Over the last few years I have been at the mercy of a diabolical e-commerce system, one that was fully table based, written in ASP and had very little support for further developments and system enhancements.

Finally I managed to dedicate some time to researching a new e-commerce system. In most e-commerce systems the core data is there, but it’s getting to it in neat and simple ways that is hard. I believe that any e-commerce system is tweak able but it is the ability to bend and stretch the system features that makes a lion out of a house cat. I researched for a few weeks, and short-listed a few systems, including:

• OpenCart
• ZenCart
• OS Commerce
• Lemonstand
• Magento (Open Source)
• WordPress, CMSMS, Drupal and Joomla (with shopping cart plugins)

After careful deliberation I decided to purchase a license for Lemonstand, a fully comprehensive e-commerce system and have found it to be an absolutely fantastic product. The initial install was a little fiddly, but once it was up and running the system proved relatively simple to configure, and get the core site ‘shop’ up and running.

Imports, Exports and Product Management

Lemonstand makes everything data related incredibly simple. The data import (from CSV) is fairly self explanatory, added to this extra support can be obtained from their large document library. The ability to add multiple products to a variety of structured categories in a single line of data is neat, and relatively simple to explain to clients (when they need to populate a data sheet). The product management section of the system is fantastic allowing each product to have it’s own attributes, options, related products, product groupings as well as standard content, meta data and image(s).

The Support Network

The documentation and forums are exceedingly well resourced despite the time difference on feedback from most of the contributors (as this system is heavily US based). The open sourced module community allows input from people from a host of web related backgrounds.

The Short Fallings

Let’s be honest, no system is perfect, especially one that has evolved over time. There are going to be bugs and inadequacies in any system, but these can be tweaked. My only concern is the amount of PHP knowledge required to achieve relatively simple features with the system. I still dream of an e-commerce system that filters and manages products, categories, manufacturers and attributes as well as WordPress is able to refine and oversee through posts and pages.

Recently, I have ended up using WordPress a lot more than other content management systems. I have developed a few projects of late that really show off the flexibility and freedom provided in WordPress. With an incredibly comprehensive library of plugins and documentation, it seems there is a solution to every problem and requirement.

Over the last 5 years I have used a lot of content management systems including: Joomla, Moodle, Drupal, CMSMS (Content Management Made Simple), and many bespoke solutions. Each system has a clear set of advantages, however those advantages are swiftly overshadowed by any shortcomings each of those systems have.

WordPress is a truly fantastic content management system, but what exactly makes it stand out in a crowd of mediocrity?

User friendly

As content management systems go, it is a very comprehensive solution – but it is not at the cost of the user interface. Managing pages, posts, categories, menus, media and links becomes an easy task for even the most simple minded user. User friendly web interfaces are key to any project nowadays, so the fact that WordPress ticks this box from the offset is a huge plus and an upper hand on many other systems.

Interlinking Content

WordPress has many methods of taxonomy with content types, categories and tags. This allows the clever interlinking of wide arrays of content via the content management system, widgets and template files.

Plugins Galore

There is a huge library of plugins available for WordPress. The 17,980 strong library includes plugins facilitating:

• Extra taxonomy methods
• Custom content types
• Basic e-commerce
• Front end user accounts

Most plugins include partnering widgets allowing easy implementation on the front end.

The Documentation

The superb documentation is definitely one of the advantages WordPress has over other systems. There are detailed explanations of functions and plugins with examples to illustrate their use. For most custom bits in templates and plugins there is a documented solution in a function or set of functions that will help to achieve exactly what you need. The documentation is simple and easy to understand for even the earliest developers.

The Community & Support

One of the main strengths of WordPress is it’s popularity in the industry. Due to the amount of people who use it, many clients request their site is built with Wordress at the core. It has a seemingly endless list of people who are willing to help with bugs or plugin struggles, so if you are unable to locate a solution in the documentation – you are likely to stumble upon somebody in the community with a similar problem to you, that was probably solved in a neat and efficient way by some hardcore 5-screen agoraphobic developer only using three characters!

I have used a lot of content management systems over the last few years – each with their own advantages as well as draw backs. Gone are the days now, in many cases, where a CMS is asked for by the client – not only is it assumed, but expected with great future potential, for all intents and purpose, many clients want a limitless system.

Comprehensive Content Management

Systems of this type include the likes of WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. With a vast selection of plugins, modules and extensions for each system this gives a seemingly limitless option to present to clients – assuming you can get to grips with the add-ons yourself of course.

Basic Content Management

Again these systems are a-plenty and although slightly less popular can easily be marketed as bespoke systems to clients. Most of these systems, like Content Management Made Simple (CMSMS), are found to be more than adequate to meet specifications set by clients at the outset, but what happens when clients expectations change, when the company grows out of the system how easy is it to adapt a system with much tighter boundaries?

Conclusion

Clients have always wanted bang for their buck, but in the current economic climate the challenge is greater to offer a fully bespoke service not only for today’s solution but the solution in years to come. In previous years it might have been possible to charge for separate projects and completely different site builds when systems outgrow their designed purpose. Nowadays however, web developers need to provide their clients complete systems with impeccable future potential.

In all honesty each different project has unique future potential, and within reason it is worth being realistic in your estimations. For example, a sole-trader electrician is unlikely to grow and need e-commerce features within a realistic time frame. Times change and new web trends and technologies will be used in the weeks, months and years to come, so it is pointless trying to create the perfect website for now and 3 years time. But a website’s shelf life should easily be around 18 months, and it is worth trying to brace your system creation for the near future. With that in mind, choose a system that is capable (with plugins, modules, extensions or further developments) of what might be desired in time to come, which in most cases will be the more comprehensive systems.

99 Designs is a project competition site where designers from across the world can compete with one another to win projects. Each project has a set prize for the winning design chosen by the client which can vary from $400 – $1500. There are a number of different design types, including web design, logo design and icon design. Obviously the intensity of the competition is increased when the winnings are greater.

I was first introduced to this concept by a friend who suggested I give it a go. Upon further investigation it seemed like a good idea, having seen some of the projects on there and the freedom given in some briefs it is a real chance to shine in whatever project environment you choose.

Good or Bad for Freelancers?

Freelancing is always a risk to jump into, knowing that you will be able to live on your own irregular wage is something that we have all had to consider before committing to it full time. The good thing about 99 designs is that it has the opportunity to provide some extra income with just the design aspect, the only issue of course is that the work is not guaranteed, you could end up doing drafts for free.

My suggestion for freelancers is to not let it occupy your time too much, do the odd design here and there if you have some spare time in between projects / updates. Do not focus on it as a main source of income as it is even less dependable than your typical indecisive client, just without the build stage. Also remember this, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure – so don’t be afraid to tweak previous drafts to meet the criteria – it’s not cheating, it’s just common sense!

The bad news for designers seems to be the ability to copy ideas. Even though each idea is hidden to fellow designers, preventing direct copies from competitors within that project, there is a review stage at the end of each project where project drafts are seen by all. There also seems to be a slight hole in the concept, that being that the client does not have to pay unless they approve of the design, of course you would expect no less in the real world – but this does essentially create an environment where a potential project may have been posted by a web designer simply after free inspiration.

Is it the future?

To conclude, I think it is a great idea as long as it is maintained well which it currently seems to be, but it will never replace the need for a bespoke design created by a specific freelancer / agency. Definitely worth a pop at though if you want to be in with a chance to earn some extra dosh.

I am two weeks into my Forrst membership and I am loving it. I can not fault the site mechanics which work on an a user approval process, so basically you do not get the normal “I have just done my first ever web design project and I need help with my bold, centred, red, comic sans marquee”. It is really refreshing to talk to like minded professionals in design and development realms that provide ever helpful advice and pointers on submitted work and new techniques.

Inspiration for the masses

There is a huge variety of work showcased in the community that allows people to get inspiration for their current projects from other designs. This is not to condone the copying of designs, but simply the appreciation of good design. It has inspired me to think outside the box when creating websites, buttons, logos and print media.

Fresh thinking nerds

Essentially the code development parts of the site are populated and assisted by people with technological know-how. This a refreshing change compared to many web design forums, instead of getting multiple ‘How do I do…’ you get people showing off new skills to get around problems that people may not have even posted yet. People seem to take a great amount of pride in what they post on Forrst and that results in a polite show off contest, providing nerdy and artistic insight into the world.

A slick, pleasant and professional community

To conclude, I would recommend Forrst to any professional designer / design company as a vital stage in project development, allowing you multiple second opinions on work for clients in terms of design, functionality and future developments. Sign up to Forrst to see for yourself.