I get people asking me about any of the 1000s of free website components and tools that exist all of the time. Sometimes these tools (shopping cart, ad rotator, content management system, etc.) might only provide 85% to 90% of what they need. Other times there might be a fee associated with it, and that is fine too – because when used properly a component can reduce the development time (and potentially cost) of your site.
In a perfect world, these components can be dropped them and work with your existing system. Well rarely is it that easy.
So before you rush in to use this new free tool, here is a list of 5 questions to ask before you choose a software component to add to your web site.
1) Will this tool provide the solution that you need? I have recently started integrating Word Press into some of my clients sites because it provides a robust solution to allowing someone to write, update, and add their own content (with in reason). While it is not the only solution, or a solution without faults, it does a good enough job in most circumstances.
2) What type of support do you have with this tool? One of the reasons I went with Word Press was because it is still being developed and made better. The developers are actively developing it, and there are other developers who provide add-on plug-ins to provide functionality in a timely manner or with something that might not make it into the main stream product. If your tool is being given away, it may not be developed as the developer looses interest or has to take paying work. Likewise, there is an active community of people who can help new users get the system up and running.
3) Can the tool be easily modified? This is important, especially if it only provides 85-90% of the functionality you need. If you need that extra 15%, will you be able to get it, or can you live without it? I’ve looked at different tools in the past that were too difficult to “fix” to the clients needs. In some cases, I’ve rewritten entire systems because it was faster to do it that way than figure out the problems with the old system and fix it the hard way. Again, with Word Press, I can make modifications to the way it looks (the theme) as well as some of the underlying functioning if need be. This was a huge advantage to going with this tool.
4) Are their any security concerns? No one wants to admit it, but there is always a risk of your site being hacked. Some of the biggest complaints about Word Press is the level of security is provides. It does well in some areas, but not as well in others. This can cause obvious problems – but other’s have provided tips on how to reduce the chances of their being a catastrophic issue.
5) Will it integrate into your existing site? Many components are just that, components. If they look like they stand out – then there is a problem. How many times have you been to a site where the wiki or the forums look just different from the rest of the site? (These are the worst culprits in my opinion.) This is the integration problem. Your uses should not notice when they move from one section of your website to another. It should be smooth and seamless. Being able to control the theme for Word Press has allowed me to change navigation structures, colors, and other look and feel opportunities. In many cases, the switch from the Word Press portion of the web site to the non-Word Press portion of the site has been completely seamless.
About Walter Wimberly