Is there a Content Management System (CMS) that is so simple that it requires only basic word processing skills to be able to draft, edit and publish content? i found one – concrete5. The main feature that gives rise to its claim of simplicity is in-context editing. Nothing beats being able to directly edit a webpage within the browser while viewing it.
In my search for a simple CMS, i have come across CMS Made Simple and Getsimple CMS, which allows you to edit (not quite in-context though) content on a per page basis (vs individual blocks on a page), which i suppose is what makes them ‘simple’, but if you have seen what some of the more powerful CMS can do, you’d probably be turned off by such simplicity. I have also tried Zimplit, which is truly simple to use, allowing you to do in-context webpage editing. It generates static webpages (i.e. no database required). Unfortunately, the browser-based editor is clunky and slow. Also, only the menu is shared across all pages and nothing else, which defeats the purpose of using a CMS. A CMS is supposed to offer ease of managing common elements which are displayed across all pages, the more of such elements the better (e.g. blocks for login, comments, links).
Another important consideration when it comes to a CMS is the availability of templates or themes. For concrete5, the selection of free (as in those that cost you nothing) themes isn’t that exciting, as compared to WordPress, Joomla or even Drupal. However, they are not disappointing either, and customization or even creating new themes is not difficult.
All in all, concrete5 is a CMS that your client might be happy to use, and that might just be the most important factor to determine your choice.