Comparing Content Management Systems
Let's discuss
some of the things you'll need to consider when choosing which CMS is right for
your needs. There are literally hundreds of CMSs on the market today. Most sure
seemingly identical feature sets and all of them seem to make the same claims
that they are easy to use, extremely powerful and that they give you total
control over creating your sites. In fact I would bet that if you've
spent any time at all searching for a CMS you probably became quickly overwhelmed
by the amount of choices and features out there.
Here is some help so you can focus your search and give you a
starting point for what to look for when comparing CMSs. First, take time to
properly identify the needs of your company or organization. Often people
are just guilty of saying to themselves, "A CMS sure would make things
easier" without really stopping to think about what they need and how a CMS
would fit into their business. Once those needs are clearly defined it becomes a
lot easier to start comparing systems by focusing on the features that you
really need.
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| Content Management Systems |
Next, don't get caught up in simply ticking off the check
boxes when comparing. Comparing CMSs by comparing only feature sets or seeing
which CMS has more boxes checked in somebody's arbitrary list is a bad idea. If
you don't take time to properly evaluate a content management system in its
entirety, you will most likely not be happy with your choice in the end.
Use feature sets as a way to narrow down your choices. Look at them as a
starting point, not a decision-making point.
Another good way to narrow down your choice is to start with
systems whose focus matches your needs. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, if
you're university that needs systems to build online curriculums, you're
probably better off starting with a CMS that focuses on e-learning. If you're
trying to build a community-based site, explore systems that focus on social
networks and collaboration. And of course this is not a hard and fast rule.
Many CMSs have capabilities that put them in a multiple categories. Just be
sure that the systems that you compare have the same focus that you do.
In addition to comparing features, take the time to compare
support communities as well. If you're looking at proprietary or licensed
systemsresearch the company's support tools, online forums, and
documentation. Read through the forums and pay attention to response time, the
type and frequency of problems, the user base encounters and whether support
issues are simply left open. See if the CMS is a bug tracker and research how
diligent the developers are in closing tickets and resolving issues. If a forum
is empty or people seem to be having the same problems over and over again this
can be a big warning sign.
If you're looking at an open-source CMS, spend a good bit of
time looking into the community. Make sure there are lot of ways to communicate
with other users and developers. Take a look at the help of the development
community, the types or modules of extensions their building and whether
there is any means to filter through those extensions for quality. If a CMS has an active and engaged community it's going to be a lot easier to learn how to use
it, find modules that are outside the core functionality and engage a
professional developer if you need custom content.
Reading through the
forums will often give you an unbiased look at what life is like with a
particular CMS. Never ever overlook the value of the CMS community. Finally,
don't rush into anything. Often, you feel pressure to make a choice and start
building something especially if you're the one making the decision for an
organization or a company. Don't surrender to the temptation to pick the first
CMS that seems to be right. Open-source CMSs can be downloaded installed
locally or on a test server and tried out for as long as you like.
The developers of proprietary CMSs will almost always be
happy to set you up with a demo site and let you try it out. If they won't,
that's not always a good sign either. Have you ever bought a car that you
didn't test drive first? There's no better way of knowing whether CMS is right
for you than actually using it. So make sure you give yourself enough time to
properly explore your options and become familiar with your top choices before
making a decision.
Steve Steinberger
561-281-8330
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