Question About Using Wordpress Vs. A Stand-Alone Php Script

[alex32]

Hi Guys,

 

I've been trying to figure this one out for a while but it's getting irritatingly confusing and I feel like I'm having an information overload. So I figured the best place to ask this question would be to the programmers themselves as they would know best and I am not one myself.

 

So here goes: I am looking to build a full-featured membership website that contains a business directory listings, classifieds, articles & news, blog, forum, and some premium content accessible only to premium members.

 

There are many scripts out there that do each one of these things great, but not one that does them all together. I can use WordPress (or other CMS) with all the different plugins/themes for the desired functionality and the integration. Or different scripts running together and that will require some extra coding to integrate everything. Not to mention integrating with my payment processor and my affiliate/membership software to track sales and commissions.

 

What would you guys suggest and why, keeping in mind that I am looking to operate this for the long term and grow the site to thousands of users and listings. I don't mind paying for quality, but not thousands of dollars. I need to start affordable and simple, because I am not a programmer nor do I know any coding.

 

So am I better off using WordPress with all the required plugins (like Vantage or Directory Press, bbpress, etc.) or something like phpmydirectory or esyndicat with a forum software like phpBB or SMF?

 

Thank you all for your input and I look forward to hearing your opinions and experiences.

[trq]

If your not a programmer your going to have a hard time integrating any solution that is made up of bits and pieces. Wordpress and it's __plugins__ might be the simplest solution. That doesn't necessarily meen it's the best long term solution though.

[Christian F.]

Before I respond to the main question, I'd just like to respond to this statement:

I don't mind paying for quality, but not thousands of dollars.

 

That's like saying that you don't mind paying for a good house with lots of room, and situated in a nice location, but it should not cost more than 10 000 dollars. You always get what you pay for, and with programming this is especially true.

Making a site like the one you've outlined above, even if you're using an existing CMS and some plugins, takes a lot of time, effort and knowledge. Neither of which is cheap, and you will almost assuredly need to make at least some modifications to the code. Provided there even are plugins for everything you want to have.

 

As far as what the best option is: I'd say that using an existing CMS, one that is as close as you can get to your requirements (including the plugins available) is the best option. Make sure that it's a tried and tested CMS though, that it has a good security track record, and that it has a high quality code base. Then do whatever modifications necessary to get it to exactly where you want, but not before all of the details have been planned and outlined.

Trust me when I say that it wouldn't only require "some" coding to get the mixing-scripts version to work, and the higher number of different systems you're looking to integrate the more work it'll be. Unless they're all extremely well written and documented. Something extremely few projects are, unfortunately.

 

Since you're not a programmer I also strongly recommend hiring someone who are, someone who knows what they're doing (and not just think/pretend they do), to write the code and integrate the systems for you.

[paulinetaylor85]

As per my experience, I would like to suggest you that word press is the best CMS as well as very easiest from among all. In Word press, there are lots of plugins, features as well as templates for developing cutting-edge website. So Go with word press for getting featured-rich website as per your demand.