Choosing the CMS System for You
Choosing the Right CMS System for You
CMS stands for ‘Content Management System‘, and such systems are now used on some of the worlds largest websites to enable administrators and webmasters to be able to manage their websites effectively without the need for constant modification of static HTML pages. CMS systems are in general much easier to use for those who just want to manage their websites since it allows them to setup multiple users who can manage different parts of a website, without the need to update multiple static pages once new content has been added to the website or existing content has been updated. There are many different factors that can affect your choice of CMS, most notably the kind of web hosting account that you have chosen to use; because of this, it is important to research the different CMS systems available to see which one is able to offer you exactly what you need. CMS systems are available in different forms, for example some have been written using one scripting language whilst others have been created using different languages since some web developers like to use different web hosting environments, dependent on their requirements. As well as the core CMS system, many applications can be expanded through the use of custom add-ons and themes.
Some CMS systems will work on certain web hosting packages only, whilst others will be able to function on any kind of web hosting package. Although you will probably choose to use an open source CMS system, you still need to be sure that the applications which you are going to use will work on your web hosting account since you don’t want to create extra work for yourself by having to install multiple applications for testing purposes. You can normally check the specifications required by a CMS system in order for it to run correctly on the website that you purchase or download it from, which will allow you to make sure that your web hosting account can support it before installing it. Such specifications you will need to take into consideration will include:
- operating system – normally you will have your web hosting package on either a Windows or a Linux web hosting server – because of the components needed by some CMS systems, they are unable to run on certain operating systems, Linux being a good example in the case where the CMS system concerned has been written and designed for use with Microsoft technologies
- scripting language – a majority of CMS systems are built and coded using the PHP scripting language and are normally intended for use with a MySQL database backend, meaning that such systems can be used on both Windows and Linux web hosting servers – however, CMS systems that have been written using classic ASP or ASP.NET will only be able to function on Microsoft Windows web hosting accounts and servers
- features – a majority of CMS systems come loaded with features once you have them installed as default, but you should also ensure that your chosen CMS has a good collection of add-ons which you can use to modify your installation if you wish to add extra features so that you can extend its functionality.
If you take the above factors into consideration then you may be able to find yourself the right CMS system with ease and only need to install it once. If you are short on time then having to install a CMS system multiple times can be a pain which is why you want to make sure that you have the right one selected early on. You should however ensure that you have made your decision on the hosting package that you are going to use beforehand.
CMS systems are available both for free and for a cost; free CMS systems normally available under an open source license meaning that such applications can be downloaded and modified as per your wish, paid systems however are normally much more stricter on such rules and are designed for small to medium sized businesses in the main. Free CMS systems are normally more than enough for beginners since a reasonable amount of technical knowledge is needed to have the application installed initially – modifying the source code to make it run the way you want it to is a completely different story. However, there are also other differences between free CMS applications and commercial ones, such as:
- level of support – free applications don’t come with any official support since there is no company earning any income from the application to actually be able to pay for support personnel – paid applications on the other hand do come with official support which can benefit you in the long term, especially if its 24×7
- security – you may find that there are security holes in any free application that you are using since developers only have a small amount of time to contribute to the development of CMS systems on the other hand and aren’t being paid for what they’re doing – commercial CMS systems on the other hand are developed much more securely since the developers who are building the application are paid to do so, and have more time to do so
- updates – updates for an open source CMS system may be few and far between, simply because the developers involved in the project don’t have enough time to contribute in order to being the application up to date and to make it more secure – when it comes down to commercial applications, the stance of such companies is normally the same as it is with security since they pay their staff to keep their applications up to date and secure.
With regards to these differences, they certainly say that if you are a home user or a small business user who doesn’t want to splash out on a CMS application then you should just consider an open source alternative. However, if you are a medium to large business wanting a CMS application then you should be considering a commercial alternative to ensure that your business website is as secure as possible.
The two different forms of CMS application come with completely different levels of support, and the support that you are eligible to receive is something that could affect your overall decision on the kind of system that you choose to use. Support is more of an issue for beginners who may not know how to manage the different aspects of a CMS application, however for experienced developers support isn’t such a big issue since they are normally more than capable of managing a CMS system – just as long as they know it is secure and is regularly updated. However, such forms of support that you may come across for any form of CMS application may include:
- ticket support - although this is something that is only offered by commercial CMS application vendors, there are some unofficial websites that may also offer it for open source CMS applications, but at a cost – this is normally the most intellectual form of support available and will provide you with answers the quickest
- forum support – for open source CMS solutions there are normally unofficial support forums available in which experienced developers give up their time to provide users with solutions to any problems they may be facing – official forums are offered by commercial CMS application vendors for use by their customers
- phone support - this is something that will only ever be offered by commercial vendors, but allows users to have an in depth talk with someone who knows the application concerned inside out, and can normally provide users with the answers that they need to ensure that their installation of the CMS application concerned is working correctly – some companies do charge for phone support though, meaning that it is a wise idea to email them before you phone them.
Support forms the heart of many industries these days, and it is important that in any case you make sure you are able to receive the right level of support for your needs. You should ensure that you don’t end up paying too much for a support package that you don’t need, or that you don’t have a support package at all when it would probably be better that you did. A certain period of support is normally provided for free in most cases, but after that period is over you are forced to extend it by paying.
In conclusion, the main decision that you will need to make when choosing a CMS application is whether you go for an open source application or if you pay for one. You will need to consider the level of support that you will be guaranteed, as well as whether your chosen application will provide you with the features that you need in order for your website to function correctly. If you decide to use a free application, you should ensure that you use an active application since this will ensure that it is updated on a regular basis and that is as secure as possible.
