The Visual Editor

The only reason to switch CMS is coming down to one feature for one non-technical user: the visual editor. The choices are Cascade, MODX, and WordPress.

Cascade is the potential candidate because it allows users to preview the page. Editing contents still requires filling out the forms, but users can see the changes right on the page. For this feature alone, we will have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to migrate. Is it worth the investment?

Similar to Cascade, MODX is also a form-based system for content updates. The only difference is that MODX doesn’t have the live preview page. Users have to click on the preview button to launch the page. The user interface is not as intuitive as Cascade, but it is not hard to use. MODX has a product called Fred, which is “a friendly and intuitive visual content building and editing experience for MODX.” Fred might be the solution we are looking for to stay with MODX.

WordPress offers block and full-site editing. This is a game changer for non-technical users who want to edit the entire layout of the site. I am impressed with the ability to just copy and paste any pattern into your site. Do we want to give non-technical users that much power? How do we made sure the consistency of the branding if anything can be edited or created on the spot?

The decision has yet to be made.