The pros and cons of using a CMS to build your website
You need a website. One option is to use a Content Management System to build it. Using a CMS involves selecting pre-designed or custom-made templates for your website, as opposed to coding your entire website from scratch. You can publish a website without needing to know a thing about acronyms like PHP, HTML and CSS. So, even your granny has the potential to make her own handcrafted jewellery website.
It is more than likely the ideal choice for a small business owner, but there are some pros and cons that you should be aware of.
Pros of using a CMS
- Many CMS options to choose from, including the more popular choices of WordPress, Drupal and Joomla!.
- Faster development time, as it allows for quicker website design, as well as solutions to many of the development problems that can come up.
- Cheaper overall cost.
- Reduced web administration and web development expenses.
- No need to learn or write code.
- Choose from a wide variety of templates.
- Streamlines the process of multiple content contributors.
- Simple interfaces and easy to use.
- Straightforward process of creating and publishing content.
- A CMS has many pre-developed features, appliances, widgets and plugins, so tailored development costs can be kept down.
- Customisation is still possible.
- A great start-up option to test an idea with a market.
- Intermediate solution while a highly customised non-CMS site is being developed.
- CMS developers can assist with the initial design and then hand it over to the website owner with no further involvement necessary.
Cons of using a CMS
- Reduced flexibility.
- The more specific the features of a website need to be, the less likely a CMS will work for it.
- Although robust and always improving, CMS website-building tools are still somewhat limited. Full customisation is not always possible.
- Some training is required to use a CMS effectively, as well as keep it updated.
- It can break if configured incorrectly by an admin.
- It requires updates – this takes time and needs dedicated people to ensure it is kept updated.
- It may make the website an easier target for spammers and hackers if not updated.
- It uses more server resources than static pages.
Now that you are fully aware of the pros and cons of using a content management system to build your website, you can consider what your current priorities are and decide which route would be best for you to take. Call us if you would like to discuss your options further.
This is actually useful, thanks.
Can you inform me what platform are you using on this site?
We use WordPress!:-)