No matter how much you invest in website development and design, the fact that Content Management System is the backbone of your website, won’t change. Everyone aims at building a website that not only looks attractive but also brings repeat prospective clients to you. To achieve this goal, all you need is a website which is up-to-date and updated on a regular basis. This is possible if you have a website which is a CMS driven website.
Well, we are in the post PC world and choosing between closed sources (proprietary) CMS and open source CMS has been the hottest topic of the recent time. People all over the world are sharing their knowledgeable insights into the CMS industry and many are waiting what the coming year has to say about CMS trends. In this blog I will not only talk about how Open and Closed Source CMS differs but also scope them out to manage the content for ecommerce as well as general sites.
Open Source Vs. Proprietary Source: How do they differ?
Benefits of Open Source CMS
- An entire team of people works on an Open Source CMS to ensure that the code is strong enough.
- Any business can use the open source CMS for managing content on their website.
- Open source is known for its facilities like – you get to see how the software tick was made, and moreover, it gives you the liberty to change it as per your requirements.
- If you are not sure of how exactly this works, don’t panic. You will find a bundle of documentations to help you make the process easier.
- What more does one want than to have a product with regular updating, further making your task easy.
Benefits of Close Source CMS
- There is nothing public. Not many know about the codes and thus you get better security and support while using closed source CMS.
- However, don’t mistake it as a foolproof plan. But in case of problems, the development company will ensure you have the right solution as quickly as possible.
- You will find proper documentation that comes along with closed source CMS.
- Although at a slower pace, there have been many companies that offer updates which hep in improving the product.
- Closed source CMS has a well-managed admin panel which makes it easy for you to use.
Disadvantages of Open Source CMS
- Well, like we see the advantages of open source, this may also turn out to be a curse for some. Because the coding is popular, there are high risks of your codes being hacked.
- You need to ensure that while design in an open source CMS, it is necessary there is no interference from the third party.
- It might take ages for the developers to combine and tailor makes the design using open source.
- And yes, it gives you too many things which are absolutely not needed.
Disadvantages of Closed Source CMS
- Unlike open source CMS, these are more expensive and can cost you a dime.
- If the company itself doesn’t help you out, well, consider this a hard luck.
- No frequent updates available, although there are some, at a slower pace.
- And yes, you don’t get to dig into its program to add or edit its features.
Choosing Between the TWO – Which is worth the investment?
After you have thoroughly gone through the opportunities and challenges posed by each of the two types of CMS, you might have a question, constantly nagging your mind as to which one to actually choose? There are many open source software’s like WordPress, Magento, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaSoft, Zen Cart and many more which have proven to provide outstanding content management for great websites. There are many closed source CMS’s who are not far being though like Asp.NET, Shopify, Volusion and more.
If you are looking to build a safe, well supported and secure website, ask yourself these quick questions to find the RIGHT answer.
- How secure do you want your website to be? This will help you choose the one that is high on security levels.
- No matter which type you choose, does it have a countable support option? This will determine if you are on the right track of choosing the type of CMS to build a strong website.
- What is the developer type you want?
- Who exactly will be updating your website on a regular basis? Answer them and you will know which type to choose for your website.
- What is the budget of your project? How much are you will to invest? This will give you an idea of which type to rule out from your list.
- How much time do you have until you put your website live?
- Do you need any technical support when you talk about installing and hosting your website?
- And finally, does the free source really mean its Free?
How do you justify if “price is the sole thing” that challenges the operation of your Website?
Who doesn’t want to save money? I know all hands must have been raised confirming individual’s opinion on the question I just asked. And why not? Technology is a thing everyone hopes to save money on. However, it is wise for you to carefully examine and determine the priorities of your business before stepping ahead to choose from an open source or closed source CMS.
This guest post was written by Jack Sutton who works with VITEB-UK – an ecommerce web design company based in London. Check out our guest post guidelines to publish your guest post on Versed Tech.
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