Once you have chosen your domain name, the next step is to set up your content management system (cms). Your web designer or consultant may have a cms they favour. You need to check out a few things about it.
- Will it be easy to change to another designer in the future? If the cms is something your designer has sole access to or it’s not well-known, a change may be difficult. There may be a number of reasons you will need to change designer and not all of them because you lose faith in your designer. Ultimately you need to know you control your site.
- Is the cms likely to be around for the foreseeable future? If it belongs to a company, how likely is it the company will be around in a few years?
- What are the costs for now and in the future?
- How easy will it be to add content yourself?
- What if you wish to extend your site’s functionality ? Are you confident you will be able to extend it in five years time?
WordPress
I recommend WordPress because it is open source (which means it is not dependent on a single company) and offers you loads of potential functionality. It is well-known should you need help from other sources after your contract with your designer is over.
For the rest of this series I shall assume you are using WordPress. The next question is WordPress.org or WordPress.com?
If you have a designer, then opt for .org because it has extended functionality. WordPress.com is really a blog; if you are on your own it is easier to set up but doesn’t have the potential for expansion of .org. You can assign your domain name to it.
Your designer will help you purchase a host and domain name for your site if you choose .org.
Remember if you take this route you will need to renew your host and domain name, usually once a year. Failure to do this will jeopardise your site. Some designers look after your site for you but remember you may have difficulties if you want to change designer in the future.
Remember to discuss these issues with your designer before s/he makes a start.
What cms do you use? Do you have a cms other than WordPress you recommend? Why?
