Niche Content Management Systems
With most articles discussing content management systems (CMSs) falling into two categories (either a discussion of WordPress as a CMS or a comparison of common CMSs such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla), I felt there was a niche in the market for an article on, aptly enough, niche CMSs!
WordPress and other CMSs are very useful, but sometimes there are other, more suitable, CMSs for the situation at hand. The major disadvantage to niche CMSs is that because so few people know about them, many people cannot effectively implement them. However, I aim to change that, and in this article I’m going to focus on three types of niche CMS: small CMSs, wedding CMSs and church CMSs.
Small CMSs like Perch, CushyCMS and PageLime are ideal for companies who cannot afford to pay a full time web designer, since they are designed to be used primarily by editors without a technical background. For easy updating of content, the small CMS is perfect for the non-web savvy person. Prices range from free (CushyCMS) to a one-off fee of £35 for Perch. The small price and increased usability tend to come with a compromise: features are usually sorely lacking and some small CMSs cannot be themed very easily. However, for a small company on a small budget, small CMSs are ideal for an impressive website at a small price.
Whilst small CMSs tend to be targeted at small businesses, wedding CMSs such as eWedding and MomentVille are targeted at personal users, allowing the bride and groom to post news and information about their upcoming wedding on their very own site. With features such as online RSVPs, photo albums and wedding checklists, these CMSs are designed to be easily usable by future sons- and daughters-in-law. Websites made with these CMSs are especially useful when many of the guests are coming from far afield, since everyone can be kept up-to-date on the proceedings. Prices range from free (MomentVille) to $19 (Webvivah), although some CMSs such a eWeddings offer different packages, costing from free to $14.95 per month.
Church CMSs like Ekklesia360 and ChurchPixel were designed to combat the two main areas where church websites fall down: updating news and views for their congregation, and gathering new members. With features such as sermon podcasting and online prayer requests, these church CMSs are paving the way to salvation for church websites. Church CMSs can be quite pricey, with the cheapest option on ChurchPixel being a one-off fee of $999 and a monthly fee of $59.
There are many more niche CMSs, like music CMSs, food CMSs and education CMSs, so designers take note: WordPress is not the only answer!!!
Niche Content Management Systems