Thanks to either someone on my Twitter feed or on my Google Reader I discovered a new blog this week that really chimes with alot of my thinking recently. Called the CMS Myth it is a blog that really seeks to make a single point;
When it comes to web content management success, it’s not just about the technology.
I know I am particularly guilty at times of getting blinded by the search for the ‘right’ technology – and then inevitably feeling let down by it soon after implementation. This is despite the fact I know full well that the CMS itself is just one piece of the wider puzzle. The term ‘content strategy’ is bandied about alot these days and I tend to be a bit dismissive sometimes as I worry the hype is outweighing the usefulness but, and it is big William Perry sized but, the reality is that it is often the kinds of things covered in these strategies (people, processes, planning..) that make or break a CMS project.
The post that drew me to the blog is particularly pertinent to me at the moment; titled The CMS selection myth: Stop the insanity and focus on what really matters. It includes this nice term ‘CMS Readiness’ and an interesting checklist
- Vision: Where does the organization want to be in 3-5 years and what’s the overall vision for how digital will drive the business forward?
- Customers: How will your customer interact with you across their entire journey and what is the role of digital (web, mobile, e-mail, etc.) in enabling these experiences?
- Content: How are you approaching the overall content strategy and how will it support the experiences you hope to deliver?
- Team & Culture: How will you support the digital channel and CMS and do you have the proper roles and team members in place?
- Measurement: How will success be defined and how can analytics and optimization be used to drive ongoing value?
Even for a non-commercial organisation like mine these are valid questions – and not ones to which I/we have all the answers so that is something to have a hard think about in the months to come. Anyway the blog seems to have a decent % of useful, practical posts so it has made its way unto my reading list going forward.
