Simple CMS Templates system

[hobbit666]

Hi all merry xmas.

 

Question. I'm looking for a simple CMS system i can offer to my clients so they can create and edit pages for there websites. It needs to be simple for me also to create a template based on the clients needs/designs.

 

The idea here is instead of clients asking for a 5+ Page website then over the next few months keep asking for changes i want to install a CMS system on there hosting account. Create a template for the site that they like with there logo/design and then leave them to it, and just charge the customer a set fee for creating the initial site.

[Si]

lol - thats a murky road you go down. They might not want text changes, but they'll want banners, shoutboxes, classifieds, news posts.

 

Best thing is to learn to template for mambo or joomla and let them add their own mods etc.

 

IMHO and experience of course.

 

Si

[Brett]

I would go the Joomla road also. But another if they are looking for something very simple might be wordpress. I have not worked with the templates much but from what I can remember it was very simple.

[hobbit666]

Thanks will look wordpress.

 

I have looked a joomla and thought it was a bit complex for someone with little internet knowledge.

 

I have found something called CMS Made simple. It looks simple to use just need to work out how to customize it and joomla.

 

Any other suggestions?

[MACscr]

Ive been developing for and using CMS's since for about 7 years now. I find joomla/mambo to be junk. Drupal is ok, but poor UI, wordpress is more of a blog, but has an excellent UI and publisher, but a lot of hard coded areas if you want to 100% template it. I used to use Postnuke for a lot of projects because of its excellent permissioning system and templating system, but it has a poor article system IMHO and i dont like where the project is going. Been actually searching for alternatives lately, but havent found anything exciting for simple sites. I am thinking of to play with SilverStripe though, but its definitely not in the simple cms category.

 

Here is a great thread about different CMS options that me and a few developers friends have been having.

[Brett]

Actually the best place to have a look and play with different CMS's is http://www.opensourcecms.com/

 

There you will be able to play with a lot of the open source CMS's on the market.

 

I do have to say though that Drupal is by far my most favorite CMS on the market. It is running some high profile sites like http://mtv.co.uk and others. Have a look at http://www.lullabot.com and you will find all kinds of interesting things on there. One thing to note though is that although the GUI is not that impressive the functionality of the system is almost unlimited. You can do just about any project with it.

[MACscr]

One thing to note though is that although the GUI is not that impressive the functionality of the system is almost unlimited. You can do just about any project with it.

 

You can say that about almost any open source project. I think quality UI's are downplayed to much and i think they are very important for non geek usability of a system.

[Roger]

Don't forget security in your quest to find something simple for your clients to use. Don't give them something thats easy to use but opens your server up to the bad guys.

 

Almost forgot: Merry Christmas guys and gals

[Brett]

You can say that about almost any open source project. I think quality UI's are downplayed to much and i think they are very important for non geek usability of a system.

I agree with you on some level, but you sometimes have to have training for a more advanced system if it is going to be for a large project.

 

For the request that the poster in this thread is looking for I would not recommend it just because it is a more complex system.

[Baja]

I have used Joomla for a few years and I would not offer it to any of my clients, just too complicated for any non-web types.

 

I know a guy that makes church websites and he uses Website Baker because its ease of use, based off his clients saying Joomla was to complicated.

 

I have been playing around with Modxcms which seems pretty nice and just won an award for "up and coming cms"(Drupal and Joomla also topped that list.) Maybe what your looking for. Cool Ajax features.

 

Played around with Drupal and I liked it for myself but again not for my clients.

 

I also have been playing around with Silverstripe, seems pretty nice might be up your alley.

 

This is something I like but I am trying to figure out how I actually charge my clients for it (how, as in, convince them to pay the monthly fee and the one time setup fee too) http://www.speaklight.com/

 

Light seems like it is going in a nice direction but its not free, and its hosted(not a downloadable script in other words.) I would also like any thoughts on it if anyone has some to throw out on it, the concept I mean. And how to use it to make money.

 

And Expression Web is something I also have been looking into but I don't think its completely free either if I remember right. Not sure how easy it is to use so I won't say either way yet.

 

I have used or played around with a lot more, but I think that is enough to get you going.

 

If you have a specific type of site your client needs made then that might determine which system you use so keep that in mind.

[robbo]

I know a guy that makes church websites and he uses Website Baker because its ease of use

 

I rarely use CMS's as most of my clients are either too lazy or too busy to update it on their own, but the 3 or so I have done were with Website Baker. It was easy to template (from memory), and very easy to use.

Those clients are loving it - however I'm not sure on the security side, nothing has been hacked yet. *touches wood*

[Baja]

I rarely use CMS's as most of my clients are either too lazy or too busy to update it on their own

Ya I would have to agree with this in most cases.

 

So you might think about what it is you really want to offer your clients because chances are, like robbo said you will probably end up handling most of the updates anyway.

 

If your having problems with doing to many updates and not getting paid for the work(which is why maybe you are asking about cms?)

 

You might think about an "updates" clause in your contracts. For example 3 major updates(and describe what major is) 3 minor updates (change a font for example) and 3 mini-minor updates(change a phone number or address) And maybe give a time frame of use. Then after they have used them or time is up there will be a fee for the work based on your price.

 

You can customize this all of course to fit your needs. Just a thought I guess. Not sure if that helps any or not. Or if it is bit off your question.

[generic]

I have used websitebaker and cmsms extensively and both are very easy to use for the end user. Would recommend wither. Website baker has kind of dropped off in development while cmsms is really taking off so i am sticking with cmsms for all new sites. I also recently looked at modx but that appears to be a bit more difficult on the end user.

 

What i want, and have only found in two programs, editwrx.com and dragdropsitecreator.com is the ability to host multiple websites from one install of a cms. Right now i have over 100 clients using a cms and when there is a security update, i am updating over 100 websites which is a real pain in the you know what.

 

how do you all update your clients cms'...?

[DeanClinton]

I'm a bit biased, but I use Etomite

[MACscr]

I'm a bit biased, but I use Etomite

 

Why are you biased? Is this a CMS you created?

[Baja]

This you Dean? deanclinton.co.uk

[DeanClinton]

Yup, that would be me

 

It's the CMS that both myself and Ralph are developing

[MACscr]

This you Dean? deanclinton.co.uk

 

Kind of funny that he is using WP for his site versus Etomite. =P

[Baja]

Kind of funny that he is using WP for his site versus Etomite. =P

Maybe Etomite doesn't have a blog system yet. But that is kind of funny all the same.

 

Also @generic: thanks alot, another night with out sleep. (testing cmsms)

 

@Dean Clinton: Man that was crazy about immersecms anything else ever come of that?

[DeanClinton]

Yeah Etomite doesn't have a working blog - when we have one, I'll be changing to that

Each product has a specific use - I went for the best product for what I'd wanted to do (blog).

 

@Baja - Not that I know of

[othellotech]

I'm a bit biased, but I use Etomite

 

I like eto, although there are still some features its missing and you have to code around some of the "quirks" by fixing the DB directly.

[MACscr]

I like eto, although there are still some features its missing and you have to code around some of the "quirks" by fixing the DB directly.

 

really? ive never seen anything about it that made it more attractive over the alternatives.

[railto]

have to say that my fav cms is e107, i find it very flexible, capable of small one or 2 page sites right up to full blown corporate systems

[SteveV]

My vote goes to WordPress: my clients love its ease-of-use, and you can restrict their access so that they can't break anything important.

[RSprinkel]

I have tried almost every Nuke product out there and none of them I was impressed with. I have also tried PHP-Fusion and it's ok. One of my hosting sites is currently using it as it is easy to work with, but getting any good templates for it is hard to find IMO. Mambo I am just starting to get the feel of it.

 

As Baja said to generic, thanks alot. I guess I will be up late tonight trying out the CMSMS. Now that I have kinda figured out Mambo for my site, I want to do my other 2 hosting sites (Which I won't post any info on in the "Showcase" until I redo them, LOL) in different CMS's.

 

So off I go to google the CMSMS and download it, LOL.