I am very new to web designing any only recently got my head around CMS systems and unsure whether I need CMS or to do the updates my self.
I am designing a site for a friend/client who is wanting to make updates to the ‘news’ page and the ‘news posts’ on the home page. I will be using XHTML/CSS to design the site and not sure if i could intergrate a CMS to update the news sections (only possibly) or if i should ask the client to email me the content to update my self.
Anyways, it sounds like you’ve already built the site and you need something simple to edit existing content, am I right? If so, try out Surreal CMS and see if it suits your needs. It’s very simple so you shouldn’t have any problems with it.
If you’re looking for a suggestion for a website that you have yet to create, you probably want to consider something a bit more dynamic. WordPress is flexible and easy to get going, so definitely look into that.
I think you need CMS anyway, let me explain. In the future, if the site will be popular (I hope it will) and your client will want to add more features for the customers or modify the existing content, it will be a pain to modify something or add a new functionality.
We have had many clients who wanted to move their old static HTML site into CMS. As a result, client actually need to pay twice, firstly for creation of static site and then later when he/she want to move it to some CMS. So I think it will be more suitable for your client (and you too) to use CMS.
There are so many CMS on the market now, so I think there is no problem to chose a one suitable for you (for instance, Joomla or Wordpress).
I have been looking into all the popular CMS systems and still confused as to their capabilities and limitations. Each description is quite vague and different descriptions contradict each other
I think what i need for the website is only the ability to change the content (text and perhaps a picture) ie news updates. The user will not need to edit the menu/page structure etc.
For Example: ecologicliving DOT co DOT uk Similar to this situation where the client needs only change the news updates on the home page.
Which is why i think Surreal CMS is a good option for my needs. What is this type of CMS called and are there any others out there?
I am always looking to develop; how customizable are Drupal and Wordpress? in terms of the design, looks, functions?
Yes, this CMS looks good. There are so many CMS on this market, try to do some research:
I am always looking to develop; how customizable are Drupal and Wordpress? in terms of the design, looks, functions?
From this point of view (easy design+customizations) I like Joomla the most (Drupal & Worpress are also good, I just have had more experience with Joomla). The good point is that there are many modules for Joomla which may suit for any need.
Lately, my philosophy on CMS has become one of “if you think it might benefit with CMS, then you should build it with CMS”.
My rational is that today’s CMS frameworks are relatively easy to integrate and as has already been mentioned, if you are using a modular CMS framework like Drupal, Joomla or WP then it is easy to add new features (modules) as they become necessary.
This was illustrated quite effectively last year when I was working out the details of a simple site with a colleague. I thought we would make a simple static site for our client’s startup company and then once they had figured out all of their needs we could just import the site into the CMS and add the features they needed. My colleague on the other hand suggested we just build the site in a CMS (Drupal) right from the start as it wouldn’t add much to the scope of the project and then as things progressed we could adapt the site much easier. He was entirely correct because as the site was progressing, our client started adding to the scope with new features which we were more than happy and capable to accommodate. Their static site morphed into a dynamic site with job postings/applications, a news room and a membership area for people to sign up and manage their professional information.
