Mar 11 2009
Here at 420 Creative our CMS of choice is ExpressionEngine. It's not an arbitrary decision. In fact, it's because we have real-world, concrete reasons for choosing it that we find ourselves using it on a lot of our web projects (as opposed to just being fans). And since we've been asked a few times by clients and prospects alike why we choose ExpressionEngine, I thought it'd be worth putting down for the record.
More than just a blogging tool
ExpressionEngine is a CMS. Period. It's not just a glorified blogging system. It comes with the most basic features you would ever need for a CMS and then some. Want to manage the "static" pages on your site? Check! Need a photo gallery too? Check! Need a blog? Check! Need more than one blog? Check check! Need to manage different kinds of members / users? Check! Need a wiki? Check! All out of the box.
No "themes" or rigid templating
From a developer standpoint any web layout / design can be used in ExpressionEngine. What's more, it can be coded however you like to code. You don't have to use a rigid template structure. And though there are (a few) themes for ExpressionEngine the beauty of it is that you don't have to use one at all.
Easy to use control panel
ExpressionEngine's control panel is a thing of beauty. Not so much because of the way it looks (though that has a lot to do with it because it's no-fuss), but because of how it works. It's intuitive. We have yet to hear a client using EE say that the control panel is complex or hard to use. And it can be set up so that certain users see certain things. Don't want your blog editors touching other parts of the site's content? No problem.
Incredible extensibility
Most CMS systems allow for extensibility. Meaning, any developer with good programming skills can write a plugin or some piece of code to extend the core functionality of the software. EE is no different. But from what I've heard from the hardcore programmers / developers is that EE is truly flexible in this regard. It's not as rigid as other systems. And with the upcoming 2.0 update it'll be even faster to write add-ons for it since it will run on CodeIgniter.
Real, professional support
Some folks balk at the fact that ExpressionEngine is not free (unless you're using it for personal reasons or are a non-profit and the core version suits your needs). But compared to other paid systems, it's practically a steal. More importantly, however, is that because it's a paid product it means the developers have more than bragging rights as an incentive to not only continue working on the software, but to support it. And boy are they good at their support. It's all done online but more often than not you can expect a reply within hours, not days.
It works with your workflow
While EE provides a certain amount of structure when it comes to publishing or editing your content, it can truly work with your workflow rather than making things more complicated. Do you need those articles approved by a Managing Editor before they're published? Easy-peasy. Want to see a previous version of that article you wrote and saved? No problem.
Search engine friendly
I've mentioned before that your website's software has nothing to do with SEO and I meant it. Still do. But EE makes on-page search engine optimization easier because it gets out of your way. Search engine friendly URLs are the standard, not something you have to hack at to make work. That's important so you can focus on the rest of the on-page SEO things every site needs.
But wait, there's more!
I could go on about why we love ExpressionEngine (including the fact that there are a few key EE experts right here in Portland). But the reasons detailed above are the core reasons that also happen to separate it from similar software.
Haven't had a look at ExpressionEngine yet? Go on, give it a look. Then get in touch with us when you're ready to move your site over to quite possibly the best CMS out there.