Your web content management system (CMS) is the backbone of your digital presence. It is the framework upon which your website content is created, uploaded, and explored.
Content management systems are used to control and coordinate a vast spectrum of web material, including HTML documents, images, and video.
This software should allow for convenient, user-friendly content creation and website management, so it’s important that all relevant personnel have a working knowledge of your CMS. The more familiar you are with the platform, the more readily you can make decisions about its efficacy. And when you know exactly what you’re working with, you can determine whether or not the system is the right fit for you and your business.
The Fab Five
In a recent survey conducted by the International Data Corporation, 617 executive IT and marketing professionals were asked to identify the most important criteria in an efficient CMS. They found that usability, flexible digital marketing tools, cross-channel publishing, extensibility, and integration were the five absolutely invaluable characteristics of an effective CMS. To gain a clearer understanding of these attributes, let’s take a closer look at each.
- Cross-Channel Publishing: Your CMS should empower your team to convey your messaging to potential clients, partners, and stakeholders across all channels by utilizing all devices. Since potential clients navigate the web uniquely, it’s imperative that you are able to accommodate their personal browsing habits. Therefore, your system should allow you to publish your content across channels seamlessly with features such as:
- Responsive Design Engine & Layouts
- Mobile Previews
- Social Media Integration
- Email Marketing
- Screen Size Optimization
- Mobile App Construction
- Usability: It’s only natural that usability was frequently cited as such a vital aspect of a quality CMS. Effective platforms empower users to collaborate seamlessly and in real time with a variety of tools designed to make the whole process simpler. Your CMS should offer several useful features, including:
- Drag & Drop Interface
- Workflow Management
- Design Templates
- In-Line Editing Tools
- SEO Metadata Authority
- Generic Content Segments
- Spell Check
- Flexible Digital Marketing Tools: The best systems are those that allow you and your team members ample flexibility in developing your digital content. When you’re working with a customizable CMS, you can fine tune your content and design to create a more harmonious and conversion-friendly user experience. When evaluating your current or potential CMS, look for the following:
- Analytics
- SEO Capabilities
- Social Media Integration
- Content & Design Personalization
- Email Campaign Marketing
- E-Commerce Interfacing
- Extensibility: Extensions are software modules that enhance the behavior of your content management system. An effective CMS will afford your developers the opportunity to extend and customize features with ease. Make sure that your CMS has the following functionality:
- Widget Editors
- Custom Fields
- Module Builders
- Open API
- Rapid Development Templates
- Integration: In addition to the ability to create extensions, effective content management systems will allow your developers to integrate with other systems, such as:
- Analytics
- Portals, intranets, and extranets
- CRMs
- Databases
- Identity Services
- Social Media
LaFleur Legal Marketing
If you’ve found a CMS that checks off every box listed above, congratulations! Your content should be easy to create, upload, customize, optimize, and share! If not, it might be time to begin searching for a new system that better matches your needs. Either way, it’s always important to remain aware of the last technology and emerging trends, both in your field and in the digital marketing arena.
If you have any questions related to content management or content strategy, we’d be happy to review your current digital marketing efforts and offer suggestions. Our team of experienced writers, social media gurus, and paid advertising professionals are dedicated to a holistic approach, and we seek to establish trust through transparency by distributing weekly analytics reporting, participating in regularly-scheduled calls, and providing all of our clients with access to their confidential, client-specific project management platform.
Please complete this form or give us a call at (888) 222-1512 to learn more about LaFleur.
Reference:
Kurpe, S. (2014, September 17). How to evaluate a web content management system. Roger West. Retrieved from http://www.rogerwest.com/technology/evaluate-web-content-management-system/
