Which Content Management System is the best?: CMS Series part 3 of 3
In part 1 of this series we answered the question “What is a Content Management System? ” In part 2 we covered “Why you need a Content Management System .” Now we are looking at a question we are asked frequently: “Which content management system is the best?”
It’s a bit like asking “what is the best hammer for me?” Well, what are you going to be doing with that hammer? Are you framing out a two story house or putting up a picture frame? Those are two very different tasks, and two hammers that would be a “best fit.”
There are two main kinds of CMS: open source and custom. Both allow you to easily manage content, media, and users. Both are stable, secure, and scalable for future growth. However, each have their benefits and drawbacks:
Open Source CMS
- Definition: software created by a community of developers , free to use and adapt to your purposes
- Benefits: extensive documentation, countless modules, easy to find developers
- Drawbacks: website pages load slower (more queries), one size fits all approach limits customization, complicated administration area includes unused features
- Options: Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress (all on PHP)
Custom
- Definition: CMS which is constructed around your specific task, workflow, or technology requirements
- Benefits: faster page loads (fewer queries), everything you want and nothing you do not
- Drawbacks: no extra features
- Options: Keep it Simple CMS
What feature or characteristic is most important to you?
- If you want open source software, extensive documentation, a community of developers: Drupal or Joomla
- If you want the site completely customized to your workflow, quick loading pages for visitors: KIS
eye9 Design is a Colorado web design company providing website design and web development services to clients in the Denver metro area and across the nation.
Why you need a Content Management System: CMS Series Part 2 of 3
In part 1 of this series we answered the question “What is a Content Management System? ” Now we are looking at why your site should have a content management system, or “CMS.”
A website has become one of the primary modes of communication in today’s business world. It has many advantages, including
- Omnipresent: a website is not limited by geography or time zones, and can be accessed 24/7 by visitors around the world
- Transient: did you decide you want to change that marketing tagline? Found a typo in that press release? You can change content and, unlike brochures or signage, it is instantaneously available to the world
However, there are a couple challenges that companies often face
- Expertise: websites are written in coding languages that most people cannot effectively use
- Frequency: website content has a notoriously short shelf life, and needs to be updated regularly to stay fresh
- Budget: paying web designer fees to upload a press release can be a drain on your budget
Content Management Systems eliminate these barriers. They allow anyone to update the website without technical knowledge, allowing more people throughout your organization to have a role in keeping your website up to date. It also allows you to focus your technology on investing in new web development features or increasing your search engine rankings.
We have covered “What is a CMS ” and “Why you need a CMS.” In the final part of this series we cover “What is the best Content Management System? ”
eye9 Design is a leading Denver website development company .
What is a Content Management System: CMS Series Part 1 of 3
First off, what is a content management system (CMS)? As the name implies, a CMS is a tool that allows you to manage your own website without any design or development experience. There are a number of great CMS, and we build your website on top of this platform so you can update pages, menus, pictures, users, and more.
Sometimes metaphors are helpful to explain concepts more clearly. Let’s say you need to get from Denver to Phoenix, so you need a car. Toyota has spent millions of dollars in R&D to make sure the car is dependable, efficient, and easy to drive. You may never understand the principles of aerodynamics or torque. However, if you can push the gas pedal (and the brake!) and steer the car, you do not need to understand all that.
Just like your investment in a car allows you the benefit of easy transportation, a content management system allows you to manage a website without any programming knowledge. Like Toyota, developers have spent countless hours developing dependable, efficient CMS that are easy to use. Similar to the car example above, you do not need to understand the technical principles behind the tool. You just need to know how type some text, insert a picture, or upload a file…basic tasks you likely perform every day on your PC!
Now that you know what a CMS is, check out part 2 of this series: Why you need a content management system .
eye9 Design is a leading Denver design firm .
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