CMS (Content Management System) Upgrade for £150

A typical and expensive CMS. Tekline CMS is different...No databases, no languages to learn.... easy peasy!

A Website Content Management System (often abbreviated to WCMS or just CMS) allows non-technical people to edit the content of their website. In the long term a CMS removes the need for a web designer like myself for day-to-day updates, thus saving money and theoretically making the process of updating or modifying a website much quicker. But there is a downside. Most CMS systems are server based and database driven. This means that any editing, updating etc is carried out live on your website server and your content is stored in a database such as MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server. That is not a problem in itself but such CMS systems are usually very expensive and require a good deal of technical knowledge to implement.

Do not be misled by the marketing hype that such systems are easy to install. Nothing can be further from the truth. They all require a good deal of technical knowledge and an understanding of the database system that stores the content and dynamically loads it when a link is pressed. You will also need to understand a programming language such as PHP or C#. That is why most CMS installations are carried out by specialist companies dedicated to the task who provide the necessary technical expertise and support backup to install a system. This means that you will be required to pay their maintenance fee anything from £40 to £200 a month.

In many cases your website will remain in the hands of those who supplied your CMS. If you decide to cancel their mainteance support then all your work will be as good as lost. What you will usually be told in the sales blurb you originally saw is that "You can cancel at any time, just let us know and you will not receive any more bills from us. We'll help you move your domain name elsewhere, and we even keep your website stored in the CMS for six months in case you want to come back." All sounds good but the CMS is database driven and you will not be able to move it to another server easily and besides the CMS software will be owned by the company who supplied it and they are not going to give that away. However, there is another way, one that Tekline Publishing can provide. It is easy to use, easy to maintain and you do it? And... there is no maintenance charge.

There is another way! The Tekline Way for an additonal £150

The Tekline way is very straight forward to implement. You simply login to your website, choose what page you wish to edit and then edit it! Simple! No databases, no languages to learn.... easy peasy! How much? Add £150 to the cost of the standard website package, I make some modifications to the web design and you are ready to go...

Typical Server based System Typical Server based System Typical Server based System
Tekline based CMS system

What about Free CMS systems?

It is true that there are some excellent free CMS systems around. In fact here is a link to 12 free CMS systems. Feel free to take a look at Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Silver Stripe, Cushy CMS, Frog CMS, MODx, TYPOlight, dotCMS, Expression Engine, Radiant CMS and concrete5.

When you have finished looking at these free CMS system you will be drawn to one conclusion. They all require technical knowledge to setup and install - some more than others. One called "Cushy CMS" claims that you do not require knowledge of a server, databases or a programming language such as PHP as the others require. The marketing blub says that "there is no software to install, no programming required, takes just a few minutes to setup etc... but now take a look at their video. All is not what it seems. Video Tutorial. It is not as easy as it looks - is it? By all means give it go but remember you are on your own ...