How to choose the right content management system

So what is a content management system…?

A content management system (CMS) is a system used to manage the content of a web, intranet or extranet site. Typically, a CMS consists of two elements: (1) the content management and (2) the content delivery. The first element allows the content authors who may not have any HTML knowledge or skills to manage the creation, modification and deletion of content from a website. The second element compiles that information to update the website and present it to your audience. The features of a CMS system can vary greatly, but most include web-based publishing, template and style management, version control and rich media file manipulation.

Do I need a content management system?

Why would you need a CMS and how is it going to help you to run your website? You need to consider how such a system would benefit your organisation and what added value it can bring to the running of your website. If for example your website only comprises of twelve pages that one person will be updating, then a CMS will probably not be the best solution for you. On the other hand, if you have a team of more than 20 people wanting to update a 100 plus page website, then a CMS would be a sensible option.

Think about what will the CMS allow you to achieve that you aren’t doing now? For example, will it enable content to be updated by a variety of people, not just one person in the media office? Will it deliver and manage videos and audio files if you want to engage more with your audience? You need to consider what you want your website to do and then select a CMS that fits with this vision and ultimately enables you to do more.

How should I begin my selection?

These are our suggested tips on researching Content Management System options for your organisation, whether your requirements are large or small. They can take you from knowing nothing about CMS to final supplier and product selection. Even if you are replacing an existing CMS with a new system you should try and follow these guidelines to help make the process run smoothly.

1. Who will be involved in the selection?

Identify who from your organisation will be updating the website content and who will actually use the system once implemented. Maybe set-up a small working ‘web team’, who will see the process through and collate all organisation comments and feedback. The more people you can get on board and feel included, the more likely your website and the CMS will be a success.

2. Identify your website and CMS requirements

Find out what your audience would like to see on your website, including content, tools and features. Ascertain why they visit the site and what ‘one reason’ would make them keep coming back. Think about longer-term requirements, not just quick fixes for now. What levels of visitor engagement will you need, for example can you include Flash video and audio content? This will help you to decide what features you are looking for in the content management system. It would be worth putting together a briefing document for potential suppliers, so that they know your expectations.

3. Organise your content

Ask people who are responsible for providing content to revisit your current website. If you are developing a brand new site, consider how the content architecture will be structured. It needs to be arranged well for navigation and include key information at a top-level. If you don't know the content workflow (who's responsible for what), then a CMS is more likely to be a problem than a solution to your needs, especially when you may want to delegate content editing tasks to other members of staff in your organisation.

4. Research

Look at organisations similar to your own and find out who provided their CMS. Give them a call to get some feedback on the solution and see if they will recommend their supplier. Also simply search the Web for possible suppliers, use resources such as forums, industry newsletters and social networking sites. You will then be able to gauge the types of systems and available features that best fit your organisations needs and website.

5. Shortlist CMS solutions and arrange system demonstrations

Once you’ve completed your research you will need to shortlist the systems that meet your requirements. You should arrange demonstrations of each of the CMS solutions. Ideally your ‘web team’ should include people who will be using the system. It will be important to get their ‘buy-in’ and ensure that they feel comfortable with the system that you decide upon. You may want to select the features that you would like to see demonstrated to really see how the system will work. Hands on testing may be an option, but the chances are you would not get to see the best of the system since you are untrained.

6. Realistic timescales

Ensure that you set yourself realistic timescales for implementing a CMS project. Timescales will vary with the size of your organisation, how much content needs to be managed, if the migration of existing content is needed, or if it’s a new site. You should ask suppliers to provide time plans for similar installations. At BOCC we typically recommend between three to six months as a sensible schedule. This gives time for the organisation to prepare the site for launch and find the necessary resources to do so. Project failures are often due to the lack of realism in assessing the time and resources needed to implement a CMS solution.

Essential features to look out for

It is important to select a CMS that is extensible and scalable for your future needs. The system needs to be able to offer features and tools that are going to make your website engaging and interactive. Common online themes now tend to include:

• Delivery of rich media, such as embedded Flash, audio and vide files
• Interactive web and pod casts
• Mobile delivery formats
• Interaction and content personalisation

Online user expectations are much higher than they were five years ago. Social networking sites and the interface experiences that they offer are what people now come to expect of any website. We have to learn from the ways in which these sites function and offer at least the same or next level of interaction.

Consider the following features when looking for a CMS: 

References

You may find some of the following references and resources useful:

Online

CMS Watch and The CMS Report
CMS Matrix
CMS Wire
YouDu CMS

Publications

The Content Management Handbook (Become an Expert) by Martin White
ISBN-10: 1856045331
Publisher: Facet Publishing

Content Management Bible by Bob Boiko
ISBN-10: 0764573713
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 2nd Edition

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville
ISBN-10: 0596527349
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 3 Edition

Building Scalable Web Sites: Building, scaling, and optimising the next generation of web applications by Cal Henderson
ISBN-10: 0596102356
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand by Gerry McGovern
ISBN-10: 071367704X
Publisher: A & C Black Publishers Ltd

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