Which Content Management System is Right For Your Business?
Marketers consider a content management system (CMS) to be the “backbone” of an organization’s digital experience. In today’s online marketplace, customers expect a consistent experience; whether engaging in person, on a mobile device, on social media, or on your website. The only way to ensure a consistent customer experience is to choose and utilize a content management system that meets your organization’s needs. Your content management system should serve as the hub for all brand content. Here are four guidelines for choosing a content management system that meets your group’s needs.
Determine your content management needs.
Determining your needs begins with understanding how you engage with your audience. If you don’t already have a plan for how you’ll digitally engage your audience, start by talking to colleagues to understand how they interact with clients. The best content management system for your organization will help everyone improve engagement and increase efficiency.
Allow usage scenarios to guide your decision making.
Usage scenarios are the most effective tools to determine the best content management system for your team. Put simply, usage scenarios are sample accounts that describe how each type of user will interact with your software of choice. These scenarios allow both users and higher-level executives to see the differences between CMS’s and the individual functions of each in detail. Experts say to “lean heavy” on these usage scenarios and allow them to guide the decision-making process while making your purchase.
Scrutinize product demos.
After working through several usage scenarios you’re going to want to make a list of your top choices. To learn more about each content management system, it’s best to order full product demos. Be wary of allowing vendors to provide you with a generic, canned version of their software. Instead, ask for a demo that has the specific features you’ll want in the final version. After receiving the demos, you’ll need to examine each of the different products to determine if they cover the necessary usage scenarios. You’ll need to focus on the shortcomings or clues that suggest that the software could impede productivity.
Compare the finalists.
Finally, you’ll need to make a difficult decision. Although choosing a content management system is a big decision it ultimately comes down to two things. First, it must support your organization’s requirements. Second, the program must be easy to use. If the software you’re looking at doesn’t do these two things it’s probably not right for your organization. If this is the case, keep searching! Remember, it takes time to learn new software. The last thing you’ll want to do is waste time learning the wrong product.
