Which CMS?

Pablod · 20-04-2010 10:50pm #1

Hey Everyone,

I have seen this asked before but I'm unable to find a definitive answer.

As the title says which content management system (CMS) is the best to use?
My situation is that I have designed a couple of websites but have never looked at a CMS package before.

Now I need to look at setting one up on my own site to allow other office users to add content/new pages easily without having to wait for me to add etc..
I installed Joomla on a test site before and very briefly at first glance it looked like a big package.

So, which is the best one to use from an end users point of view that wll not require HTML experience for adding a new page from a template etc..

I have Drupal & Joomla available on my host then theres also wordpress which I have heard lots of good comments about.
Help!!!!! :eek:

Thanks in advance

koHd · 20-04-2010 10:54pm

I've only used Joomla and think it's awesome.

But on my brief research into the three you mentioned a while back here was what I was told in simple terms;

Drupal is best for experienced programmers and designers.

Wordpress is great for people with no design or html experience.

And Joomla is the bit in between that suits both experienced and novice users.

nellyshark · 21-04-2010 10:51am

I love Pixie CMS as the developers say in the promo "we prefer to call it a small simple website maker". CSS based too. Not a whole pile of plugins but is quite good nonetheless

Placebo · 21-04-2010 11:05am

depends, if its just simple content then CUSHYCMS is AMAZING.

Pixelcraft · 21-04-2010 11:28am

ExpressionEngine without doubt! If you need something simpler try Perch.

strandroad · 21-04-2010 11:49am

Both Drupal and Joomla sound like an overkill for what you want to do. Joomla is not a very good system anyway (IMHO). Wordpress is a blogging engine first and foremost, you can use is as a CMS with v good results but it requires some serious time spent of tweaking it and setting it up for pure CMS work.

Have a look at smaller solutions such as SilverStripe or ModX. SilverStripe might be very good as it's quite easy to turn your existing page into a CMS, you just add SS tags to your code. It has brilliantly simple page adding/site structure dashboard - you just drag and drop pages in the tree structure or add them with a click of a button. ModX is similar and it has the advantage of front end editing, so your users don't even need to use the backend. Adding pages is not as easy as in SS though.

And then you have a whole range of super simple hosted CMS solutions such as SurrealCMS, CushyCMS etc.

Pablod · 21-04-2010 12:35pm

Thanks for all the replies guys,

Ok so my first suggestions of Joomla/Drupal/Wordpress are out the window as it sounds like they are too much for what I need.

So my new list to try out is:

Pixie CMS
CUSHYCMS
ExpressionEngine
SilverStripe
ModX
SurrealCMS

I'll look into these and see which suits best,

Thanks again for the tips

tricky D · 21-04-2010 1:45pm

PageLime is worth a look. It appears to have a lot more than CushyCMS such as adding new pages. (Haven't checked it properly yet though) They've also made an appearance here.

21-04-2010 1:56pm

Pablod wrote: »

I have seen this asked before but I'm unable to find a definitive answer.

As the title says which content management system (CMS) is the best to use?
My situation is that I have designed a couple of websites but have never looked at a CMS package before.
...
So, which is the best one to use from an end users point of view that wll not require HTML experience for adding a new page from a template etc..
...

First of all, there's no definitive answer because it's and impossible question. if someone asked you "What's the best house to buy?" you wouldn't even attempt to answer it.

Most CMSs will be able to create a site that's easily update-able by your users.

The real question is what are your specific needs for a CMS. How many users will use the system, how many logins do you require. What's your expertise? Is it just you setting up the whole thing? How long will you be able to dedicate to the project? What particular features do you require? How large is the site? What type of content will be on the site? Are you a developer, or are you a designer? How will it be maintained in a few months time? How long is the site supposed to last? In what way could the site grow in the future? What is the budget for this project? What are you currently using? What criteria is there for this project/site to be a success?

The so much more information you need to provide, otherwise all suggestions are just speculation.

Tim M-U · 21-04-2010 2:08pm

Hi there, it depends what type of site you have, if its a blog/update recommend wordpress, you can use wdpress for a website, but it may not be suitable for large sites, having said that there are many large sites that use this and posting like a blog is simple..i wouldnt use this for a site though..

Joomla allows you to create usera for customerz +,staff with different permissions.joomla allows loads of extensions to be installed.i wud rate 4 out of 5.

Drupal is okay and makez it easier to add content and i wud say its more suitable for sites rather then blog.therez loads of themes to install for free too..wud r8 5 out of 5!

tomED · 30-04-2010 12:21pm

p wrote: »

First of all, there's no definitive answer because it's and impossible question. if someone asked you "What's the best house to buy?" you wouldn't even attempt to answer it.

Most CMSs will be able to create a site that's easily update-able by your users.

The real question is what are your specific needs for a CMS. How many users will use the system, how many logins do you require. What's your expertise? Is it just you setting up the whole thing? How long will you be able to dedicate to the project? What particular features do you require? How large is the site? What type of content will be on the site? Are you a developer, or are you a designer? How will it be maintained in a few months time? How long is the site supposed to last? In what way could the site grow in the future? What is the budget for this project? What are you currently using? What criteria is there for this project/site to be a success?

The so much more information you need to provide, otherwise all suggestions are just speculation.

+1

Eoin · 30-04-2010 1:09pm

tricky D wrote: »

PageLime is worth a look. It appears to have a lot more than CushyCMS such as adding new pages. (Haven't checked it properly yet though) They've also made an appearance here.

I've used both CushyCMS and PageLime, and I think PageLime is by far the better one. CushyCMS doesn't allow for page templates, despite many requests. As I've said before, Cushy is just a tarted up content editor, not a content management system.

PageLime's interface is much cleverer as well - it looks like you're browsing the site, and the editable regions are highlighted. This gives you a much quicker idea of what the content will look like. It also integrates quite nicely with SSI. I've used it to update ASP.NET masterpages as well as aspx pages that call the masterpage (e.g. navigation is in the masterpage, content in the aspx page) and it seems quite seamless.

Freemancon · 30-04-2010 1:34pm

I have not heard anyone talk about Community support? I see a couple of people have said wordpress is a No Go...I would highly encourage a change of heart. There are a couple of things to note about it.

1. Easy to use - especially for adding content pages etc.
2. Huge Support community - lots of people, forums, extensions, etc - if you are doing it DIY
3. Upgrades - it is constantly being upgraded and thus you don't have to worry about security lapses because you are using a smaller cms that may go the way of the dodo bird soon.
4. Plugins - they have a huge datebase of plugins to extend your site.

5. This is the important one - Wordpress easily transitions to a CMS style website. And with 3.0 coming in may there is lots of drag and drop options.

Here is a News Flash - Wordpress started as a Blogging CMS and has long ago moved well beyond that. It is used by hundreds of thousands of sites as a standard CMS page site.

Lastly, I would agree with Dropping Drupal and Joomla. Joomla - too complicated for what you need. Drupal is difficult for non-tech-folks. The others that were suggested are all small time CMS with limited Support Communities...compaired with Wordpress. ...this is fine if you are a Tech-head but Not if you are a DIY'er

Sorry about the long post:)

Tim M-U · 01-05-2010 9:37am

I suppose wordpress is a good solution because I don't have to know any HTML or PHP to update your website/blog. Wordpress does make it easier to update your website and add buttons and different themes. Those who don't know much about coding , as i said you can use a wordpress theme, there's loads out there for you to choose from and it's very easy!

As the above user mensioned, community support is important. Drupal offer support which is helpful, wordpress support http://en.support.wordpress.com/ also is helpfull and there's a forum and premade pages to help you there. Joomla have a massive community forum and database of support, you should consider joomla too!

Upgrades should be installed when they come out to secure your security of your website!

With drupal, wordpress and joomla there's loads of plugins to chose from.

While most CMS try to make it easy to update your website, besure you google it and see what people think about it, or give it a go; and if it's crap, delete and try again! Anyway.., you can change the theme to make it easier on most cms.

Hope this helps!

Left · 02-05-2010 12:34pm

I've used Joomla for a few years now and I swear by it.
This is from Barrie North. I think it's a good summary.

Joomla? Wordpress? Drupal?
When should I use Joomla?

• When you are a content publisher (and you ARE)
• When you want your site to grow (and you DO)
• When you want an affordable solution (Don't we all?)

When should I NOT use Joomla?
- When you need complex custom features (try Drupal)
- When all you need is a blog (Try Wordpress)

cormee · 02-05-2010 4:53pm

Left wrote: »

I've used Joomla for a few years now and I swear by it.
This is from Barrie North. I think it's a good summary.

Well it's funny the owner of Joomlashack.com would advocate Joomla's use!

Pablod · 02-05-2010 11:16pm

Thanks again for all the replies,

In a nutshell, what I'm looking for, to start with is the easiest solution:

I have a site in place, approx 55 pages
This is currently based on two dwt's.
At the moment any changes/new pages/new content etc. required. I am the only one that can do these.
I would like to be able to allow another user to logon to the cms and create a new page from the template and add content (simple as)
No blogs (at the moment)

So just looking for the simplest cms solution

Thanks again,

03-05-2010 9:40am

If you're interested in learning a CMS that will be useful for more than just this one project, then I would advise you check out Expression Engine. I've found it works very well for situations when you ave the website planned first, where as some other CMSs really need to be thought of in advance of designing the site. If this is just a once off, then some of the other things like CushyCMS might more easily plug in to your existing site, but you will probably hit the limits of that type of CMS fairly quickly, and it may not be useful for future projects.

It's not free, but it's really much better than things like Wordpress, and because it's commercial, the support is truly excellent.

Left · 03-05-2010 1:01pm

cormee wrote: »

Well it's funny the owner of Joomlashack.com would advocate Joomla's use!

He also points out where Joomla is not suitable. I thought it was quite objective. He's speaking from experience.

strandroad · 04-05-2010 10:16am

Left wrote: »

He also points out where Joomla is not suitable. I thought it was quite objective. He's speaking from experience.

Well for start I can't see much sense in his comments. There are arguments in favour of Joomla out there but he does not list them at all.

• When you are a content publisher (and you ARE)

Serious content publishers would actually choose Drupal because of its unlimited nesting and granular user control.

• When you want your site to grow (and you DO)

Joomla may have an advantage over WP here but again it's limited to three levels of content organisation and restricted user roles. If I want my site to grow I would definitely NOT choose Joomla also because of its loading speeds and general clumsiness.

• When you want an affordable solution (Don't we all?)

Aren't they all free?...

cormee · 04-05-2010 12:56pm

Left wrote: »

He also points out where Joomla is not suitable. I thought it was quite objective. He's speaking from experience.

It looks to me like he's making more of an effort to point out when Joomla is suitable than when it's not suitable.

anbrutog · 04-05-2010 1:42pm

Another thing that would count against Joomla is the dreadful markup which it generates , either by its built in components or the add-ons, really in this day and age I can't fathom why there is still such an attachment to tables.

The nazi-like way its module/component feedback is moderated annoys the hell out of me, eg I raised a concern ( going very much against the grain ) about a module which generated some of the worst markup I'd seen since 1996, only to be told that my comments were unsuitable and couldn't be published. Quite why I dont know..

04-05-2010 1:46pm

It seems to me, that CMSs like Joomla and Drupal are really geared towards an aseembly style of website building. You install the CMS, you select which modules you want, select your theme, and bingo you have a site & online community.

That's a perfectly fine workflow, and great for beginners. They don't have to worry about layout, features all working together, as all the modules handle that.

Others, like ExpressionEngine are more suited to a web designer/development workflow. You design and spec out the site first, and then build up templates to fit with that design and make it work.

Both offer different workflows, and it's a good idea to pick a CMS based on your workflow as much as featureset.

Left · 04-05-2010 4:57pm

Here's where I got the quote from Barrie North - just to keep it in context - the Safari Webcast PDF.

Some of the info is relevant to any website, no matter what CMS you choose.

It also deals with template overrides in Joomla to reduce the table-based layout, but this is not something I would expect a beginner to get into, or something I would think is included in a lot of the available Joomla templates.

Joomla has its flaws, I agree, but it would still do the trick in regards to the Op's requirements IMO. Plus, it has the support community that Freemancon has so aptly identified as being important.

Joomla 1.6 is on the way. This includes unlimited nesting and granular user control that mhge lists as Drupal's advantages.

damienmcd · 05-05-2010 1:35pm

I just had a quick mess around on CushyCMS for about 20 minutes and it's really good. Very simple and exactly what I am looking for to handle a site I'm doing for a DJ who wants the most simple way to update his site.
It's really intuitive and the layout of the site is really good. If you want to see how to update your site using CushyCMS just stick it into YouTube and there are loads of videos showing how easy it is.

Scotty # · 05-05-2010 2:02pm

mhge wrote: »

Serious content publishers would actually choose Drupal because of its unlimited nesting and granular user control.

Joomla 1.6 will have multi level sections and user control and if you really need there are extensions that cater for it in 1.5

Which CMS?

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