Yes, you can still add a CMS to the web site. A CMS usually has defined database table definitions with some customization capability. The time it takes to move your existing content to the CMS depends on how it currently works. If you content is mostly in static files, which means you have lots of html files, then you or someone will have to manually copy and paste each page into the CMS. If your content is already in a database, then it’s possible to migrate the data into the CMS database tables.

That’s just the data and backend piece. With the CMS in place, the frontend, or user display side, needs to be added or updated to be able to get data out of the database tables using either the CMS’s capability or custom coding. It all depends on the complexity of your site and whether you have custom widgets and other functionality that the CMS does not provide out of the box.

There are several free PHP CMS software packages and some expensive commercial ones too. Of course, you can have a custom content management built to work directly with your current database tables, assuming that’s what you have. The amount of work again depends on your site’s complexity, information architecture, CMS functionality, etc.

I’m not sure how one would go about finding people to do this for you. I suppose Craig’s List is one option. Commercial packages usually have professional services, though that can be quite expensive depending on your budget.

Yes, and it takes very little effort if you use the right approach.

The biggest problem is that CMS offerings have become so bloated and gadget-riddled and so full of confusing terms and options that the CMS itself is hard to get users to understand and use correctly.

I now use and strongly recommend a simple content editing system called Unify. It is not a CMS- it’s a content editor, and this is what gives it impressive advantages over CMS systems.

It is trivial to implement on any HTML web page. It does not require a special template of any kind, and it is exceedingly simple for users to learn and actually use.

When users want to edit their web page content (text, pictures, videos) they log on, but they do not see a CMS interface- they see their own web pages. They click a small icon to edit the content they want on their own page, and they’re done in seconds. Practically no training or effort is needed.

If you use the link below, you can watch a video that shows how in 60-seconds you can use Unify to make a web page editable, and then actually begin editing it. Amazing!