CMS - Content Management Systems

A CMS-enabled website allows the owners, rather than the website developers, to make changes to their sites at any time.

Websites developed using CMS's are often template-based. That is you select a set of styles for layout, colours, fonts, etc and build the pages based on that template.

Most basic features are included in the basic CMS package. Additional features such as Calendars, Polls, Maps, Picture Galleries etc can be added to the site through CMS modules as required.

Popular open-source CMS systems include Joomla (www.joomla.org), Drupal (www.drupal.org) and for eCommerce osCommerce (www.osCommerce.com)

Such changes might be alterations to the current, new pages, or completely new sections.

With non-CMS sites, the owner needs to ask the developer to make changes - sometimes incurring extra and unexpected costs.

Using a Content Management System (CMS) has many obvious advantages for both owners and web developers:

  • It allows alterations to me made to the site safely at any time by the owner at zero cost.
  • It frees the developer from having to schedule small items of work at short notice
  • It allows the site to respond quickly to changes in priorities, or market conditions
  • You can create as many pages and sections as you like.

But it comes with some disadvantages too which need to be understood and carefully considered before taking this step.

  • The cost of setting up such a site is often more expensive at the outset, but the extra cost is often quickly saved by not having to employ the web site developers to make frequent changes.
  • There is an educational component for the owners to learn how to make changes in a safe and reliable way.
  • The design - look and feel - of the site will be restricted by the Content Management System used to a certain extent, so if you're looking for a unique and unconventional style, this may not be an appropriate way forward.

If you don't think that your site will be changing frequently you would probably be better off selecting a non-cms site. However if you think that you will want to make frequent changes and additions to the site then we recommend a CMS-based solution.

CMS-Based Website guideline prices

Drupal or Joomla basic site

from £750

Configuration of new feature modules

from £75

Specific Template Designs

from £250