Ok, ok, let’s take a breath. Everyone together now… Inhale, exhale. Breathe.
Something continues to creep up in the back of my mind with each post in this series. It’s a group of people on each side of this virtual fence calling out something like this, “But WordPress isn’t the same thing as DotNetNuke!” Or, “You can’t put WordPress in the same class as DotNetNuke, they do completely different things! The series itself is ludicrous!”
I have to take a break from hitting the next topic and simply respond to these unspoken objections. Sales school, anyone? The overall huge point that I haven’t state yet regarding this entire series:
The end-user doesn’t care.
Remember, I am speaking in generalities, because that’s what we usually deal with in these things. DotNetNuke people, I know that DotNetNuke is a full fledged application framework, complete with all of the inherent technology advantages built on the Microsoft stack, with SQL Server, Windows Server, ASP.NET and more. I know.
The end-user doesn’t care.
WordPress fans, I get it that WordPress is easy to deploy, has a small footprint, runs on a gazillion sites worldwide, has a plugin directory to rival the number of entries in Webster’s dictionary and a cute dress to boot. I know.
The end-user doesn’t care.
The average end-user that is looking for a web-based content management system cares about this kind of stuff:
— Does it work?
— Is it easy to use?
— How much does it cost?
— Show me
Is there more to it than that? Of course. Is every client unique? Yes. Does that matter for this series? Not really. I have an opinion on it, and I’ll get it out of the way right here: No client’s content management system is a foregone conclusion when they come to us for a website. Each one must be considered on its own and options must be weighed. The question we try to help customers answer is, “What is the best solution for your business?”
Customers are looking for a solution to their problem. That’s what this series is about. I’ve checked out Drupal, Joomla, Umbraco, and a few others. In my experience, DotNetNuke and WordPress beat them by miles. So here I’m offering a glimpse into my little brain about the whole kit and caboodle.
Somewhere down the road, someone is going to be looking for a site that compares DotNetNuke to WordPress. I hope they find this site and are refreshed by the straightforward, top-level approach to varying points on each. If you’re screaming at your monitor because you love the one and hate the other, my apologies to your blood pressure. Just remember, for what it’s worth.
The end-user doesn’t care.