NetHosted Blog

Content management systems are now the norm for new websites, but with the many different types available it can be difficult to understand where to start. Here, guest author PackNet examines the differences and advantages of open-source CMS vs bespoke systems.

Ever since the boom of the Internet, the functionality found in websites has advanced rapidly. It started with standard HTML pages and quickly moved to HTML with external styling. Then came server-side code, and websites suddenly became an interactive base for users to engage with. Now we’re at a stage where if your website isn’t using a content management system; you are going to get left behind.

The static web page that once ruled the web is now obsolete – people want up-to-date content, they want interactivity and they want websites to be social. Facebook is ruling the web, so there is a level of social expectation now when users are browsing for information. With so many different website platforms and content management systems to choose from though, where do you start?

Below we examine the advantages and disadvantages of bespoke content management systems to the open-source alternatives that are most predominantly available.

Scalability

A big mistake often made by webmasters is to fall into the ‘current needs’ trap. What this means is that they don’t think about future functionality, scalability or business progression when initially having a new website developed. The danger of this approach is that a couple of years (or even months) down the line, there may be the need for additional changes to the website, and with a bespoke system this can raise a few issues.

Firstly, if it was an external agency that developed the website, the chances are is that you will have to go back to them in order to have the new changes completed (due to the custom nature of the system). If the agency is available to do the work, there will most likely be a charge incurred and a varied time span for completion. If the agency are no longer available, you may have to pay another company extra to first work out how to work with the system, and then to complete the needed changes. Either way it’s time or money you shouldn’t necessarily have to spend.

A second issue with being locked into a bespoke system is the turn-around time of having changes completed. Unlike an open-source system where there may be plugins and addons already built and available, bespoke systems will have to be built upon from scratch, with considerations having to be made to ensure validity and security stay intact. This is, of course, unless the bespoke CMS is a high-end custom system that has full support.

Support

Support is a large part of the web nowadays, and most people would struggle to get a lot of work done without some kind of support system in place. A massive advantage of open-source content management systems is that they are built, maintained and supported by dedicated communities. CMS such as WordPress and Textpattern have support forums, detailed FAQs and codex – meaning there are fully reference guides available for even small changes to a system.

As a webmaster, you shouldn’t have to rely on an external agency for small updates to your website, such as textual changes or the addition of imagery. If you find you cannot complete the changes in an open-source system, the chances are there will be someone who had the same issue and an answer will be available on how to fix it. The same issue within a bespoke system may mean you have to go back to your CMS developers and ask for their help – which will be charged, in most cases.

Security

As mentioned above, maintaining the security of your website is a must if you are dealing with confidential information, especially within e-commerce systems. The security of open-source systems are well documented across the Internet, whereas you may find potential flaws in custom systems. If you are in talks with a web development agency about a content management system then asking about the security is a must, including the strength of the administration system, encryption of the database and visibility of private pages.

Evaluate Available Options and Decide

This article may seem very biased toward open-source content management systems, but this is partly down to reputation and past-experience of custom web systems. For large and particularly niche businesses, there will most likely be the need for bespoke solutions that open-source systems literally just won’t cover, so a custom solution will be the only option. However, in larger businesses there are usually dedicated IT teams who can implement and maintain such as system, as opposed to smaller companies who have to rely heavily on external companies.

Whether you are using a bespoke or open-source content management system, it is important to use a dedicated website host that can match the needed requirements.

Author: PackNet, a Manchester telephony specialist delivering VoIP phone systems and VoIP reseller solutions across the UK. PackNet have recently re-developed their website using an open-source content management system.