What You Need to Know Before Using a CMS

There are many choices for a CMS. These range from free versions with open source code, to those that have a sometimes hefty price tag and code that is not available for you to see. Since part of our premise is that the CMS saves expense, let's talk about open source systems.

With CMS packages the possibilities are almost endless, depending pretty much on your own imagination. Anything from a simple article and image archive can be created, through an elaborate social web and subscription site, a business communications web site, or a sophisticated online sales center.

Most content management systems are capable of the full range of functions outlined above and provide you with a nice front page layout to boot. The choice for you as a user is to select the system that matches your level of ability and the vision for what you ultimately want from the web site you construct.

Choosing the right system will involve some investigation of the demo area on a number of packages. Below is an example of a formal "demo" area for the Drupal system.

Drupal's front page demo of its CMS versatility

The "demo" is actually a "sales" page in the sense that it is made to convince you to use that particular product. It will be designed to show off all the best features in design and function. With your end product in mind, examine the interface, looking for the features you wish your web site to have.

Once you are happy with the front page, or the visitor interface of the system, check the Admin Control Panel. This is where you will find out if the package fits your skill set. Many variations in control and management exist and this is actually more important than the visitor interface. A beautiful visitor interface on a product that you can't manipulate from an administrative point of view will not give you a web site that you can use to accomplish your goals.

When looking at the admin demo, look carefully at whether you understand how to use the package control panel. Some panels are very easy, using images with simple titles that most can figure out on the fly. Others are elaborate file systems that assume you have a good working knowledge of back office management practices and how to get around the web hosting file system.

Drupal's Admin Submit Story area demo

Drupal's extended Admin Submit Story area

Compare the previous illustrations with the Admin control panel on the TYPO3 CMS

This is the New Page Admin module

In comparing the screen shots of both of the packages, the point is not that one is better than the other. The point is, there are differences that will suit one set of skills and preferences better than another. Your job is to find the package that fits both your set of skills and your preferences.

For CMS packages without a demo, look carefully at the official website, and at its available theme packages. This will give you a very good idea of what types of front page design options are available to you. For instance, the Php Nuke system has entire web sites devoted just to themes to vary the appearance of your site.

Template examples for Php Nuke CMS

Beyond the appearance, pay careful attention to the official site forums for comments and questions on using the system. From the questions, the answers, and the length of time it takes to get an answer to a question, it's easy enough to tell the level of skill needed to tackle operation and maintenance of the program.

Above, you can see a variety of questions, difficulty levels and subjects. Explore further by looking into the topics for more clues on how much support you can expect with the system.

When choosing, take into account the amount of time you have to "learn" the system before you need to make it functional. It is not reasonable to expect to put up an unfamiliar system and customize it to your needs in less than a week. Even professional programmers have a learning curve when approaching a new system. Expect the same. Allow 2 - 4 weeks minimum for becoming familiar with how the system will work with your web host and to customize the package to fit your needs.

The greatest thing about open source is that it is not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a packaged program, only to find that it doesn't do what you wanted, or it isn't as friendly as you would prefer. With paid programs, you are stuck with the purchase and therefore committed to the choice, unless of course you don't mind spending another few hundred dollars to get something more to your liking.

You are never committed with open source programs. If you get it downloaded and find it doesn't quite fit your idea or your set of skills, just scrap it and make a different choice. The only thing you've lost is time - but not really, because you've also learned a bit more than you knew from the start.

ONE NOTE: open source program code is free and open to everyone. If your web site will contain information or functions that should be kept private, it is important to begin with a system that focuses on security. Then use only the most current and up to date version of a package that is available. Download the current version from the official website, upload the files and configure access yourself. We will talk about configuration in just a bit.

There are some auto install packages that will allow a one click set up of recent versions of many CMS packages. The difference between an auto install package and the latest version obtained by direct download can be up to a year of upgrades and code fixes. Compare by looking at the latest version number on the source code website and the number on your auto install package.

Only the most current stable release should be used for a fresh installation. Make it a habit to check for updates to the source code regularly so you can upgrade to remain current.