Current CMS users on campus:
- SBS will be using a custom CMS on their new site
- Library uses Drupal
- Conservatory is using a custom CMS
- SOE is using a custom CMS
Pros:
- Ease of editing for non-technical users.
- Don’t have to set Web server permissions.
- Can give a user access to only a portion of a page.
- Gives you control over file organization so you can keep the server clean.
Cons:
- No easy way to archive pages or to restore a previous version.
- The editing interface can be so basic that users find it limiting or “clunky” to use.
- Requires a dedicated person on staff to manage the CMS.
- Out of the box solutions sometimes have too many bells and whistles for the typical user’s needs.
When should you implement a CMS?
- If you have more than two or three people making edits to a Web site who need to access different areas of the site, or if you many areas of the site that need to be updated frequently, then a CMS would be a useful tool.
- On the other hand, if you have only a couple pages that change frequently or one or two content editors maintaining the site, then it is probably not cost effective to use a CMS unless you use something like WordPress for the areas of your site that are updated frequently.
If you’re thinking about implementing a CMS, it’s best to do so before your site gets too big because transferring content is labor intensive. If you are anticipating a big surge in content in the future, then it might be a good time to implement.