Do I need a CMS?

A common question we get from clients is: do I need a content management solution (CMS) to help manage my corporate website? As a rule of thumb, we suggest any website that will likely receive more than 4 updates per month, needs to be on some sort of CMS. However, it’s a little more complicated than just that. Let’s dive into the PROs and CONs of investing in a CMS for your corporate website.

First off, What IS a CMS?

As the name implies, a Content Management Solution (CMS) is a hosted software package that allows users to log into an administration page to make changes to the framework and the database using a WYSIWYG (or “What You See Is What You Get”) editor to make systematic and changes to the website–without having to know a lick of code.

Specific CMS vary greatly, but the following PROs and CONs are the most common among the top 3 (WordPress, Drupal and Joomla) free, open-source content management solutions on the market today.

The PROs of a CMS

There are a lot of positives when looking at investing in a CMS instead of a more static website.   Let’s start there.

Multiple User & Multiple Access Roles
Allow organizations to delegate website updating responsibilities across more departments and personnel. That means a more living & breathing website that stays up-to-date even when key members are on vacation (heaven forbid!).

Standardized Templates
Standard templates create a high degree of style and function consistency.

WYSIWYG Editors
Update, edit content in much the same way you would a Word document. No code necessary. There are more details about what a WYSIWYG editor is on our Labs site.

Automation
CMS tools add a lot of automation functionality to things like RSS feeds, news scheduling, reporting, sitemap updates and much more.

Expanded Functionality
Community-contributed ‘plug-ins’ or ‘modules’ make adding a new feature such as email subscriptions, social media sharing and more as easy as search & install.

Low TCO
In the long-run, a CMS has a very low total cost of ownership since you will no longer have to outsource or hire technical developers and outside vendors for everyday updates, changes, etc.

The CONs of a CMS

Sounds pretty awesome, but with the added complexity a CMS brings, there are a few CONs to consider as well.

Larger Up-front Investment.
Content Management Solutions are far more complex and therefore more expensive than old-fashioned static sites.  The trouble, however, is that without a CMS, you have to pay someone to make every change to the site.  That can end up costing a lot–even if you’re just making a few changes per month.

Database Dependence.
Virtually ALL CMS rely on a hosted database.  This is partly what gives them their power, but it does require a hosting account with databases and can slow the page load speed. That said, even the cheapest web hosts usually include some sort of database. Check the CMS requirements and with your web host.

Chaos Theory.
On a static website (CSS and HTML), errors or failures are usually contained to a page or two.  On a CMS, however, a failure can be site-wide and take down the entire website–not just one page.  It’s just one of those laws of complex systems.

Possible Complexity of Additions.
If you need a capability that doesn’t yet exits for your CMS, it may require custom programming that requires integration with the existing system. This could be very simple or it can get very complex.  Also, with any integration you have to think about how it may complicate subsequent CMS upgrades.

A final thought

So there’s PROs and there’s CONs to upgrading your corporate website to a CMS.  As a rule of thumb, JDM suggests looking at how likely you’ll be making more than 4 updates to the site per month.  If so, go with a CMS. Otherwise, go with the simpler (and cheaper) static website.

Confused?  Contact JDM.  Shy?  Check out our Website Tech Decision-graphic post which includes a little flowchart to help you decide.