The Right Tool for the Job – Drupal Development and You

We live in a dangerously DIY world – one where our ambition can extend beyond our reach, especially when we're propped up by some wobbly support mechanisms.

We live in a YouTube world – one where the ambitious but inexperienced can watch a couple of on-line videos and think they can build a deck like the experts.

As great as DIY motivation can be, it's important to remember that enthusiasm needs to be combined with experience, functionality, and talent. Then anything is possible as long as you right tools for the job.

When it comes to building a website for your business, you have to ask yourself the same question – do I have the right tools for the job?

After all, pretty much anybody can 'build' a website. There are a myriad number of website builders or content-management systems like WordPress that can help you put together something that looks good and gets the basics done. There are plenty of people out there who will help you build a site for a relatively small amount of money.

But will it provide you with the right tools for your job?

At Digital Echidna, we develop primarily on the Drupal Content Management System. We've found, for our clients, it's the right tool that offers the right tools for the job. Admittedly, we're dealing with larger, enterprise-level clientele in London, Toronto, and beyond – but we love the fact that it's scalable both ways: from our smaller sole proprietorships to the larger mutli-nationals.

So what are those tools?

• Content type management – we can make it easy for you to update and maintain a site, keeping it looking and performing its best, by creating and managing content types that take a lot of the stress and guesswork out of page/function design;
• Open source support – Beyond being free to use, with no licensing fees, Drupal's open-source nature means you reap the benefit of thousands of developers contributing code, fixing bugs, and developing new modules;
• Modular development – Want to add something to your site? Incorporate a new functional element? No need to rebuild your entire site -- Drupal allows extendibility through modules;
• Language flexibility – important for Canadian businesses, pages on your site can be configured for different languages;
• User management – create and add new user accounts, manage permission rights, create groups... you can delegate authority of certain areas to different people without compromising the security and integrity of the entire site;
• Organization – Drupal makes it easy to organize, structure, and manage your content. From taxonomies to friendly URLs, there are plenty of options available to you;
• Interaction – Drupal support social networking, aggregation, feed development, and SEO functionality; and
• Portability – As Drupal is open-source, you're never locked into a developer. There are many companies that can assist you, so your decision comes down to quality and service – not having to stick with someone because they're the only ones who can manage your site.

For those developing accessible and responsive sites, Drupal's at the vanguard of those movements as well.

Again, it's not for everyone. Depending on the size and scope of your business, a smaller site may work. But whether you're in Toronto, ON, or Timbuktu, the right solution can only be built if you have the right tools for the job.

Like that aforementioned YouTube deck, you want to be sure that your solution stands the test of time (and the weight of your needs). After all, it's hard to put your best foot forward when it collapses through a solution built with the wrong tools.