Where to start your search:

There are innumerable resources on the web that can be used to assist you with the search and selection process when you are struggling to choose the right CMS for your task. To start out, check out this CMS List.

The above list provides you with an enormous list of content management systems with descriptions of each. Once you've found a few that you like, contact the applicable vendor and see if they can provide you with a demo of the system (ensure you include the install process as part of the demo) so that you can get a good overview of the product.

You also want to make sure that the CMS you are considering is an seo friendly cms.

You can also look for CMS Reviews that give you detailed breakdowns of the product.

Consider the cost:

Don't forget to consider open source solutions. There are tons of them available and most have very large communities.

The DO NOT List:

1. Do NOT pick your CMS based on the fact that you found a pretty theme for it. Themes can be created quickly and easily.. and quite frankly, choosing based on this factor alone is bound to give you a headache.


2. Do NOT just buy something without trying it first. You wouldn't do it with a car (we hope) so don't do it with your content management system either. We can pretty much guarantee that if you approach a vendor and tell them you are curious and interested but want to demo first, they will make it happen or risk losing your business.


3. Do NOT throw tons of money (cause we all have tons of money right?) at a developer and have them make something custom just for you. It's not worth the investment.. there are plenty of well supported systems out there and it's much better to have others who know the product as support options rather than just one person.


4. Do NOT assume that because the CMS costs money, it must be better than it's Open Source alternatives. While this MAY be the case in SOME instances.. it is most certainly not always the case. There are a large number of Open Source CMS products on the market that are much better than some of the commercial offerings.. and vice versa.


5. Do NOT go to the Drupal forums and ask them if WordPress or Drupal is the best.. you will get a biased answer. This is about as intelligent as walking into a Ford dealership and asking them if they think Ford is better than Chevrolet.

The DO List:

1. DO take your time and explore your options. There are TONS of resources out there (this is the internet for pete's sake!) that can help you in your search. We think cmscritic.com is the best. (like how we slid that in there?).


2. DO try the product first. We don't recommend demos as they are already installed. It's best to download the package, find a cheap host somewhere and try to install it and see what happens. If you get lost somewhere and need help.. hit the forums for the applicable package.


3. DO ask other webmasters of sites that you like. Some may or may not be willing to tell you what (if any) CMS they are using but it never hurts to ask.  Frequest webmaster forums or un-jaded sites such as ours!


4. DO remember to fully research the product you are considering.. explore some themes, plugins and see how the community treats questions from new users. This will give you a good feel for the product.