If you want a new website, you're probably going to want the ability to control some, if not all, of the content? And probably without any knowledge of coding? You're going to need a CMS!
Hang on … what is a CMS?
CMS stands for Content Management System. It's the platform that contains all the content you put on your website and the behind-the-scenes code to make it function and look good. A CMS enables people with no knowledge of coding to do some or all (depending on the system) of the following:
- Add and edit pages
- Upload images and videos
- Manage admin use login
- Install plugins for added functionality
- Set a design theme
- Control elements of page layout
What are my choices?
Broadly speaking there are three routes you can take:
Hosted service
Systems such as Squarespace and Wix are the quickest and cheapest to set up; requiring little-to-no technical know-how.
Create an account, choose a theme, and start adding pages – it's quick to get started so they can be a great option for basic microsites and campaigns. These systems come with huge limitations, and you have no control/ownership of the code.
Think of it more like a website rental – stop paying and you have to give it back.
Off-the-shelf system
Systems like Wordpress, Drupal, Magento (e-commerce) and – our system of choice – Craft CMS allow for a lot more flexibility.
Each platform has its own super-powers – and limitations. Even with themes and plugins, most will require you – or more likely a web developer – to configure them, and set up the hosting. This can take weeks or months, depending on the complexity and functionality you're after.
In theory, a website built using off-the-shelf systems can be maintained by a web developer other than the one who built it. But a word of warning – this is not always as easy as you may expect. All of these systems allow for complex custom web development which can be hard for others to work with. So, this should be a last resort. Top tip: work with a web agency you want to stick with in the long term.
Bespoke
The requirements for your site may be so specific or unusual that they require a totally bespoke system. A developer may build this from scratch, or use a framework rather than a full off-the-shelf system. (Frameworks like Umbraco, Silverstripe and Django provide basic core features such as page routing, user authentication, and a database.)
The advantage here is total flexibility in terms of set up. This can, however, mean higher initial costs, and higher ongoing costs as so much is engineered from scratch meaning it takes a lot to maintain as technology changes.
Factors to consider:
- Longevity – does the website need to last 6 weeks, or 6 years?
- Functional requirements – is it a campaign microsite? Simple blog? Full-blown e-commerce? Does it need to handle lots of different content types?
- In-house skills – how much can be done by your team; and how much training will be needed?
- Does it need to integrate with other systems? e.g. ticketing platforms and CRMs like Spektrix, Tessitura, TicketSolve etc.
- How important are performance, SEO, security and accessibility?
- Your budget, and time to launch.
Although we've worked with many systems over the years, and across all kinds of different projects, we now use Craft CMS for all of our arts marketing and ticketing websites.
This is because it perfectly combines well-designed core features with the ability to customise for each project – without lots of excess code (which can slow a site down). Plus the control panel is intuitive for in-house teams to master, and it's the most accessible CMS we've found. But it may not be right for everyone!
Planning a new website project for an arts or cultural organisation, and want to discuss which CMS might be right for you? Get in touch.