Things to Remember when Selecting a Web CMS
Thursday, June 9th, 2011 at 11:30am -- Joel Dixon
I recently received a phone call from a university looking to select a web content management system (WCMS or Web CMS). The call was a standard initial research conversation and eventually ended with a refrain I find myself saying over and over: "Glad you're interested in our solution and you're impressed with our pricing versus the competition. However, the most important thing is for us to learn what your key objectives are and determine if we're the right fit for your university…"
It is always surprising, but not unusual, that the latter is hindered because the former hasn’t been fully considered by the organization. This strategic planning is not about bells, whistles, web 2.0 tools and polished sales demos. It’s based on a much simpler equation:
Great content management strategy = Strategic Goals + Specific Objectives + Desired Outcomes
You might be more familiar with this metaphor: “Is your ladder against the right wall?”
Strategic goals frame the problem and ensure that your ladder is against the right wall. Focused objectives are rungs on the ladder and measure specific incremental progress along the way. Desired outcomes are reaching the top of the wall and provide a clear output to measure whether you successfully achieved the correct result.
Now, the simplicity of an equation or metaphor doesn’t make the process easy. But it does set the parameters for how you can start defining your strategy. Here are some strategic questions that might guide your process:
STRATEGIC GOAL:
OBJECTIVES:
OUTCOMES:
Once your organization has done the “hard” part and sketched out a general content management strategy based on Strategic Goals, Specific Objectives and Desired Outcomes, then likely it will be determined that a Web CMS is a great tool to facilitate your strategy. However, I still have to temper your zealous Web CMS purchase one more time.
Many universities I speak with often begin the Web CMS selection process with unrealistic expectations for these tools. Here’s where a simple list provides perspective.
What a Web CMS CAN do:
What a Web CMS CAN’T do:
Whether your university is just beginning web strategy discussions or already on the road to selecting the right web content management system, remember to put first things first and maintain the appropriate expectations about how a Web CMS will facilitate your objectives. For Hannon Hill, a good “fit” is simple: Supporting your organization’s current tasks for creating, managing and publishing web content and simplifying the overall process.
There are other topics that are also important if your university is looking to pursue a website redesign or social media marketing effort, and my recent higher education conference presentation about creating and managing web campaigns covers these in more detail.
However, I would love to hear your thoughts or questions on this topic...
It is always surprising, but not unusual, that the latter is hindered because the former hasn’t been fully considered by the organization. This strategic planning is not about bells, whistles, web 2.0 tools and polished sales demos. It’s based on a much simpler equation:
Great content management strategy = Strategic Goals + Specific Objectives + Desired Outcomes
You might be more familiar with this metaphor: “Is your ladder against the right wall?”
Strategic goals frame the problem and ensure that your ladder is against the right wall. Focused objectives are rungs on the ladder and measure specific incremental progress along the way. Desired outcomes are reaching the top of the wall and provide a clear output to measure whether you successfully achieved the correct result.
Now, the simplicity of an equation or metaphor doesn’t make the process easy. But it does set the parameters for how you can start defining your strategy. Here are some strategic questions that might guide your process:
STRATEGIC GOAL:
- What is your organization trying to accomplish with its website?
- What do you want to achieve through your web content management process?
OBJECTIVES:
- What tasks or “calls to action” do you want visitors of your site to take?
- What processes would best facilitate and simplify your team’s tasks for creating, managing and publishing web content?
OUTCOMES:
- What are the desired results you want to measure to determine website success?
- What results will confirm that your Web CMS is effectively supporting content managers’ tasks?
Once your organization has done the “hard” part and sketched out a general content management strategy based on Strategic Goals, Specific Objectives and Desired Outcomes, then likely it will be determined that a Web CMS is a great tool to facilitate your strategy. However, I still have to temper your zealous Web CMS purchase one more time.
Many universities I speak with often begin the Web CMS selection process with unrealistic expectations for these tools. Here’s where a simple list provides perspective.
What a Web CMS CAN do:
- Streamline the content publishing process
- Efficiently allow organizations to reuse content across their website(s)
- Alleviate the IT and web team bottleneck for content updates
- Provide enforcement for branding and style guidelines
- Serve as a hub to manage campus-wide content across multiple mediums including web, print, mobile and social media channels
What a Web CMS CAN’T do:
- Replace a good content strategy
- Create relevant, useful and quality content
- Resolve long-standing organizational politics around web management and content strategy
- Eliminate the need to determine Goals, Objectives and Outcomes for your web marketing initiatives
- Solve all your web and social media challenges
Whether your university is just beginning web strategy discussions or already on the road to selecting the right web content management system, remember to put first things first and maintain the appropriate expectations about how a Web CMS will facilitate your objectives. For Hannon Hill, a good “fit” is simple: Supporting your organization’s current tasks for creating, managing and publishing web content and simplifying the overall process.
There are other topics that are also important if your university is looking to pursue a website redesign or social media marketing effort, and my recent higher education conference presentation about creating and managing web campaigns covers these in more detail.
However, I would love to hear your thoughts or questions on this topic...
Category
- News
- Resources