Why the hell would I choose not to use a content management system (CMS) for my website in 2025?
For those unfamiliar, a CMS is software that allows users to create websites with a user-friendly interface, usually in the form of stackable content blocks and design themes. In some ways, they're similar to how powerpoint works to create slides. The primary function of a CMS is to offer easy-to-use content generation requiring almost no coding. With a CMS, you can quickly add a section, a post or page to your website. These systems seem like the obvious choice for building and maintaining a website, right? So, why move away from using a CMS?
For many years my personal website was managed using the popular CMS called Wordpress. It's a platform I'm very familiar with, having built many websites for clients and the various companies I've worked at. It takes very little effort for me to whip up a quick blog post or page using Wordpress, so why wouldn't I just keep using it?
The simple answer is: I found the process boring, the themes uninspiring and content blocks limiting. This led to my website sitting stagnant for long periods of time, with maybe a handful of updates per year. For me, Wordpress lacked the elements that originally drew me to creating websites. You see, I actually enjoy the challenge of coding, the joy of discovery and the creativity that comes with building a website from scratch. I missed doing that.
Creativity and Nestalgia
I first learned HTML and CSS in the late 1990's when frames were still a thing, images had to be cut up like puzzle pieces, and animated GIFs were so overused that websites looked like pulsating scrapbooks. Websites from that era were charming, in a sort of bizarre and chaotic way. (Though, sometimes headache inducing)
Last year, I discovered Neocities, a hosting platform that gives a nod to the 90's era Geocities web platform. Neocities users have lovingly embraced early website designs with all the beautiful chaos the internet used to have. In a word, these websites are fun, which is something modern web design is sorely lacking.
Not that I'm looking to bring the GIFtastic design for my personal website, but I do miss that sense of “anything is possible”. Hand coding a website is like looking at a blank canvas where anything is possible, whereas a CMS is more like a paint by numbers experience.
The beauty of using raw HTML, CSS and Javascript is you aren't confined to a template. What HTML/CSS lacks in convenience, it offers customizability. Sure, most custom web pages still follow some sort of overall layout and design, we are creatures of habit afterall, but if you want to go off-the-rails with your design or functionality, there is nothing stopping you. Writing your own code means you can do whatever you want, and change anything on a whim. With a CMS, that level of customization would require building custom templates or modules, which requires writing HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP, the same coding that people were using a CMS to avoid in the first place.
The Joy of Making Stuff
Making stuff can be fun.
That is a statement I will stand by until I die. When the process of creating is taken from us, so is the joy that comes with it. No A.I. prompt will ever duplicate the feeling of creating an illustration by hand, line by line.
I see coding as something of a craft or an artform. Similarly, I see using CMS software as something closer to mass-production, and they are partially to blame for how corporatized and uniform websites have largely become. Web designers often play it safe, using tried and true methods to create a uniform experience focused on improving clicks, selling products and competing for attention on search engines and social media.
That's all fine for a corporate entity, but when it comes to personal sites, I'm glad to see there is still a lot of creativity out there, and yes, many creatives are pushing the boundaries of CMS platforms. It kills me when I see an amazing artist or band with cookie-cutter websites thrown together from stock templates. Please, you can do better!
So Many Resources!
Writing HTML and CSS isn't difficult if you put in a little time and effort, but when you start getting into javascript or PHP, things can become more challenging. Fortunately, there are more resources on the internet than every before. You can find code snippets to get started or follow a tutorial when you get to the more complicated coding. Youtube and LinkedIn Learning are two great resources to start with. I'll include a few more resources below.
The internet needs you!
I realize not everyone has the time or desire to learn HMTL, CSS and Javascript. That's ok. I would still encourage you to squeeze every ounce of creative customization you can get out of whatever platform you use. If you do feel inspired, most CMS platforms have what's called an “HTML block”. Wordpress does. Open up a page or post, through an HTML block into it and see if you can create something unique.
For those who enjoy the process like I do, consider creating a website from scratch, even if it's on a different domain than your primary one. Trust me, you'll learn a ton and will find the experience much more rewarding. Once built, keep adding on to it, change it, recreate it. The internet is your oyster!
With each new independently created and curated website, I believe we can slowly make the internet an interesting and fun place again, one that doesn't look quite so uniform. The internet needs you!
Resource Links:
- W3Schools - A free resource to learn web development hosted by the W3C.
- Codepen.io - A site where users can post their code projects.
- JS Fiddle - A site for testing and sharing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code.
- Stack Overflow - A community of developers helping each other.
- CSS-Tricks - A website with tutorials and articles about CSS and web design.
- I'll add more over time..