As web developers, we spend a lot of time in the back end of websites. We’ve seen a lot of really sleek builds, as well as our fair share of bad jobs! It brings up an interesting question that we get asked a lot – should I have my site built with WordPress, or should I get a fully custom CMS built? Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so how do you choose which is the right option for you and your business?
What Is A Custom CMS?
A custom CMS, or content management system, is a platform that allows you to create, manage and publish content on your website. It makes it easier for you to keep track of all the content on your site, as well as make changes quickly and easily. With a custom CMS, you can create a website that is tailored specifically to your needs and preferences, rather than relying on templates with limited flexibility.
Working with a custom CMS is like having your house built from scratch, plans and all. You have absolute control over every single aspect of how it works, and you have an expert putting it all together for you. But it’s also going to be much more expensive, with more ways for things to go wrong and once the web developer hands it over, it can be difficult for you to use on your own.
What Questions You Should Ask Before Buying A Custom CMS
That being said, a custom CMS can work really well for a few types of businesses. It’s all about asking the right questions before you start. Specifically:
How much control will I have? Most customers we work with don’t want to go fiddling with the code in the back end of their website – but they do want to be able to create new pages on the site, add new sections and upload blog posts on a regular basis. Will you be able to do this yourself, or will you have to use the developer, who may charge you a fee to do it?
Can I move to another host/support company? If you decide you want to move on, or the relationship with this company goes south, are you going to be able to walk away and take your website with you? Who owns it, and who can transfer it?
What are the ongoing costs? What ongoing costs are involved in the hosting, platform and support, and what is considered a ‘chargeable extra’?
Is my site optimised for search engines? A lot of the most important parts of SEO work take place in the back end while the site is being built. You want to make sure your CMS has been built with SEO in mind, and that you can easily edit metadata, content, and add redirects when needed.
Is support included in my package? Will they keep your CMS up to date with the latest security patches, functionality updates and general maintenance? Or will these be an extra fee?
If you aren’t happy with any of the answers to the above, then you will probably be better off using WordPress.
Why WordPress?
WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) that offers a variety of benefits for businesses. With WordPress, you can easily create and manage websites without having to worry about coding or design. It also allows you to customise your website with plugins and themes, giving you the ability to create a unique look and feel for your site. That’s where the real benefit lies as far as we’re concerned.
As web developers, we see so many clients who started out with a custom CMS but were roped into expensive maintenance contracts with the companies who built them, paying high prices for even the most minor of changes. But if those clients had their website built using WordPress in the beginning, then those changes could be made quickly and easily as required, without the need for web developer involvement at all, and without expensive contracts for developers to make those changes.
And with its user-friendly interface, even those who are not tech-savvy can quickly get up to speed with WordPress. That’s just a few of the many reasons we think WordPress is an ideal choice for businesses looking for an easy-to-use CMS that offers plenty of features.
At Moyralla Marketing we build custom websites using WordPress as a CMA, giving our clients all of the flexibility and control they could possibly want. We can even train you on how to use your new website, so that you can make small changes to it as and when you want. And for the bigger changes, we’re always happy to pop in and help. If you’d like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.
