I have previously written on the various options for content management systems (CMS's). However, content management systems are not right for every situation. So how can you tell if your website needs a content management system?

The number one factor is whether or not being able to frequently update your site yourself is more important than 100% control over how it looks.

The majority of the CMS's out there allow you to insert them into a template and/or apply one of a set of "themes" to their CMS. However, you generally do not have absolute control over how the CMS displays the page. Someone who knows how to program can modify them to a certain extent, but at a certain point, they would be better off creating a custom CMS from scratch for you, and that can get expensive.

Given that, if it is very important to you that you have the ability to update your site yourself, a CMS should still be employed. You just have to decide which is more important.

Now I am probably overstating the fact. Very likely, your CMS can be customized to a point you are completely happy with. As an example, check out Mission Nicaragua. The majority of the site is not being run by a CMS. However, the Newsletter (ie blog) and Gallery are. As is obvious once visiting the site, the Newsletter is much more customizable than the Gallery is. However, both are imbedded in the design of the site.

Both the Newsletter and the Gallery are updated on a fairly regular basis. The slight compromise in customizability was overshadowed by the ability to make frequent updates to the site.

So now it is up to you to decide for yourself. If you will be updating your site frequently, a CMS may be right for you. If not, you may prefer to have complete control over the look of your site.