CMS A TO Z

In the world for CMS for websites, often site owners are comparing hosted CMS systems and stand-alone systems.

What's the Difference?

A hosted CMS is a managed service where the application is owned and operated by the provider. This arrangement is sometimes called Software as a Service (SaaS). The site owner will usually pay for the service on a periodic basis (monthly, quarterly, annually), and will be responsible only for the data entry for the site.

A stand-alone system is one that is installed by the site owner, and for which any software updates or securiy patches are the responsibility of the site owner.

Some CMS Basics:

We'll explore the advantages and disavantages of each type of system, but first we need to cover some basics - regardless of the system type you choose.

1. Your Domain Name

Regardless of which CMS you choose for your needs, you should make sure that the domain name is in your control. Generally, you should not allow your service provider to be the "owner" of your domain, unless there is a clear process for you to re-gain control of the domain if the relationship sours for whatever reason. Your best bet is to simply register the domain name with a domain registration service, and stay clear of services that offer "free domain registration" with your service, or who require that the domain be registered under their name.

2. Your Data

Again, regardless of which type of CMS you choose, make sure that your data is yours, and that you are not relinquishing access to it if you end your lease or if you end your hosting account. A good way to ensure that you have control of your data is to keep some kind of backup of it anytime it changes. That might mean downloading a copy of your database if you are using a stand-alone version of exporting a copy of your site if you are using a hosted CMS solution.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Ok - so assuming you own your own domain and you own your data (and have the ability to retain it), what are the advantages and dis-advantages of each type of solution?

Well, it really depends on you and your organization.

Advantages of Hosted CMS:

1. Low cost of maintenance - you are not responsible for new updates to the system or retaining a staff or finding contractors to mange security patches, bug fixes, etc.
2. Low berier to entry - generally there are fewer up-front costs to a hosted solution. If you are not able to program the system yourself or do the set up, then a hosted solution can often be the quickest and easiest way to get started
3. Built-in backups - if you are usting a reputable cms provider, your data is likely backed-up on a daily, or weekly basis, so that if you delete something, you will be able to recover it. Keep in mind that there may be a fee associated with this sort of procedure.
4. Support when things go wrong - again, with a hosted solution, the provider is responsible for fixing things when they go wrong. Care should be taken, however in chosing your provider to make sure that they can be relied upon for such updates.
5. More consistent updates and customizations - if you need customizations to the software, the provider is likely going to be the company making those customizations - that usually means that if you need support for that functionality later, you will have someone to turn to.

Disadvantages of Hosted CMS:

1. Less control - Using a hosted CMS will mean that you may have less control over certain aspects of the system - like what color your editing interface is, which modules are installed, what programming language is being used, and when updates are made. If you are a programmer, this can be a frustrating situation at times.
2. Ongoing costs - With a a hosted CMS, you don't own anything (except your data), so if you stop paying the bills, you will no longert be able to use the system. While often the cost of a hosted cms can be comprable to the cost of web hosting alone, make sure that you are prepared for the costs of a hosted solution.
3. Hosting is tied to the CMS - with a hosted solution, the hosting of your site will most likely be tied to the cms system. Make sure that you are happy with the hosting situation before you commit to the CMS system.
4. Lack of portability - This is the correlary to the previous point. If your cms is tied to your web host, that means, you can't just leave if you are unhappy with the network reliability or the host's uptime. So gain, make sure that your provider is good at both.

Advantages of Stand-alone CMS:

1. Control - Perhaps the most important advantage to using a stand-alone CMS is control. Owning the CMS means that you can modify it however you like, host it wherever you like, and change your programmer whenever you like.
2. Open-source Support - If you are using an open source CMS system, then you will have a whole community of people available to you through forums and discussion boards to answer your questions and help you with any issues.
3. Ownership - With a stand-alone CMS, there is no question of ownership. You own it and it doesn't matter if you stop paying your bills - as long as you keep a copy of everything, you don't have to worry about someone turning off the system.

Disadvantages of a Stand-alone CMS:

1. Cost of ownership - If you are not a programmer yourself, you will likely need someone to make periodic updates to your system to keep up with security patches, technology updates, compatibility issues, etc.
2. Lack of support - Most of the time, if you are the owner of the software, then you will be responsible for figuring out how it works. This is somewhat eased with availability of forums and mailing lists for open source software, but ultimately, you are going to have to figure it out. That can be a headache if you are not technically oriented.
3. Difficulty of customization - Again, if you are not a programmer yourself, then any customizations you need will likely need to be done by a contractor. Make sure that you find a reputable contractor that will support you (whether that support is free or paid) when something goes wrong, or when the technology changes.
4. Distraction for your core business - This is a big one for many small business owners. Many of us do not have the time to spend on tasks that don't generate income for our business. If you are not in a situation where you have someone on staff, or a trusted contractor available on a moment's notice, then fixing things when they go wrong can eat up hours of business time (or days!).

The Bottom Line:

The bottom line is - whichever solution you choose, make sure that you are using reputable vendors. This is especially critical for businesses who plan to rely on their websites for their income. If you are planning to use a hosted solution, get refences of other clients that use the system to make sure that your prospective provider is delivering a reliable system. If you are planning to use a stand-alone CMS, make sure that you have reliable people available to you to perform system maintenance and to make any customizations you will need.