Custom CMS vs. Out-of-the-Box CMS: You Decide
by Andrew Millar
Business and institutions today all understand the need for a web presence. Along with that understanding has come an awareness of the importance of hands-on control. This is where a content management system comes in. A CMS package, whether custom or out-of-the-box, allows content to be updated by the user without relying on a web designer or developer.
What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
Every website needs someone to administer it. Originally this could only be done by web designers and programmers. Eventually these developers offered the ability to users to administer their own sites; these are customized content management systems. The next evolution produced CMS’s that were already configured such that a non-technical user could apply it ‘out-of-the-box.’ The most popular of these are WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. WordPress is the simplest to use. It began life as a blog platform and, although it has many plug-ins, its chief drawback may be in security. On the plus side, WordPress may be administered by an individual with little or no technical experience. The site is managed by an administrative dashboard that provides the capability to create new pages, create new posts, approve or delete comments, add or delete users.
CMS platforms tend to focus in general in different uses. For example, to create forums and to share content Drupal and Joomla are well-designed. Others can be found for project management, photo galleries, help desks and technical support.
Why use a customized CMS?
With a custom CMS, you can have your website built to support your specific business. Most custom CMS solutions are built to be highly flexible. This means that as your business grows and its needs evolve your CMS platform can match you step for step. Because it has been personally developed for your business, security is far superior. With a custom CMS, you have the ability to have your website built to the exact specifications that support your business. Most custom CMS solutions are built to be highly flexible. Because a custom CMS is usually built from the ground up by a group of skilled developers, security is typically better.
With most CMS solutions, the integration of third party apps becomes and easier process. Custom CMS solutions are built to allow advanced website functionality.
Remember to plan for the future. Customized CMS vs. Out-of-the-Box CMS may best be decided by your predictions of your growth trajectory.