Steve Smith at Ordered List recently conducted a survey of users about Content Management Systems. I took it(at least I remember starting to take it). Some of the results were released some time ago. By now you’ve probably seen the results or can guess the results. WordPress came out as the most used, followed by ExpressionEngine. Also the satisfaction level was middle of the ground for WordPress and very high for EE.
Steve pointed out this was probably due to the fact that EE costs money and people are less likely to pay for something that does fit their requirements. This is true, I wouldn’t pay for EE unless it would make a clients life much easier and completely fit the site. But I would use WordPress on a site that wasn’t a blog.
This trying of bend WordPress to my needs will sometimes cause me to be frustrated by some of it’s limitations. Limitations as a result of it being a blogging platform. Anyone who knows WordPress knows it can be a CMS, even a good one at times. But I’m finding more and more that it is extra work to bend WordPress into a CMS when I could just use a “real” CMS.
I want to know what you WordPress guys think? I know a lot of you are professionals and use WordPress extensively. Where do you draw the line when WordPress as a CMS is concerned? What other CMSs do you use? Do you think WordPress is heading towards becoming more of a real CMS?(maybe that is a whole new post). Do you think I’m too sexy for my shirt?
4 Comments
Leave a CommentI lean toward using WP as a CMS only when there tends to be alot of custom requests, and other things that I can use plugins or hacks to accomplish what they want.
If they want a basic CMS, i’ve been happy with CMS Made Simple – http://cmsmadesimple.org – But only use CMSMS if you custom build a admin theme, cos the default admin theme is doo doo butter.
I would like to see more CMS type functionality in WP in future releases. Such as the built in ability to hide pages or categories from the default display.
I would also prefer to see a simpler method of changing the pages display order. Such as up and down arrow links, that folks can just click to bump it up or down.
I would also like to see more photos of you without your shirt. Did that sound ghey?
17th Sep 2008
I must say that I’m a bit of a WordPress addict and usually choose to stick with my platform of choice, even if that means bending the structure of how things are done sometimes, or other things…
I have worked with Expression Engine and Drupal, and have to say that I’m rather unimpressed with Drupal, and don’t like the idea of having to learn an entirely new CMS that I also have to pay for such as Expression Engine.
But, in all – WordPress tends to get the job done for the sites I build, and when it doesn’t, or I want something simple, HTML is always there for you!
Cheers,
Ben Armstrong
Creative Director
RedTieDesigns.com
17th Sep 2008
Chad,
Haven’t thought of it like that. The plugins can make custom requests go faster, at least sometimes.
I tried CMS Made Simple once and wasn’t a fan, but that was some time ago and my coding has much improved. I’m thinking of giving Silverstripe a chance now, along with some Rails CMS systems.
If they add more CMS functionality in WordPress they will have to give more control over the admin sections. I think it is already too crowded back there, but that is personal opinion.
Ben,
I agree with learning a new CMS that costs money is a step not everyone is willing to take. But the people who do use it are very happy with it, so that says something.
I haven’t had one client that didn’t specifically ask for a way to edit content since the 90′s so a HTML site is out of the question haha.
P.S. You have to pay for photos of me without my shirt. I’ll be launching that site soon. ;)
21st Sep 2008
How much? :-)
Cheers,
Ben
21st Sep 2008