CMS WEBSITES / GUIDE
A plain-English guide for small business owners. What a content management system does, what "headless" means, some examples, and whether it matters for your website.
A content management system (CMS) is the part of a website where you change the words, pictures and pages without editing code. You log in, update the opening hours or add a new service, and the website shows the change.
Without a CMS, every change means asking a developer to edit the website files. That is fine for a site that never changes, and slow and expensive for one that does.
A traditional CMS does two jobs in one system: it stores your content and it builds the pages people see. The "head" is that front end, meaning the design and pages visitors see.
A headless CMS only stores and manages the content. A separate front end asks the CMS for that content and decides how to display it. The content and the design are kept apart, connected through an API.
SIDE BY SIDE
| Feature | Traditional CMS | Headless CMS |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Stores content and builds the pages. | Stores content; a separate front end builds the pages. |
| Changing the design | Often tied to the CMS's themes and plugins. | The design can be replaced while the content stays put. |
| Reusing content | Mainly organised around one website. | The same content can feed several pages, sites or apps. |
| Editing | Usually edit the page you see. | Usually edit structured blocks or fields, then preview. |
| Setup | Quick to start with off-the-shelf themes. | Needs a developer to build and connect the front end. |
These are general differences. Many platforms now offer traditional, headless or hybrid options, so the details depend on the product and how it is set up.
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EXAMPLES
The most widely used CMS, traditionally themes and plugins in one system. It also has an API that developers can use to run it headless.
An open-source CMS built on .NET, popular with UK agencies. Used traditionally, with options for headless content delivery.
Enterprise .NET platforms used by larger organisations, both now offering headless and hybrid approaches.
Built headless from the start. They manage content only and leave the website itself to developers.
Examples are for illustration and are not a recommendation. Features, licensing and pricing change, so check with each provider.
Usually, you should not have to think about it. What matters to a local business is simpler: can you change your own content easily, does the website look right on a phone, and who fixes it when something goes wrong.
Headless can help when the same content appears in several places, when the design is likely to change, or when the website connects to other systems. For a small website with content that rarely changes, a CMS may not be needed at all.
Any CMS needs hosting, security updates, backups and someone to call when something breaks. Most small businesses have no technical staff for that, which is where websites tend to go out of date.
That is why we are building our headless .NET platform as a managed service. We look after the technical side, you edit simple content using ready-made blocks, and you can send us any change you would rather not make yourself.
See the managed CMS website plan ↗QUICK ANSWERS
Not necessarily. Editors usually work with labelled fields and content blocks instead of a page editor. With a preview button, that can be easier to get right, but it depends how the CMS is set up for you.
Not automatically. Search performance depends on the pages, content, speed and technical setup. A headless website can be fast and well structured, but so can a well-built traditional one.
A custom headless build usually costs more to set up than an off-the-shelf theme. A shared platform with ready-made templates, like the one we are building, spreads that cost across many small websites.
Usually, yes, but it needs planning: which content to move, what to rewrite, and how old addresses redirect to new ones. Tell us about your current website and we can discuss it.
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