Conclusion
So it’s definitely true that HTML can be a good thing to learn, but my purpose in this chapter is partly to show how powerful a CMS-based site can be relative to traditional methods. For graphic designers who already know HTML and have a hosting account and the right software, it may be simpler for them to make a site using traditional methods. And you saw an example where I did just that. It was easier for me to make a “share your way” mock-up by throwing together some basic pages in Dreamweaver, and there wasn’t really a need to make an entire CMS-based site.
But a fair question is—is a manual site sustainable? And that’s partly the point of CMS—to make a site more sustainable, through making it easier to update. You might have a friend who is a developer now, but what about in the future? What if that person gets busy? Or you might be able to afford to hire a developer/designer now, but what happens when your money runs out or the budget is reduced? In some cases, it can be helpful to have a site set up that is easy to maintain, even if you do work with a designer/developer in the beginning.
In these first four chapters, we’ve taken a look at CMS-based sites, but in the next section, we’re going to dive right in and start making a site.
Regards,
Todd