Introduction
Content Management Systems make it easy to create, update and organise content on a website. For people with minimal development knowledge, this can be a great way to control their website in maintainable ways.
When working with freelance clients, they’ll likely want a Content Management System like WordPress to control their website rather than having to keep coming to you to update pages.
Throughout the content management course, we’ll be working on one website called ‘Flower Power’, an e-commerce business that sells bouquets through their website.
Database
One significant difference between CMSs and regular static websites is their use of databases to show content to users. When content is added to a website using a CMS, the content and other meta-data get stored in this database.
When a client visits a URL on the website, the application calls the data from the database and displays it on the page for the user according to the styles set in a theme. These pages aren’t hard coded but are built dynamically.
This separation of content and how the content is displayed makes CMSs easy for most people to use. The application handles the building of the actual pages, and all the user is doing is creating new entries in a database.
CMS options
There are several different CMSs to choose from. They all have advantages and disadvantages. There is a mix of paid and open-source CMS options. Below we cover some of the most popular open-source options:
WordPress
- User-Friendliness: Renowned for its intuitive interface, WordPress is particularly user-friendly, especially for beginners.
- Extensibility: A vast repository of plugins and themes facilitates extensive customisation and functionality enhancements.
- Community Support: A robust community and a wealth of tutorials and documentation make it easier to find help when needed.
Drupal
- Robust Functionality: Ideal for complex, data-centric websites, Drupal offers advanced functionality and robust content structuring.
- Customisability: With numerous modules and themes, Drupal is highly customisable, albeit with a steeper learning curve.
- Security: Known for its stringent security measures, Drupal is a common choice for government and large corporate websites.
Strapi
- Headless CMS: Strapi operates as a headless CMS, providing backend functionality while allowing the use of any front-end technology.
- Self-Hosted: Being a self-hosted solution, it grants control over your data and the hosting environment.
- API-Centric: Tailored for the modern web, Strapi furnishes a RESTful or GraphQL API out of the box, facilitating content delivery across diverse platforms.
Netlify CMS
- Git-Based CMS: Netlify CMS is a Git-based CMS, meaning content changes are tracked and version-controlled through Git.
- React-Powered: Constructed on React, it allows for the creation of custom-styled previews, UI widgets, and editor plugins.
- Integration with Static Site Generators: It melds well with static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, and Jekyll, making it a suitable choice for modern Jamstack websites.
Selecting a CMS
When selecting a CMS, it’s important to research the options and consider the client’s needs. Some clients will have an existing knowledge of a particular CMS, and it may be best to use that. Other clients may have specific requirements that can be met by a particular CMS.
In this course we use WordPress as this remains the most popular CMS product, however you may find that WordPress is not suitable to your CMS needs in the future. For example, you may find it easier to work with a CMS written in JavaScript instead of PHP.
WATCH (OPTIONAL)
Video: Considering a CMS for Web Design
Lesson Task
Research and explore one of the CMS options listed above other than WordPress. Consider the following questions:
- What is the primary purpose of the CMS?
- Who developed this CMS?
- Who is the CMS aimed at?
- Which technologies does it use?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the CMS?