Bit 'n Java

Picking a medium in which to publish a new web site can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The goal of your site should be the indicator for which type of solution you go with. My personal preference, in general, is to use a CMS (content management system) of some sort. The three most popular choices available on the open source market are:

• WordPress
• Joomla
• Drupal

Each one of these has its pluses and minuses, but they all perform the same duty. They enable the individual creating the content to be able to create a quality site with little web experience and without expensive software. This is a real plus since one can create and edit content from anywhere Internet access is available. It is one of the most popular and efficient “Cloud computing” solutions available.

Another benefit is that they all offer the built in feature called RSS (Real Simple Syndication). A RSS feed allows a reader the ability to subscribe to the newest published information on your site and read it without having to go directly to your site.

The last major benefit is cost. These systems are all modular, much like today’s smartphones.  Plug-ins can be installed to add various features without having to pay a programmer to custom develop a solution. A community of developers is always developing new plug-ins for these systems, so it is always worthwhile checking with your web solutions provider if there is a ready-built solution for your need.

The last major advantage of using a CMS is that it is intrinsically search engine friendly. For some reason or another, search engines love these sites. Personally, I have found this by just comparing sites I’ve built through traditional coding and those managed by a CMS (WordPress and Joomla). The number of hits on the CMS driven sites are much higher than those for the traditional site.

So, if you’re looking to establish a new site or redevelop and existing one, I would highly recommend turning to a CMS such as WordPress or Joomla depending on the needs and size of the site.