What Questions to Ask CMS Vendors
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TL;DR
Before signing a CMS contract, ask vendors about total cost of ownership (including overages and add-ons), data portability and exit clauses, API rate limits, SLA guarantees, upgrade paths, and how pricing scales with traffic or users. The right questions surface hidden costs and lock-in risks before you're committed.
Key Takeaways
- Always ask about overage fees, not just base pricing — many vendors charge steeply once you exceed plan limits.
- Clarify data ownership and export rights upfront to avoid vendor lock-in.
- Ask for a detailed SLA with uptime guarantees, support response times, and financial remedies.
- Understand the upgrade/migration path: what happens when your needs outgrow the current tier?
- Request customer references in your industry and of similar scale.