good news is that you won’t need a specialist developer as most front-end developers will be familiar with ‘the Jamstack’, so as a SaaS company there is a strong likelihood that the skill-set exists in-house and can be tapped into on an ad-hoc basis.</p>

<p><strong>3- Fewer Shortcuts</strong></p>

<p>With a Traditional CMS, buying a website template helps expedite the build process, and in some instances enables users to build and manage sites themselves. Instead, most Headless CMSs empower developers and designers to build a site without constraints allowing them to choose the components as they see fit. Again context is everything, marketing leading brands and growing B2B SaaS companies are usually happy to ensure a strong visual identity. Building a site using a template is generally not the route this cohort wants to take.</p>

<hr>

<h2>How Much Does a Headless CMS Cost?</h2>

<p>The cost of a Headless CMS can vary depending on a whole host of factors. Most providers offer a free version for developers to test initially and to assess fit for purpose. In reality, the bulk of the cost for a new website is likely to go on the front-end design and hence the annual subscription for the Headless CMS will represent a small portion of the overall spend. Given the range of options and factors influencing price, assuming a €10,000 annual subscription represents a good ballpark figure. Finally, the ongoing maintenance costs should be relatively modest especially if there are in-house developers that can be called upon, on an ad-hoc basis. </p>

<hr>

<h2>Companies Using Headless CMSs</h2>

<p>The adoption of Headless has been particularly noticeable amongst a cohort of early adopters from the SaaS world (Intercom, Stripe, and Teamwork spring to mind). However, there has also been significant adoption amongst “big brands”, where website traffic is high and features offering benefits related to security, performance, and omnichannel capability are important. Brands like the following have all moved part (if not all) of their websites to one of the leading Headless CMS providers:</p>

<blockquote><p>Notion, Costa Coffee, Specsavers, Nike, mailchimp, Vodafone, Spotify, Twilio, Atlassian, Bang &amp; Olufsen, McDonalds, Google, deliveroo, dribbble, GoCardless, Sonos, adidas, &amp; Pizza Hut.</p></blockquote>

<hr>

<h2>Headless CMS Website for B2B SaaS</h2>

<p>When it comes to different categories of users, it is evident from the names listed above that Headless CMSs span a vast range of consumer brands from different sectors. These are not small businesses. The brands largely represent sites with strong traffic volumes that place a premium on design without compromising on performance. B2B SaaS companies share many of the same requirements as the leading B2C brands listed above (although omnichannel related benefits are not usually a primary motivator). Most growth-oriented B2B SaaS companies are focused on conversion optimization and thus value benefits like unbeatable site speeds, beautiful design, enhanced security and highly performant websites.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Introduction to Contento - the Headless CMS for B2B SaaS</h2>

<p>Contento is a Headless CMS designed specifically with the needs of B2B SaaS companies in mind. Most of the other Headless CMSs are open boxes and are not designed with any specific use case in mind. Contento includes all the features you’d expect from a Headless CMS, with a particular slant - a core assumption we make is that you are using Contento to manage a B2B SaaS site. This simple assumption enables us to meet the unique needs of this category - after all, it is the world the founding team all come from. </p>

<hr>

<h2>Why Do You Need a Headless CMS Freelancer or Agency?</h2>

<p>One of the nuances of a Headless CMS compared to a Traditional CMS like WordPress is that developer input is required. The focus shifts to creating a beautifully designed site that is optimized to drive conversions. Specialist skills make a difference, and the quality of websites done in-house compared to using specialists is markedly different in our experience. When a beautiful design is married to compelling copy, strong imagery, and a blazingly quick site the difference is all too apparent. </p>

<p>The <a href="https://stripe.com/gb"><u>Stripe website</u></a> is a great example - beautifully designed, with powerful imagery, and exceptional site speed. Of course, there are lots of beautifully designed sites that are not on Headless also, but depending on the CMS there can be significant issues in the background that tend not to exist with a Jamstack-based approach.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Where to Find a Headless CMS Agency?</h2>

<p>An increasing number of digital agencies are now offering Headless CMSs as an option for the right client and context. Others like <a href="https://mawla.agency/"><u>Mawla</u></a> in Dublin have gone full-in focusing on content and marketing websites utilizing a Headless CMS &amp; NextJS Jamstack-backed architecture exclusively, eschewing WordPress based web development work.</p>

<p>We will shortly be adding a dedicated Headless CMS digital agency page to the Contento website that shortlists some of the main providers you need to know about.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Benefits for Your Agency Embracing Headless</h2>

<p>So what are some of the benefits you can enjoy from exploring Headless as a category to offer clients?</p>

<ul><li><p>Significant Venture Capital (VC) cash has gone into the space and a large number of providers are promoting it as a future-proof way to manage modern sites.</p></li><li><p>The benefit set for moving to Headless is compelling for certain cohorts of users.</p></li><li><p>The need for a front-end design and Jamstack architecture means that many agencies can easily pivot to offering it profitably.</p></li><li><p>Some providers offer recurring commissions as long as the client is still a customer, bringing income streams without associated overheads. </p></li><li><p>It is a growing market predicted to explode.</p></li></ul>

<p><em>The Global Headless CMS Platform Software Market Size Was Valued at USD 502 Million in 2021 and is Expected to Expand at a CAGR of 19.99% During the Forecast Period, Reaching USD 1498 Million By 2027 (Source - </em><a href="https://www.researchreportsworld.com/global-headless-cms-platform-software-industry-research-report-competitive-landscape-market-22069652"><em><u>Research Reports World</u></em></a><em>)</em></p>

<hr>

<h2>Contento Digital Agency Program</h2>

<p>Our agency program includes -priority access to our development team, ongoing commission, and access to our suite of training resources.</p>

<p>Unlike leading vendors who typically offer a basic 10% commission on plans, Contento offers a much more attractive commission. </p>

<p>Please <a href="https://www.contento.io/contact">get in touch</a> to learn more.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Headless CMS and Digital Agencies - A Summary</h2>

<p>In summary, the category of Headless CMS has been taking off. An early tranche of digital agencies has already made the jump across focusing on the Jamstack and Headless. As this article has outlined, it is worth all digital agencies exploring the category to assess if it fits with the client base in situ and their requirements. One thing is clear - this new category is very much here to stay.</p>

Digital agencies should explore the fast growing category of Headless CMSs to assess if it could meet the needs of their client base.

Headless CMS - The Perfect CMS to Help Grow Your Digital Agency

Blog Category

Developers

22 Site Speed And Headless

The choice of CMS is a major factor in whether your website is fast. Headless CMS sites outperform Traditional CMSs like WordPress. Learn More.

Fast Website Speed - B2B SaaS - Headless CMS

<h2><strong>Context - Fast Website Speed and SaaS Scaleups</strong></h2>

<p>When it comes to the benefits of migrating to a Headless CMS [<a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/what-is-a-headless-cms">What is a Headless CMS</a>?], performance is often cited as a primary driver. This short article outlines why a fast website speed is such a crucial issue and explores how a Headless CMS delivers enhanced performance.</p>

<p>First some context. There are an estimated 2 billion websites on the internet. This article is intended for those working in a tiny subset of these: technology/ B2B SaaS companies that are either scaling up or are aspiring to scale up.</p>

<p><strong>Why? </strong></p>

<p>When it comes to managing websites, opinions as to how best to do so are everywhere. Like this blog, those sitting in different camps profess how their offering <em>is best</em>. What works well in one context may not work well in another. </p>

<p>WordPress, is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) worldwide, and has a significant ecosystem alongside the huge number of installs it has enjoyed over its almost 20 year history. With many web developers working with it, it will continue to have strong supporters advocating for it. </p>

<p>While it remains a solid choice of CMS for many use cases, as this blog argues, for a certain cohort; growing technology companies including B2B SaaS scaleups, <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/wordpress-issues">WordPress issues</a> and drawbacks negatively impact performance. Chief amongst them is site performance, or specifically site speed. Compared to other CMSs WordPress can fall badly short when it comes to speed tests. </p>

<h2>Why WordPress Is Not Great for Fast Website Speeds?</h2>

<p>There are several reasons for this:</p>

<ol><li><p>The way WordPress is built [template based all-in-one system]</p></li><li><p>The number of plug-ins that tend to be installed</p></li><li><p>3rd party software in place (added to over the years)</p></li></ol>

<p>One challenge with B2B SaaS scaleups is that over the lifecycle of their business the tenure of marketing leaders is typically very short. A consequence of that is different marketing leaders testing various marketing technology solutions, without removing them when they depart. Over time <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/website-bloat">website bloat</a> becomes an issue as a result of the activities of the different Chief Marketing Officers over the years.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Why Does Speed Matter? </h2>

<p>When it comes to scaling B2B SaaS companies we can make some assumptions. </p>

<ul><li><p>They are past the Product Market Fit (PMF) phase so have traction</p></li><li><p>In most, if not all cases, their market will be global</p></li><li><p>Site traffic will have grown and will be <em>significant</em></p></li><li><p>Primary goals on the site will relate to conversions</p></li><li><p>SEO will be important as you look to increase inbounds while keeping your Cost of Acquisition down (CAC)</p></li></ul>

<p>When you consider these factors the importance of optimizing for a fast website site speed becomes a key factor when looking to drive better conversion rates. Hence the following are all correlated to speed:</p>

<ul><li><p>Conversion Rates (Bounce rates increase on slow sites)</p></li><li><p>User Experience (Who likes a slow site?)</p></li><li><p>SEO Performance (speed is a ranking factor)</p></li></ul>

<p>It is worth noting at this juncture that there is a nuance here that many B2B SaaS companies are unaware of. You may be based in an office in London, and think that your own website is loading quickly. The real test is what the speed looks like in your core markets (often the US). The differential can be material and thus the fast experience you enjoy at your desk may be completely unrepresentative of the experience of your core targets.</p>

<p>In short, speed is a silent killer. It is usually not obvious unless you are looking out for it. However, for a certain cohort - scaling technology companies, performance optimization is of vital importance.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Measuring WebSite Speed </h2>

<p>A useful first step is to run some speed tests on the site. Ideally, they are focused on the home page and other high-dollar value pages (i.e. pages like landing pages, the pricing page, etc where conversions typically come from). </p>

<p>There are several free tools you can use to run the tests and to measure your site speed: </p>

<ul><li><p>Pingdom (solarwinds)</p></li><li><p>GTmetrix</p></li><li><p>Google [PageSpeed Insights]</p></li><li><p>WebPage Test by catchpoint</p></li></ul>

<p>However, there are a few things to be aware of.</p>

<ol><li><p>It is not about ‘<em>the score</em>’. The way these tools are set up it is not realistic to be achieving a perfect score. It is about identifying problem areas.</p></li><li><p>Some of these sites break the scores down between Mobile and Desktop speeds. In most instances, the performance measurement on mobile devices tends to be worse than desktop speeds. Given the nature of B2B SaaS where many applications rely on desk-based input to produce/create/manage rather than to consume, I tend to focus more on desktop scores.</p></li><li><p>The results can be hard to interpret without some technical input. The reports issued tend to be quite detailed and include references like “<em>Time to First Byte</em>” and “<em>Largest Contentful Paint</em>”. What are you really looking for are red flags related to overall page performance?</p></li><li><p>Scores can vary and can jump around, so it may be worth running tests over a few days (at different times).</p></li></ol>

<h2>What Website Speed Should you be Looking For?</h2>

<p>So how do you know how your site is performing?</p>

<p>Firstly, start with 3 seconds, and then look to get it to under 1 second. Ideally you also ‘pass’ the Google PageSpeed Insights test. </p>

<blockquote><p><em>The probability of bounce increases 32% as page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds.</em></p></blockquote>

<p><em>Source: Google/SOASTA Research, 2017.</em></p>

<p>As page load times goes from:</p>

<blockquote><p><em>1s to 3s the probability of bounce increases 32%</em></p><p><em>1s to 5s the probability of bounce increases 90%</em></p><p><em>1s to 6s the probability of bounce increases 106%</em></p><p><em>1s to 10s the probability of bounce increases 123%</em></p></blockquote>

<p><em>Source: Google/SOASTA Research, 2017.</em></p>

<p>Based on your score you can then assess what action you need to take.</p>

<p>The factors that impact speed are numerous and can include the following:</p>

<ul><li><p>Choice of CMS</p></li><li><p>Image compression (or lack thereof)</p></li><li><p>Use of 3rd party plug-ins</p></li><li><p>Other 3rd party software running (often Marketing Technologies)</p></li></ul>

<blockquote><p><em>Images and JavaScript are the most significant contributors to the page weight that affect page load time based on data from HTTP Archive and the Chrome User Experience Report - our public dataset for key UX metrics as experienced by Chrome users under real-world conditions.</em></p></blockquote>

<p><em>Source: Addy Osmani, Senior Staff Engineering Manager, Chrome</em></p>

<p>However, the choice of CMS is the most significant determinant as to whether or not you have the correct infrastructure in place to ensure success. It is thus the area to address if your scores are higher than an acceptable level (ideally less than 2 seconds whether testing on UK or US servers).</p>

<hr>

<h2>Traditional CMS v Headless CMS</h2>

<p>In recent years, Headless CMS has emerged as an alternative approach to building and managing websites. Unlike the traditional approach, with a Headless CMS, the front-end and the back-end are decoupled. While this won’t suit many website owners, it is usually not an issue for growing technology companies. Instead they will enjoy the additional benefits Headless brings, with performance and security being two of the key ones.</p>

<p>Recommended Resource: <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/benefits-headless-cms">What are the Key Benefits of a Headless CMS?</a></p>

<p>WordPress sites can struggle to scale and over the years, performance can degrade as mentioned above. Even when setup optimally, the architecture won’t match that of a Headless CMS. With a Headless CMS, like Contento, the reliance on Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) married to the API-first approach means that structurally Headless CMSs perform a lot better. They are simply way faster.  </p>

<h2>CMS and Fast Wesbite Speed Research</h2>

<p>In a recent study that we conducted assessing the Content Management Systems (CMS) of the Top 25 <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-website">B2B SaaS Websites</a> in Ireland (2023) we found significant performance differences between the two approaches with those sites using a Headless CMS running much more quickly than those on WordPress or an equivalent. </p>

<blockquote><p><em>The cohort on WordPress had an average site speed (US) of 2.49 seconds, whereas the average for those on a Headless CMS was a mere 1.1 seconds.</em></p></blockquote>

<hr>

<h2>Summary and Conclusion</h2>

<p>In summary, when it comes to fast-growing technology companies (especially B2B SaaS scaleups) site speed becomes an increasingly important area to focus on. The choice of CMS is the major factor in whether the site is performing well or not. Headless CMS sites outperform Traditional CMSs like WordPress without compromising on design or security. </p>

<p>Is it any wonder that major tech companies like Stripe, Intercom, Miro, and Teamwork have already made the leap to Headless?</p>

<p><em>Please note ChatGPT was not used in the production of this blog.</em></p>

<hr>

<h2>Recommended Resources</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-fast-is-fast-enough-page-load-time-and-your-bottom-line/">What Is a Good Page Load Time for SEO — How Fast Is Fast Enough?</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-improve-your-google-pagespeed-insights-score/">How to Improve Your Google PageSpeed Insights Score</a></p>

<p><a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/speed-is-a-killer/"><u>How to Increase Page Speed</u></a></p>

<p><a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/google-pagespeed-insights/"><u>How to Score a Perfect 100% on Google PageSpeed Insights</u></a><br></p>

When it comes to the benefits of migrating to a Headless CMS, performance is often cited as a primary driver. This short article outlines why this is such a crucial issue and explores how a Headless CMS delivers enhanced performance.

Site Speed and Headless CMS

2 Guide To Migrating Off Wordpress

The following guide outlines the steps you need to take if you are considering migrating off WordPress to a Headless CMS like Contento.

Guide to Migrate off WordPress to a Headless CMS

<h2>Migrating off WordPress</h2>

<p>WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. Since its origins in 2003, it has grown to power about a third of all websites (exact stats vary, but <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress">W3Techs</a> claims that WordPress is used by 43% of all websites). There is no close second, instead, the chasing pack consists of a long list of alternatives. Most have less than 0.5% market share but when one considers the global market of 200 Million active websites a tiny % share can translate into a seriously big business. Take Contentful as one example, a leading Headless CMS, which raised $175M in 2021 at a $3Bn valuation will have less than 50,000 customers (Source <a href="https://trends.builtwith.com/websitelist/Contentful">BuiltWith</a>).</p>

<p>In its 20-year life, WordPress has also spawned a huge ecosystem of developers, designers, and agencies all advocating for its ongoing supremacy. However, in recent years the growth of Website Builders like Squarespace and Wix have become popular, and have become strong growth businesses without needing to worry about winning business over from WordPress.</p>

<p>However, when it comes to the data relating to WordPress dominance, there are additional layers to consider, personal websites versus commercial websites, as well as websites for high-growth tech companies versus basic brochure-ware sites.  </p>

<p>For those looking to pick a CMS to power a fast <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-growth">growing B2B SaaS</a> scale-up the picture is very different with a host of alternatives from Webflow to the use of a Headless CMS solution being much more prominent.</p>

<p>This is very much the focus of this article, viewing WordPress in terms of its suitability for <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-website">B2B SaaS websites</a>. B2B SaaS companies have some unique characteristics that I’ll describe below which means that WordPress is not an ideal fit for those aspiring to drive growth (as I’ll argue below).</p>

<hr>

<h2>Benefits of WordPress</h2>

<p>The benefits of WordPress are all too apparent as it allows users to quickly and easily create basic websites. The ecosystem of Plugins helps users to then get the most out of the platform. In technical terms, WordPress sits in the monolithic camp, where the content management system and user-facing website are combined in contrast to the Headless CMS camp that has been emerging.</p>

<h3>Key Benefits of WordPress</h3>

<ul><li><p>Lots of plug-ins help extend the functionality of WordPress e.g. Yoast for SEO</p></li><li><p>Lots of WordPress developers are available to help manage and maintain your site</p></li><li><p>Lots of available themes to style the site without needing to start from scratch</p></li><li><p>In general, it can be easy to use but in many instances, it is not</p></li></ul>

<hr>

<h2>WordPress Issues</h2>

<p>There are several <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/wordpress-issues">WordPress issues</a> that users need to be aware of. As stated above a B2B SaaS context is relevant here. B2B SaaS companies take years to build and the marketing team can go through many leaders who all leave a mark on the setup, adding plugins and users over the years. </p>

<p>Hence, a WordPress site that is several years old is likely to suffer from <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/website-bloat">website bloat</a>, site speed issues, and stability challenges.</p>

<h3>Main WordPress Issues</h3>

<h4>1 - Need for a WordPress Developer on Retainer</h4>

<p>It is commonplace for B2B SaaS companies to have an external WordPress developer on a retainer for site maintenance and management. </p>

<h4>2 - Poor Site Speed</h4>

<p>Again for B2B SaaS sites running on WordPress, site performance can degrade significantly after a few years. Certain themes can contain surplus code which can negatively impact the speed of the site and cause slow load times.Slow sites impact SEO ranking as well as lead conversion rates. </p>

<h4>3 - SEO Limitations</h4>

<p>WordPress sites can perform well especially when Yoast is installed correctly and is used properly. However, it is common for WordPress sites to lack Yoast and thus SEO can be suboptimal resulting in poor Google ranking. Most B2B SaaS companies rely heavily on Inbound marketing and thus need to ensure a strong SEO foundation.</p>

<h4>4 - Need for 3rd Party PlugIns</h4>

<p>Sourcing, managing, and maintaining 3rd party plugins is a real headache for most marketing functions, particularly in the case of legacy plugins that were installed by a previous marketing person no longer working at the company. </p>

<h4>5 - Access Credentials</h4>

<p>As referenced earlier, marketing functions can run through several different personnel over the years. In some instances, the clean-up exercise after someone leaves is non-existent so you can end up with several people retaining access even after they have left the company.</p>

<h4>6 - Security Vulnerabilities</h4>

<p>Given that WordPress is an Open Source platform, and it relies heavily on plugins to extend the functionality as well as themes for customization it can easily contain bugs or malicious code. Similarly, WordPress updates can often render parts of your theme or some plugins usable. The more plugins you use, the more likely it is for you to encounter more compatibility problems. </p>

<blockquote><p>As of December 2021, <a href="http://WordPress.org">WordPress.org</a> has 59,756 plugins available, each of which offers custom functions and features enabling users to tailor their sites to their specific needs.</p></blockquote>

<p>— <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordPress#Plugins"><em>Wikipedia</em></a><br><br>In short, the whole maintenance process for WordPress can be quite daunting, and you have to be prepared to manage plugins and themes to ensure you continue to have a functional website. Again this explains the reliance companies have on WordPress developers.</p>

<p>Given these issues, an increasing number of B2B SaaS companies are turning to Headless CMS [<a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/what-is-a-headless-cms">What is a Headless CMS?</a>] solutions to manage their websites, migrating off WordPress in the process.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Headless CMS -  a Definition</h2>

<p>So what is a Headless CMS and why is this approach becoming popular?</p>

<p>A Headless CMS is one where the front-end and the back-end are decoupled with the content, which is housed in the back-end content management system, being exposed via an API. </p>

<p>Taking a website as the endpoint, using a Headless CMS approach creates a delineation where the developers can focus on the front-end design and the marketing function can concentrate on ‘the content’ (everything from content creation through to SEO). </p>

<p>The Headless CMS has one primary function: storing and delivering <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/structured-content">structured content</a> and enabling the marketing function to easily generate new content.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Benefits of Headless CMS</h2>

<p>So what are some of the benefits of Headless CMS?</p>

<h4>1 - Flexibility</h4>

<p>By decoupling the front-end from the back-end you can easily update the visual appearance of the website without needing to change the content structure. Future website redesigns can also be delivered quickly since all you have to do is make changes to the front-end rather than need to re-platform your entire Content Management System. You also have full control over the site’s appearance as you are not constrained by templates or themes.</p>

<h4>2 - Clean Separation</h4>

<p>There is a much clearer delineation - developers can focus on creating a visually stunning website while the marketing team can focus on content creation. And the good news for those working in SaaS - most front-end developers will be quickly able to support the marketing team. You won’t need the specialist skills of a Webflow or WordPress developer that you’ll have to outsource to, you can use developers that are already part of your product team on short sprints to assist the marketing department.</p>

<h4>3 - Speed</h4>

<p>The underlying architecture is a common framework called <a href="https://jamstack.org/">Jamstack</a> which is designed to deliver a fast, secure and scalable website. </p>

<h4>4 - Ease of Use</h4>

<p>With a <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/contento-cms">Headless CMS like Contento</a>, the marketing team can easily manage and maintain the website without needing to outsource to specialist developers. If a new page needs to be designed an in-house front-end developer will be able to assist.</p>

<h3>Recommended Resource - Key Benefits of a Headless CMS</h3>

<p>For a longer, more detailed outline of the advantages: <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/benefits-headless-cms">What are the Key Benefits of a Headless CMS?</a>.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Drawbacks of Headless CMS</h2>

<h4>1 - No Template to Build Your Website From</h4>

<p>As the front end is decoupled, a developer will need to build the website themselves and use the APIs of the Headless CMS to access the content. By decoupling the CMS from the front-end they can choose any technology they are already familiar with to power the site.</p>

<h4>2 - Making Content Live</h4>

<p>Because most sites that use a Headless CMS are statically generated they typically only get updated when a build process is run. This process takes place away from the Headless CMS e.g Contento, usually on something like Netlify or Buddy and it needs to be triggered when you are ready to push your new content live. <a href="https://www.contento.io">Contento</a> lets you do this at the push of a button, but it can still be confusing that your content is up-to-date in the Headless CMS but not yet live on the site.</p>

<h4>3 - Seems More Expensive</h4>

<p>It can seem more expensive to run a Jamstack site that uses a Headless CMS. You have a lot more connected services, usually provided by other SaaS businesses [see list below] - and these costs can add up. On the flip side, things usually go wrong a lot less and you don’t need to keep a specialist platform-specific developer on retainer to put out fires and to add new pages.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Headless CMS and B2B SaaS</h2>

<p>So why is Headless CMS a popular choice for those working in B2B SaaS?</p>

<p>As software companies, they will have developers who are au fait with Jamstack. Jamstack is an architecture designed to make the web faster, more secure, and easier to scale. As <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/jamstack-headless-cms">Headless CMS is a Jamstack</a> approach, it tends to be very popular with front-end developers.</p>

<p>From a maintenance point of view, it also means that there is in-house developer capability if needed (unlike other CMS’ like Webflow or WordPress that need more specialist help).  </p>

<p>As B2B SaaS companies place a particular emphasis on inbound marketing, the importance of content is paramount. A fast, high-performing site that can drive leads is a table-stakes requirement. </p>

<p>Finally, applications like Contento offer value to both sides of the table, developers and marketers alike, in stark contrast to other approaches that tend to favor one side over the other.  </p>

<hr>

<h2>Why Migrate off WordPress?</h2>

<p>The motivations for migrating off WordPress tend to be a mix of push and pull factors.</p>

<p>Internal dissatisfaction can be high especially in the marketing function, particularly in instances where the deployment is a few years old and some of the problems listed above are prevalent e.g. slow clunky site, challenges updating etc.</p>

<p>Other issues may include a new Chief Marketing Officer or Head of Marketing looking to make their mark, a brand refresh, an investment raise, or a desire to grow without being hampered by the CMS.</p>

<p>Site conversion rates depend on a site's ability to generate high-quality SEO-optimised content, run on a fast well-designed website, and one that the marketing function can easily maintain in-house.</p>

<hr>

<h2>The Broader Tech Stack</h2>

<p>Before you commence the migration process there are a few elements to note. When you were using WordPress you only had PHP &amp; MySQL hosting with the CMS installed on it. Everything your users saw on the front-end of the site came directly from the server that had WordPress installed on it. For a Jamstack site, you will require some additional tools alongside the Headless CMS.</p>

<blockquote><p>Jamstack is an architectural approach that decouples the web experience layer from data and business logic, improving flexibility, scalability, performance, and maintainability.</p></blockquote>

<p>— <a href="http://jamstack.org"><em>jamstack.org</em></a><br><br>Below is a list of all the typical pieces in the stack, with suggested tools or services that we either use ourselves or know work well:</p>

<ul><li><p>Static site generator: <a href="https://nextjs.org/">Next.js</a>, <a href="https://nuxtjs.org/">Nuxt,</a> <a href="https://www.gatsbyjs.com/">Gatsby</a></p></li><li><p>Build pipeline and static hosting: <a href="https://www.netlify.com/">Netlify</a>, <a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/">Cloudflare</a> (workers and CDN), <a href="https://github.com/">GitHub</a> (actions and pages), <a href="https://buddy.works/">Buddy</a> (build pipeline)</p></li><li><p>Version control and code storage: <a href="https://github.com/">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://about.gitlab.com/">GitLab</a>, <a href="https://bitbucket.org/">Bitbucket</a></p></li><li><p>Headless CMS: Contento, Contentstack, Storyblok, Sanity</p></li></ul>

<hr>

<h2>The 5-Step WordPress Migration Process</h2>

<p>Once you have decided to migrate to a Headless CMS setup like Contento, you need to undertake the following steps.</p>

<ol><li><p><a href="https://app.gocontento.com/register">Register for a Contento account</a>.</p></li><li><p>Create your site structure / content model (create <a href="https://www.contento.io/docs/architecture-guide#content-types">content types</a> that define the schema of each piece of content on your site - you’ll create <a href="https://www.contento.io/docs/architecture-guide#fields">fields</a>, define validation rules and figure out things like what is a blog post vs what is a generic page).</p></li><li><p>Migrate your content from WordPress to Contento - you can either do this manually by re-creating it afresh or for larger sites, you will want to handle this by exporting it from WordPress and then by <a href="https://www.contento.io/contact">getting in touch with us</a> and we will import it for you.</p></li><li><p>Connect the front-end of your site to Contento via our <a href="https://www.contento.io/docs/content-api/v1">Content API</a>.</p></li><li><p>Deploy to Netlify or similar.</p></li></ol>

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<h2>Pre WordPress Migration Activities to Perform</h2>

<p>As part of the migration process, there will be several activities that need to be undertaken beforehand to ensure a smooth transition. These include</p>

<ol><li><p>List of all pages (list of URL’s)</p></li><li><p>List of all top Performing Pages (including conversion rates)</p></li><li><p>List of Third-Party Apps and Integrations</p></li></ol>

<h3>Recommended Resource</h3>

<p>The following website migration checklist can help you identify many of the tasks that need to be undertaken as part of the transition: <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-migration">B2B SaaS Website Migration Checklist</a>.</p>

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<h2>Post Relaunch Tasks</h2>

<p>When you have upgraded the legacy site and replaced it with a brand-new Headless CMS it is important to run several checks to ensure it is performing optimally. </p>

<h3>Key Activities to Perform Include</h3>

<ol><li><p>Reindex via Google Search Console</p></li><li><p>Ensure all Forms are Firing Correctly</p></li><li><p>Add an Annotation to Google Analytics to Tag the Date of the switch</p></li><li><p>Run a 404 check using Broken Link Checker</p></li><li><p>Run a Site Audit using aHRefs, SEMRush or Uber Suggest</p></li></ol>

<h3>Recommended Resource - B2B SaaS Website Migration Checklist</h3>

<p>The following article contains a much more detailed overview of the main tasks that need to be performed as part of a site migration: <a href="https://www.contento.io/blog/b2b-saas-migration">B2B SaaS Website Migration Checklist</a>.</p>

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<h2>Summary</h2>

<p>In summary, as B2B SaaS companies look to grow, a CMS upgrade is usually one part of the process that is considered. Many B2B SaaS companies prioritize inbound marketing and thus optimizing the content performance becomes paramount. It is at this point that the decision to upgrade to a more enterprise-grade solution happens and migration off WordPress or other similar template-based solutions naturally occurs. A growing number of SaaS scale-ups are looking to Headless CMS as an approach that meets the needs of both the marketing function and the technology function.</p>

Guide to Migrating off WordPress

9 What Is A Headless Cms

Headless CMS offers a number of compelling benefits. This short article outlines some of the key benefits so you can make an informed decision about upgrading.

<h2>What is a Headless CMS?</h2>

<p>The use of Headless Content Management Systems (CMS) has grown in popularity in recent years. This short article outlines the evolution before outlining some of the key benefits of the approach.</p>

<h2>Classic CMS’s</h2>

<p>Classic CMSs represent the primary method of delivering content management for many sites today, especially those that are a few years old.</p>

<p>The basic setup is an application that holds the content and allows the marketing manager to manage it (the CMS), which you host yourself or via a third party on a dedicated server like those offered by Digital Ocean or Linode. That application can pull content out of the database via a template language that compiles it down to HTML.</p>

<p>Template languages like Twig, Blade, Liquid, or Handlebars are usually simpler than using a raw back-end language and help front-end engineers to create the front of the site without having to learn the entire back-end ecosystem.</p>

<p>Sometimes there is no middle layer, WordPress for instance ships with PHP templates by default. This means you are mixing PHP directly in with HTML, which in short can lead to confusing and less-performant code.</p>

<p>In terms of what end-users see, it’s just like any other CMS or online application - they go to a URL (usually something like mysite.com/admin), log in and edit content using forms.</p>

<h2>Main Disadvantages</h2>

<p>Because the CMS itself is busy processing the template language and rendering the content, on top of updating content when someone edits something, the load on the server can sometimes balloon quickly. This means response times can slow down, and the front-end users can start to notice the site feels sluggish.</p>

<p>On top of that, pages can be slow to parse and compile down to HTML, front-end developers may not fully understand how to write performant database queries but are being asked to when using the templating layer, or sometimes the pages are just big and full of content.</p>

<p>To solve this bottleneck frequently a modern CMS like Craft or WordPress will use a caching system (usually via an add-on). This typically saves the resulting HTML down to a flat file on disk, which can be fetched quickly the next time the same request comes in. Whilst the end-result can be super fast for your users, setting up caching and getting it to invalidate properly can be tricky - oftentimes content editors end up publishing something in the CMS but not having it live on the site and have no idea why.</p>

<p>From a marketing perspective, there can be additional issues ranging from poor admin interfaces, difficulty updating complex types of content, security vulnerabilities due to third-party add-on’s etc.</p>

<p>There is also a natural evolution when it comes to B2B SaaS companies that outgrow legacy systems and are keen to upgrade to the latest cutting-edge CMS technology.</p>

<hr>

<h2>What is a Headless CMS ?</h2>

<p>We use the term headless to describe the next group of CMS’ because they come without a templating and rendering layer - they have no way to send fully-formed HTML to the browser, and don’t expose routes by themselves (e.g. /blog/my-post) at the primary domain.</p>

<p>Instead, they operate isolated from the front-end of the site and expose only an API for developers to interact with. At this point, developers can choose a myriad of different ways to get the content from the CMS to the front-end of the site. The quickest route is to call the Headless CMS API live in the browser, but this leads to endless spinners and loading states as content downloads.</p>

<p>Usually, the front-end codebase will make the API calls it needs to as part of a build process - this process only happens when needed, like when content changes in the CMS or when code has been updated by the dev team.</p>

<p>Once the build process has been run and produced all the HTML as flat files, those files can then be served up to the users very very quickly. They can also be easily deployed to global CDNs and replicated on servers physically near end-users.</p>

<p>There is also the bonus that the front-end is decoupled from the back-end, meaning you host both applications on more specifically appropriate hardware, and can also swap either part out for a new one with a lot less risk.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Implications for Marketing</h2>

<p>In terms of how this applies to the marketing team, in one sense there is little difference if the content modelling is done properly - you can build great and terrible sites on both systems! </p>

<p>The main upside for headless though is that the end-result website will likely be faster because using a headless CMS lends itself to a build process that produces flat HTML files which can then be cached and deployed on a CDN.</p>

<p>When it comes to changes in the content model both systems will require a developer to do something - but in the headless model it can be a lot less error-prone to roll out changes, resulting in fewer upsets or “<em>site down!</em>” calls.</p>

<p>However, there are trade-offs that you need to be aware of. You are essentially separating the two core components. You will thus need a developer to design the front-end of the site, as the marketing team primarily focuses on the content side. It is also best suited to teams that are scaling up and are looking to add more content and pages and want to do so while allowing free rein to designers to focus on the design. For growing B2B SaaS companies, looking to take their company to the next level, a Headless CMS like <a href="https://www.contento.io">Contento</a> represents an attractive option.</p>

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<h2>Summary</h2>

<p>Of course, it’s not quite as simple as the binary split as we’ve made it out to be here. You can self-host your own Headless CMS and there are plenty of SaaS offerings that deploy classic CMS solutions for you. This split is simply helpful to use when thinking about the two camps, as most often they fall into these two configurations.</p>

This short blog outlines the evolution from classic content management systems towards modern-day Headless CMS stacks.