Let me tell you, six years ago when I launched my gluten-free baking blog (RIP "Doughn’t Worry Be Gluten-Free"), I thought picking a CMS would be as simple as choosing between Target and Walmart. Oh man, was I wrong.
I started with WordPress because my cousin’s neighbor’s dog walker swore by it. Cue the montage of me crying over broken plugins at 2 AM, accidentally turning my recipe page into a psychedelic abstract art project. (Turns out "child themes" aren’t just for nursery blogs.) But here’s the kicker – WordPress taught me to stop treating websites like Jenga towers. Always back up your work, kids.
My turning point? When I tried selling handmade cookie cutters during the pandemic. Shopify became my lifeline – their inventory system worked smoother than my KitchenAid mixer. But then Squarespace lured me in with templates prettier than a Pinterest board. I lasted three months before realizing drag-and-drop editors and I have the same relationship as oil and water.
Here’s what stuck from my CMS rodeo:
- WordPress is your reliable pickup truck – it’ll haul anything (blogs, stores, forums) if you’re willing to learn manual transmission
- Shopify’s the drive-thru coffee shop of e-commerce – fast, consistent, but you’ll pay extra for caramel drizzle (apps)
- Wix is like IKEA furniture – satisfying to click together, but good luck moving that bookshelf later
- Surprisingly, Google Sites became my MVP for coaching my kid’s soccer team schedule. Free and foolproof? Yes please.
Last summer, I helped my brother-in-law migrate his BBQ sauce biz from Weebly to Squarespace. Watching him discover "section dividers" was like witnessing someone taste brisket for the first time. That’s when it clicked – the best CMS isn’t about features; it’s about what makes you stop muttering "for the love of Pete" under your breath.
Want my real-talk advice? Start simple. Use whatever lets you publish instead of perfect. My neighbor’s thriving Etsy vintage teacup side hustle runs on a Carrd site that took 20 minutes to build. Your CMS should feel like broken-in jeans – not whatever Kim Kardashian says is trendy.
(Though full disclosure – I’m now weirdly into headless CMS platforms. Storyblok? More addictive than my Nespresso habit. But that’s a campfire story for when you’ve outgrown WordPress.)
Whatever you pick, just promise me one thing: backup your site before tweaking anything. My 2017 kale-chip giveaway catastrophe still haunts my dreams.