HTML VS CMS WEBSITES

We get alot of requests for custom web design and a common question is what type of site should I have? Should it be html or a CMS solution?

First, for those who don’t know – CMS stands for Content Management Solution or System. We build a website on a CMS framework that allows a newbie or normal person to edit some of the content with little html or web experience. Typical CMS solutions are WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and others.

Here are Tampa PC Networks, we specialize in WordPress and Joomla custom websites.

What is the right solution for your site depends on what the need is. For some reason, many customers think they will be changing the content on their site all the time. While it should be the case, the truth is that is rarely the case. Out of 100s of sites on Joomla or WordPress, only a few (that would be less than 5) actively update their site.

There are pros and cons to both solutions. Html is VERY easy for us to design. If your site is only a few pages we will typical design it in Adobe Photoshop and then write the code by hand to make it a very attractive and efficient website. As your site needs grow and the page count increases, we typically look for a CMS solution so that we can add extensions or widgets to make the site easier to maintain and to keep the cost down and minimize custom coding for special features.

So the question for a larger site becomes what is best – Joomla, Drupal or WordPress? That all depends on what your requirements are. We can build CMS sites that look like html sites unless the user checks the page source, they would not know. We tend to lean towards Joomla for most sites but we also do about 25% of the CMS sites in WordPress. It comes down to personal preference and also what Industry specific solution or extensions are available. For Real Estate Agents, there are many more IDX cost effective solutions in WordPress than in Joomla. Joomla has more flexibilty in layout and shopping cart options. It is really a choice that we make depending on the requirements.

For many of our larger Database applications, we code in PHP and do seperate databases on seperate servers to handle more traffic and a faster experience for the customers.

If you are unsure of what you want – the answer is simple. Just give us a call at 813-699-9325 to discuss your needs and wants and let 18 years of experience find you an answer!