What tool should you use to create websites? It depends on the kind of your website and how the content of your web page is created. If you right the content yourself then you need content management system (CMS) or blogging tool like Wordpress. If the content of your website is created by the visitors then you need community tool like board or forum. For photo gallery or shop websites you would use appropriate tool as well. There is no all-rounder application allowing you to do all in one. So, before choosing right tool determine the kind of your website to be able to narrow the search:

If your website combines some of the features listed above try to figure out what is the main focus. Sometimes it is advisable to combine different tools to get the most from each part. But do not use blogging tool to create company websites or CMS for building community. Choosing right tool from the very beginning would save your time!

For this guide I assume that the main part of your website consists of self-written content. But it does not mean that you can not enrich your website with addons, such as simple forum or small shop.

How to choose the best CMS?

First of all, there is no the best CMS for all needs and requirements in general. If there was the best one no one would use others. It's logical. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Here some criteria for choosing the best tool:

• costs
• simplicity
• flexibility
• support
• features

Depending on your budget you have to decide first if you want to pay license costs or use a free tool. This decision would help to limit the search scope in the first step.

Another aspect is how simple the tool to use. This aspect is important if you do not have technical background or the content of your website must be added and edited by non-technical persons. Please consider that saying "simple" does not mean the same for editor and developer. It might be that a tool is simple to install but is difficult in organizing contents. On the other side the installation might be weird but adding and arranging pages intuitive. Use demo to figure it out. If no demo installation can be found, look for another tool (why should developers hide anything?).

CMS inserts dynamic content into design, so that only content part can be changed while writing text. Is it important for you to have maximum flexibility while implementing design? And what is about additional features for CMS such as forum or shop? Figure out if the desired features can be easy realized before commit yourself to one or other CMS. Use webmaster forum of your choice to get recommendations and do not forget to describe precisely what features you exact need. Website plan will help you to understand what must be included.

Support is a very important point if you encounter difficulties while building or running your website. If you have any paid CMS support is mostly included into license. Using free CMS you have to review  if there is support forum built from developers and users of the system in questions. No support board for free CMS or dead community without any activity is a bad choice. It will make you to single combat from the very beginning.

Now, after considering costs, simplicity, included features and quality of support, you should have the best CMS for your webpage.

This guide explains how to create websites with CMS Made Simple from the very beginning. Read on the next page why I have chosen this CMS for teaching beginners and creating my own websites as well.

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• Create website with best CMS?

• Fola

  November 7, 2009 at 12:35 pm

  Hi Sofia,
  
  Please could you suggest one free CMS tool and one commercial one.

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