by avlxyz

Question by Jennifer Bardorf: Do open source CMS packages work with Dreamweaver?
Here’s the situation. I do Internet marketing and purchased Dreamweaver so I could download, manage and do SEO on my clients website. Now, some of my clients want to access their site to do some modest content updates. Since they don’t have dreamweaver (which would be too software for them anyway), I’m wondering if I can get a simple CMS integrated with their existing site. From what I can tell, products like Website Baker and CMS Made Simple allow you to “build” a new site. Drupal and Joomla are perhaps too advanced, although I know you can buy website templates that use their respective CMS..that may be an option, but I think its too much for the client to learn. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by just “JR”
EVERY client will always add “… and I want to be able to change the contents myself “…
So, you install Joomla or Drupal (because they wanted it or have been told that it was the way to go).
Then you launch the website and explain them how to use their fantastic CMS.
They look at you in bewilderment, and a few months later, never again make any change to their site.
To those who let you decide, you build your own CMS, exactly and ONLY what you need, and “easy as pie” to use. You show it to the clients, they use it for a month, then never again make any changes (unless it is a blog or a forum).
Some will tell you that you MUST develop using Dreamweaver (that’s what they have been told by the brother-in-law).

Remember ONE thing: the client hasn’t got a CLUE about websites, NONE OF THEM.
If they did, they would, at least, try to make their sites themselves… and a lot do, only to realise they can’t! Then they come to you and ask you to “just finish” what they have started… No, thanks.

Analyse what the Client NEEDS (NOT what he wants!), and the best way to deal with the needs. If that means using DW to go faster, then so be it.
But if you hope to edit Joomla through Dreamweaver, you better be a shareholder in “Aspirin”…

Good luck!

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