Website Design & Development

Fred Lebhart Posted by Fred Lebhart on September 02, 2013

Top Complaints of Open Source CMS Platforms

Top Complaints of Open Source CMS Platforms

While no software category is above reproach, content management systems tend to draw ruthless critics.

Maybe open source CMS platforms Top Complaints of Open Source CMSsget a bad reputation because so many people use them for purposes they just weren't made to handle. Everyone needs a well-designed website, and few people are willing to pay for a custom-built one. Considering the universal nature of the need and the slim percentage of people who find any of these programs easy to use, maybe users have a right to gripe. Here are the issues they complain about the most.

The Learning Curve

By far, the main reason people cite for their hatred of various open source CMS platforms is the frustration of trying to figure out how it works. People find it hard to explain why they don't understand it,simply because they don't understand it well enough to describe the problem.They read the instructions for hours and get nothing but a headache for their efforts. They try experimenting with plugins only to find they don't work as expected.

In addition, directions provided to users are full of specialized jargon peculiar to each individual program. Unless you followed the development of the platform from day one, you' have a hard time understanding pet terms used for certain program features. The learning curve is steep,requiring the user to learn a whole new vocabulary of nonsensically named functions.Some fiddle with a platform for months, paying a host for a site they can't use, until they finally break down and hire someone anyway.

No Help from Anyone

The problem can be even worse if the site's host doesn't play well with the open source platform. If something doesn't load right or work properly, it's hard to know if the problem comes from the CMS or the host.In either case, each will blame the other for the difficulty and neither will help you sort it out.

Live Design

Some users are uncomfortable with putting up a site that isn't built yet. They'd rather build it offline first. Open source CMS platforms require a live site if you want to see how the changes are coming along. This presents a public image problem too. Visitors may try to use the website, become frustrated when it doesn't work correctly and then leave never to return.

You only get one chance to make a first impression, so a site needs to be perfect from day one. With open source CMS, that's just not possible.

Cookie-cutter Layouts, Colors and Images

It's important for a website to have its own identity,making it stand out from the crowd. Open source CMS themes just can't provide the originality needed to do that. At best, they allow users to tweak a header image, change the tag line and move the layout into a limited number of configurations. Only advanced users can take an open source CMS platform and turn it into an original, striking and memorable site.

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See Also:

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7 Ways to Grow your eCommerce Website's Sales and Revenue