Is it just me or has it almost got to the stage where its easier to Template a CMS and use that on a clients site even if they don't specifically want a CMS ?

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Yep, that's the way I feel its becoming, even if they don't want a CMS it's could be easier to build a template to the cms system and saves the hassle of trying to keep code compliance with all the static pages and easier to update in the future. And also easier to update the look of the website in the future.

Also depending on the CMS, its easier to find components and modules

you tend to get a lot of the shiny goodness out of the box in an easy to edit way ...

.htaccess sorted for you
Meta sorted ...
Adding new pages can be quite simple
All using the same template as well as you said

Its things like this that may stop me offering customers non cms sites

That said I could just export the whole site ... but thats an extra level I don't want to have to go through and would still screw up contact forms

Which CMS do you prefer?

I personally wouldn't build static sites for clients.

Given the need to make changes and updating links to pages etc... Its simply not worth the hassle of not using one.

The problem is then keeping the CMS up to date to avoid hacks and other malicious activity.

SAAS is the future if you ask me.

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I was just thinking the same. I'm about to start a 20 page site that will be fine as a static site but i'm thinking I may as well use a CMS system. I havn't implemented one before outside of my 9-5 but it seems like a good project to get stuck into one. I'm thinking of using Expression Engine or Silverstripe.

I like a few at the moment ...

CMS Made Simple and I've been giving drupal a whirl as well ... think I've posted about cms made simple on other threads before

Depends on the clients ... with some its great with others ... its hell ...

Yeah ... I like the model of being able to update the one piece of software ... Drupal and movable type seem to have it down ...

Versions / Modules / Compatability issues ... updating individual installs .. and so on .. ARGH!

I need bigger clients


For 20 pages ... you may as well

How do you find Drupal so far? I'm almost ready to launch a new site using it. I'm building the template in CSS XHTML then I'll convert to .tpl. Have you played with CCK or Views?

Do you find the learning curve fairly steep?

To be honest I've not done that much with it. Installed it ... had a look at the templates ... downloaded a few modules .... had a play with installing them.

I'd need to have a week to mess around with it properly I think before I could give an honest opinion on it. So far though ... its quite impressive. What I find annoying are the modules and needing various versions ... there are 3 versions of drupal on the go ? ... this is good in one way ... annoying in another.

Continued support on the older versions is something that is almost unheard of with a lot of the open source software I've been using.

I may write a review on it at a later date ... as I said though ... a question of time to play with it.

tbh, i don't like Drupal at all.... used it on a website before for the busy season and took it down asap then...

cmsmadesimple, as i said in another thread is a beauty.... basic but comprehensive functionality...

joomla, following close behind, and is even better if you need modules and components and all that. also has a wider range of 'ready2buy&install' templates...

for the small range of clients I have had, they have all been people I knew, and I'd have rather spend two days with them explaining how to use the cms than have twenty emails and forty phone calls asking me to stick in an extra page here and there, or change files.

I have a basic knowledge of php, but as soon as someone mentions module or component, the first thing that pops into my head is joomla, grab a module, and edit it to suit my needs. still learning php, a slow, but sure process...