In part one of this series we discussed what a CMS actually is and in part two, the advantages and disadvantages of Content Management Systems. Today I’d like to wrap up the Pros and Cons of CMS series by talking about what you should consider when choosing a CMS platform.

Budget

There are two main budgetary concerns with CMS’s: set-up (or design) fees and monthly hosting charges. A custom designed CMS, like the one we use at Calvary Church, can be pretty pricey. With the extra expense comes more custom functionality and future expandability. There are less expensive set-up options in the form of plug and play CMS’s. Most of the CMS companies targeted at churches only charge a small set up fee (if any) and a monthly fee. With these, you typically do not get a custom design, but rather get to choose from a selection of templates that you can tweak yourself. Typically you should budget more for monthly hosting of a CMS than for basic web hosting.

Custom Templates

Most CMS’s operate using templates to maintain the design of the site’s pages. Consider whether the CMS has a wide selection of templates from which to choose, if you can design your own templates, and explore whether the templates are easy to change.

Features

Another factor to consider when selecting a CMS is the list of features. Do you only need to design static web pages? Will you need email forms? Is there an easy way to upload and edit images? Do you plan on streaming audio or video? Will you be selling items in an online store (e-commerce)? Does the CMS provide tracking statistics for your site? Will you need forums, chat rooms, or a live chat support tool for your site? Do you need a WYSIWYG editor or is a basic text editor sufficient? Along with the consideration of the list of features the CMS currently has available, you should consider whether or not the CMS has the capability to add custom features for you should you need them in the future.

Support

Most CMS providers will help you get your initial site set-up and designed (as mentioned above, some may charge you a hefty set-up fee, just for that purpose), but what do they offer you once you’re up and running? Consider the number of support hours you anticipate needing a month and look for a CMS that has double that amount. Other support considerations include on-site training for users of your system, online documentation, and an online knowledge base or user forums.

FTP Access

With basic web hosting, pages are updated using FTP access. Most CMS hosting plans do not include FTP access to your site. This can be problematic if, for example, you need to bulk upload pages or images, or if you ever need to migrate your site to another provider. Look for a CMS provider that will offer you FTP access to your files, or at minimum some FTP space on their server in another location.

Ownership vs. Leasing

Most CMS providers retain the rights to the structure of the CMS (while you own the content that you place within their system). In other words, they’re leasing you their software application. If you need to own your CMS, expect to pay a lot more money and make sure both you and the CMS provider are clear on the need. Don’t assume that a custom-designed CMS will be yours to own.

Ease of Use for Advanced Designers

Another consideration is the ease of use for an advanced website designer. Chances are, the volunteers who step forward to help maintain content on your CMS will have some web design experience. As such, if they’re restricted by a CMS that doesn’t allow them to “do their thing,” they might be frustrated. Look for a CMS that has, at minimum, the capability to edit the source code for the page.

Trial Period

Does the CMS provider give you a trial period or unlimited demo login so that you can take the CMS for a test drive before you commit? If not, keep looking. You might want to have potential web volunteers take a look at the CMS as well.

This list of things to consider isn’t exhaustive, but hopefully it will give you a starting point in selecting a CMS. Carefully evaluate your needs and don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions to the sales person at the CMS provider you’re considering. Making a successful choice of which CMS to use can take you a long way towards having a website that is successful in drawing guests to your church and intersecting with members of your congregation.

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Chuck Scoggins is Creative Communications Director at Calvary Church in St. Peters, MO and President of 374 Designs. His latest project is Serve15 and you can email him at chuck@374designs.com.

In Part One of this series, I talked about the importance of great design and content – as well as what a content management system is. In this second part, I want to share the advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) of using a CMS platform.

THE PROS

1. Quality through templates

The natural structure of a CMS assures that quality is maintained. Most CMS’s use a format where a master administrator controls the “look” of the site including the fonts, colors, navigational structure, content, and special widgets such as site-wide search engines, online giving, or flash banners.

The administrator also has many other options including the ability to set an approval process before a content item can be published or “made live” to the site. This keeps all aspects of the website up to church standards.

Additionally, most companies that offer a CMS platform can provide you with professional design services to “skin” out your site with a custom look or offer an array of pre-designed templates they plug-in and modify to your needs.

2. Functionality

While the quality of your design layout is improved using a solid CMS, the functionality of your site also increases! An example would be a media upload editor, which optimizes media files as they are uploaded to a server, can help increase quality by helping to assure images load quickly and are sized properly. Publish dates assure that updated content gets published at a specified time, though perhaps written weeks earlier. Using time-out date features, contributors to the site can set their content items to expire to assure that no out-of-date content is left on the site.

3. Ease of Use – No Web Development Knowledge Necessary

Almost anyone can edit their website content using a web-based “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) editor built into the CMS. Adding event information or a news article is as simple as using a word processor. Other features such as those listed below, also can be simple to use after a thorough training session.

4. Features & Plug-ins

One of the greatest advantages of using a quality CMS is the ability to choose a variety of features or plug-ins to use on your site including:

• Discussion or collaboration modules
• Seamless blog integration
• E-Newsletters
• Flash or Rotating Banners
• E-Invitations
• Online Giving or E-Commerce
• Audio, Video, and Podcasting

Many systems already come with these “bonus” features so there is no need to purchase different components like what was required in the past.

THE CONS

There are a few disadvantages to using a CMS however. While these are far outweighed by the advantages, fairness demands that we consider a few.

1. Restrictive For Web Designers

Though CMS’s add an element of control for those who are not web savvy, they can be restricting to administrators who have a deep understanding of website design and limit the creative options.

2. The Price

CMS platforms can either be purchased outright and set up on an internal server or “leased” from the CMS provider through a monthly / yearly fee. The first option usually lacks tech support, updates, or training. It requires more involvement and can be more of a hassle or expense. Leasing is a better option because you can get customer support or training but it is way more expensive than a typical monthly hosting plan.

3. Learning Curve

A few systems are fairly easy to learn and many others are more complicated. If the administrator or team member has some knowledge of computer technology and are web savvy, the learning curve will be quicker than a non-techie or non-trained person. Either situation will require a fair amount of training but it is much better than learning all the ins and outs of web design. My advice is to choose a company that provides on-site or online training along with good documentation and manuals.

All things considered, the benefits to a church using a content management system and having a well-designed site far outweigh these minor disadvantages. In part three of this series, we’ll look at how to choose a CMS for your church.

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Chuck Scoggins is Creative Communications Director at Calvary Church in St. Peters, MO and President of 374 Designs. His latest project is Serve15 and you can email him at chuck@374designs.com.