Thread: Thoughts on using a CMS instead of building my site?

If you really can build the exact same site, then why not use the CMS? The barrier to entry is great, but even just putting in (and filling with original content, etc...) your own CMS on your host does present a barrier to entry (it's not as easy as paying $100 to join a MLM or $8.00 for some VistaPrint business cards, for example).

That being said, if you really can duplicate a site that easily, try to figure out why more people aren't doing it. Is there a need for another site like that? Can you do something even better than what they are already doing? If tons of people are already doing it, you'll have to be even more exceptional than them in order to rise above the noise. There is a TON of noise out there.

On the flip side... can you build your own site? If you can and you think you can do it even better and more customized than the CMS option would allow you, then go for it!

Some action is better than no action

Yes, start from the CMS.

Tweak it as needed.

Depending on your level of expertise, go with Wordpress if you are not a seasoned developer, or you can work on others like drupal and joomla if you can understand their architecture.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by ntapia

If you really can build the exact same site, then why not use the CMS? The barrier to entry is great, but even just putting in (and filling with original content, etc...) your own CMS on your host does present a barrier to entry (it's not as easy as paying $100 to join a MLM or $8.00 for some VistaPrint business cards, for example).

That being said, if you really can duplicate a site that easily, try to figure out why more people aren't doing it. Is there a need for another site like that? Can you do something even better than what they are already doing? If tons of people are already doing it, you'll have to be even more exceptional than them in order to rise above the noise. There is a TON of noise out there.

On the flip side... can you build your own site? If you can and you think you can do it even better and more customized than the CMS option would allow you, then go for it!

Some action is better than no action

My market only has 1 other competitor at the moment which is doing a bad job at providing a clean/easy to use/fun website.
The reason I want to START with a CMS is just because of being quick to market.

Originally Posted by andviv

Yes, start from the CMS.

Tweak it as needed.

Depending on your level of expertise, go with Wordpress if you are not a seasoned developer, or you can work on others like drupal and joomla if you can understand their architecture.

Good luck.

Thanks for the solid advice, i am actually going with drupal.

I am actually fairly fluent in html/css, but not that great at javascript/php. I mean, I know the syntax for both languages, but I don't know how to build anything with it

Drupal and a couple of hundreds of dollars can give you a decent template and look and feel. Cheap way to test the waters and see where this takes you.

I recently started my first e-commerce venture, and have it set up with Drupal. So far we haven't had any problems with it, and I believe the CMS way is the way to go--at least up until a certain point. Why throw more money and time in starting up than you need to?

Drupal is supposed to be very scalable, but I could see where a custom-built site would prove necessary after you reach a certain number of customers/users. I will be running Drupal until I run into any huge problems.