switching to a CMS

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

I'm about to launch a new site and I'm not very familiar with CMS's, yet. However, I've been told, I might want to consider going with a CMS from the start, because that way I could prevent problems later on if I need to use a CMS.

I probably won't ever need a CMS for this site (the site is rather niche and will have about 20 pages, with not much room to add additional categories), but I'm wondering why it could be difficult...just in case, etc. .

Would there be a problem with losing backlinks?

Would it be a ton of work to switch? (If so, then would it help that the design of the site is kept as simple as possible, with about 20 html pages, 1 css file, 3 more html files which I'll include using SSI?)

thanks!

[Karri]

Whatever CMS you use make sure it's SEO friendly because some are not. Personally, I'd go with a CMS right from the start if you think you'll be making content updates on a fairly regular basis and/or if you are doing the updates yourself.

Switching later isn't the end of the world but it's going to cost you time and money. More so after the fact as opposed to just doing it from the outset.

Which CMS you choose depends on what kind of site you're launching when selecting the appropriate CMS. If it's mainly content, then WordPress can be a great CMS. If it's more of an eCommerce site, I might go with something else. Joomla! (combined with VirtueMart) isn't bad if you're on a budget but set up isn't altogether simple so you might need to hire someone to configure everything for you. Miva is better if you can afford it.

HTH!
Karri

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

thanks for the reply.

[JohnW]

Karri I was with you up to this point

>Miva is better if you can afford it.

Has Miva suddenly become SE friendly?

[Janeth]

One of the many things I like about WP is that I can update the backend without messing up the template. I found out the hard way, that Joomla isn’t that way.

I updated the backend for a client and we had to redo the whole design.

I’ll also say that I designed a website for a wristband company one time and he thought he would never need a CMS.

However when he realized that the wristbands on your monitor aren’t the same color as the wristbands on my monitor he needed that info added to the website asap, and I was at the beach.

It was a cell phone and the CMS that kept that man from having a heart attack.

WP is really easy to move to. You can use Yoast’s plugin to keep all the URL’s exactly the same. You can even set it up right behind your current website and once you get everything copied and pasted in all you have to do is remove the index.html page and you’re online.

Oh and best of all next time you want to change the design is just the click of a button from the admin area.