IT'S A TRAP! (Proprietary cms... that is...)

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If you're redesigning your website there is one major decision that you'll have to make early in the process. You'll have to make this decision before you choose the agency you want to work with even before you decide what your budget is going to be (as this can greatly impact what you spend...). Before you decide any of that you'll have to choose what content management system you'll want to use. 

The reason you should make this decision before choosing an agency is because this decision impacts which agencies will be in your search pool. Today, it seems like there are two main categories of web design agencies - those designing and building using open source platforms like WordPress and/or Drupal, and those using their own built-in-house proprietary CMS. 

In this post we'll examine the major flaw in proprietary CMS and why you should really should be done with these agencies.

The post continues below! You can also check out these other great articles from our blog!

• Cost-Benefit Analysis of Growth Driven Design
• Growth Driven vs Traditional Design
• The Growth Driven Design Process (Phase 1 or Phase 2)

keeping customers

As an agency owner, I'm constantly striving to make sure our potential and current customers are satisfied with their products. Now it may seem obvious as to why, but really what it's all about is keeping our clients. We want our clients to stay with us - whether they want a website redesign 3 years down the road or 5, we want to be the agency they work with. We are not alone.

Now, I'm sure there are churn and burn agencies out there, but that's not what we are about - and for most businesses finding and keeping customers is key to growing a successful company.  That being said, there are many ways to go about doing this. For us, it's just making sure they are happy, making sure that we are living up to our end of the agreements, making sure that our websites are performing and helping them grow their businesses. That's how we do it - agencies that use and sell proprietary CMS's have different methods for keeping you as a customer...

THE FLAW

Proprietary CMS's put your business in a box when it comes to the website and your online presence. When you hire an agency that uses one, you're committing to that agency for the life or that website without even realizing it. Why? Because there are no other agencies out there that are familiar with that CMS. The CMS is agency specific, therefor, no other agencies will be able to use it or support it. This is the major flaw with non open source CMS. This is how they get you. This is their 'hidden' method to making sure you stay with them. Instead of great support, instead of great response to requests, instead of making sure you're happy 24/7 365 - all they have to do is sell you on their product and the premise of leaving and having to completely start from the beginning on a new website is what keeps you from finding a new agency. 

the open source advantage

• Choosing any agency (many agencies work with both Drupal and Wordpress)
• Getting support from freelancers and other web technicians without involvement from the designing agency (big $$$ saver!)
• Endless online community help and support (blogs and support forums)
• Extensive compatibility from 3rd party plugins and software
• Multiple eCommerce tools and plugins for maximum compatibility

There is no question that Open Source web design offers the greatest amount of compatibility and flexibility. It's an easy choice when redesigning your site!

THANK YOU:

Thanks for reading about Growth Driven Design! Before you redesign your website you need to read our guide to Growth Driven Design by clicking below. You're making a big mistake on your new website and you don't even know it! Thanks again - check out our blog for other great articles on web design!