Why Choose a Website CMS?
A Content Management System allows users to publish, edit and modify website content. Otherwise known as a CMS, this software comes in many forms and has been around since the late 1990s. A typical Content Management System will allow you to upload new content, images, video, flash animation, JavaScript, documents and may offer additional features.
Over the last 20 years there have been many bundled applications or multi user platforms developed to allow for low cost websites to be designed and built. Some of these applications are open source which means the source code of the CMS software is available to the general public for free. Many graphic designers and web designers use a free open source CMS to design and build a website for their clients. Clients are then free to host this website wherever they wish and enjoy unlimited access to manage their content.
There are also CMS platforms that are available that are not open source where the copyright and source code belongs the individual or organization who originally wrote it. Clients and users will not own their website out right; it is likely they will own the overall design elements. It is common in this case to find the CMS is not flexible for more bespoke applications.
Options are often available for clients to choose from a directory of existing website design templates and add their branding, content and so on. Alternatively a bespoke web design can be offered but some CMS solutions have constraints over how the overall design is presented and also what elements of the design that can be managed by the user.
The advantages of using either of these options include reduced costs and hosting fees. Clients will not expect to pay developers to build a CMS so the only costs involved will be design, copywriting and coding. Users will find it quick and easy to manage their website content and will not have to pay web developers or designers for simple changes and updates to the website.
The disadvantages are likely to be ownership, flexibility and possibly design. Some organizations who need advanced features within their website may require additional development, particular for Online Shopping, Online Booking, Forums and Database Architecture. Investing into a low cost CMS Website may be OK for the short term but some clients may outgrow this quickly.
Typically a bespoke CMS will be built for specific functionality for a business model or application. For large projects several people are likely to be involved including project managers, web developers and graphic designers.
The client application will often dictate the CMS used, larger web development companies are likely to have a number of options covering open source and bespoke solutions where as smaller businesses or independent designers and developers may only have a single offering.