In Tips Feb 10, 201024
Choosing the Right Content Management System for Your Project
With the increase in developers producing mass quantities of Content Management Systems, in terms of functionality and overall quality we must learn what to look for in the one that’s just right for our projects and satisfies our needs.
Thousands of CMS’s available, and only a fraction can truly speak for themselves. But even then, choosing the right one can always be a bit of a hard task, especially if you’re not looking forward to having to switch from one CMS to the next several times resulting in the loss of valuable time.
What’s Really A CMS?
When we sit back and analyze the true nature of a Content Management System (CMS), we generally come up with an answer along the lines of “A system (that uses a database such as MySQL) put into place allowing the user to create, edit, manage, publish and store HTML content that’s easily accessible. The content that’s published is then showcased to the viewers in whatever way, shape or form the user specifies.
Below, we’ve outlined several key points that will help you choose the right Content Management System for your next project.
Flexible User Interface
One of the most important qualities a great CMS can posses is how well it allows a user to interact and accomplish a variety of tasks with the user interface. A good CMS should allow you to effectively manage your website, be simple enough to carry out day-to-day tasks with little or no effort, and have a well designed WYSIWYG editor. Understanding how your CMS works is key, but having an easy to interact-with user interface is vital.
Being able to smoothly edit, customize the visual structure, and other technical aspects is of grave importance. No user wants to become frustrated and tired with their CMS because it doesn’t offer the flexibility they need. Which conveniently brings us to our next point; comprehensive functionality.
Comprehensive Functionality
Basic functions of a CMS include the creation, deletion, editing, customization, and organizing of pages. And because of this, almost everyone believes that every Content Management System they come across implement these features into their core functionality. This train of thought has been proven wrong time after time. These basic functions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you’re CMS should come with.
For example, not every CMS will allow the user to categorize pages in parent and child format, instead some may only allow you to have a few parent pages and no subs. This can be very frustrating for a user that has numerous pages and uses a number of categories in their website. Therefore the common misconception that every CMS allows you to group your pages in tree hierarchy format is wrong, and this feature should be analyzed separately when it comes to choosing your CMS.
Same concept goes for what features you want your CMS to have in terms of function. You should analyze how easy it is to perform tasks, and if the usability of that particular CMS is up-to-par with what you need. Always make sure you test the system in place for functionality and usability. These two aspects can make or break a good a CMS.
Plugins, Addons and Extensions
Most Content Management Systems give you the option of customizing the way your content is viewed and how it may interact as well. This is can be accomplished with the use of extensions and plugins that modify how the data behaves internally to produce a corresponding external presence. These components are usually installed using the user interface or by uploading the required files to the correct directory.
When searching for the right content management system, make sure you find out if you’re able to add plugins and extensions to enhance your sites appearance and the way it delivers content. This can save you a lot of time by eliminating some of the repetitive coding that in any other case your site would require to take care of the same exact tasks a plugin can otherwise carry-out.
Security
Selecting the right Content Management System means you should analyze the support for an existing structure for security. If your CMS doesn’t offer much of a stable level of security, then make sure a security system can be implemented or that you’re able to edit the “technical” structure to add your own security using PHP and other technologies.
Some CMS’s secure the management end (i.e. admin, control panel, etc.), but they don’t offer any sort of security when it comes to the delivery of content (i.e. the directory and site folders). Make sure you take an in-depth look at how you’re going to be protected, this can save countless headaches.
The Installation
Not every CMS is as easy to set-up like WordPress or Movable Type for example, and sometimes depending on how easy it is to install, this can reflect how easy it could be to use the system. Many hosting companies will automatically install a few types of CMS’s to your domain (i.e. Joomla, WordPress, Drupal), however there are a few that require you to manually upload them to your directory using an FTP.
At any rate, an easy installation can go a long way and can save you loads of time. Sometimes a manual installation isn’t as bad as it seems since this will allow you to become familiarized with the content structure of the CMS within the entire directory.
Conclusion
Content Management Systems have become one of the most sought out and utilized platforms for publishing content on the web, and yet, finding and choosing the right CMS fit for your project and the tasks at hand can be a difficult feat, especially for those without some sort of guide.
Remember, the process of choosing the best CMS to get the job done needs to run as smoothly as possible and must meet some if not most of the requirements above. Using the information we’ve outlined, it can ensure that the CMS you choose will provide the best possible solution for your needs and will increase the chances of maximizing the value and quality of the way you choose to publish content.
Everyone at Design Reviver would like to apologies to Trent Walton – It appears that we used an image of his in this post without permission. There is no excuse for this, Design Reviver will endeavor to make sure this never happens again. I hope you can forgive us Trent.Update – Trent has kindly accepted our apology and allowed us to use his image. Checkout his awesome CMS Breakdown article from where the image was sourced.
24 Comments
Feb 10, 2010
Nice article. Many people ask me what CMS they should use. A good overview with different systems can be found here: http://php.opensourcecms.com/
You find a demo of each system and you can login as admin to make changes. It is a good way to try and decide whats the best solution for you. But I recommend to test only 3-4 CMS at the same time to stay on top of things.
Feb 10, 2010
Great resource! I’ve always been prone to use WordPress, but I’ve been thinking about switching for different reasons, I’ll keep your tips in mind..
Feb 10, 2010
Where’s that nice headerpicture from?
Feb 10, 2010
[...] Direct Link [...]
Feb 11, 2010
Drupal, modx and wordpress ~ no need for anything else.
Feb 11, 2010
made some sites with MODx and wordpress, and i think wordpress is getting better and better for using als a CMS. the admin GUI is very well and far better than in MODx.
Feb 11, 2010
@Andy, the image is from Trent Walton’s blog: http://trentwalton.com/
@Torsten, thank you for your input, that’s a good link to open source CMS’s!
@boris and hans,
Seems that you both agree on MODX and WordPress, their both great CMS’s although I’ve dabbled more with WordPress. Some have a different preference, and sometimes you’ll probably come across a designer that prefers Joomla (even though it’s over priced plugins and complications), and we may ask why? But it just works for them
Feb 11, 2010
How about a list of popular CMS’s to refer to? Another article on what the strengths/weaknesses of each are would be an amazing resource!
Feb 11, 2010
Feb 11, 2010
Not to pile on here, but you really shouldn’t use a header image like that unless you ask Trent if you can use it. If you hadn’t have referenced it in the comments, people would typically assume you put it together.
Feb 12, 2010
[...] Choosing the Right Content Management System for Your Project Not every CMS is as easy to set-up like WordPress or Movable Type for example, and sometimes depending on how easy it is to install, this can reflect how easy it could be to use the system. Many hosting companies will automatically install a few types of CMS’s to your domain (i.e. Joomla, WordPress, Drupal), however there are a few that require you to manually upload them to your directory using an FTP. [...]
Feb 12, 2010
In my case, I love using Wordpress for the blog, and SPIP for anything else
Feb 12, 2010
Wordpress is a very good CMS flexible and clients love it. I tried Joomla but is very sluggish to work with and the clients request me all the time to add content. Haven’t tried mods yet bu I heard some good things. Sliverstripe is not bad either. For a premium cms I recommend expression engine.
Feb 13, 2010
One word: Drupal. I apologize if I come off as a koolaid drinker. But I’ve used it for almost every large site I’ve had to make by myself since 2007. It has always come through for me. It’s a little harder to theme and make as pretty as a Wordpress site, for example, but well worth it. I’d say Drupal does “what you need” at least 75% of the time with just core functionality and free modules. Get a starter theme, like Zen, and make it into whatever you want with hardcore CSS treachery and you’re set. If the push comes to shove, and it sometimes does, put your PHP skills to the test and make new Drupal modules. I use Wordpress the rest of the time, and for small to medium sites I just do it from scratch.
Feb 13, 2010
One thing I’d like to add to the list is the community. They make a big difference in extending the functionality of the CMS. They also offer a lot of assistance if you’re trying to troubleshoot.
I wrote a blog post, CMS Comparison: Choosing the Right Tools applies a lot of these principles but looks at individual systems (Movable Type, Wordpress, Tumblr, Expression Engine, and SquareSpace)
Feb 13, 2010
Thanks for the update. There was obviously no harm intended. Feel free to use the diagram. I bet many designers would be happy to let bloggers use certain imagery if they’re asked & credited. After all, I spent a decent chunk of time on that diagram & I’d love to see it get as much mileage as possible!
Feb 14, 2010
I have to say I am a huge Joomla! fan. The greatest reason for using a decent CMS has to be that the designer can deliver so much functionality to the client at minimal cost in terms of licensing and development time. The learning curve is steep but rewarding.
Feb 14, 2010
[...] the Right Content Management System for Your [...]
Feb 17, 2010
I’ve got the perfect CMS for ya, it’s called notepad. And when things get hairy, there is a great feature in there called find and replace that will basically solve all of your needs. A little bit of PHP… and you are done. This is how everyone should build their first website, gotta learn somewhere if you want to progress anything.
Feb 18, 2010
is there a comparison article for all of the cms that’s used mostly nowadays?
Feb 19, 2010
@Chris, gotta disagree to an extent. If you have to make a huge website for a client by yourself that needs user accounts, databases, galleries, blogs, shopping carts, and so on, doing it all yourself would take ages and it’s not even worth it unless you have an advanced understanding of programming for security (above all else, but among other things). By the time you have the CS understanding to make all of that…you could have learned an existing one from the core up and developed for it, and you’d be better off. Using a good CMS is invaluable in terms of productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. You get a framework, core functionality up the wazoo, security, and it’s modular and flexible so you can program and make more blocks to add on. And it isn’t always easy. It can be challenging. Making good Drupal modules, for instance, is not for “newbs.” A lot of them are also free, open source, and driven by huge communities that can make intense, complex add-ons quickly and cooperatively. You can actually learn A LOT developing for a CMS.
Feb 19, 2010
Good place to start the CMS evaluations is www. cmsmatrix.org
Apr 1, 2010
This is a great post! Especially with slashed IT budgets and the now economic recovery – the question of Open Source CMS is often coming up with clients at Oshyn. So we wrote and yesterday released this free white paper: Open Source CMS: Is it right for your organization?
K
Aug 2, 2010
Joomla the best
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