The 2013 Content Management System Report Card#13NTCcms

Kyle AndreiLaura Quinn

Introductions

Me!

Laura Quinn

Executive Director

Kyle Andrei,

Research Analyst

Introductions: www.idealware.org

What Does a Content Management System Do?

What is a CMS, Anyway?

Update with HTML, DreamWeaver, etc

Static Pages

There’s Two Models of Websites

Database Backed CMS

CMSs Let You Update Text

Almost all have a “WYSIWYG” editor

WordPress

CMSs Let You Update Photos

Squarespace

Define the Look and Feel of a Site

Create Pages

Joomla

They’ll let you add new pages and place them in the website

Create Content Objects

Luminate (formerly Convio)

No CMS Can Build Your Site For You!

It can’t:

• Design a site that is useful to your visitors

• Ensure a functional and usable site

• Make sure the site enhances your brand

• Write your text and take your pictures

• Provide timely content updates

Only a human can do those things!

But Not All CMSs are Created Equal

What Should You Be Evaluating For?

Ease of Setup

• Do you need to setup your website yourself?

• Can you use an existing graphic design?

• Can you understand how to structure a site in a reasonable amount of time?

Power and Flexibility

Do you need to support:• a complicated site

structure?• a complicated work flow?• A multi-language site?• A multi-site structure?

If you don’t know what these mean… this probably doesn’t apply to you!

Integrating with Constituent Data

• Can the system integrate at with your current constituent database– out-of-the box? With some work?

• Or is it worth switching constituent system to have an integrated solution?

Cost

Extensibility

• Can you get add-ons to do what you need?

• Can you create custom structures in the system?

• Can you adapt the code to do anything you want?

Support for the System

• Who is in charge of system development?

• Where can you go for help?• How likely is it to be around

down the road?

Open Source vs. Proprietary?

It’s not a simple question. Each system has a different profile on the criteria often associated with open source tools.

Comparing the Systems

Key Priority: Set it Up Yourself

SquareSpace

WordPress

Key Priority: Integrate with Constituent Data

NetCommunity

Luminate CMS

Key Priority: Extensive Power and Flexibility

Plone

Ektron

Good Middle-of-the-Road Options

WordPress… again!

ExpressionEngine

Joomla

DotNetNuke

Drupal

eZ Publish

Plone…again!

How Do You Choose?

Which Comes First?

Do you choose the system or the consultant first?

Most Consultants Specialize

Most website consultants only implement one, or a few, content management systems.

Website Needs Often Don’t Differ Much

For many organizations and websites, the consultant will matter far more than the content management system.

Unless You Have Very Specific Needs

But if you have specific needs, your needs might not align with the tool a consultant specializes in.

How Do You Start?

Decide if you fall into one of the specific need categories:

Key Priority: Set it Up Yourself

Key Priority: Integrating with Constituent Data

Key Priority: Power and Flexibility for a Large Site

If so, it probably makes sense to pick a system first.

Or Are Your Needs Not That Specific?

Plan to hire a consultant to just build a good site for a middle-of-the-road price?

Are your priorities are around design, content, user-friendliness?

Then pick a consultant first, and use the CMS they recommend

Remember the Human Side of the Equation

High quality design and content –the team behind the website–is more important than a feature-rich content management system every time.

Questions?

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