transfer current site to cms

[mkdigi]

Hello everybody. I have a client that I made a web site for and now she wants to be able to manage the site herself, in terms of changing text content and adding pictures, etc.

I didn't really know how CMS worked, so I just installed Joomla and played around with it. I realize now that I have no idea what it is!

So if I installed and used Joomla, would I have to rebuild the site in Joomla? Is there anything easier I can use to integrate a content management system into a current web site? The web site is built in html and css. There is some javascript, nothing really necessary, and an install of Gallery2.

I'm thinking it might be easier to just teach her some simple html at this point!

[ergophobe]

Welcome mkdigi!

How many pages are you talking about here? You could just cut and paste the pages into Joomla (or some other CMS). Depending on the nature of the site, you could even do it with Wordpress. Once the page is created in Joomla, you delete the html page and set the Joomla page URL to point to the old address and nobody should know the difference (especially if you tweak the Joomla template to match the current design).

Then, for the client, you could add in a rich text editor (TinyMCE, FCKEdit, Spaw or some such) so she could edit pages without really knowing HTML.

Another solution that I've used, which requires the client to learn a tiny bit of HTML, is to create a site that has a basic template and a simple form and login so that users can change specific content, but not create pages or change the design and template.

Even in this case, BTW, you could integrate TinyMCE for the client.

That's kind of a big topic and you would need to know how to do some scripting (PHP or the like).

[mkdigi]

It's a very simple site, excluding the Gallery 2...but that could remain in it's own directory. There are under 10 pages, all first level pages or redirects from forms.

Thank you for your suggestions. I will definitely look into that. It sounds easy! I suppose I have to sit down with Joomla for a while, or any cms really, and try to figure it ou.

Thanks again,
Mary

[ergophobe]

What's going to take most of the effort will be getting to understand the CMS and getting your site template/theme looking like you want in your CMS of choice. Once you're there, you can copy and paste ten pages into the new system in no time.

And the investment in learning the CMS will, of course, not be down the drain, because you can use it to build future sites as well.

Best of luck.

[bilalseo]

I'd recommend drupal instead of Joomla... Drupal is flexible in respect of content editing and formating. I'd like to go for Drupal.... I'm running my personal trainig website since 2 years by using Drupal... its realllllllllllllllllllllly great...

[ergophobe]

I use Drupal myself. I tried both and liked Drupal much more because of it's flexibility. However, I've come across plenty of people who have tried both and prefer Joomla.

That's not to mention the dozens of other excellent CMS out there (ModX is another I've tried and liked, for example). It's a personal choice depending on needs, skills and so forth. Most of them are free, so I think taking them for a test drive is the best.