Choosing The Right CMS
Drupal
Drupal is an open-source CMS that can be customized to do nearly anything. It is powerful and modular (you can find a Drupal Module for almost anything), but does require significant developer knowledge to get started. It has a relatively steep learning curve compared to the other CMSes detailed here. However, it is a very common CMS with a large and helpful community support system.
Features
Drupal
Drupal is an open-source CMS that can be customized to do nearly anything. It is powerful and modular (you can find a Drupal Module for almost anything), but does require significant developer knowledge to get started. It has a relatively steep learning curve compared to the other CMSes detailed here. However, it is a very common CMS with a large and helpful community support system.
WordPress
WordPress is a very common CMS that, like Drupal, has many plugins to customize the site and a large support community. It’s more user-friendly, but less customizable and powerful. WordPress works best for blog-centered sites.
NationBuilder
NationBuilder is a combination CRM/CMS. More info on NationBuilder as a CRM can be found in our posts on Choosing the right CRM and NationBuilder vs Salsa. NationBuilder is very easy to use and user-friendly, but has the most limitations when it comes to customization. Types of content and organization of content is more rigid – while initial set up can be done with minimal developer skills, most customization does require some developer skills. It does not use a module or plugin system like WordPress and Drupal, although there are some third party applications that integrate with NationBuilder.
What to Consider?
What will a website do for you?
The most important thing about creating and having a website is to have demonstrable goals. ”Having a web presence” is too vague, you need to have clear ways that a website will help your organization, such as:
- Increase newsletter sign ups
- Increase social sharing
- Increase online donations
In short, your site should be working for your organization with concrete results. Each of these platforms can help you achieve your goals, but only if you can articulate those goals.
Who will manage it?
The question of who will manage your site is important for the process of keeping your site up-to-date. That person’s level of technical expertise may also play a roll in which CMS you choose.
What do you know you need?
This bit is where functionality truly comes into play. Try to come up with 3 very specific things you know you are going to want to do with you CMS. This helps you to understand if you need any custom features, and almost every organization does. Also, if a CMS you’re considering does not have any of your 3 specific features out-of-the-box, it may be best to cross it off the list. You will likely make this list of requirements based off of your answer to the questions of ”What will a website do for you?”
