Using CMS to create Websites
Why use CMS for a website?
Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Wordpress, Joomla!, Mambo, and Drupal are becoming increasingly popular in website design and implementation.
This is partially due to the ease in which a webmaster with little coding skills can quickly have a website up and running. Add this to the ever growing list of CMS Template websites which offer very attractive Wordpress and Joomla! templates some free, some requiring a subscription.
There are also a vast number of module extensions and plugins that add further functionality such as a forum, link share, viewer’s comments, PayPal subscriptions and languages that can be implemented simply and without the need for specialist coding skills.
One of the most popular CMS is Wordpress and one of my favourites too. Wordpress is constantly being updated by the developers and has plenty of support forums that can help to find the answer to most problems not that I have encountered many when creating my own Wordpress websites.
Most CMS if not all are published under a GPU license and are therefore free although certain restrictions may be in place.
Finding compatible hosting for CMS driven websites is not so difficult if you check the hosting provider offers the following capabilities:
Wordpress minimum Server requirements:
- PHP 4.3 or greater
- MySQL 4.1.2 or greater
- The mod_rewrite Apache module
Joomla! minimum Server requirements:
Drupal minimum Server requirements:
- http://drupal.org/requirements
Mambo minimum Server requirements:
- PHP 4.2.x or above - http://www.php.net
- MySQL 3.23.x or above - http://www.mysql.com
- Apache 1.13.19 or above - http://www.apache.org
You must ensure that you have MySQL, XML and Zlib support built into your PHP.
Also bear in mind your hosting requirements such as monthly bandwidth and diskspace.
If you are running a media rich website such as photography or video hosting make sure your diskspace and bandwidth are adequate.
If your website is simply informative then hosting with 3GB diskspace and 5GB bandwidth is more than enough even if your site becomes very popular with masses of traffic.
Some hosting providers such as http://joomlahosting.uk.com use a scripts installer such as Elefante installer.
Elefante Installer is a free scripts installer that will have your choice of CMS installed with only a few clicks of the mouse, from Joomla! to Wordpress to 4images Gallery and even E-commerce websites can be created in minutes. This 1click installation also offers free template themes to be installed
Wordpress Pro’s and Cons
Pros –
Very search engine friendly
Multi Sites now available
Cons –
Not so well supported in template theme offerings as designers tend to design for the most popular
Joomla! Pro’s and Con’s
Pros -
Very simple to use
Well supported in template theme designs
Cons -
Some modules make the site search engine unfriendly, reducing SEO
Drupal Pro’s and Con’s
Pros –
More powerful for the designer with coding skills
Search engine friendly
Cons –
Mambo Pro’s and Con’s
Pros –
Cons –
Less supported in the mainstream as Joomla is seen as its superior
So if your new website is showing off your photography skills or is for your new business, the power of CMS will have it covered, in the fraction of time and cost it would take a paid web designer to accomplish.
Admin@JoomlaHosting.uk.com
