web content management systems?

toasterman

Hi everyone,

I'm fairly ok with creating websites of my own - have used Dreamweaver, nvu, and a few others. I can generally find sections of code in text and modify bits and bobs. I'm not a programmer though, so it's all programs to edit mine.

I've been thinking recently as offering a web design service to supplement my income and it would be handy if the people I build sites for could update them themselves.
However, I've never used any content management systems as yet, and a lot of people I come into contact with, would break the site if given full access to it.

So is there one content management system that is more well-known and better than others?
Are they freeware/opensource, or do you have to pay for them?
Would I be right in thinking they need an SQL back end, much like a forum - which partly run themselves, let people edit them, etc?

Thanks for help.

amcluesent

Joomla! would be worth a look.

Or you could start out by developing templates for blog engines like Wordpress after which people can maintain using Wordpress.