Almost every client I talk to wants the ability to make edits to their site without having to pay a developer. This sounds great and with all the content management products, blog software, portal frameworks advertised the technology is cheaper, more available and simpler to use than ever before.

Just like building a house, creating a web site takes craft. It takes more than tools. There are a lot of lay people that have tools, but can’t build a house and there are a lot of companies with content management systems (CMS) that can’t manage a web site.

Too many times I have seen a group of talented folks build a beautiful site and within a year it is an embarrassment because of CMS abuse. Wacky type, garish colors, poor formatting destroy the integrity of the design. This is a loose-loose situation: the client looses the value of good information architecture and design for which they paid, the visitor doesn’t get the experience they deserve and the shop that put their soul into the site doesn’t get to see the benefits of their hard work realized.

Many shops use the manta “Just give the client what they want.” Those shops are only in it for money and have the wrong approach. It is our job as web professionals to guide and educate clients through the process of planning and developing a web site. By conducting diligent analysis of business needs, stakeholders, and resources the best solution is revealed. Sometimes it involves a CMS and sometimes not.

When deciding on a CMS, here are some important considerations:

• How often will the content actually be updated? And will the cost of the CMS outweigh the cost of hiring a developer to make updates.
  
• What future considerations are there for site additions and how can the CMS be modified to include new content and new functionality?
  
• Does the client need to change the navigation structure of the site or just edit specific sections?
  
• Who will be managing the site and what is their time constraints, and skill level in copywriting, and graphic design. Yes, graphic design is not only graphics; it is text formatting and typography.
  
• What is the client’s workflow regarding publishing content? Is there proofing? Is there an approval process? How is this communicated?
  
• What types of content will need to need to be managed: news releases, images, charts, downloadable documents and user permissions?
  
• What format is the above material in before it gets published to the web? How does the conversion to web ready files, data or info handled?
  
• Are there any other technologies or systems which the CMS must interact?

Obviously, these are just a few concerns, but the idea is - get the big picture. Having control is appealing, but can the client handle it? Help them realize the work and effort involved. They will be happier in the long run and you will be too.