AJIBOYE Forums - Website Content Management System (CMS)

What are the pitfalls to beware when choosing a CMS?

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Actually, a CMS or content management system can be a way to move your business to the next level of its development with many benefits in terms of creating and managing content, interacting with your contributors, implementing innovative business tools, and increasing the overall business efficiency. However, it may also turn into a nightmare, resulting from the improper choice of CMS or insufficient understanding of its objectives and capabilities.

Let’s try to summarize some known pitfalls while choosing a business CMS. Most of these pitfalls are true not only for enterprise CMS, but for website CMS solutions as well. If you have your own experience or comment, you are more than welcomed to join our discussion.

So, first pitfall to mention is poor understanding of the purpose of the CMS. Sometimes, people choose a particular content management platform and buy it before they understand clearly why they need a CMS. That is why, it is vitally important to develop a plan or strategy, specifying all the features you expect from a CMS. After that you can look for a particular platform, capable of doing the jobs you just specified in your plan.

Another threat is underestimating the hardware requirements. Professional content management platform is a serious software application, dealing with multiple databases, system processes and operations. Hence, it requires sufficient server computing resources to function properly and efficiently. So, if you invest into a CMS, do not forget to revise and update if necessary the hardware components of the infrastructure.

In the real life business environment, content management systems often have to interact with other software, installed and used in certain business processes. That is why, when outlining the requirements for your future CMS do not forget to specify what applications you need this CMS to interact with.

Migration to content management system is not only about software and hardware; it is also much about people, who will need to adjust to using new approach in performing their usual daily work operations. Be prepared for the changes and get your people prepared too.

Another pitfall may result from making a sole decision in choosing a CMS. As a matter of fact, different professionals may have different needs and requirements for a CMS. If you ask your system administrator only, he will vote for a CMS, which is easy to deploy, reliable, cross-platform and easy to administrate. Designers will focus on layout and styling properties, and editors will expect sufficient content management functionality and integrated tools for SEO, for example. So, it is a good idea to make choosing a CMS a team work with different experts involved.

Finally, it is always necessary to keep in mind that any content management solution is different from typical software applications, ready to work out-of-the-box. CMS is a complex platform, which often requires a good portion of setting up and customization. That is why, professional CMS vendors do not sell box solutions, and instead they provide full support, training and customization. Very often, content management systems are built specifically for a certain client, taking into account all his requirements and expectations.

Website CMS Components â�� Raffle Manager

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

In terms of internet marketing, raffles are sometimes used by web masters to increase the loyalty of users by offering them raffle competitions online with particular prizes. Besides, a real raffle campaign on your website will definitely draw the attention of visitors and can be used as one of the internet marketing tools.

Since writing specific programming scripts for raffle campaigns can be a pain in the head for web designers, a better way was developed. Professional website CMS solutions offer Raffle Manager among the other components of a typical content management platform, such as products catalogue manager or invoice manager.

Raffle manager makes it possible to easy and quickly create raffle campaigns, set the prizes and automatically select the winners. Basically, it is an amusing and interesting feature, which helps to organize closer interaction between a website and its visitors. Have a look at the professional content management solutions by Ajiboye, where Raffle Manager functionality is offered as an add-on option.

Website CMS Components â�� Salesforce Manager

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Independent sales force can do a great job for any business, whether it is online or offline business. However, independent sales force, which can be easily managed through the web interface of your own website, can do even more. Whether you want to build an affiliate program, offering commissions to your partners for driving traffic or business leads to your website, or you wish sales force team to help you with internet marketing, Salesforce Manager as a component of professional website CMS solution is worth of your attention.

Salesforce Manager by Ajiboye is a specific web application, which can be integrated into your website CMS platform and help you better manage and supervise your salesforce. This Salesforce Manager is a powerful application, which provides reliable instruments for the complete HR procedure from applicants registering to approving and training of the successful candidates. Naturally, this part of CMS solution also offers compensation plan manager with automatic commission calculation and reporting.

So, if you wish to take your business at the next level of development, consider the options for building a corporate website, using professional website content management solution, and spice it up with additional online applications, such as Salesforce Manager, to increase the business efficiency while cutting down the expenses.

Enterprise Content Management â�� What does it serves for?

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Being a subcategory of content management platforms, today enterprise content management gets deeper and deeper integration with the common business processes. These days CMS solutions are used not only to build a corporate website and publish information on it. Now it is one of the powerful instruments to lead business efficiently and dynamically, interacting with employees, partners, and customers through the Internet.

Whether it is a content editing, transaction proccessing, employee certification or candidates screening – enterprise content management has already became intelligent enough to offer tools for doing many things online.

As it was recently noted in the CMSWire online journal, intelligent enterprise content management systems are built around the idea of getting more value from traditional CMS solutions. There are three ways to make this happen, which also show the objectives of future Enterprise CMS. These routes are concentrated on (1) content analytics to analyze and develop new content, (2) business intelligent tools, which are necessary to get the practical value of information or content available through CMS in the real-live business environment, and (3) content management interoperability, where it is necessary for the information to freely flow between CMS and business applications and specific software programs.

Web Engagement Management â�� a Future of Website CMS?

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

I remember the times, when website content management systems or CMS as the tools for building and managing websites were pretty rare and only large organizations could get the benefits of website CMS platforms for their web initiatives. However, the IT technologies develop and evolve so rapidly, that it now seems that a single blink of an eye was enough for the Internet industry to produce a whole bunch of both proprietary and open-source web CMS solutions. Now, when such words as Joomla, Wordpress and Facebook have gained their presence even in the lexicon of those web users, whose typical interests about using Internet go just a bit beyond reading home rent ads, web content management shows the signs of further evolution, starting a new age in the way people deal with websites. This new era is introduced with a new acronym - WEM, standing for Web Engagement Management.

As defined in the article on WEM in the CMS Wire online magazine, WEM is an evolution, not a revolution, but it is all about engaging visitors into the process of content management on a particular website, “giving them voice and a response”. Indeed, websites are no longer static places to post a company’s profile and a catalogue of products or services. Now, for the site to be successful it should give visitors an opportunity to interact with the company, product or service it represents, in a very progressive way, which goes far beyond simple clicking the links and submitting online forms. Integration of the websites with social networks, such as Twitter or Facebook, and RSS feeds are, perhaps, the earliest signs of web engagement management.

The experts of Internet marketing have already formulated the basic five principles of web engagement management. These are as following:

Content optimization (content has been known as a king for ages, but now it is time to create content in a highly sophisticated way with the current requirements and expectations of the target audience in front of your eyes and massive load of analytics and research and SEO behind your shoulders)
Multi-channel management (websites are not only for computers anymore; with more and more handheld devices, full-featured mobile phone browsers, iPhone and iPad devices, both using and managing websites simply needs to become multi-channel, remaining consistent at the same time)
Conversational engagement (the ability of visitors to communicate with the community is an important component of WEM concept, which is realized in practice through website integration with multiple social networks, micro-blogging, commenting and other forms of user-generated content)
Demand generation (WEM goes hand-in-hand with internet marketing, aiming to increase the effectiveness of website in selling products or services by helping business to recognize needs and demands on the market)
Sales automation (sales needs to go online and WEM concept is much about two-way CRM, social CRM, and other progressive methods of interacting with consumers and clients)

So, to sum it all up, in the nearest future we are about to see the new level of integration and cooperation between website content management systems and internet marketing. The conceptual strategy of web engagement management is definitely on its way to represent a new way of business-clients relationships via the online channels.

CMS Migration Issues

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Migrating content from your existing CMS to a brand-new web content management system may look as a pretty complicated assignment. Lack of practical advice and efficient tools in this field may lead to a situation, when developing a new site on a new web site CMS platform will be more cost-effective than migrating content from the old CMS. However, content migrations are still often required, especially, in corporate infrastructures with huge web sites and extensive content databases.

In order to make the process of content migration to a new CMS solution less stressful and more efficient, it is important to prepare properly for the migration, evaluate all the potential risks and clearly define the targets and milestones. The following tips may be of help for developing a successful migration plan.

1) Conduct a thorough audit of your content. Remove all the unnecessary texts, images, and script files. Fix the broken links and clean all the content that needs to be relocating to a new place.

2) Create redirects. A new CMS will involve a new web site structure, and consequently new URL addresses of all the pages. To save all the previous URLs working it is necessary to create 301 redirects, pointing every old page to a new destination.

3) Be careful with hyperlinks. Both internal and external hyperlinks are likely to be broken during the migration of the content from one CMS to another. An accurate site map can help a lot in restoring all the necessary hyperlinks in your new system.

4) Sort your content. It is recommended to sort all the content in your old system and create a detailed inventory list of all the files, which need to be migrated.

5) Get ready for a time-consuming procedure. If your current CMS includes only a hundred of pages, there is nothing to worry about, but if there are thousands of multiple files, it may turn into a very time-consuming procedure. So, arm yourself with patience, or think about specialised CMS migration services.

Content Management System Overview

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

What is a Content Management System?

A content management system (CMS) is a system that allows non-technical people within the client organisation to update parts of their website. These systems can either be fully web based, accessed from any computer via a web browser, or they can include some software that needs installing on your PC allowing you to connect to your website and make changes.

Many content management systems allow varying levels of access, or can restrict users to editing selected parts of the website only.

The benefits of a CMS or content management system

Content management systems allow the client to make their own changes to the website as frequently as they want. This should keep costs of maintenance down and gives the client control over update frequency.

The disadvantages of most content management systems

Many content management systems produce poor code. The website may have the correct appearance, but it may be written with poorly marked-up HTML. If your content management system allows you to change font size and font colour for any text, then it is most likely that it is producing incorrectly marked up HTML.

Badly marked up code makes your website makes less easy for blind or partially sighted people to use. The most important web user, Google, is blind. This makes your website less important within the search engines, and will have a major impact on your website's visibility in the search engines. This can add significantly to the cost of marketing your website.

Good content management systems

A good content management system can be created for websites with an integrated fully browser based content management system that has minimal impact on search engine optimization.

Content Management System Benefits

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

There are many benefits associated with a good quality content management system. A few are listed below:

1. A CMS website is database driven.

This lets you to build and store hundreds or thousands of pages in the database without the need to update each one of them.

2. Separate design and content.

The design of the site template is separate from the actual content. This lets you change the design at any time without changing the content stored on the site.

3. Use cascading style sheet (CSS) to control site appearance.

Altering one CSS file will allow you to change the design and/or color of your site. The consistency of the design is not altered.

4. Multiple authors.

If you have different authors that wish to contribute to your CMS website you can set up multiple user access in the administration panel. They can simply login and start adding their content.

5. Access from anywhere.

Authors and editors can access the site from any computer with an internet connection. This means users can update the site at the same time from any location in the world.

6. Web site management panel.

The backend administration panel not only provides the ability to add content but also to add modules such as polls, banners, forums, shopping applications, news management and menus. Authors can be given limited permissions to prevent them from editing content which they are not authorized to change.

Web Content Management Systems Options

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

If you have a large site that you want to be easily updated from any location, has internet access and needs more than one author, then you will probably want to use a web content management system (CMS). There are many different types of content management systems to consider and your options will depend on the purpose of your site and how complex it needs to be.

Here are the pros and cons for different web content management systems:

1. Purchase CMS software

Pros

This is for a large site that is customized for your business and where you can expect a lot of support. The owners test the software keep it updated often add new features.

Cons

This option can be expensive. Often they charge an hourly fee if you need technical support. If the owners discontinue the software, you may be left with no support.

2. Open Source

Pros

Open source software is usually free or is inexpensive.

There is a community of users which means the software is regularly tested and constantly improved because there is such a large number of people involved in its development.

Cons

If you do not have the technical skills to install, set up and configure the software for your business you will need to hire a web developer to do the work for you. In this case you will need to spend some money.

3. Hire a Web Developer

Pros

Your web developer may already have a content management system that they use. The CMS can then be adapted to suit the needs of the customer. You can also rely on continuous support from your developer.

Takes less time to build. You will greatly benefit from developer’s experience because he is an expert in his field.

Cons

Can be expensive, depending on the complexity of your content management system.

Which option is best?

If you are very familiar with all the technical aspects of developing a CMS system, then select an open source solution and build it yourself.

If you have no technical expertise, or you do not have the time, then hire a web developer. The initial costs of your CMS will easily be covered because you will get it built quickly plus have the necessary support when you need it.

Content Management Software Solutions

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Content Management Software provides community building through blogging, personalization, forums and message boards. It helps build customer loyalty with subscriptions and RSS feeds. It allows you to easily manage lots of content from multiple authors.

How do you decide what CMS software to use for the management of your web site content? What CMS authoring tools should you use? Here are a few of the different content management solutions avaialble:

Open Source

This is probably the most popular because it is free to obtain, has lots of flexibility plus there is a very active Open Source Community for support.

Hosted

You have less control because the business selling the software hosts and maintains the CMS. This frees you from administrative responsibilities and reduces the initial cost but may cost you more in the long term.

Commercial

A commercial CMS designer builds the CMS application then sells it to you. You will be responsible for the maintenance. You have more control but your initial costs will be expensive because it is custom built.

Nonprofit

Some CMS sites are built for nonprofit companies sometimes. These types may be hosted or commercial. The features built into them are geared towards the organization.

Summary

Your choice of content management software solution will depend greatly on your own individual circumstances. If you are tech savy and have some free spare time, you may like to opt for on open source solution. If you have a medium sized website and are a little pressed for time, then maybe a hosted solution is best for you. On the other hand, if you have a complex and large e-commerce site, a commercial solution is probably the best way to go.

Factors to Consider Before Building a CMS Website

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

There are many factors to consider when looking for content management system software.

Simple Structure Website

For a simple CMS website that only needs a home page and article pages use WordPress. Even though it is used primarily for a blog, you can set the home page as a static page. The static page is basically a html page that can be beautifully designed so it will captivate first time visitors. WordPress allows you to create as many categories as you wish and each category can have 100s of articles. You can also build stand-alone pages.

Another option is to use Web Baker. It is easy to take a web site template you have already designed in html and convert it to a CMS site. You simply insert the php tags into your html template. You can manage the site from the administration panel where you add as many pages as you like.

Complex Structure Website

Joomla

For a more complex CMS web site that needs a separate design for multiple pages consider using Joomla or WPRemix software. If you have never used Joomla there is a fairly steep learning curve because it has so many features and options. It takes a while to figure out how all the elements work together.

Pros of WPRemix

Another option is to use WPRemix which uses the WordPress software to build different static pages plus you can add a blog that integrates nicely with the theme. It contains 50 static templates that can be easily customized as needed. Each template can be edited from the visual editor within WordPress which is a great help for people who do not know html.

Cons of WPRemix

The templates do not always display correctly in the visual editor. How the template appears in the visual editor may not equal the appearance in your browser. To remedy this make sure you preview the template after editing then publish it. It helps if you know some html so you can correct display errors.

Technical support is only offered through a forum. It is often slow or non-existent so you are mostly on your own, however, often times forum members jump into help.

Tip

Plan out the structure of your CMS website before deciding what CMS software you will use. You will make a more informed decision which will save you many headaches down the road.

Understanding Content Management and Its Roles

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Speaking about website content management systems, first it is necessary to understand what content management is at its core level. By definition, content management is the combination of processes, tools and techniques necessary for creating, collecting, managing and publishing the information in some media. Nowadays, content is mostly referred to the digital content, which is used on the web sites. The digital content may come in the form of text, images, or multimedia files.

Content management in general, as well as website content management in particular, is all about team work and collaboration. It usually involves at least the following basic roles:

Creator – the one who creates digital content
Editor – the one who edits the digital content and modify it in accordance with style requirements or target audience
Publisher – the one who publishes the digital content online
Administrator – the one who manages project and team members, for example, grants access to users and groups to certain resources of a web project
Consumer – the one, who consumes (read, buy or otherwise use) the digital content.

Website content management platforms are called to combine all those roles into a single workflow process.

Features of Content Management Systems

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Website content management system is commonly referred to the specific web application or software, which is used to manage a web site. Most commonly, content management systems support the following basic features:

Creation of digital content (including importing the materials from external sources)
Identification of team members and users, as well as defining their roles and setting permissions
Ability to set up the tasks and assign them to particular content managers or editors
Ability to track the workflow process and view the content at different stages of its creation
Supervising the work of content managers and editing different versions of content
Publishing the created content at the online locations

Two Core Elements of Any Content Management System

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Any website content management system or CMS has two basic elements in its structure, called content management application or CMA and content delivery application or CDA. The first element (CMA) is used to create the digital content, while the CDA ensures publishing the content to the website. Content management application is designed to allow people without technical knowledge and web programming skills to create and edit web content.

Website content management system may also include multiple specific website applications, such as files manager, banner ads manager, user accounts manager, shopping cart, and other applications for specific purposes.

Situations When CMS Can Help

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Multiple content management systems or CMS platforms have become a talk of the town recently. In some situations these website design solutions work as silver bullets, but in other situations the results of CMS implementation may not meet the expectations. So, how to recognize that very situation, when CMS is the only way to solve the current issues with website design, administration, and internet marketing?

These are the examples of situations, when CMS can really be a solution.

You run an online shop with tons of products, and it is extremely difficult for customers to navigate through all the products to find the one they are looking for.
You want to automate shopping and payment procedures on your site.
The products catalogues are outdated, because manual editing of separate products and categories requires much time and efforts.
The navigation section varies among different pages of the website, because even in order to add a new menu item, you have to edit all the web pages of the site.
Content is not updated regularly on the site. If content adding can only be performed by site administrator with technical programming skills, it is not likely that the content will be updated regularly. Website CMS platforms allow users without technical skills to add content, so the content updating can run much quicker.
You need constant control of your content with fast adding, editing and removing. When you run a web shop or some social web project, your content should be dynamic. Besides, it is necessary that all those actions could be performed by general personnel, and not only by web developer.
You need access control on your web site. If you have many contributors to your site, it is crucially to control the access and grant different permissions for different users or groups.
You want a large, scalable and full-featured web project but need to keep your budget low. There are multiple CMS solutions from open-source free platforms to professional content management systems to meet the expectations of every customer, depending on the project requirements and budget limitations.

Why CMS?

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Why CMS?

There are many businesses where bulk publication of content are required from number of authors. CMS is the only answer to this kind of business. CMS helps in streamlining the entire publication process efficiently and maintaining the budget. Today, CMS is one of the most powerful tools for bulk content based business. With its capability to contribute to business to build into a brand, CMS is the number one choice.

While talking about the benefits of a CMS site list is just endless. A CMS site owner offers three layers of division of content, structure and design. This separation helps a website all over the lifecycle. A detailed explanation will help in better understanding. According to demand of situation each of these individualized areas can be redesigned independently without disturbing the other important sections of your websites. For example without touching the content or structure the design section or layer of website can be adjusted for latest user interface. On the other hand publication of content can be controlled, hidden or saved meant for later publication with valid username and password. Thus, flexibility is the major strength of CMS site.

Custom Website Development Or Content Management System?

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Custom Website Development Or Content Management System?

Custom Website Development Or cms(Content management system) which is better main quastion then you plan to get your own site.After reading of this article you will know witch variant is better for you custom website development or cms. Custom wesite development advantages against content management system(cms) article. Cms system has high webpage loadtime its limted by flexibility and automation.and problematic Within improving web technologies ..

# High Webpage loadtime

The loadtime is one of the most important characteristics for Website. Cms system uses more time than usually for rendering pages, because of doing more operations.

# Limited flexibility

The system cms allows you to solve the majority of ordinary problems. But when the problems refer to your own business, we have extraordinary tasks in this case. And it's not possible to solve them by cms or at least they can be solved only partly by programming.

# Limited automation

The automation of website supporting processes allows to save your time and money. In case of cms system usage automation is limited, which decreases efficiency of your work.

The Advantages Of A Content Management System (cms)

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Advantages Of A Content Management System (cms)

Content management system or CMS as it is popularly known would be of a numerous benefit for a website containing hundreds of pages which need continuous updation in the web host and written by multiple authors. CMS will make it easier for people to create, edit and publish content on the website without even any technical knowledge like HTML, DHTML etc, of the user. It eases the technical difficulties in the publication of content and reduces the time-to-publish.

A CMS web site is database driven as it allows one to create and store thousands of pages in the database without the need to update each one of them. As the design of the site template is separate from the content, this allows one to change the design any time without affecting the content stored on the site.

Problems created by inaccurate or contradictory content, can be easily overcome by automated approval procedure as it ensures that the content is correct before publication. By using user-definable workflow to notify assigned approvers of changes to content, Publication is automatic once approval has been signed-off.

Content Management in Corporations

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Content Management in Corporations

Within a corporation, a content management tool does a lot of things:

* provides Web access to Web page content owners directly

* allows for faster updates of Web pages

* provides an easy-to-use interface where content owners don't need to know HTML

* creates accountability, as most content managers can track logins and changes to various pages within the site

* upholds standardization rules

Choosing A Content Management System

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Choosing A Content Management System

Some more things to consider before you choose your content management system:

* Does it take care of your SEO requirements?

* Does it let you create static web pages?

* Does it let you save multiple versions of the same document?

* Is the content management system hosted under your own domain are is it hosted on a third party domain?

* What support is available in case you need it?

* How steep is the learning curve?

Advantages of CMS

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Websites with a great content management system (CMS) can offer the following advantages:

Lower costs

Looking after your website in-house eliminates the requirement to pay costly consultants for relatively simple data entry work.

Professional

Your website will contain much more valuable content if it is updated by professionals like writers, graphic designers and marketing experts, not by web developers.

Automation

A good CMS will automatically manage many everyday tasks like chronological ordering, timed publishing, data feed creation, etc.

Interactive tools

CMSs provide the ability to supply interactive tools like search engines, calculators, etc.

Content stays fresh

With direct control over your website, you can reduce any delays to updates.

Member contribution

Many CMS's permit third parties to join the website and include their own comments, news, and much more.

How Do You Choose The CMS That Is Right For You?

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is strongly advisable to check with an expert because selecting the right content management system (CMS) requires widespread technical knowledge and can be a very expensive decision to change later on. If your business is large, you may like to form a small committee, with say 5-6 members, and have representatives from departments such as IT, design, PR, customer service, marketing, HR and finance to make certain that your decision is consistent for your stakeholder’s requirements.

If you discover that you have lots of issues to think about in your decision, you may like to produce a list of scoring criteria which will allow you to rank the possible choices. Incorporate this list into a decision matrix and vote on the scores for each CMS.

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 1

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Important points to consider for your content management system (CMS).

Commercial versus open source

In general, commercial CMS solutions are more expensive, more reliable and may present specialized functionality, or a quality level, not found in open source. On the other hand, free open source solutions cost less and major ones like Wordpress, Drupal or Joomla are often released under the GNU Greater Public License (GPL) which states that the developer must make the CMS's source code available to you. If for any reason, you change vendors, it is very simple to find an experienced supplier who can take over an open source project. If you use a commercial CMS, you may discover that there are no other people who know how to work with it, or even worse, that the basis that your website is built upon does not belong to you.

Modules, features and flexibility

It is vital to go into your website project with a well defined vision of where your business is heading and what features your website will require as it expands. Features that are available with one CMS may be difficult or expensive to develop for another.

Content handling system

There are two primary methods a CMS can use to handle content creation. The majority of CMSs use dedicated content types which means that each kind of content (for example pages, events, articles, etc) needs the installation of a dedicated component. This system has the ability to be streamlined but can also result in significant development costs if you must handle content types that are not already supported by the CMS.

The other method is open content types. These CMSs provide a content type creation interface that permits you to build your own content types and add the necessary data entry fields to them.

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 2

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Important points to consider for your content management system (CMS).

Flexibility of the templating engine

There are come CMSs that enforce severe restrictions on design and layout, so ensure you know about any design limitations before committing to any particular system.

Multilingual support

The translation of web pages seems to be a sticky point with many CMSs. A few handle multilingual content well, some handle it awkwardly and some do not support translation at all. Therefore, if you require multilingual support, you will need to check with your developer before committing to a CMS. Check examples from their portfolio where they have applied the CMS's multilingual features and insist they show you the translation interface so that you can make certain that it is user-friendly. Also be aware of the following important points:

Some CMSs do not support the extended character sets required for languages such as Chinese
Some CMSs do not support right to left (RTL) languages
Some CMSs support translation but do not extend it to their front page functions

Workflow

For quality control, legal or other reasons, your business may require a multi-step publishing process. For example, a copywriter may provide an article to the website but it would not be publicly accessible until an editor reviews and approves it. Be careful as some CMS solutions provide workflow only to limited content types. For example, it may be available for news articles but not for pages.

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 3

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Important points to consider for your content management system (CMS).

Revision control

This is most simply expressed as, does the CMS have an “undo" button? How many steps does it allow to be undone? Does it maintain a record of who made what changes?

User privileges

User privileges, or permissions, manage access to the tools, functions and information that the website offers to different users. Many CMSs assign permissions to an individual, for example Wally Hackett has these privileges, Rob Robertson has those privileges. Other systems permit permissions to be assigned to roles, which are in turn assigned to individuals.

Is it user friendly?

Make certain you are shown a demonstration of the CMS's user interface and you understand how to use it.

Standards compliance

On many occasions this is overlooked because it is invisible to most users, however, proper compliance with HTML, XML and W3C standards will improve your website's accessibility to disabled persons and will also help with your SEO procedures. Some CMSs produce graphic layouts using rigid templating systems that are quite often non-compliant with these standards.

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 4

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Important points to consider for your content management system (CMS).

Search engine friendliness

The search engine friendliness for a website is based upon many factors, but the important ones to consider are standards compliance and search engine friendly links. Many search engines ignore any webpage that has a query string in its web address. This can be a tricky issue, so check with your vendor to see if the CMS uses search engine friendly links. Then have a look at a few websites in their portfolio to see if they are telling the truth. You can identify a query string as it contains a question mark. For example, http://www.yourbusinessname/index.php?page=home is not search engine friendly, however, http://www.yourbusinessname/home is a friendly link.

Exit strategy

Can you take the CMS with you if you decide to change vendors? Can other vendors host and take over development on the CMS with a minimum of fuss? Do you have the legal right take your website elsewhere?

Legal issues

Make sure you thoroughly check your license agreement before choosing any CMS. If the solution is open source check that the developer will agree to provide you with a full copy of the source code on delivery and that you actually own any custom code that they create. If you are buying a commercial system, remember that the vendor retains ownership of the source, so you are making a long term commitment to them.

Costs

Determine the developmental and yearly costs of the CMS. The developmental costs can differ according to the quantity of work required to tailor a given CMS and the proficiency of the developer that you need to hire to perform the work. Annual costs may include fees for services such as hosting, licensing and maintenance.

CMS - Creation and Contribution

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Content Management can mean different things to different people. Some people consider there to be a number of key elements and processes in web content management. Content management can be divided into three main areas:

1. Content creation and contribution

2. Content management and administration

3. Content publishing and serving

The meaning of the terms is fairly self-explanatory. They each consist of a number of processes, which may include:

Creation and Contribution

Page creation and editing
Template creation
Text entry
Image creation
Style sheet creation & editing
Submission for approval
Content properties & attributes
Meta data
Live date and expiry
Personalization attributes
Product attributes
Marketing attributes
End user access permissions

CMS - Management and Administration

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

1. Content creation and contribution

2. Content management and administration

3. Content publishing and serving

The meaning of the terms is fairly self-explanatory. They each consist of a number of processes, which may include:

Management and Administration

Content approval
Properties approval
Content workflow
Security, roles assignment, editing permissions
Versioning, archiving and backup

CMS - Publishing and Serving

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

1. Content creation and contribution

2. Content management and administration

3. Content publishing and serving

The meaning of the terms is fairly self-explanatory. They each consist of a number of processes, which may include:

Publishing and Serving

Content output to final media
Publishing to production server
Search capability
Personalization
Replication
Syndication
Load balancing
Caching and acceleration

Website Configuration

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Website configuration describes a number of fundamental parameters for the site, including the default template and style sheet, development site location, physical system directory, published site location, default archiving setting, output type, etc. Once defined, these settings do not change very often. But, they can be viewed and edited at any time using your content management system.

Users and Permissions

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A good content management system will contain powerful permission and rules based set up that allows for several levels of site control and management. A site administrator is able to set up users and user groups, assigning any combination of permissions to both a user and a group.

Normally a group will be set up to manage one or more specific sections of the website, for example investor relations, marketing, technical, press, etc. On the other hand, groups can also be set up around functions, for example administrators, designers, editors, approvers. Users may exist inside or outside of a group. Within a particular group, regardless of the permissions given to users they are restricted by the overall group permissions.

For example, the marketing group may have administrator control over the marketing section of a website, but read only access to legal, technical and other sections. Within the actual marketing group some users may have administrator rights, others edit, design, read only, etc. All of these permission levels will apply completely within the marketing section of the website, but outside of this section all users, including those defined as administrators within the group, will be limited to the read only access rights of the group as a whole.

Group administrators are able to add users and remove users from their own groups and assign them appropriate permissions.

Content Approval

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Content approval includes both content and properties approval. Whenever a page, or its properties, are edited, its status changes to draft mode. One or more editors may keep on making changes and saving until the page is thought to be complete. The editor will then submit the page for approval.

When the page is submitted for approval, it may be approved, returned for alteration, or rejected, by the designated approvers. A content approval workflow process may allow pages to be approved by a single individual, or by multiple approvers who may have to approve it in a specific order. The page turns live after it has completed the defined approval process.

During the content approval procedure, approvers with editing permission can change both the content and the properties including keywords, title, description, page live date, page expiry date, etc.

Archiving, Retrieval and Backup

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A good content management system will support archiving at the web page level. When a page is approved, the previous edition of the page along with any images, is versioned and backed up. An administrator can see the version history and roll back the page to any previous version. When a rollback happens, the current version is also archived, allowing a future 'roll-forward' if required.

Besides the website recovery use, this feature offers valuable additional content flexibility. For example, a page may be altered to support a seasonal or short-term activity, such as a special promotion or a marketing campaign. The page is edited for this specific reason, approved and made live. When the promotion or campaign finishes, the page may be rolled back to its previous version. Later on it can be rolled forward again if the promotion is repeated.

Why Content Management?

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Taking advantage of the web is an important ingredient of any strategy for extending your business, growing market share and developing a competitive advantage. The web brings you closer to your markets, however, it creates transparency that swiftly reveals poor service. Although it is a challenge, its use is not optional.

Customers are seeking greater access to information and business processes and they expect it straight away. Traditional web technologies slow down this relationship. They distance business owners from their website content because their use relies upon technical expertise. They generate websites with limited functionality that are costly to set up and maintain.

A good content management system will give control of content to the business experts. It guarantees rapid, correct, consistent and efficient publication of your content on the web. A CMS delivers business benefits that generate significant cost savings which assure a quick return on investment.

Essentials to Look for in a CMS - Part 1

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A number of essentials to consider when you are looking for a Content Management System (CMS) are listed below:

1. Easy to use, efficient, simple to generate and maintain content, with no special technical skills needed.

2. Multi-user authoring which means that more than one person can use the system at the same time.

3. Workflow management, so that content can be drafted, stored for review and approved by someone else.

4. Meets accessibility standards, for example those developed by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.

5. Cross browser support which enables pages generated by the system to be viewable in all major web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.

6. Metadata for indexing and searching which should follow an accepted standard. Every page created by the system should have an individual page ‘title’, as this is important for being indexed by search engines.

7. Training should be provided for the system.

8. The system should be provided with an acceptable warranty period.

9. The ability to generate usage statistics. Ensure you can obtain data on numbers of site visitors, the most popular pages, daily usage and search engine usage.

10. Look for the ability to scale your website. Can the system support your website if it needs to grow, or does that require additional expenditure?

11. Make sure the system does not use frames. Frames are old web technology that is no longer recommended. They stop a website from being indexed properly by search engines, and are very difficult for people with disabilities to use.

12. Fully password or user ID controlled, which provides you with the ability to manage users and define access privileges.

Essentials to Look for in a CMS - Part 2

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A number of essentials to consider when you are looking for a Content Management System (CMS) are listed below:

1. The ability to define publish, expiry and review dates.

2. Ensure the system permits the use of online forms.

3. Make sure creates pages which load fast.

4. Integrated email, including subscribe/unsubscribe functions.

5. The publishing process is linked to an automatic email distribution and alert process.

6. Reference sites are provided.

7. The system allows you to publish easy-to-remember web addresses, such as www.yoursite.com/aboutus/staff.html. This can be important when you promote a web page in a brochure, and for improving your search engine rankings.

8. The system follows the Open Standards Compliance, which allows information to be shared and to be found.

9. Are there any IT constraints? Do you have to install any other software before the CMS will work? Do you require and special hardware?

10. Does it come with a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor? This is similar to a word processor and enables you to style content.

11. Look for a system that supports forums and public submissions.

12. Make sure the system supports XML.

Questions to Ask Regarding CMS - Part 1

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Below are a number of questions to ask regarding your Content Management System (CMS) and website design:

1. How much will it cost to set up your website? Costs can differ greatly. Some suppliers will require a large upfront software payment but include support and training for the year. Others will separate the content management software from any design work that you may have. A good way of pricing a project is to estimate the entire cost over a two year period.

2. What are the yearly expenses? Examine what any ongoing costs actually cover. Even though it may appear cheaper to make a single payment, you could be tied to ongoing support. Are you required to pay extra? What if you want to change the structure of your website? This can be outside the scope of content management as you are essentially rebuilding your site. Be wary of low fixed fees, as you may be downgraded to the lowest level of support.

3. Are you paying for the construction or development of the software? Ensure that the system is actually a stand-alone system and not something that has to be highly customized for every job. Take a look at the same tools running several different clients’ websites. Are they very different? Can you see how these tools could help you manage your content?

Questions to Ask Regarding CMS - Part 2

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Below are a number of questions to ask regarding your Content Management System (CMS) and website design:

4. Will the look and feel or functionality of your website be constrained in any way? Content management uses templates to separate content from presentation. Some systems offer a restricted templating system that may not match your proposed design. Examine a couple of sites that have been created using the same system, if they look much the same, it is likely that your site will have that look also.

5. How does the system handle images? Pictures and images are very important to the look and feel of any website and you should look closely at how the management system will be able to use them. Is there a library of images that you can use and add to? Does the software resize images for you? Do you have much control over how they are used within the layout of a page?

6. Are you obligated to remain with the same system? As you are making a substantial commitment, determine how easy it is to move to another supplier or content management system. Ensure that you can salvage all your data and your design without starting from the beginning again.

Questions to Ask Regarding CMS - Part 3

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Below are a number of questions to ask regarding your Content Management System (CMS) and website design:

7. Are the tools easy to use? This is extremely important. How much training and support will your content providers and editors require? Running complicated sites is a major task and will require sophisticated tools but these should be straightforward to use. There will be a balance to strike between ease of use and the flexibility offered to you by the tools.

8. Are there are restrictions imposed by the systems on how the site is hosted? Where and how your website is hosted are important questions. Are you able to use Apache, Microsoft web servers, host it yourself, use your existing ISP or are these decisions made for you by the content management system? You must include the full costs of hosting in your plans.

9. Will you obtain the benefit of updates to the system? Content management systems are constantly evolving and you should ensure that new features and services are part of your agreement.

10. Will the system affect the way you work? This is may be the most difficult, and most important, question to ask. If you are considering a big complicated multi-section, multi-contributor site, you will need to think about the people and processes to keep it useful and up-to-date. The management system tools must support these people and processes rather than the other way round.

Be Clear About the Content You Have on Your Website

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS), you must be clear about the types and amount of content you will have. For example, which of these types of content will you have?

A description of services
News items
Longer articles
Advice sheets
Full-length papers
Resources lists
Audio recordings
Instructional videos
Images, including photographs, diagrams, graphs, and artwork
Calendar of events

Think about how many documents will you publish over a year, including news items that might go up every week. Do not be too ambitious. If your initial thoughts are that you will update every month, then it is more likely that every second month will be closer to reality.

Estimating numbers can be tricky and if your website becomes easier to use you may find yourself adding more content than previously. However, obtaining some idea the scale of material on your website can make a difference to the type of CMS you select. A system able to manage thousands or millions of documents will have lots more features (and a greater cost) than a system that just looks after a couple of hundred documents.

When you have done some research, decide on what you need your CMS to do and this list will make up your system requirements. If you find yourself getting stuck in the weeds, step back and concentrate on the outcomes you want. Even if you have chosen a CMS solution, you can still make changes, but remember that any changes incur an expense.

How Many People Will Be Managing Content on Your Website?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS), you will need to work out how many people will be managing content on your website.

The greater you can successfully share the job of managing content, the more likely you are to keep the website updated.

However, you will need to think about the following:

Who is realistically going to be adding content?
Are they all working in your office, or are they located around the community?
Does anyone need to approve new content before it is published on the website?

You should also consider if any of your content is likely to be so sensitive that it must undergo legal checking before posting on the website.

Consult With Your Peers

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS), it is a great idea to consult with your peers. Determine what systems businesses with similar requirements to yours are using and if they are happy with their system. Check with them regarding the quality and level of support they have received.

Do not be afraid of seeking expert advice. Try and find someone who understands the type of business you are in and understands the options available to you.

If you are happy to search the internet for a web CMS, here are a few tips:

1. Even though a vendor calls it a CMS, it does not mean it actually is. Carefully examine the features the vendor talks about and if you don't see what you need straight away, look somewhere else.

2. When you are looking at a CMS website, try to determine quickly the level at which the vendor is operating. If it is out of your range, move on.

3. A slick vendor site does not automatically mean a high-quality CMS. Check the features on offer and if they are not what you need, keep looking.

Simplicity Rules

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS), you should keep in the back on your mind that simplicity rules.

It is very easy to get confused by the wide variety of features available in different CMS. However, the important question for you must be ‘Is the system simple to use?’, and not what it might be able to do. The easier a system is to use, the more likely it will be used. This is particularly the case in businesses that rely on volunteers or staff who don’t have great technical skills and who don’t have the time for anything more than very basic training.

Search for a CMS that performs the functions that you have identified as critical for the day-to-day running of your website, but which also is easy to use. Make sure you test for yourself that it is really easy to use. If you find yourself confused or unsure, think how others will feel.

Internet Software

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

There are different types of Content Management Systems (CMS) with different price brackets and structures. One type is software that you rent and use via the internet.

Some internet service providers (ISPs) provide customers with facilities to create their own small websites. There is also a range of special purpose hosting sites that provide software to set up a small site for a monthly rental. An internet search for ‘hosted websites with site builder’ will bring up lots of options.

The main disadvantage of these options is they usually offer limited functionality and have expensive usage charges, particularly if you get more than a modest amount of traffic to your website.

There are some higher level CMS services that also use this model. The costs commonly involve a set-up fee as well as a monthly rental.

Server Installed Software

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

There are different types of Content Management Systems (CMS) with different price brackets and structures. One type is software that has to be installed on a server.

This is the most common model used for websites where the CMS is installed on computer space on a server. A server is a computer that handles requests for data, e-mail, file transfers and other network services from other computers. The software can also be installed on a virtual server (which is a small slice of a large server). You would commonly rent server space from an internet service provider (ISP).

There is a large variety of systems under this wide category ranging from free blog software to multimillion dollar systems for large corporations.

Systems suitable for small or medium sized websites range from software developed by website development companies, to open source systems. Systems designed for small businesses may have some limitations as the site grows and you will need to check their scalability.

Other systems are designed for much larger sites and will involve significant cost to set up, even if the software is free.

How Does Content Management Work?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Rather than creating and saving the same information all the time throughout your website, a Content Management System (CMS) allows you to write it once and then have the website determine how to include that content whenever it is required.

A CMS shows web pages by choosing the relevant elements and joining them together in the right arrangement. As an example, if the top of every page features the same business logo, menu items and contact details, you shouldn't need to repeat this information on every page file. Rather, the information that governs this part of the page is stored in a single, separate file and each page file contains an instruction to incorporate this information at the correct location.

Each page is then pulled together in the web browser like a jigsaw puzzle, with the header from one file, the footer from another file, some images from over there, additional copy from here, etc. These files only have to be written once into the CMS and they appear wherever in the site they are needed.

Some Benefits of CMS

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

There are many benefits of working with a quality Content Management System (CMS), and some are listed below:

Your website is takes up less space and needs less data because of the reduction in repetition.

If a component needs to be changed, you only need to edit a single file. If you alter a product price in the correct place, save and publish, the entire website reflects the change right away.

It is possible to create new pages very quickly because many of the components already exist. Only the new elements need to be created.

The elements needed to create the website are stored in a database which is located on the server. As with any database, this is just a structured collection of information which is organised for easy access by the CMS. A database can be created on any server and is merely a method of storing all this information in pieces, ready to be called up and assembled.

A CMS permits you to generate and control these pieces, easily converting words and images into code and storing them in the database.

Finding Time to Produce Content

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

If your website is to include blogs, articles or other frequently updated new content, you will probably find time becomes your enemy. Even though a Content Management System (CMS) makes these tasks faster, someone still must write all this extra content.

It is not a good idea to try and create lots of pages overnight. Many websites have suffered unfinished and unseen because the person behind it could not finish the amount of content originally planned. Don’t forget that the biggest websites started small and continued to grow over time to achieve a large number of pages. The best approach is not to wait until all your content is finished before launching, but work steadily over time and growing in increments.

If possible, put aside a few of hours each week to generate content. This should be enough time to create a strong blog post or a couple of useful pages of copy. Or possibly you can delegate, if you any people available.

A great advantage of a CMS is that you can generate specific user profiles and grant each person permission to alter or contribute only to the sections of the site you feel is required. It is also possible to decide whether these contributions are automatically pushed ‘live' or if they must go through an approval process first.

User Generated Content

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A great way of building content, whilst also engaging with users, is to allow visitors to leave comments or reviews. A Content Management System (CMS) permits you to incorporate forms and features that allow users to submit their own words, images, video or any other content and immediately have their content included in the relevant pages.

Having users leave reviews or provide feedback on your business can be a great way of encouraging additional sales.

User-generated content is a great method for websites to grow because it relies on other people providing you useful and relevant content for free. Many people want to have their say, offer their opinions or demonstrate their talents.

It is advisable that you moderate this content to avoid spam or undesirable content appearing on your website. Content can be automatically approved if it is from trusted contributors, however, sometimes it may be necessary to store comments in a queue within your CMS for you to approve.

The good CMS will allow you to state what can happen automatically and what needs your approval before appearing on the site.

Quality versus Quantity

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is very easy to become so involved in the design, colors, imagery and layout of your website that the content suffers. However it is the content that will draw visitors to your website and with any luck keep them there long enough to buy something.

But don't fall into the trap of believing that any old content will accomplish this. Your target users will want to read content that speaks to them, provides them with answers or stirs them. There are many websites that try and create mountains of content by producing pages of waffle. They are choosing quantity over quality. But inflating a website with as many keywords as possible is far less important than creating content that people actually want to read.

A Content Management System (CMS) helps to control and create plenty of content, but the quality of that content is still your responsibility. To help define what content you should be creating, place yourself in your customers' shoes. By having content that specifically helps your target audience, you will be rewarded with higher traffic and increase the likelihood of having other sites linking to your own website.

Tips for Web Content - Concepts

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Here are some general tips for writing web content:

1. Think of visitors as users and not readers. Less is more when it comes to creating content for your website.

2. Consider your target audience

Different audiences will have different needs and expectations.
Believe that visitors don’t understand the reason for your website when they first arrive.
Place yourself in their shoes as you organize and generate content.
Visitors will always want answers quickly and they are unlikely to read lengthy pages.

3. Avoid the use of long primary pages. It is usual for visitors to skim and if they are interested to investigate further.

4. Provide the most important information at the top of the page, as the visitor may never get to the bottom of the page.

5. Be careful how you display years in your content archives, as it can be very easy to make content appear out of date across the entire site.

Tips for Web Content - Formatting

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Here are some formatting tips for writing web content:

1. Avoid underlining text as visitors can easily mistake underlined text as a link.

2. Try not to center align text because it can be difficult to read.

3. Never have "Under Construction" on pages that are missing content.

4. Avoid displaying URL's or emails in content

Email - instead of "contact Wally Hackett at yoursite@com" use "contact Wally Hackett"
Links - instead of "for more information visit http://www.yoursite.com/abc/abc.html" use "for more information"

Content Management Systems

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

The most difficult part of creating a website is updating it once it has been built. Out of date content can adversely affect the integrity of your website and your business.

If you are going to be adding or amending content on a regular basis, it is well worth considering the use of a web Content Management System (CMS). Using a CMS will avoid the delays and bottlenecks of having to wait on a technician to make even minor alterations to your website. A CMS allows you to make changes to the website yourself without any risk of affecting the design or technical structure.

CMS software is designed to allow non-technical people to manage content on a website. It lets you add, amend or delete content without requiring any technical expertise. It also allows for a single piece of content to be used in different ways. For example, a news headline may appear at the top of a story, and on the home page also.

What Can a CMS Do?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A Content Management System (CMS) can have the following features:

It allows non-technical people to add, change, update and manage content on a website.

It reduces the time taken to publish your content because you don't have to duplicate work, you don't lose any content and less time is spent managing content.

It can set up rules for what content will look like after it has been published, and for the types of content you’ll have. A CMS essentially creates templates that make publishing a lot easier and save time and effort. The disadvantage is that it can be difficult to change the templates once they are implemented, so careful planning is required.

It can separate the content of a website from the design of a website. This allows you to alter the content without changing the design. Conversely, it allows you to change the design of a site without affecting the content.

Do You Need a Content Management System?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

If the answers to the following ten questions are mostly ‘yes’, you should seriously consider using a Content Management System (CMS).

1. Are you required to update or add new content to your website on a regular basis?

2. If you already have a website, do you get frustrated at having to wait on a technician, or other people, to get content added or amended?

3. Are your site visitors having difficulty finding what they need?

4. Does it take a long time to correct a simple error on a web page?

5. Have you lost tasks or content in the shuffle because of overly complex processes, which are hard to understand, or full of gaps?

6. Are you spending a lot of time doing simple things, or duplicating efforts?

7. Do you have a requirement to review what other people want to add to the site, without having to slow down the publishing process?

8. Are you sick and tired of having to email text around to finalise what goes on the website?

9. Is there inconsistent design and navigation across the site?

10. Is web content important to your organisation’s work?

Background of the Invention

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The information revolution has generated vast amounts of data. Originally, this data consisted mostly of textual information stored in text-based computer files on a computer. Finding a particular piece of data was accomplished by a search for a text string of all files on a computer.

Today, the data manifests itself not only in files, but in data streams as well. Data streams have no particular beginning or end. These streams are often used to represent video and audio information in digital computer formats.

An increasing variety of computer applications have been created, each storing its data in a different format. For example, a word processor stores data in a different format than does a spreadsheet or a drawing editor. Some applications allow for file searching by including summary information within the data files. Application-specific search engines then retrieve this summary information and compare it with search terms without having to search the entire file. For example, Microsoft Word allows a user to store information about a document such as the author, title, revision date, and keywords. Searches for particular keywords or authors can be performed by reading the summary information from many Word document files until summary information matching the search terms are found.

Unfortunately, such summary information is specific to Microsoft Word document files and cannot be used to search for keywords in other kinds of files, such as another manufacturer's word processor or a graphics file. As more and more new applications become available, each may include its own specific summary information, or no summary information at all. Thus searching for information is more difficult as new applications become available.

Summary of the Invention

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A content-wrapper binds searchable metadata to content files. The content-wrapper includes content in an arbitrary computer-readable format.

A plurality of metadata tags describe the content. The metadata tags are bound to the content by the content-wrapper within a single computer-readable file. The plurality of metadata tags contains textual information readable by search software. The metadata tags are read by the search software but the content is not read by the search software.

Thus the search software searches the metadata tags bound with the content that is in the arbitrary computer-readable format. The arbitrary computer-readable format of the content includes textual formats, graphics formats, audio formats, and video formats. Thus non-textual file formats are searchable by the plurality of metadata tags bound to the content file.

In further aspects the arbitrary computer-readable format includes Windows-readable formats when the content is created on a Windows-based personal computer (PC), but it also includes UNIX-readable formats when the content is created on a UNIX-based computer. Thus the content-wrapper binds searchable metadata to content on different computing platforms.

In still further aspects of the invention, the search software directly reads the metadata tags from the content-wrappers when performing a search for a user. The search software does not access a centralized search database of searchable metadata. Thus the search software performs a distributed-metadata search without the centralized search database.

In further aspects of the invention the plurality of metadata tags include several tags. A title tag contains a title of content in the content-wrapper. An author tag contains a name of a person that generated the content in the content-wrapper. A date tag contains a date for the content in the content-wrapper, and a keywords tag contains keywords describing the content in the content-wrapper.

In other aspects a metadata tag in the plurality of metadata tags has a tag identifier that uniquely identifies a search category for the metadata tag. A localized name contains a textual name displayed to a user for the search category.

A mapping field contains a global category for the metadata tag. The global category groups together metadata tags of different content-wrappers with different tag identifiers and different textual names for the search category for metadata tags with a similar purpose. A tag data field contains metadata describing the content of the content-wrapper.

Content and Metadata Bound Together in a Package

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Content and Metadata Bound Together in a Package

While a wrapper is the logical enclosure of file content and its metadata, a package is the physical entity that contains one or more wrappers. The package is a single binary file stored on a computer's disk or other storage. Packages can be transported across computer networks as files, allowing the content and its metadata to be transported together.

Advantages and use of the invention

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

ADVANTAGES AND USE OF THE INVENTION

The centralized search database of the prior art can be eliminated, since metadata is stored with the content rather than in a search database. The content wrappers are distributed across the network, so there is no single point of failure (such as a centralized database) that can prevent searching. Additional network traffic is not generated for maintenance of a central database. The searchable metadata is always fully up-to-date since it is bound with the content file.

Files that are distributed across a network are searched without using a centralized search database. Only network tables that identify network nodes or computers need to be consulted. Binding metadata with the content file in a content wrapper enables searching, regardless of the file type or the computer system the file resides on. The search information is bound with the content file itself. Non-textual files such as graphics, video, audio, and multimedia files can be searched by their metadata tags in their wrappers. Search information can be bound with these non-textual files regardless of file format or the type of computer system the file is located on.

Rather than retrieve the entire content-wrapper and transmit it across a network, only the metadata needs to be retrieved. Traffic on the network is greatly reduced since only the metadata and not the actual content is transferred across the network during a search. The searching PC or network node simply reads the metadata and compares it to the search criteria. If a match is found, then the content file bound with the metadata by the wrapper can be retrieved, if desired.

Since the metadata is stored with the content files or data streams, the metadata does not become lost or separated from the content that it describes. When content files are updated, its search index is also updated. When content is deleted, so are their metadata and wrapper. Newly-created content is immediately visible to search engines once a wrapper and metadata have been generated for the new content. Thus the search system is inherently current. A search cannot locate a file that has recently been deleted, a common problem with Internet search engines today.

The tag-mapping field provides a broad category than many different tag names can be mapped to. This allows for variation and customization of tag names for certain applications, while facilitating searching. Cataloging as well as searching can be performed.

Content Type Settings

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Content Type Settings

You can further extend content type functionality by using them to assign additional settings, such as workflows, or even custom attributes, to your items.

A content type can include the following information:

* The metadata, or properties, you want to assign to this type. These are represented by columns added to the list or document library when you add the content type.

* Custom New, Edit, and Display forms to use with this content type.

* Workflows available for items of this content type. These can be defined to start automatically based on a selected event or condition, or through user selection.

* For document content types, the document template on which to base documents of this type.

* Any information necessary for custom solutions associated with this content type. You can store this information in the content type as one or more XML documents.

A Content Management System

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A Content Management System

A content management system manages an original of electronic data content and is capable of handling increases in the volume of electronic data and maintains uniqueness of the original. Serial content management or processing history is managed by an original management device, and content data alone is archived on portable media with media IDs. Therefore, increases in the volume of electronic data can be easily handled, a history of updates to the original can be managed by the system, and uniqueness of the original can be confirmed by the media IDs because the medium-specific media IDs are treated as original data.

Is Validity Important?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Is Validity Important?

The working group have decided to keep the guideline, but have decided to move the success criteria to level 2, with the following rationale.

* That well formedness and validity can benefit accessibility. However, forcing strict adherence to the specification can sometimes inhibit accessibility. (Also, validity of any declared specification in and of itself doesn't guarantee accessibility because you could create your own specification and be valid to it.)

* If forced to strictly use specifications you might be restricted from doing things you want to do that would not be harmful to accessibility.

* Current WYSIWYG and CMS tools do not necessarily generate valid code, making it difficult or impossible for many authors to meet this SC. (We cannot force authors to do manual coding to conform to WCAG.)

* There are very strong commercial pressures for tools to include features that are not strictly part of public specifications.

* We differentiate between well formedness and validity. Well formedness can benefit accessibility. Validity can benefit accessibility though there may be issues. Therefore, for now we have moved validity to level 2. We will also investigate well formedness and expand it at level 1.

How they intend to re-define well-formedness so that it applies to SGML languages like HTML remains to be seen. I've asked for clarification, but as yet I've only had a partial response. It's also strange that they're prepared to redefine a term like well-formed, which has an established meaning, but unable to use the word, 'semantic' , because the word is used elsewhere in the W3C.

Description features

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Description features

Creative Web Solutions is an open source PHP Application Framework that helps you in building content managed sites and to take control of your online content. Our Content management System not only helps you to build sites quickly, but is simple too. It empowers you to give as much control as desired to whomever you desire for daily website content maintenance chores.

It provides you with a reliable and powerful set of tools for building web sites and networked applications.

Features Of Our Content Management Systems

>> Our Content Management System is as easy as a child's play of building content managed sites with validating, accessible CSS layouts.

>> Its simple to use but quick to upload.

>> Our content management system has the basic characteristics of adding meta tags required for search engine optimization.

>> As shown above in the image the systems appears and one can add title, meta tags, keywords, content, heading, category, subcategory in the yellow space tabs avaiable next to every head.

>> So its so easy that any basic data feeder too can help adding content to the websites and you need not hire proffessionals for adding data.

>> Thus the content management software application is cost effective and content productive.

>> You can even add products and upload as many images through the content management system.

>> We can even specify the page size of every file generated by the content management system and restrict the number of images to be uploaded as per the clients request.

Tuning Performance

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Tuning Performance

Areas to fine tune performance on your site include:

* Tuning the software with the CMSASD Server Configuration Application

*Caching, including database caching, fragment caching, and automatic caching components

* Balancing the number of items in each container

* Using API searches efficiently

* Limiting the use of placeholders

* Site navigation considerations

Capacity Planning

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Capacity Planning

Capacity planning is the process of measuring the speed at which a Web site serves content to users.

The capacity of your site is determined by measuring the number of users who vist your site, analyzing the types of activity the user performs, and how much demand those activities place on the server. The results of these measurements are used to determine usage requirements.

The capacity of a system is measured by the number of requests it can handle, such as how many Web pages can be served up in a given time, and how much user traffic the site can handle.

In order to get the best results from CMS and your site, you need to plan for the capacity of your site and your system. Your goal is to ensure that your system can meet or exceed your site's projected maximum capacity demands.

The steps used to determine the capcity for your site, including general analysis and guidelines, tranaction goals, and Transaction Cost Analysis methodology, are covered in this section, as well as the hardware needs of a CMS site.

User Targets

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

User Targets

When estimating the anticipated number of users, consider the following points:

* How long are users browsing the site?

* What is the maximum concurrent load: average vs peak loads. Are there any special events or offers that may affect the load, for example, holiday shopping?

* How big is your registered user base?

* What is the projected growth rate?

Calculate Concurrent Load

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Calculate Concurrent Load

Based on the figures collected, you can:

* Calculate the number of requests at peak using the formula:

Visitors x requests x peak / seconds in a day

* Calculate the maximum concurrent users using the formula:

Visitors x length x peak / minutes per day

* Compare how much greater peak is than average.

CMS and Usage Profiles

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

CMS and Usage Profiles

Create usage profiles for both the design and production servers.

Use the design-time profile to determine the amount of content that needs to be deployed to the production server, and how frequently it must be deployed.

Remember to factor in the load that will be generated during deployment into both run-time and design-time servers.

Building a Ajiboye Content Management Server Site

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Building a Ajiboye Content Management Server Site

When you build a Web site using ASDCMS, the same process you use to build a traditional Web site applies. However, some of the tasks performed during the steps are different. Also some of the steps may take more or less time compared to building a traditional Web site. For example, while the planning phase may take a bit longer, the development and maintenance phases are significantly reduced.

One reason for these variations is that ASDCMS is a template-based system. This factor provides a distinct separation between the development of the structure of the site and the development of the content. The site building team, composed of Web developers, designers, and project managers, build the site framework, and then hand it over to content experts who populate the site with content. This means that the site building team is actually creating a Web application that non-technical staff will use to publish content. In order for these content experts to be self-sufficient, and therefore decrease the time required for site maintenance, the site has to be built with their unique requirements in mind. As a result of this and other ASDCMS features, the Web building process varies from the traditional approach.

Questions for Planning navigation

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Questions for Planning navigation

When planning navigation, some questions you should consider are:

* What type of navigation does the site require?

* Is ease of update or design more important? If you use a text-based navigation, the navigation is automatically updated as soon as a new channel is added. If you use an image based navigation you may need to have a designer and Web developer involved, depending on how the site is built.

* Will there be "static" or hard-coded links anywhere on the site?

Types of navigation

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Types of navigation

The site will use three main types of navigation.

Global Navigation: Global navigation will be used for the four top level channels of the site. This navigation will be contained in a horizontal navigation bar below the Woodgrove Bank logo. Dynamic HTML rollovers will be used to display one level of sub-channel under the top-level channel.

Local Navigation: Local navigation displays sub-channels under the top level channels as well as any postings in the root channel. Local navigation will appear collapsed and will expand when clicked. Postings in any root channel (or sub-channel) will appear before channels. Channel sort order will be manual (i.e. determined by the administrator).

Breadcrumb Trail: Each page will include a breadcrumb trail navigation from the root to the current page. The breadcrumb trail loops back up the channel structure to the current root channel, adding each step to the left-hand side of a series of links.

Template Specifications

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Template Specifications

Template specifications play a key part in the design of your site—the success of any site depends on the content, and the success of the content depends on the ease of use for authors. Using ASD CMS makes it possible to empower users to post content, but first you must create templates that are easy for authors to use.

If you've developed content requirements and specifications as part of your planning process, you've already done half the work of planning the templates. Using your content specifications, determine what type of template is required to display particular content. For example, a press release template might require specific sections for title, sub-title, release date, body copy, an image, and company information.

When deciding how many templates are needed for your site, bear in mind that a greater number of templates will help you more tightly control the layout of your site. However, this may also create a maintenance problem because you would have more templates to update during future redesigns. Generally, Internet sites have more templates than intranet sites because the content and layout need to be more tightly controlled on public sites.

When planning your template specifications, identify each template that needs to be built, the type of content it will contain, any formatting restrictions, and the user groups who will use this template. You may also want to specify and build templates for specific browsers and devices.

E-Mail Notification

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

E-Mail Notification

Workflow specifications should also include how e-mail notification will be used. For example, will every event in the workflow trigger an e-mail notification? Will authors be able to specify which editor receives notification when a page is submitted? Will notification occur for events other than those in the workflow, for example, page expiry? You will also need to determine how an e-mail address is derived from the user name. In some organizations it is the same, so "@<domain>.com" can be appended to the user name. In organizations where the Active Directory Services name is not the same as the e-mail alias, some sort of lookup table will need to be used.

Functional Specifications

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Functional Specifications

The functional or technical specifications define how any functional script for the site will operate, for example extended workflow or customized search. Documenting this functionality is very important where more than one person will be developing the site, or where the site will be developed by consultants and then maintained by an internal Web team. These specifications also identify the location of all functional code and how it is included on the site.

When building an ASDCMS site, it's recommended that page templates contain only HTML layout and ASDCMS placeholders, and that functional script is contained in include files on the file system. These include files make it easier to troubleshoot the script, and they can also be versioned using Visual Source Safe.

Content Sources

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Content Sources

The development team must be involved in the content plan in two instances:

* determining how to port content from an existing site, either manually or through script. For more information about strategies for porting existing content see "Importing Existing HTML Content."

* determining how to manage content that comes in from external sources, for example, a newsfeed.

Enterprise Content Management

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Enterprise Content Management

As customer and vendor organizations realized the value that content management could bring to addressing multiple business problems across numerous departments, enterprise content management (ECM) was born, serving as a platform for:

* Building multiple content- and process-centric applications.

* Deploying tens to hundreds or even thousands of Web sites and portals.

* Supplying content and content services to other enterprise applications, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

* Facilitating content lifecycle management.

Web content management system for business site

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Web content management system for business site

Small business content management system (CMS) is a multifunctional application designed to make website content management easy, visual, completely web based and affordable. Effective web based content management system makes site editing simple like working with a word-processor and you can learn how to do it in no time!

ASD CMS is a scalable content management system, which really means affordable, because you can buy only the value you need at the moment and expand content management system functionality adding more features as your website grows.

Web-Page Manager

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Web-Page Manager

This feature allows you to create and edit web-pages on-the-fly, manage search engine important elements of your web-pages, such as Title Element and HTML Meta Tags (Keywords, Description, Title, Abstract and Subject). There is a WYSIWYG Editor with an MS Word-like interface that enables you to format text and manage tables, forms, images, files and links. The Editor easily switches between Edit, Preview and Source modes.

What is Web Content Management?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

What is Web Content Management?

Simple: it’s all the things involved in making sure the items on your business’s Web site. The services you offer, price lists and product descriptions, company and contact information, whatever web based content you present requires attention and web content management to make sure you’re delivering exactly the message you want.

Effective web based content management means keeping your web based content up-to-date and accurate, making sure your business is absolutely well-represented, that your web presence is as effective as every other aspect of your business.

Since most of us aren’t professional web site builders or website creators, and since most small businesses don’t have – or need – large full-time IT staffs, most businesses turn to outside vendors for web content management tools and solutions. They have the software, the systems, the applications, and the Internet experience that they translate into your website creation and then into web site management.

What you may not know is that many if not most of the tools, software, applications, and solutions website creators and website builders use are actually pretty easy, with many tool functions and tool applications automated.

The difference is that they have the tools

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

The difference is that they have the tools

Now you can too – we’ve created to simplify content management process. With our service and the tools we provide, you are able to take over the simplest, yet most constant – and, as you know from your vendors’ bills, costly! – aspects of website content management.

As you’ll see on our other pages, our tools, software, and applications are easy to use, designed for small businesses.

We’ll help you with the preliminaries – experienced website builders and website creators, we can take care of the upfront design and setup of an effective web based consent site for your small business. We know what we’re doing, and we know how to do it well – and cheap!

Then, using Ajiboye, you can add all of the content you want – from your own office, under your own web site content management control. It’s that simple – and that valuable.

Our software, applications, and tools lets you add new items to your web content when you want to, without the cost or delays involved in turning to outside website builders, website creators, and website designers.

Take a look at Ajiboye – and see how effective and economical it can be for you to take control of your own web based content management.

Content Management Systems: Time to upgrade your web site

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: TIME TO UPGRADE YOUR WEB SITE

Did you ever want to make a change to your Web site but it’s ten past five on a Friday and your developer has left the building? Have you ever wished you could make that small text change rather than paying a developer? Have you ever wanted to easily add pictures or video to your site?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then I may have a future as a sales letter copywriter. Oh, and you might be ready to upgrade your static Web site to a content management system (CMS) platform.

Since the beginning of the Web, site owners have wanted to be able to update and manage their own Web sites, but without having to learn HTML or additional programming languages. Early WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors added a lot of bulky code to Web pages that resulted in slow load times and vastly different user experiences depending on the Web browser the visitor used.

Today, by comparison, you can build or rebuild your site on an open-source CMS and have nearly complete control over your site with elegant code that works well in all modern browsers.

Why Upgrade to a CMS? 1

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Why Upgrade to a CMS? 1

Control Your Web Site

With a CMS you’ll be able to make most changes to your site: add, edit or delete a page, update an events calendar, add photos or embed a video, update the navigation, the list goes on. You can easily take your email newsletter and create a Web page archive. You’ll never again be at the mercy of a Web developer’s schedule.

Control Your Costs

There are some excellent open-source CMS platforms out there. That means the software to build the site is free, although you’ll probably still need to hire a professional to design and develop your site, or convert your current design to a CMS.

Since you’ll be able to handle your future updates inhouse, there’s an obvious cost-savings there as well. Many features that take extra time to develop in a traditional site—such as a site search or a blog—often come bundled in a CMS. If they don’t, there’s always a free or low-cost plug-in that provides the desired functionality.

Finally, because of the way CMSs work, design changes can be completed in a fraction of the time of a traditional site; that means that your future redesigns should be considerably less expensive if you’ve built your site on a CMS.

Why Upgrade to a CMS? 2

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Why Upgrade to a CMS? 2

Control Your Search Engine Visibility. Early content management systems weren’t known for their search engine friendliness, but times have changed. Many CMS platforms use CSS instead of tables, which most experts believe helps with search engine visibility because of the cleaner code.

In addition, most CMS platforms now give you control over your title tags, meta-descriptions and can even create site maps for your SEO pleasure.

Finally, search engines rank Web pages, not Web sites. This means that the more quality pages you put out, the more opportunity you have to rank well for a wide variety of keywords. Since you can create your own Web pages for no additional cost, there’s no reason why you can’t target desired keywords to your heart’s content.

Control Your Membership. OK, “control” may be stretching it. However, many CMS platforms have membership features built in so you can offer member benefits in the form of password-protected content on your site.

A Control Center for Your Social Media Presence. A blog is the hub of your social media presence as it provides a specific place for people to visit that is interactive and allows feedback and conversation.

Beyond the blog, most CMS platforms offer other pillars of social media, such as RSS feeds and built-in tools that allow site visitors to bookmark and share your content, enabling viral marketing on your behalf.

CMS Design - Limitless Sections

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Several content management systems provide website owners with total control over the structure of their website including the top-level sections. The consequence of this is they can keep on adding sections until they break the design. This is even more apparent for horizontal navigation because you do not want to introduce horizontal scrolling. In reality, the possible options are restricted:

1. You can request the users not to put in top-level sections, or you can disable the feature.

2. You stay away from horizontal menu’s altogether and construct your website to allow for vertical navigation expansion.

3. You design a horizontal navigation that wraps in a nice way when there are too many sections.

These options may not be all that elegant, however, this is something you need to think about when you are in the design phase.

CMS Design - Deep Navigational Structure

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS) you should pay attention to the design of the navigational structure. Assuming a user has control over the structure of the website, then it is likely they can also create sections, within sections. This introduces a kind of limitless flexibility, which means is not possible to assume in your design that you only require one or two levels of navigation. Theoretically, the levels of navigation required are limitless.

One way to solve this problem is to display only the siblings, parent and children of any particular page. This works particularly well when used alongside breadcrumbs.

CMS Design - Ever Expanding Names

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When looking at Content Management System (CMS) design another issue can arise with the use of ever expanding names. If users have control over the naming of pages there is the possibility of ever expanding names becoming a problem. It is generally considered, that short, snazzy names for sections are much easier to read and comprehend. This means that web pages are generally designed on the assumption that page names will be fairly short. But, this cannot be guaranteed if the user has complete control over the site structure.

It is important to check and make sure that page names wrap nicely on both the top of the page and in the main navigation. It is good practice to design for the worst case scenario. Keep in mind that if your website is multi-lingual, some languages can have words which are much longer than their English translations.

Responsibilities

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many businesses believe the implementation of a Content Management System (CMS) will provide an answer in its own right. However, a CMS is just a tool and it needs people to use it properly in order to maximise its potential. How the CMS is used within a business will determine its success, not the technology itself.

One of the main mistakes made when using content management systems is that of responsibilities.

A common problem is that the responsibility for the website is not defined clearly enough. It is not usually made clear to those expected to update the website that this is a key part of their job description. Many times it is thought to be an extra task that gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list. It is not uncommon for the website to be updated no more often than before a CMS was implemented, simply because people do not have the time or motivation to perform the work. A CMS works best when the people responsible for the website have their position as web editor clearly articulated in their job description and time is allotted in their schedules to permit them to assume this responsibility.

A Single Focus

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A common mistake is the lack of a single focus. There must be a single web master that makes sure other people contribute to the site when they are supposed to and also ensures that the contributions are consistent in style, language and message. Without this single focus, there is no sense of "whole" in the message being communicated through the site. The site will include diverse writing styles and may even have content which is contradictory. A single person is needed, who can set a style for the website and create a vision for its future path and maturity.

Training

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

There is an obvious requirement to make sure that people know how to use the content management system, but that must not be the end of the story. It is very important to remember that many of the people editing the website may not be doing so regularly. Therefore, they must receive refresher training frequently to ensure they feel confident using the system. Any lack of confidence will result in people avoiding using it, resulting in the content becoming outdated.

Content management system training is only the tip of the iceberg. Website editors must have a good understanding of how to write effective copy for the web. They must possess the basics of good layout and design. They must also understand how to structure the website so that all its content can be easily found.

Selecting a CMS - Core Functionality

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many people think of content management as the construction, deletion, editing and organizing of web pages. The assumption is that all content management systems take care of this and you may very well take the functionality for granted. But that may not be the case and there can be no guarantee that it is achieved in a logical manner.

For example, there are many blogging platforms that do not allow the owner to control and organize web pages into a tree hierarchy. Rather the individual posts are organized automatically using criteria like date or category. For some situations this may be fine and this limit to functionality keeps the interface straightforward and easy to comprehend. But there are other circumstances where the lack of functionality can be annoying.

When looking for a CMS, you should carefully consider the basic functionality you require. You may not need the ability to control and organize web pages now, but you may in the future. Be careful of a system that does not permit you to complete these fundamental actions.

You should also consider how easy it is to finish these activities. There are many content management systems available and many offer core functionality, however, they vary greatly in how easy they are to use. It is a great idea to test a system for usability before you buy it.

Selecting a CMS - The Editor

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS ), it is strongly advisable to pay particular attention to the editor. Many content management systems have a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor. Unfortunately, in many cases this editor can be ill considered, even though this is the most used feature of the system.

The web page content is added and amended through the editor interface. Conventionally the editor has permitted the content provider to incorporate basic formatting like font selection and color. Recently there has been a move away from this style of editor to a version that echoes best practice principles.

There are two main dangers of traditional WYSIWYG editors. Firstly, they can offer the content provider too much control over the design. They have the ability to customize the web page appearance in such a way that it could compromise the consistency of the site design. Secondly, in order to accomplish this level of design control, the CMS combines content and design.

The newer editors employ a different tactic. The editor is used by the content provider to markup headings, lists, links and other elements without stating how they should appear.

It is a good idea to look for an editor that employs this method and does not give content providers too much control over appearance. A good editor will also be able to control external assets including downloads and images.

Selecting a CMS - Managing Assets

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When looking for a quality Content Management System (CMS), you should pay careful attention to the managing of your assets. Some CMS packages handle the management of files and images badly. Problems with accessibility and ease of use can result in frustration with systems which are badly designed. Images can be particularly difficult to work with. Make sure that the CMS you choose makes the content providers include alt attributes to the added images. It may also be useful to have a CMS which includes basic image editing tools like as crop, resize and rotate.

You should also investigate how the CMS handles uploading and attaching PDF files, Word documents and other related files. Pay attention to how they are displayed to users. Can you attach descriptions to the files and are search engines able to index them.

Selecting a CMS - Search

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

One often neglected aspect of a Content Management System (CMS) is the search facility. Search is a very important feature of any website. Many users will begin with a search when looking for content. Unfortunately, the search functionality available in content management systems is often unsatisfactory. Below are a few items to consider when judging search functionality:

Freshness

How frequently does the search engine index your website? This is particularly important if your website undergoes regular changes.

Completeness

Does the search engine index all the page contents? What happens with any attached files likes PDFs, Word documents, Excel and PowerPoint?

Speed

It is not uncommon for some search engines to take a long time to return results. This is more likely on big websites.

Scope

Is it possible to reduce the scope of search to a certain section of the site or possibly filter search results once they are processed?

Ranking

Consider how the search engine calculates the ranking of results? Is it possible to customize to the results by either the website owner or by the user?

Customization

Is it possible to control how results are returned and modify the design?

Selecting a CMS - Customization

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is very important to understand the level of customization available with any Content Management System (CMS) you are considering purchasing. There are content management systems which do not permit any customization and they essentially dictate the look of your website.

CMS technology should not dictate the presentation of your website content. You really should not be forced down this path as there are methods available now for separating content and design. However, a lot of content providers have been unsuccessful in their adoption of best practice and as a consequence their systems produce terrible code. This results in difficult design constraints and adversely impacts accessibility.

You should look for a CMS which permits flexibility in the way content is returned and displayed. As an example, can the CMS return news stories in reverse chronological order? Can the system show events on a calendar? Can you obtain the latest user comments and present them on a particular page? In many cases, it is the flexibility of a CMS that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Selecting a CMS - User Interaction

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When you are considering a Content Management System (CMS), don’t forget to look at how the system interacts with the user. If you propose to collect user feedback, the CMS must offer that functionality or permit third party plugins to do so. Also, if you want a community on your website then you will need functionality like forums, chat and comments.

The bare minimum you will need is the ability to post forms and collect replies. Look at how easily the CMS makes this process. Is it possible to customize the fields or can that only be performed by an expert? Can you stipulate who the results are emailed to? Can the results be written to a database? Determine the type of functionality that you need and look for a CMS that satisfies those requirements.

Another important consideration is the tools that exist for communicating with your customers. Is it possible to send email newsletters? Can you organize groups of recipients who are mailed individually? Is there the ability to support RSS and news feeds?

You also need to consider how the users are to be managed. Is there a requirement to reset passwords or set permissions? It there a requirement to export user information to other systems?

Selecting a CMS - Roles and Permissions

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

An important aspect of any Content Management System (CMS) is how control over roles and permissions is implemented. When the number of content providers increases, you will want to remain in control over who can edit what. As an example, you may want a particular person to post job advertisements but you don’t want them to insert content on the homepage. This requires a CMS that supports permissions. Permissions usually permit you to state whether particular users are able to edit specific pages of the website.

When you have even more content contributors you may want one individual to evaluate the content being posted to make sure it is consistent and accurate. Or, content may be submitted by a junior staff member and this requires the approval of someone more senior before the content can go live.

Both of these examples need a CMS that supports multiple roles. This may be as simple as editors and approver, or more complicated with customized roles and special permissions.

Selecting a CMS - Version Control

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

An often overlooked component of a Content Management System (CMS) is version control. The ability to revert back to a previous version of a web page allows you to quickly and easily recover if something is accidently posted.

There are content management systems that have complicated version control that permit you to rollback to a specific date, but in many cases this is too much functionality. The most common use of version control is to simply return to the last saved state.

Version control was once only available in top end control management systems, but it is increasingly becoming available in most commonly available content management systems.

Selecting a CMS - Multiple Site Support

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

One Content Management System (CMS) feature worth considering is multiple site support. It is becoming increasingly common for more and more content management systems to permit you to run multiple websites from the same installation.

Even though you may not currently need to look after more than a single site, that could easily change in the not too distant future.

You may launch a new site targeting different customers. Or, you may develop a separate site designed for mobile devices. Having the flexibility to run multiple websites is extremely important to allow for the possible future expansion of your business.

Selecting a CMS - Multilingual Support

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS) it is easy to reject the requirement for supporting multiple languages. If your website is targeted specifically at the domestic market or you sell a language specific product, you may not think you have a multilingual requirement. However it may be worthwhile thinking twice before rejecting this requirement.

Although your product may be language specific, that could change in the future. It is important that your CMS has the ability to grow with your business as your requirements change.

Just because you are targeting the domestic market does not mean you should ignore language. Ours is a multicultural society where many different languages are spoken. The ability to accommodate these differences provides a significant advantage over your competition. However, you must consider where you are going to get the content translated and how you are going to pay for it.

The Importance of Content Management System Usability

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Importance of Content Management System Usability

The rollout of a content management system (CMS) has the potential to impact on more users than any other system since e-mail.

More crucially, the success of a CMS depends entirely on how much it is used, whether it is authors creating content, or users accessing the published site.

It is these two challenges that place usability as a central issue to be raised and addressed.

Introducing usability

Loosely, usability can be equated with "ease of use". Beyond this, usability also includes:

• how quickly and easily a system can be learned

• how efficient it is for regular users

• whether users will remember how to use the system after a break

• how user errors are managed (and ideally prevented).

Web content management marketplace

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Web content management marketplace

There are many tiers in the Web content management marketplace:

• Enterprise solutions, examples of which include Vignette, Documentum, Interwoven, and Stellent.

• Mid-level solutions, examples of which include Red Dot and Percussion.

• Small business solutions, examples of which include offerings from Microsoft, Ektron, and others.

• Open source solutions, examples of which cover the wide range of markets.

• Hosted solutions such as those from Atomz and CrownPeak.

what's important in a cms product?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

what's important in a cms product?

The whole concept that Content Management as some homogeneous technology segment is fundamentally flawed. Not only do definitions of Content Management vary wildly, the broad discipline includes Document Management (DM), Knowledge Management (KM), Record Identification Management (RIM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), the glorious sounding; Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and just about every other digital information storage area. Of course the very fact that you are at this site means, like us, you are probably in the subset of Web Content Management (WCM) which is the most commonly accepted form of CMS.

The most important features of a web content management system are the ones that your organisation needs to achieve its objectives. Of course, there are some core features that are required for software to be a web content management system, and these are discussed in the section on Features of CMS Products. The important thing is that you do not get caught up in these generic features and you discover what specific needs your organisation has. Once you know these features you will probably find a subset of vendors that also believe that your needs are the important features of a CMS. That is because they are working in a segment like yours and for that reason their CMS will probably be well suited to your organisation and your particular business needs.

Important Features

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

IMPORTANT FEATURES

Core Web Content Management Features

First see the 12 core features discussed under Features of a CMS Product and determine the level of performance that you need within these areas.

Brand and Corporate Identity

As a publishing solution, protection and assistance with the maintenance of visual communication elements may be important to you.

Flexible Editing

If you wish to distribute the contribution of content to members, staff, clients or other participants, you will probably want flexibility in terms of what browsers and platforms they use. You will also want a simple interface to reduce training and support.

Statistics and Traffic Reporting

You will probably want to know how well used your site is, who is using it and what sections and pages they are most drawn to. You will probably also want to know where users of the site are coming from and what marketing and links are working for you.

Rapid Development Tools (Templates, Copy and Paste, Shared Content)

Why create each piece of content when you can use the systemisation benefits of a CMS to speed things up. Using templates, copy and paste and repeatable content, you can reduce site adjustment and deployment times.

Accessibility and Useability

Focus on accessibility and useability does more than enabling disadvantages audiences to use you site, it also generally improves effectiveness of communication and power of your message.

Built in Features (Site Map, Search, Breadcrumbs, Navigation)

Since you site content is in a database, shouldn’t the site map be created dynamically? You should also be able to search all content and build navigation structures automatically.

Search Engine Friendly Content Management Systems

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Search Engine Friendly Content Management Systems

A Content Management System (CMS) is a third party software application which allows web site administrators to add, update or delete content, photos, and documents to their web site in "real time". Many web sites are modified using these web-based tools as they require little to no knowledge of HTML or web scripting languages. CMS programs make it easy for a webmaster or site owner who does not know HTML or have access to a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML Editor to update their site.

In today’s high paced web world, a good CMS is integral to the efficient operation of a web site. Many webmasters and web site developers are building database driven, or dynamic web sites, which require a third party solution, such as a Content Management System, to update the content that lives in the database. In addition, a CMS allows the web site owner to outsource content development remotely to contract copywriters and other willing contributors. With built in access level hierarchies, webmasters can allow various users to register as authors and start submitting articles and news to be published on their site.

How Do Content Management Systems Work?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

How Do Content Management Systems Work?

Content Management Systems create a dynamic web site environment, where all the content is stored in a database or XML file. Using a web-based interface, the webmaster can select which page they want to update and then can modify the web content in a text editor, with many of the familiar formatting keys that can be found in a word processing program. Once the content has been updated, with the simple click of a button, the CMS will turn their text into HTML code and publish the content to the web site.

The Importance of an Intuitive Content Management System

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Importance of an Intuitive Content Management System

As one of the most powerful marketing tools available to your business, a web site must offer current information and easy to navigate pages. Designed to support the needs of your business, an intuitive system makes this possible while freeing up your time to focus on customer satisfaction and other business needs. A well-designed intuitive content management system is as easy to learn as basic word processing. An intuitive content management system is a user friendly way to manage and keep your website up to date.

Implementing an intuitive Content Management System can boost the efficiency and bottom line of businesses that use web-based publishing; indexing; data search bars; forms; content controls that routinely organize, produce and expire information; recognizable desktop tools and security; or shopping carts. Once in place, all program elements come together seamlessly to target and secure new clients externally while streamlining the web management process internally and externally. Benefits to consumers will be easier interactions with your business, greater access to products and services, easier access to formats including media files, images, documents and forms.

An intuitive content management system should provide flexibility in set-up, longevity of use and efficient resource management. When creating a system for your business, determining the specific content, qualities, features, and objects a management system must include to serve your business needs is vital to its success. Once information for a web site is defined, it must be organized in a meaningful structure. The goal is to achieve the implementation of a system that maximizes the use of all available technologies. Investment in an intuitive system of content management leads to more effective marketing, increased sales and improved client satisfaction.

With expertise in Multi-language/Multi-location Content Management Systems and many other web-based application development services, Ajiboye is an internet business consulting agency that is passionate about creating innovative web solutions for end users. Ajiboye mission is to provide customized and usable solutions to the client, by maximizing the return on their investment. Ajiboye strongly believes that control over diverse organizational actions can be gained by streamlining processes, using passive enforcements with the intelligent use of sophisticated technology. Ajiboye’s remarkable process of in-depth analysis, and expertise at formulating distinct solutions based on the client’s precise strategic and financial requirements, delivers benefits that create successful long-term business relationships.

Why should I use a CMS?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Why should I use a CMS?

There are several possible reasons for using a Content Management System, but the main reason for using a CMS is to make creating and editing of content simple and easy. Often developers forget that this is the main purpose of a CMS and in search of more and more functionality, they cripple themselves (or their customers).

Content doesn’t just include text however. Sometimes the content you need on a site is a contact form or user authentication system. The trick is to find the CMS that provides the functionality without sacrificing ease of use for yourself or, depending on the situation, your customer. A good CMS will allow you to spend more time focused on the design of the frontend then on implementing extensions or functionality.

What to Look for in a CMS

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

What to Look for in a CMS

There are many things to look for in a content management system but here are a few of the more important ones:

1. Quick and easy installation

2. Simple administration interface

3. Quick and easy extension of CMS for extra functionality

4. Simple template manipulation

5. Helpful user community

Although this may seem counter intuitive, look for the CMS with the best design appeal for you. Having an appealing design is one of the best indicators that the interface will be user friendly, though always remember to do your research before investing your time and energy into any particular system.

Why Itâ��s Important to Have a Search Engine-An amiable CMS

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Why It’s Important to Have a Search Engine-An amiable CMS

Your Content Management System (CMS) is the pulse of your website. Regardless of the breadth and depth of your internal and external link networks, the quality of your content will dictate your website’s statistics.

Content management systems are put in place to provide those with website authority to post, edit, and remove content. There are a lot of choices out in the market, but don’t get distracted by bells and whistles. You have to consider your needs and the level of technicality that you and your colleagues can handle. It is definitely suggested that you seek the opinion of your SEO consultant, as he too could be one of your content authors. Just make sure that your consultant takes your website’s needs into consideration and the different people who will be logging on to your CMS.

Before considering the tools, templates, and all the different options that will make your articles attractive, the most important factor to consider is whether or not your content management system choices are search engine-friendly. Meaning, your CMS should NOT give Google, MSN, and Yahoo a hard time crawling over your content. Here are the top 3 reasons why your chosen CMS should be search engine-friendly, without fail.

1. You’ll be easier to find

The top 3 search engines rely on search engine spiders to crawl through page after page of web text to pull up information that the user needs. If the platform you choose requires you to load images or complicated file formats, it could dissuade spiders from crawling over any of your pages. Don’t risk being missed by spiders and be considered a spam site with no relevant content.

Good content management systems consider both in-page content and your page title—the bar that appears on top of the window. This area gives a description of your page. You should give this area as much attention as your content because spiders also crawl over page titles. Accessibility to search engine spiders is of high importance.

2. It will be easier to update content

Search engine-friendly CMSs usually understand how important updated content is for a website’s ranking. This understanding is translated to making their interface easy to navigate, so that everyone in your team will find it easy to update your content.

As a website owner or SEO consultant, it is your job to keep your writers motivated for new content and to help them find the initiative to post updates.

3. It’s easier to understand code

A simple interface and a simple content-input system no longer require your team to understand complex publication codes. This doesn’t mean that foolproof interfaces won’t give you the option to make your content look good. Like most word processors, they still can.

It’s just a matter of choosing the content management system that merges ease of use with the most relevant functions of your purposes. If you look hard enough, there are some CMSs that also help you with internal links.

Proper Selection of Right Content Management System

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Proper Selection of Right Content Management System

If you’ve got a company running that handles quite a large and varied amount of data, it may be time to consider getting a Content Management System or CMS. So what is CMS? It is basically a computer application which lets you create, edit, manager, search, store, publish and organize assorted digital files. These files may range from simple electronic texts, to web development documents, images, music, movies, and more. There are four categories of CMS, namely: Enterprise CMS, Web CMS, Mobile CMS and Component CMS. To find out which one is right for you and your business, continue reading for a more in-depth discussion of each.

Enterprise Content Management System - AIIM, shortened version of a company called Association for Information and Image Management defines ECM as "the strategies, methods and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes." This means that ECM encompasses the legacy problem that domains address via records management and document management. ECMs are able to reduce handling of paper, reduce the need for paper storage, reduce cases of lost documents, make access faster to information, give online access to information that was formerly available only on paper, microfilm, or microfiche, improve control over documents and document-oriented processes, among other benefits. ECM also has improved tracking and monitoring, enabling it to modify a system to make it more efficient.

Web Content Management System - (WCMS or Web CMS) CMS software, usually implemented as a Web application, for making and controlling HTML. It is used to handle and control a large, dynamic collection of HTML documents and their associated images. A WCMS uses content creation, content control, editing, other functions needed to operate and maintain a website. Usually the software provides tools designed to allow users who know little or no programming language to be able to create a webpage without all the coding. They may also be called WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) programs, and they have a disadvantage of having massive amounts of html, accounting for a heavy file size. Instead of WYSIWYG programs that go for HTML, try looking for ones that use CSS like Sitegrinder (look at a Sitegrinder forum to see where to get it) to be able to lessen the file size.

Mobile Content Management System - A CMS that provided a design to simplify publication of content for mobile phone browsers. They make images and text resized so that it will fit into the cell phone’s display.

Component Content Management System - is about managing content at a small-scale level (component) instead of making changes by the document. Each component represents a single topic, e.g., image, table, product description. The parts are assembled into multiple content assemblies (content types) and can be viewed as normal components, or parts of a document. Each part has its own owner, version, approval, use, etc. and can be tracked individually or as part of an assembly. It’s mostly used for things like marketing, usage, learning, and support. It can also be a separate system or be a functionality of another content management system type. Some of its benefits are greater consistency and accuracy, and reduced maintenance, delivery, and translation costs.

'What is a Content Management System?'

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

'What is a Content Management System?'

Most of the sites we develop are built under an open-source content management system (CMS) after they've been designed. Here are a few benefits in laypeople's terms:

1. You can update and edit the website contents even if you don't know PHP, XHTML, CSS, MySQL, FTP (or any other acronyms)

The CMS gives you the ability to log in through a web browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer. You can use the administrative interface to add new content or edit existing content on the site and when you save it, the site updates immediately. This allows you to keep the site current and keep your stakeholders informed. You could even spread the responsibility for the website across a number of staff people if you don't have one person dedicated to it.

2. It is very easy to extend the website

The CMS' that we use allow easy add-on of additional features such as forums, galleries, members' areas, and file downloads.

3. The site can be built in a way that allows you to change the theme or update a menu across the entire website at once

In the old days of static HTML, changing the structure of a menu or updating the look-and-feel took ages since each page often needed to be loaded and edited separately, then saved and re-uploaded. With a CMS, the theme (or template) can be updated and applied to the entire site. Likewise, changing the menu structure will update on every page the menu appears. This helps to prevent a number of the common problems you will find on old static HTML sites such as broken menu links and inconsistent theme implementations.

4. Since the CMS packages we use are open source, there are no licensing costs for the software

The software is free! The only costs you may incur after the initial site set up are hosting charges, domain name registration, and whatever degree of support you may require for future security patches or upgrades.

Security

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A very important aspect of any Content Management System (CMS) is security. In the unfortunate circumstance of your website being hacked you could have content removed and even find yourself in legal trouble if the hackers obtain any of your users’ personal data.

Determining the level of security offered by a CMS is not easy unless you have a reasonable amount of technical expertise. If you are uncertain, then it is probably best to obtain the opinion of an independent expert. At the very least you should perform an internet search on the name of the CMS and ‘security issues’. You may want to be cautious if you see lots of results.

Accessibility and Code Quality

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When establishing your website, it is important to build it using the latest best practice as this guarantees your site is accessible and will accommodate flexibility over a period of time.

Making a judgement over whether a Content Management System (CMS) utilizes best practice can be difficult if you are not a web designer. However, you should still talk to the CMS developers concerning their approach to accessibility. This may provide you with some guidance as to their competency.

One area of best practice is the address of your webpage. For many years, CMSs generated addresses that were very difficult to read, like:

http://www.yourbusiness.com/index.php?sourceid=navclient&q=7

In recent times, CMS developers have realized this is difficult to read and harmful to search engine indexing. As a result, today’s CMSs produce web addresses that much better:

http://yourbusiness.com/technology/helpful_urls/

This is a massive leap forward and also permits the web address to be used as a navigational tool. A user can work out where they are in a website and can even edit the url to explore different pages.

Look for CMSs that support friendly urls as they are a very useful feature and provide an indication of how modern the practices of the developers are. In all likelihood, if a CMS supports friendly urls they will support accessibility and standards also.

Documentation and Training

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A good level of documentation is a critical component of any Content Management System (CMS). It is quite likely that content providers will not be using the system every day and they can easily forget how the system works. It is therefore imperative that your CMS documentation be comprehensive and easy to use. Some CMSs also include walkthroughs and video tutorials which are very helpful for users to understand how the system works.

It is also important that there is documentation for developers. This will make sure your web team can adapt the CMS to any changing requirements. The absence of quality documentation can make the understanding of how the CMS works very difficult.

Along with documentation, a quality training program is another useful resource. Training is critical for content providers who require more than a manual before they can start operating the system. The training will provide users with critical hands on experience and the chance to ask questions and make comments.

Support

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It does not matter how good the Content Management System (CMS) and supporting documentation are, there will be times when you will need an additional level of support. It is important to know your requirements and have a complete understanding of what the CMS provider can offer you in terms of support.

Some of the questions you may like to consider regarding support include, what happens if you find a bug in the CMS? Will you be obligated to pay for the fix? How quickly can you expect a response? Will you need support 24/7?

Apart from software fixes, there are wider questions regarding support. If you have a issue or problem with the CMS, can you ask someone for assistance? Are you required to pay for this support and when is this advice available?

Community

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Not every Content Management System (CMS) comes with support. Sometimes only enterprise level systems offer this option. If support is not available to the level you need, you should look at whether the system has a lively community.

The community will be made up of other people who use the CMS. The community will share advice and experiences through forums, mailing lists and support sites. These communities are very important for open source CMSs as these products do not usually offer formal support and training. You may also find many commercial products which have great online communities also.

A good vibrant community should be able to provide answers to questions, suggest advice and may even make available a range of plugins that can be used with your CMS. Prior to purchasing a CMS check that it has a lively community. Take a look at the support site and see how many users are registered and how often they post. Check the kind of topics people are talking about and pay attention to how supportive they are to new users.

CMS Problems - No Clear Calls to Action

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When considering a Content Management System (CMS) many content providers concentrate on communicating information rather than addressing the user’s needs. It is more than likely they are also overlooking the business needs as well.

Very few content providers think about calls to action and consider questions such as, what is it that you want the users to do next and how do you wish them to respond? Usually when content providers do consider calls to action, they are concentrating on large actions like as “Contact Us”. However, until the user is prepared to accept any major steps, they are left to meander around the website.

The solution is to always guide the user to the next action you want them to follow. It is very important to think about the main calls to action for the entire website. Most commonly they involve one or two main actions like as purchasing a product or filling in a contact form.

But, it is equally important to consider the calls to action for each web page. Steer clear of leaving your user with no clear next step to follow. At no stage should the user be left without a following action. A large source of next actions is the information architecture of your site. In many cases, navigation is not concentrated on user’s needs, let alone any business objectives that may exist.

CMS Problems - An Organizational Focused IA

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

One adverse side effect of running a Content Management System is that it can promote information architecture constructed around organisational structure, as opposed to the user’s needs.

When you observe many businesses CMS driven websites, you may see their information architecture closely follows their internal business structures. The main reason for this is because it is simpler to separate responsibility for updating different parts of the web site if it is structured similar to departmental lines.

The main issue with this method is that users do not think in terms of your business structure. They are concentrating on their specific task and a business IA is more than likely entirely inappropriate for them and can easily lead to misunderstanding and irritation.

The solution is to concentrate on user tasks and stop structuring sites around business structures and start focusing on the users themselves.

Even though it may be easier in many content management systems to assign permissions based on a per section basis, there is usually no real reason to do so. It is just as reasonable to provide access on a per page basis, making it needless to organise the site around an internal business structure.

CMS Problems - No Sense of Community

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is becoming more popular for Content Management Systems (CMS) to come with practical community tools. For instance, they may include forums, comment sections and integrate with other applications. But great technology does not necessarily build great on-line communities.

It is not uncommon for businesses to put into practice these community features on their websites and be let down when they are not used as they were intended. Some businesses will start these features but moderate them so deeply that users respond in a negative fashion, leading to the removal of the functionality.

The solution is to construct a relationship and not functionality. It is essential to understand that online communities are about relationships and not about technology. In order to create a successful community around your website, you need to engage energetically and frequently with your users.

This may involve people from within your business constantly engaging with your users, asking and answering questions, and getting to know them through open and direct association.

This is similar to the content production problem, in that generally this is not seen as an official duty. More than likely it is left up to enthusiastic individuals. In order for your community to do well, you are going to need passionate people who have the time and resources to contribute to your community.

CMS Problems - Single Language Content

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Very few of the sites that have multi-lingual support actually use that functionality and the business more than likely has paid for something they will never actually put into practice.

There are two main explanations for this:

1. Many businesses ask for multi-lingual support because they have aspirations of expanding in the future and unfortunately those dreams do not always come true.

2. Many websites fail to put into practice their multi-lingual support because they have not fully considered what that actually involves.

It is very easy to implement CMS with multi-lingual support, however, creating a multi-lingual website is much harder. Decisions need to be made regarding which content is going to be translated. A translator needs to be found and then you must maintain the content over the long term.

The solution is to think twice before implementing multi-lingual support. You must be certain you have a good business case for putting into practice a multi-lingual website. It is probably not worth investing in language support unless you are certain you are going to make money from a foreign market.

Licensing

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When you are considering a Content Management System (CMS) it is important to examine in detail the licensing attached to the CMS. It is quite common to find licenses that stipulate you can make no changes to the source code or even use a different developer.

It is also possible that you may find the licensing is per site or even worse per user. If this is the case, it can become very expensive if you want to setup several sites or have a large number of people who contribute content.

The best solution is an agreement that permits unlimited use of the CMS with the exception of reselling.

The Development Team

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is very important to examine carefully the development team behind any Content Management System (CMS) you are considering. For example, is it an open source project with a community of developers or the product of a single company?

Neither of these approaches is wrong, but you must have confidence in the long term wellbeing of the product you are planning on purchasing.

An open source project can be highly productive even though it is often being created by volunteers. However, they can disappear very quickly if a more attractive project comes along. If you are thinking about an open source solution, look at how old the product is. More mature products are likely to continue to be supported into the future.

If you are looking at a commercial product, you need to be sure that the company has a solid long term viability. Consider asking for a copy of their accounts to verify their financial situation.

In either case, it is a good idea to look for a team that release regular updates to their product. This is very important from a security point of view.

CMS Problems - Uncommitted Contributors

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

One of the greatest reasons for having a Content Management System (CMS) is that they permit any employee to post to your website. The problem is, just because your team can edit the website, does not necessarily mean they will contribute.

It is quite common for content management systems to be only used by a few individuals. The idea that content management can be decentralised simply is just not true. There are a couple of main reasons for this.

The first reason is that some people do not see the provision of website content as their responsibility. They may very well believe the website to be a marketing tool that should be managed by marketers.

The second reason is that many people simply cannot find the time. Generating web content can often be seen as a low priority and can get a lower priority compared to other tasks.

The solution to this problem is to recognise the importance of the web and this must come from senior management. The website must be seen as a vitally important business tool. Work descriptions must recognize this by ensuring website maintenance a key component of an employee’s job.

CMS Problems - Poorly Trained Authors

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Typically when a business introduces a new Content Management System (CMS) they will offer some form of training, however, sometimes the training offered is not enough.

The training may consist of a daunting manual and maybe only one training session. This maybe enough for the few people who are contributing to the website on a regular basis, but it is probably not enough for people who are only providing content occasionally.

The main issue with one off initial training can be that by the time the content provider comes to update the website, they cannot remember all they learnt. The information they need may be contained in the manual, but they will more than likely not consult the manual.

The result can quite easily lead to only a couple of people being proficient enough to make updates to the website. This completely undermines the reason for having a CMS in the first place.

The combination of irregular users and new employees means that many businesses require a long term strategy for training people to use their CMS. One possible solution may be to provide video training material. Quite often a number of short video tutorials describing the key functionality of the CMS works far better than training sessions or daunting manuals.

CMS Problems - Bad Copywriting

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The web content is an extremely important component of any Content Management System (CMS). Unfortunately, the reality is not everyone can write good quality web copy. Just because a person writes fantastically in print, does not necessarily mean they can write well for the web.

Many people are unaware of the art of producing good copy for the web. In many cases, copy written by content providers is long-winded, boring and difficult to search.

A possible solution to this problem is to provide a well defined structure for content production. This can be achieved by considering the following:

1. Employing an editor so that content providers don’t have to worry about producing perfect copy. The editor can take the raw copy provided to them and revise it for the web.

2. Any training provided with a CMS should go beyond the functionality of the system itself and also include practical advice on writing good web copy.

3. The production of a basic template for content providers can help them concentrate on their writing. A content template may ask questions like who are the audience, what is the key message and what is the call to action?

CMS Problems - Bloated Websites

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many websites end up far too bloated and this can be a problem that content management systems make worse. The result of removing barriers to placing content online, can be encouraging people to add more and this is not always for the better.

It is quite common for content providers to approach a website with totally the wrong thinking. Some look at the content they have already, or can easily produce, and can be driven by existing content, as opposed to the user’s need.

The solution is to place the main focus on users to stop this from happening in the first place. This is achieved by concentrating on user needs. Before placing content online consider two questions:

Is the content designed for your main audience?

Is the content crucial for assisting users to fulfil their objectives?

If you answer no to either question, then you may like to re-think whether placing the content on your website will do more harm than good.

It is also possibly that you may already have a bloated website. If so, then you need to look at each page of your site and apply the above principles. If a page does not satisfy a particular objective of your main audience, then consider the possible removal of the page.

Website CMS Components â�� Files Manager

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

While creating, publishing and managing your website, you will need to manage the files on your web server – upload or download files, edit files’ permissions, create new folders and move files between them. Typically, web masters use separate software, called FTP managers, to perform all those operations. However, if you own a content management system – there is no need to invest in the additional software. Files Manager is included in all the standard website CMS solutions.

What is Files Manager good for? Well, first of all, you can perform all the tasks with your files on the web server, including uploading, downloading, or editing files, creating folders, moving files and changing files’ permissions. Furthermore, all those operations are performed in an easy and intuitive way.

Another key benefit to have Files Manager application integrated into your CMS platform is full control on your content from one location. Just choose the Files Manager application on the Control Panel and get the full access to the files on your web server – no need to perform login procedure every time you need to upload a new file.

How a Content Management System Drives Qualified Leads

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

How a Content Management System Drives Qualified Leads

Fresh content is important from a search engine optimization standpoint. The more often you update your site, the more often the search engines will visit your site, increasing your chances of having all your pages indexed and improving your organic rankings.

Keeping your website up to date with fresh content is also important from an image, credibility and sales standpoint. There are some real business risks in not keeping your website’s content fresh. For example, if you have really old or very few press releases, people may think “are you still in business”? If your competition has more valuable information than your website and is constantly adding to this library, thereby giving people a reason to continuously visit and refer friends to that site, you will lose credibility and business to this competitor. If your content is stale, you may become perceived as a business risk in the eyes of decision makers for your product or service, making them question “will this company be in business in 2 years?”. In a nutshell, people will ask – “why is this content so old?”, and worse “what’s going on with this company?”, two questions you never want your target market to ask about your company.

The easiest way to keep the content on your website fresh is to build your website with a content management system (CMS). A CMS facilitates editing and updating site content as often as you wish without skills in HTML programming or assistance from an IT department. Therefore, a CMS helps you stay ahead of and even leapfrog over your competition.

Sitefinity Standard Edition CMS is a great tool for keeping your content fresh, improving your web image and generating leads from your website. In addition, Sitefinity Standard Edition CMS makes search engine optimization easy, and gives you the tools you need to maintain excellent search engine rankings.

Editing Content

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Editing Content

º Content authors can easily update, check-in/checkout content, submit content into workflows for approval, revert to previous versions (versioning), and schedule content for date and time based publishing.

º Content authors perform edits by using an intuitive, WYSIWYG editor that is similar to using MS Word. Content authors will not have to learn any programming language in order to manage and publish content to the website.

Visitor Experience

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Visitor Experience

º Sitefinity offers an advanced search service that allows visitors to quickly and easily find the information they want.

º Sitefinity automatically creates a sitemap and keeps users up to date with any navigational changes. An automated sitemap also ensures that search engines can find and index all pages without additional effort.

Best Practices for Using a CMS

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Best Practices for Using a CMS

There is simply no bigger challenge for any web team on the planet than that of managing a college or university website. Most college web management strategies rely on the "squeaky-wheel" approach, or employ various textbook triage techniques in an attempt to care for areas of the site that are suffering most. If this sounds like your institution, you're not alone. The web managers at even the most admired university websites are constantly struggling to keep their sites responsive and up to date. If you are planning to purchase a content management system (CMS), you might be surprised to learn that all your problems will not magically go away. Indeed, the real secrets to maintaining a great college or university web presence are leveraging your CMS with careful planning, and using best practices.

There is no shortage of web CMS solutions to choose from today. Assuming you've already gone through the proper evaluation process, you've (hopefully) got the tools you need. The question now becomes how best to use these newfound tools. Ultimately it's up to you to put a framework in place that ensures your website can be leveraged and is scalable and sustainable. If done properly, this framework will not only help manage the madness, but it will also create opportunities unlike any that have come before.

This framework includes CMS technology, but perhaps more importantly, a process shift that involves the participation of additional stakeholders in the institution. Make no mistake, leveraging the human element is one of the most important success factors of deploying a CMS. Of course, all this must be done in such a way that the technology and framework do not, in and of themselves, become impediments for sustainability or growth. This is where it gets tricky.

To understand the dangers here, it's important to understand a little background on CMS vendors. Most web CMS solutions were designed initially for the complexities of media publishing and e-commerce sites. In the early days of the web, dot-coms drove the development of the CMS, and many of today's CMS vendors are rooted in the development of systems designed to satisfy the needs of transaction-based web businesses. Highly customized multimillion-dollar CMS solutions were all the rage in the late 1990s, and none of them fit the specs or the budgets of higher education. Since then, systems have evolved to be more user-friendly and less "custom," but without some careful planning up front, it's easy for your website architecture (and your content editors themselves) to become prisoners of a CMS that was not designed for the unique complexities of the .edu website.

Website CMS Components â�� Email Broadcast Manager

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

One of the helpful tools, built in the content management systems or complete website CMS solutions is Email Broadcast Manager.

The key role of these website application is to make sending emails to numerous contacts via email easy and fully-automated. Whether it is an electronic newsletter you would like to send to you subscribers or a special offer for all the registered customers of your ecommerce website – the benefits of Email Broadcast Manager is hard to overestimate.

The key advantage of the Email Broadcast Manager application is its capability to manage large mailing lists with hundreds or even thousands of emails. By the way, the tool also allow to customize mailing lists and multiple features of email broadcasting.

What is also of not minor importance is that Email Broadcast Manager includes fully-automated system for unsubscription.

Website CMS Components â�� Web Polls Manager

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Adding web polls to a particular website is good in at least two aspects: first, web polls add interactivity to the website, thus making it more attractive to visitors; second, web polls may and should be used for the purposes of internet marketing. For example, with the help of web poll a website owner can encourage visitors to answer how they like the current website design or products they are interested at.

Web poll is, actually, an example of website application, which is used with the help of HTML web forms and particular script, written in one of the web programming languages, such as PHP or ASP. To make polls creating and publishing easy, many website content management systems contain Web Polls Manager applications by default. This helps to make the process easy and efficient – you do not need special skills and much time to build a web poll and start it up at the web server.

Website CMS Components â�� Business Directory Manager

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is a common ground of the modern search engine optimization and internet marketing that any website benefits a lot from backlinks, coming from other relevant websites. That is why there are so much discussions on the web about how to get backlinks.

One of the methods to receive backlinks is to create a business directory or catalog on your own website and offer links exchange with other webmasters. As in many other aspects of site building, a properly chosen website CMS solution can help a lot in automation and simplification of the task.

With the help of Business Directory Manager from any standard website CMS solution, one can easily build business directory on his website and receive additional traffic via this section. However, in links exchange it is important to receive a fair play, when your links are also published on the partners websites. Business Directory Manager provides automatic link validation as well as monitoring of the exchanged links. When your link is removed for some reasons from partner website, the application will send you an email notification about the link status.

Website CMS Components â�� Banner Ads Manager

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A lot of webmasters make use of placing ads on their websites as the way to monetize the free space on their web resource. There are a great number of banner exchange networks as well as pay-per-click systems, which share revenues with webmaster, who publish ads on their websites and bring traffic through those ads (when site visitors click the ads, which are of interest to them).

There are also websites that are primarily designed to display ads and banners. In that cases, Banner Ads Manager is of especial value. This is a type of website application, which is often integrated into a content management system and helps to make banner ads management simpler and more effective.

With Banner Ads Manager, it will be easier for you to choose, customize and publish flash and graphic banners on your website with minimum efforts and time consumption.

Need Quick Feedbacks from Your Visitors â�� Use Guestbook

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Nowadays with the fast development of complete web content management solutions and multiple website applications, guestbooks may look a bit outdated. However, guestbooks are still popular and helpful when it is important to receive quick feedbacks from site visitors.

Unlike forums, guestbooks does not require a visitor to register and provide personal information to leave a comment on the particular website. It is a very simple and quick way of gathering feedbacks and comments in regard of the website content. Guestbooks offer a simple way of gathering statistics on website visitors, including their perception of the site content, questions they are concerned with and suggestions. Leaving a comment in the guestbook does not require much time, so visitors are more likely to prefer guestbook rather than forum if they do not plan to write frequently on a particular website.

Guestbooks are usually realized as scripts, written in web programming languages, such as PHP, Perl, Python, or ASP. Guestbooks scripts are server-side website application. There are multiple free guestbook scripts out there. Besides, all the professional CMS website solutions contain guestbook manager module by default.

How to Build Professional and SEO-friendly Navigation Menu?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A well-organized navigation menu is vitally important for both website design and internet marketing. On the one hand, a navigation menu is the major tool for site visitors to browse the resources of the particular web site. On the other hand, a navigation menu is an effective tool to build internal links, which are important for page ranking by search engines.

Along with programming a navigation menu manually, one can also use a specialized website application, called Navigation Menu Manager, to create professional and seo-friendly navigation menu bars. Now it is time of dynamic menus, built with the help of programming languages. So, if you need to build a popup or drop down menu, which will definitely add specific charm to your website design, you will need to be a programmer or to hire one ;-)

However, if you do not feel like hiring a programmer or spending days for learning PHP or Java and then fixing the bugs in your own script, you may find it reasonable to use a website CMS platform with built-in module of Navigation Menu Manager.

Since the basic concept of CMS or content management system is to make it easy to use for non-technical people, the creation of navigation menus is easy and requires only imagination and clear understanding of the result you would like to achieve. The technical part of building navigation menus adds up to simple drag and drop operations and some text input.

For search engine optimization purposes, try to use key words as the items in your navigation menu. That will help create a key-word based interlinking between the pages of your web site.

Website CMS Components â�� Web Forms Manager

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Web form is a powerful tool, which allows user to enter necessary information on a web page and send it to server for further processing. Either it is a simple contact form or a complicated ecommerce projects – everywhere it is difficult to overestimate the value and practical benefits of web forms.

With the help of text fields, check boxes, radio buttons and other web form elements, it is possible to receive the required information from the website user via Internet, for example his contact information or payment details. Besides, web forms help to build online polls, questionnaires and self-testing applications.

In order to build properly working web forms without coding, it is recommended to use built-in Web Forms Manager, which is a component of website CMS platforms or content management systems.

The undeniable benefit of Web Forms Manager is that this is a complex solution not only to create web forms, but also to implement it into a web site and publish the forms online.

Nowadays, HTML web forms are the the most widely used type of web forms (XForms is an alternative standard in web forms). In order to build a web form, a webmaster may use the following elements:

Text (allows entering a single line of text on a web page)

Textarea (allows entering multiple lines of text on a web page)

Check box (allows making multiple selections from the offered number of options)

Radio button (allows making only one selection from the offered number of options)

File (allows selecting a file on local computer for uploading)

Select (allows selecting items from drop-down list)

Reset button (allows resetting to initial values)

Submit button (tells web browser to send the web form data to server and process them)

Website CMS Components â�� Access Control Tools

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

If you are building a dynamic website and grant users and team members access to multiple information and databases, it is important to have effective access control tools in place in order to ensure high level of your confidential data security.

With the Access Control Tools, which are included in all the standard website CMS solutions, the following tasks can be solved:

- ensuring control over your website content, including submitting new content, editing and deleting the existing content by users, editors, and other team members;

- managing access to confidential information (different policies can be applied to individuals and groups);

- protection of the intellectual property and confidential information;

- bringing your website to a next level of development through the use of more sophisticated website applications and tools;

- adding functionality to a website without compromising the level of data security.

What Is an eCommerce Website?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

What Is an eCommerce Website?

An ecommerce website makes shopping easier for millions of people every year. The total amount of money spent at online retailers increases every year. Business owners look to ecommerce solutions to increase profits and expand their customer base.

Function

An ecommerce website's main function is to showcase products for sale and to give customers a convenient way to buy them. These websites should also provide information about the company and product line in general to help build customer trust.

History

The world wide web was open to commercial enterprises as early as 1991, but it took a few years for security systems and coding to be in place for ecommerce sites to emerge. Amazon was one of the first ecommerce sites online in 1995.

Benefits

An ecommerce website provides benefits to both retailers and customers. Increased sales volume when used in addition to brick and mortar establishments attracts businesses to this sales model. Buyers who want convenience and more choice try ecommerce websites for their shopping needs.

Features

Most ecommerce websites have a home page with information about the company, product line and many pictures of products. Sales announcements are displayed prominently. Product pages are divided into categories for easier shopping. Contact, privacy and FAQ pages are also included.

Types

Ecommerce websites come in different styles, sizes and types. The largest venues, such as Amazon and eBay, are multi-database ecommerce sites that allow both business and individual sales. Most ecommerce sites are specific to one company.

Warning

While thousands of ecommerce websites are honest and trustworthy, some are fronts for scams; they operate to steal credit card information or send phishing emails. Check for security certificates and only buy from reputable companies online.

How to Build an E-Commerce Website

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

How to Build an E-Commerce Website

Build an e-commerce website to sell hard goods, information products or services online. The internet is a powerful tool, connecting businesses and customers every second. Whether an online e-commerce site is going to be a side venture for you or will eventually replace your income, doing it right from the start is important to success. While experience helps, webmasters new and old can find success building and maintaining an e-commerce site.

Step 1

Research your niche and learn as much as you can about supply and demand for the items you will be selling. If there is competition, how will you stand out? What products or services will you offer on your niche e-commerce website that are superior or better priced?

Step 2

Choose a web hosting service, comparing what each has to offer. Look for one with free site builder tools, templates, shopping cart or e-commerce solutions and good support services.

Step 3

Purchase a domain name and a web hosting package. Research your domain name (the URL for your site) before choosing it. Consider the keywords for your site's topic and main items for sale.

Step 4

Build the pages for your e-commerce site. In addition to pictures and prices, include a description of each item. The text lets the search engine know what your pages are about, so use specific keywords for each item.

Step 5

Install website shopping cart elements in your site. Each item should have a "Buy Now" or "Add to Cart" button, which needs to be coded properly. Test your site to make sure a transaction can be completed successfully.

How to Create a Business Website With a Shopping Cart

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

How to Create a Business Website With a Shopping Cart

Shopping Cart

Step 1

Register your domain name. You may register your domain name through various sites like Yahoo, Godaddy and many more. Choose a name that represents your company but is easy and short enough for customers to remember. You may also purchase multiple domain names that navigate back to one site. This is a great tool to help customers find your site when they are unsure of the actual address. For example, btob.com may want to also purchase backtobusiness.com.

Step 2

Choose your hosting plan. Hosting is what makes your website accessible via World Wide Web. Basically, you are renting web space. Several website-hosting plans are available depending on the amount of information you want to display on your website. Choose a hosting plan that supports website shopping carts.

Step 3

Select a website template. Search for ecommerce website templates and select a template that best represents your business. Templates Box has been providing professional website templates since 2002. Once you purchase a template, you will have the option to have your site customized or you can choose to do it yourself. Having your site customized will cost extra money.

Step 4

Customize your website. Enter your business content and set up your shopping cart. When using a template, simply upload the items you wish to sell and price your items accordingly. You will have the option to link your shopping cart to a PayPal or credit-card account.

Step 5

Upload your completed website to your hosting server.

Create, Organize and Manage Forums with Forum Manager

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Forums are in many aspects valuable resources for successful online business. Having a forum implemented on a website improves community and product support as well as enhances major website position in search engines ratings in view of constant traffic and new content added in forum threads.

That is why webmasters and site owners sooner or later face the necessity to build a forum on their websites. There is a great variety of forum scripts and website applications available these days: some of them are distributed for free and others are commercial versions, each having its own benefits and drawbacks.

However, if you are building a professional website, whether it is a corporate website or ecommerce project, you are definitely interested in the most cost-effective and at the same time reliable option to build a web forum.

The optimal way to build a professional website with forum functionality is to get a specialized website content management system or website CMS with the built-in forum manager application. Such complex solution will not only allow you to create a fully-functioning website in a quick and cost-effective way, but it will also help you maintain a corporate style in all the sections of the website, including forum.

Forum manager application allows creating unlimited amounts of forums and forum threads, organizing and managing categories, managing users’ accounts and controlling access. What is also of no less importance is that Forum Manager as a component of website CMS solution is SEO friendly, which means that such forum will bring traffic to your website and enhance its ratings in search engine results.

CMS - Definition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A Content Management System (CMS) is exactly what it sounds like, which is a system for managing web site content.

For example, the software package Microsoft Frontpage by itself is not a content management system. But Microsoft Frontpage used in conjunction with a skilled webmaster who follows a well thought out procedure for sourcing information from business stakeholders, updating web pages, and putting these pages online does make a content management system. This would not be a very efficient or effective CMS, but this assortment of human and software driven actions forms a feasible system for managing content.

More commonly, the term content management system refers to a complete software package, which is quite often web based. This complete software package helps to automate the tasks involved with managing information within a business.

A CMS should ideally contain at least 4 of the following points:

1. Authoring services

2. Storage area services

3. Workflow engine

4. Templating engine

5. Promotion and distribution services

CMS - Extending the Definition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The definition of content management has many issues that are related to it. A fully featured content management system should provide many features and attributes.

It is possible to consider "content" as any type of information that is either being sent, received, produced, stored, or in some way managed. A fully featured content management software package should provide a complete framework upon which to build the tools necessary to connect people with this information. A superior CMS should include following basics:

Tools to enable the building of any type of content driven web interface
Management for forms
Management of user accounts
Ability to personalisation services, for example, the ability to aim specific web content to individual users or groups
Authentication
Beginning points for specific purpose content management applications, for example, forums, surveys, shops, web sites, intranet tools, extranet tools and tracking, etc.
Index and search

Why is CMS Important?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A Content Management System (CMS) requires some form of software and this software can be complicated and expensive. The expense can be in its original purchase price and continuing life cycle costs. The CMS may also have a long term impact on your business. Without a doubt, purchasing the incorrect CMS software can be worse than buying nothing at all. Given that there is no generally accepted definition of what CMS actually is in the software industry, it’s quite possible to accidentally purchase software that:

Does not perform the functions you require, resulting in you paying for expensive after sale amendments and their life cycle sustainment.
Performs functions that you do not need but for which you must pay regardless.
Uses so much of your budget that other crucial items must go unfunded.
Completely fails, forcing you to purchase replacement software with no recourse against the original vendor because you failed to adequately detail your requirements.

Therefore, you must be extremely careful when purchasing your CMS software, and be sure you are obtaining a system that meets all your requirements.

Content versus Delivery Management

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many systems that are passed as content management today are in fact delivery management. Delivery management actually deals with content that is already prepared and available for access, either for mass information products (for example, books or CDs) or in support of interactive queries. The main difference between this delivery management and true content management is the assumption that the content is complete, that it is correctly structured and set for delivery. Many web server software companies offer a type of CMS that is in fact more closely related to delivery management.

A true Content Management System (CMS) supports the functions necessary to produce and complete web content not quite ready for delivery. The CMS should include functions that relate to authors, editors, collaborators and other people involved in the preparation of content, with the assumption that the content is not yet ready to be used in its final form. The difference between delivery management and content management could be likened to the difference between managing a factory and managing a retail outlet.

If you are looking after the content creation and finalization of web content for supply to delivery management, you will more than likely need a CMS that goes way beyond what most delivery management systems are able to provide.

Advantages of CMS

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

There are a number of features which are extremely important when you are considering a Content Management System (CMS).

Access

It is important to be able to provide updates and additions to your web site, such as publishing news articles, promotions and calendar events, easily and securely without the help of your website administrator. This may be easily achieved via a web interface, which allows users to perform their task and review its results from anywhere with web access.

Reduced maintenance costs

A good CMS will allow you to automate the building of pages on your web site, which will cut significant sums from your site maintenance costs. Alterations to web site content can often involve expensive graphics design and programming fees. You want a CMS that allows you to update your web site from wherever you are, thus reducing the overall web site cost.

Speed to the market

It is vital that you have a CMS which allows you to quickly react to changes in the market and provide a mechanism for you to rapidly update your web site.

Ease of use

It is important that you can manage and update web pages very simply without needing to know programming languages such as html. You should be able to add or modify web content any time without the need of web designers. For example, you may like to:

Update press releases, news, articles or information on your web site
Publish discussion forums
Add or remove special promotions and events
Change colours of the website

Version Control

This provides you with the ability to control what web content is going to be live today, what needs to go live next week, and what is being prepared by your team for the week after. You should be able to select which items you wish to publish and which ones you would like to keep private.

Security

It is imperative that only authorised people can perform certain authorised tasks. All authorised users should have a unique login ID and a password that provide them access your web site.

Site Structure

The structure of the site is important, and may be separated into layers

Presentation
Content
Site Structure

This structure permits users to change content without it changing the presentation and structure of the web site, and vice versa.

Why a CMS?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A Content Management System (CMS) allows a web site owner with no technical knowledge to manage the content on their web site by themselves. A good CMS can save a business hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, each year that would have been spent on hiring or outsourcing a simple IT matter.

A good CMS allows a user to create and manage an unrestricted number of pages on a web site and control their functionality, including e-commerce, email marketing, galleries etc.

More importantly, a good CMS should be user friendly, allowing a person with only need basic word processing skills to manage an entire web site.

Ecommerce Website Content Management Systems

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Electronic commerce, which is commonly abbreviated to eCommerce or e-commerce, is an important component of internet business. Basically, eCommerce means buying and selling different products and services over the Internet.

With total online sales reached over 200 billion dollars in the USA in year 2008, nowadays online shops are extremely interesting for both sellers and buyers in view of multiple advantages of online deals. That is why, more and more retail companies are looking for building their online presence with the help of online shops.

Online shop or e-commerce website should have particular functionality in order to work properly. Buyers expect to receive convenient products catalogues, clear items descriptions, easy to manage shopping carts, and reliable and safe online payment options in a particular online shop. At the same time, sellers need their shops to have all the features, necessary to quickly add new products and categories, edit items descriptions, prices, control quantity of products, manage clients’ accounts and process the orders. To meet all the expectations of both parties (buyers and sellers) professional eCommerce website content management systems were developed.

In general, e-commerce website CMS solution is web-based software, which can help to start up the online shop in a very short time with the lowest time and financial expenses. No deep programming skills are required to start up an online shop with the help of professional eCommerce website CMS solutions.

Advantages of Ecommerce CMS for Buyers

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Any online shop works for clients, isn't it? That is why it should be convenient and easy to use for buyers as well as it should be effective and reliable in orders processing. Online shops built and operated with the help of ecommerce content management systems offer particular benefits to the buyers. Here are some of them:

- online shops built with the help of ecommerce CMS are easy to browse products categories and search the necessary item, its description, image of the product and price;

- ecommerce websites offer customers choose among different delivery and payment options, including those processed online;

- online shops based on professional ecommerce CMS are fully automated, which means no delays between an order and its processing. If you are buying products, which can be delivered over the Internet, e.g. music in digital formats, graphics or software, the delivery of the ordered items can be a matter of a couple of minutes;

- ecommerce CMS provides online customers with options to track their order processing, and to view the history of their orders and payments.

CMS Problems - Lack of Editorial Control

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

One of the main reasons businesses purchase a Content Management System (CMS) is to de-centralise the control of the content which can remove any holdups that surround posting content to the web. The result of this approach can be a lack of central control ensuring the quality and accuracy of the created content. This can lead to inconsistencies and different styles of writing across the web site.

There are content management systems that provide tools for enabling central editorial control, but they do not always get used and still require a person who has editorial experience.

The Solution: Get an editor

Regrettably this is one difficulty that technology is not able to solve. The solution is to engage a content editor, who checks what is being created and makes sure it presents a consistent message in a customary tone.

This would ideally be someone who has experience in writing and editing online content. But, the most important aspect is that the person is confident in editing copy, and also they must have the authority to remove inappropriate material. The editor also requires a vision for the web site and what character it should be projecting.

Advantages of Ecommerce CMS for Sellers

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Perhaps, the most significant benefit of ecommerce website CMS for a seller is that you have your own online shop working properly in a very short period of time and with the lowest time and money expenses. Programming an online shop can be a pretty complicated task even for a qualified programmer. Besides, it takes much time to test it and fix all the problems before the project can be run online. Professional ecommerce CMS solutions allow to avoid all those expenses and built a fully functioning and 100% properly working online shop in a very short period of time. Here are some other benefits of ecommerce CMS solutions:

- easy online shop set up;

- programming skills are not necessary to have your ecommerce website run smoothly;

- you can choose among several layout templates for your online shop; besides, the template can be changed at any time without affecting the products displayed in your shop;

- ecommerce CMS allows easy and quick products management via intuitive interface: you can easily add, edit and delete products in your online shop;

- orders are processed automatically, including payments (provided that your online shop offers online payment option);

- ecommerce CMS allows to control the amount of products left, if necessary;

- website ecommerce CMS allows to change prices quickly for large amounts of products as well as to export new items from external files;

- professional ecommerce CMS offers helpful analytical tools, e.g. tracking the amount of shop visitors in real time, tracking customers visits statistics, most popular items, etc.;

- professional ecommerce CMS solutions offer variety of settings to customize the online shop in every particular case.

CMS Problems - A Lack of Personality

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is not uncommon for many web sites to lack a real personality. They can either be full of marketing rhetoric or come across as boringly bland. This can be the result of the content having been written by people more interested in expressing facts or selling products, as opposed to trying to connect with the reader.

If you have a web site with great content that is full of personality, it will really stand out from the crowd. Such a site does more than just convey information, it enthusiastically seeks to make a connection with the reader, in a similar way that people do face to face.

However, the distributed nature of content production through the use of a CMS has the potential to weaken your web sites personality.

The solution: Decide on your sites personality

To get over this problem, you need to firstly define who you are. Think of your web site as a person, what type of person would it be? Think of words that would best describe your web sites character.

Then construct a content style guide, which includes examples of writing styles that should be utilized on your web site. It should also contain a guide as to the tone and wording of the content.

The production of an effective content style guide is not easy. It may be worth your while to engage a freelance web copy writer. But after it has been created, it should provide all the details necessary for your content providers to add personality into your content.

Shopping Cart as the Core Component of Ecommerce Solution

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Shopping cart is actually a core component of any ecommerce or electronic commerce solution. If you are using any online shop, a shopping cart is a piece of software, running on a web server, which allows you perform basic operations in the shop, such as choosing the products you want to buy, placing them into a virtual shopping cart or a basket, calculating the total cost of chosen items and preparing the final checkout procedure.

Along with storefront, administrative control panel, and database, shopping cart is a vital component of complex ecommerce website CMS solution.

A database is major source of all the information on the products in your online shop. It contains such data as products titles, descriptions, images and prices.

A storefront retracts all the necessary information from a database and displays it to visitors of your online shop.

Shopping cart software works similarly to a traditional shopping cart in the real supermarket to accumulate the chosen products and bring them to the cashier for checking out.

Administrative section works as a major control panel to manage the online shop.

Shopping cart applications can be written in different programming languages, such as PHP, JAVA, and others. After being installed on the web server, where online shop is hosted, shopping cart creates web pages on the fly, when a visitor clicks “Add to a shopping cart” on a particular product.

In general, shopping cart software is a crucial part of any ecommerce CMS solution, and its reliability and proper functioning has a direct influence on the proper functioning of the whole online ecommerce project.

FAQs Manager for Your Website

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Weather you own a corporate website or an online ecommerce project, adding a FAQ section to it is beneficial for site owner and site visitors. Properly designed and easily accessible Frequently Asked Question section is the one stop destination for site visitors to get all the answers they may face with while visiting your web resource. For site owner, creating a FAQ section is the easiest way to avoid answering multiple inquires on the similar topic.

Of course, FAQ section page can be written in a web programming language by a programmer. But any time you will need to add a new question and answer, you will need to ask a programmer to modify the initial code and include your amendments. There is, however, another way to create FAQ section on your website that will give you more independence and control over your frequently-asked questions and answers.

FAQs Manager is a specific script or application, which can be used to create FAQ section in an easy and intuitively understandable manner. With FAQ Manager all you need is to write your own questions and answers, and all the programming part will be done by the script automatically. FAQ Manager scripts are available as separate applications or they are often included in complex website content management system solutions.

Along with typical features, such as creating FAQ multi-level categories and adding new question and answers, FAQ Manager usually offers many other features, helpful for both visitor and site owner. Here belong built-in filters to search large content databases, support of different templates to customize a FAQ section in accordance with the individual website design, detailed statistics on FAQ usage, possibility to receive comments from readers as well as suggestions on new questions. Professionally designed FAQs Managers can even provide tools to quickly email a particular FAQ article to a friend or rate the article.

Invoice Manager for Online Shops

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When it comes to online sales or eCommerce, it is often about processing the orders from clients and creating invoices for them to be able to pay the ordered merchandise. Though there are many online payment systems allowing to process payment without invoices, many situations still need invoices to be created and sent to clients over email.

When there are dozens of clients and hundreds of orders daily, invoice management may turn into a pretty much time and efforts consuming activity, isn’t it?

What about having the website application that will create invoices automatically and send them to clients right after they complete the order? Sounds great to you? If yes than you might be interested in obtaining a specific website application called Invoice Manager.

Invoice Manager provides professional invoicing and automatic billing for your web site. The application allows customizing invoice templates to meet your corporate style and process the routine work in an automatic way. Plus, Invoice Manager software often provide additional tools, such as unpaid invoices tracking and reminders emailing, full reports on the generated invoices and customer activity on them.

So, if your goal is to bring the functionality of your website on the next level and to decrease the workflow on the inhouse personnel, Invoice Manager should definitely be considered either as a stand-alone website application or as part of complex website content management system platform to build and operate your website.

The Role of Catalog Manager in Ecommerce CMS Platform

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

While walking along the shelves in the supermarket, you have probably noticed how important it is to have all the multiple products properly categorized, grouped and displayed on the shelves. This helps customers quickly find the necessary item as well as it encourages them for making extra purchases. Besides, the proper location and displaying of the goods has a crucial importance for marketing and promotion.

Proper catalog management is of the same importance in online commerce or eCommerce, especially if the online shop deals with hundreds or even thousands of items offered to the customers. Here the point is not only to create or develop the proper customer-friendly catalog structure, but also to realize it effectively with the help of programming language.

That is why, an effective catalog manager is one of the vital components of any ecommerce website CMS or content management system, allowing users without technical skills to develop and implement online catalogues, as well as to edit and modify them every time it is necessary.

Catalog manager applications interact with all the other ecommerce platform components, such as database and shopping cart to make all the system work properly and effectively. Catalog manager is usually accessed and managed over the control panel. With catalog manager one can easily create new categories, edit or delete the existing ones, create and edit subcategories, manage the individual products in the categories, add new items, group similar products, and upload items in bulk from external sources.

Catalog manager website applications are usually supplied as components or plug-ins for upgrading ecommerce website CMS platforms.

Overview of Selecting a CMS

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

There is not a single 'best' Content Management System (CMS) for your web site. Rather, you will probably find each CMS solution has some strengths and some weaknesses that draw from from its architectural model or position in the market. This is applicable for products in all price ranges, from small-scale CMS products to large products.

Compared to other IT systems, the content management marketplace is relatively young, and is still undergoing speedy development. Not too long ago, there were a small number of sellers, but in recent times the marketplace has expanded rapidly with the emergence of numerous new products.

It can be a challenge for companies to select a product that is the best match for their own unique requirements, while mitigating the risks associated with the current marketplace. It is also important to consider the issue of implementing the chosen CMS.

CMS - Before You Start

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

There are a number of considerations to be made before you embark on the implementation of a Content Management System (CMS), with the main points outlined below.

Consider the time needed to select the right product. Broad industry experience suggests that the CMS assessment and selection process can take greater than six to nine months. If you do not allocate enough time to these activities you run the risk of selecting the wrong product.

Consider all the products available in the marketplace. With the rapidly expanding number of CMS products, you may find it useful to increase your knowledge of a range of products as well as the overall state of the marketplace.

Build knowledge of content management. If you are buying a CMS for the first time, one of the greatest challenges you may face is obtaining sufficient knowledge about content management tools and processes. Without an adequate level of knowledge, you may find it difficult to compare products and may come across unexpected challenges during implementation.

Take into account risks and risk mitigation strategies. When selecting a CMS product and planning the implementation, it is important to consider the project risks, and ways to manage and mitigate these risks. Possible approaches are constraining the overall size of the project, avoiding very large CMS projects that attempt to address all your information requirements and implementing your CMS on a pilot or test project.

Redesign your web site if necessary. You may consider using a CMS to address restrictions and deficiencies in your current web. If this is the case, the web site can redesigned as part of the content management project.

CMS - Determining Project Goals

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

It is important when implementing a Content Management System (CMS) to determine your project goals and targets.

Businesses may find it useful to determine their goals and outcomes for the CMS project as the starting point for the selection process. These goals and targets may then guide your requirements process and form the basis for assessing the CMS functionality during evaluation.

Concentrate on business outcomes. CMS projects that concentrate on wider business outcomes may be more valuable than CMS projects that concentrate on specific outcomes. Some examples of business-focused targets may include better informing the public, improving customer satisfaction, or improving knowledge-sharing within your business.

Create targets and determine a measure of their achievement. Each project goal requires a well defined target to determine how their success will be measured. This will help determine the achievement of the project and also provide a basis for assessing the continued capability of the CMS. Features that could be measured include:

system usage
site usage
quality of information
user input
maintenance costs
efficiency of staff
customer feedback

CMS - Determining Business Requirements

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

An important stage in choosing a Content Management System (CMS) can be the identification and documentation of your business requirements. There are many different CMS products on the market and it may not be feasible to compare one product directly against another. However, CMS products can be assessed on how closely they fit your businesses own unique requirements.

Concentrate on business needs rather than technical solutions. If you state your detailed business requirements rather than technical solutions, this provides vendors with the chance to offer methods or technologies that can meet the business goals of your web site.

Address compliance needs. There are a range of compliance issues which you may need to consider:

Recordkeeping
Accessibility
Legal risk
Security risk

Provide descriptions and examples to explain meaning. There is little agreement with respect to CMS terminology. To help avoid misunderstandings, avoid the use of jargon and acronyms, and spell out your requirements in as much detail as possible.

Avoid over specifying requirements. You should be careful not to specify too many requirements. Whilst the documentation of more requirements may be helpful, there is a risk of pushing the procurement of an expensive solution where a cheaper option may have been adequate.

Consider an external review of your requirements. Sometimes you cannot see the woods for the trees. Therefore you may consider obtaining an external review of your requirements from similar businesses (in particular businesses that have already have a CMS) or from others.

Think about using scenarios to help document requirements. Narrative descriptions, or scenarios, are stories that describe how something will work. With respect to a CMS project, scenarios can be an effective way of documenting important CMS requirements.

CMS - Evaluating and Selecting

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

When selecting a Content Management System (CMS), you should follow standard tendering and procurement processes used for obtaining software solutions, as well as pay attention to any other processes as necessary.

Use scenarios during demonstrations. Narrative descriptions, or scenarios, are a good method of making sure vendor demonstrations clearly demonstrate how the CMS will meet your specific business requirements. They also allow different demonstrations to be compared and assessed.

Visit reference sites. You may find vendors who can provide contact details for similar businesses where their CMS solution has been installed. You could then visit these companies to determine how well the product works in practice. This is a very effective method of reducing the risk of choosing an inappropriate product.

Focus on usability and ease. There may be number of solutions which match your identified functional needs, however, the overall usability and ease of operation of the CMS is an important consideration. Complex or hard to understand interfaces can have a detrimental effect upon training needs and staff uptake and could lead to the failure of the project.

Assess the vendor's implementation procedure. You may look to the CMS vendor when deploying the product. Therefore, you may like to assess the implementation procedure proposed by the vendor, paying particular notice to the non-technological features, for example training, change management, usability and information architecture.

Think about total cost of ownership. When considering a CMS, you need to consider the total cost of ownership and not just the initial purchase price. The total cost of ownership may include:

the amount of customisation required
the technical skills and knowledge required by staff
the degree of ongoing dependence on the vendor
any licensing fees
if third-party products are required
whether any IT infrastructure is required

CMS: A working definition

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CMS: A working definition

A content management system (CMS) supports the creation, management, distribution, publishing, and discovery of corporate information.

It covers the complete lifecycle of the pages on your site, from providing simple tools to create the content, through to publishing, and finally to archiving.

It also provides the ability to manage the structure of the site, the appearance of the published pages, and the navigation provided to the users.

Note that we are focusing on the most common use of a CMS: to manage web content. In some circles, these systems are therefore called web management systems (WMS).

Content management systems can be much broader than this, but we won’t touch upon these aspects until later.

Business Benefits

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Business Benefits

There are a wide range of business benefits that can be obtained by implementing a CMS, including:

* streamlined authoring process

* faster turnaround time for new pages and changes

* greater consistency

* improved site navigation

* increased site flexibility

* support for decentralised authoring

* increased security

* reduced duplication of information

* greater capacity for growth

* reduced site maintenance costs

Beyond these, the greatest benefit the CMS can provide is to support your business goals and strategies.

For example, the CMS can help to improve sales, increase user satisfaction, or assist in communicating with the public.

Anatomy of a Content Management System

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Anatomy of a CMS

Anatomy of a Content Management System

The functionality of a content management system can be broken down into several main categories:

* content creation

* content management

* publishing

* presentation

What is content creation?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content creation

At the front of a content management system is an easy-to-use authoring environment, designed to work like Word. This provides a non-technical way of creating new pages or updating content, without having to know any HTML.

The CMS also allows you to manage the structure of the site. That is, where the pages go, and how they are linked together. Many even offer simple drag-and-drop restructuring of the site, without breaking any links.

Almost all content management systems now provide a web-based authoring environment, which further simplifies implementation, and allows content updating to be done remotely.

It is this authoring tool that is the key to the success of the CMS. By providing a simple mechanism for maintaining the site, authoring can be devolved out into the business itself. For example, your marketing manager maintains the press release section, while your product manager keeps the catalogue up to date.

What is Content management?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content management

Once a page has been created, it is saved into a central repository in the CMS. This stores all the content of the site, along with the other supporting details.

This central repository allows a range of useful features to be provided by the CMS:

* Keeping track of all the versions of a page, and who changed what and when.

* Ensuring that each user can only change the section of the site they are responsible for.

* Integration with existing information sources and IT systems.

Most importantly, the CMS provides a range of workflow capabilities. These are best explained by giving an example:

When the page is created by an author, it is automatically sent to their manager for approval, and then to the central web team for their editorial review. It is finally sent to the legal team for their sign-off, before being automatically published to the site.

At each step, the CMS manages the status of the page, notifying the people involved, and escalating jobs where required.

In this way, the workflow capabilities allow more authors to be involved in the management of the site, while maintaining strict control over the quality, accuracy and consistency of the information.

Publishing

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Publishing

Once the final content is in the repository, it can then be published out to either the website or intranet.

Content management systems boast powerful publishing engines which allow the appearance and page layout of the site to be applied automatically during publishing. It may also allow the same content to be published to multiple sites.

Of course, every site looks different, so the CMS lets the graphic designers and web developers specify the appearance that is applied by the system.

These publishing capabilities ensure that the pages are consistent across the entire site, and enable a very high standard of appearance.

This also allows the authors to concentrate on writing the content, by leaving the look of the site entirely to the CMS.

Presentation

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Presentation

The content management system can also provide a number of features to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the site itself.

As an example, the CMS will build the site navigation for you, by reading the structure straight out of the content repository.

It also makes it easy to support multiple browsers, or users with accessibility issues. The CMS can be used to make your site dynamic and interactive, thereby enhancing the site’s impact.

Beyond the web

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Beyond the web

So far, we have concentrated on the creation of HTML content for corporate websites or intranets. While this is the strongest aspect of most content management systems, many can do much more.

Central to the power of many systems is the concept of ’single source publishing’, where a single topic can be published automatically into different formats.

This could include printed formats (PDF, Word, etc), wireless/hand-held formats (WAP, etc), or XML.

Enterprise content management

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Enterprise content management

There is also a relationship between content management systems and other information systems within an organisation, including:

* document management

* records management

* digital asset management

At present, these are typically sold as separate systems, and achieving interoperability between them is not easy.

Some progress is being made with the creation of so-called enterprise content management systems (ECMS), which combine together a central content management system with other tools to manage the full range of content that exists within your organisation.

These systems are relatively immature, however, and there is not much agreement about what they should encompass. This is certainly a market that will evolve rapidly over the next few years.

ECM

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Enterprise content management (ECM)

Enterprise content management (ECM) refers to the technologies, strategies, methods and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to an organization and its processes. ECM tools allow the management of an enterprise level organization's information.

CMS marketplace

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CMS marketplace

This article has presented a general overview of typical content management system capabilities, and how they can be used to benefit your business.

In the marketplace at present, there are literally hundreds of content management systems, all having different capabilities and strengths.

This is the nature of a rapidly changing marketplace: while there are many very good products, there is little consistency between vendors.

Our single best piece of advice: take the time to determine your business requirements, and then comprehensively evaluate the products on the market against them.

Every organisation has a unique set of requirements for a content management system, and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. By allocating sufficient time and resources to selecting the CMS, you can be confident that you have the best possible solution.

What are the goals of a CMS?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

What are the goals of a CMS?

Most organisations recognise that a content management system (CMS) is a necessity when maintaining a large corporate website or intranet.

It is important to ensure however, that beyond a general ‘need’, CMS solutions should be made to meet specific business goals.

Without a clear vision of the business goals of the system, it is impossible to track the success of the project, or ensure that the benefits are maximised.

This article outlines some of the common business goals of a CMS. Use this list as the starting point when identifying goals tailored to your business.

Business goals

This section lists a selection of generic business goals, in no particular order:

Increase flexibility of site

Corporate websites must quickly adapt to match new products, services, or corporate strategies. The CMS should support easy and trouble-free restructures and interface redesigns. This includes updating all pages to reflect a new corporate brand or image.

Improve information accuracy

The overall quality of the information is to be improved, on both the website and intranet. All pages should be:

* accurate

* up-to-date

* comprehensive

Without business goals, success is impossible to measure

Support marketing

Websites have become a key marketing channel for businesses. The CMS should facilitate the delivery of marketing material, as well as supporting current brands and corporate identity.

Reduce duplication of information

Duplication of information across business units and platforms increases maintenance costs and error rates. Wherever possible, information should be stored once, and reused multiple times.

Improve customer experience

The CMS should enhance the ability to provide a full-featured, rich environment for website visitors. This will include enhancements to the quality of the site, and the ease of use.

Support sales

E-commerce sales are growing steadily, and the CMS should provide further sales material to enhance the sales impact of the website. It should also complement current e-commerce infrastructure.

Streamline information updates

The current manual process for updating website information is slow and inefficient. This should be streamlined to support rapid and simple updates to information across the site.

Support website growth

There is a strategic need to substantially increase the amount of information published on corporate websites. The CMS should deliver efficiency and management benefits to support the goal of website growth.

The CMS can increase resilience to change

Improve business responsiveness

The CMS should support the development of new products and services, as well as other changes in corporate direction. This is achieved by providing a rapid and efficient mechanism to update internal corporate information and resources.

Improve publishing process

Ad-hoc publishing processes prevent effective management and tracking. The CMS should improve on this, as well as providing greater transparency and accountability.

Reduce legal exposure

All information presented on the corporate website exposes the business to legal liability. This should be reduced by establishing greater control and accountability over the review and publishing processes.

Capture business knowledge

It is recognised that the loss of key staff reduces the knowledge available within an organisation. The CMS should support the capture of this information in a documented form.

Improve knowledge sharing

Direct staff communication, and ‘peer-to-peer’ sharing of information are two of the most effective ways of spreading knowledge. The CMS should provide both an environment and the tools to facilitate these processes.

Support knowledge discovery

Many staff are now confronted with ‘information overload’. By providing powerful searching, browsing and filtering, the CMS should allow staff to find and track key information.

Improve staff efficiency

Staff efficiency can be improved by supporting key business processes with sufficient information. The CMS must aim to provide staff with the information they need, when they need it.

This will translate into direct time savings by avoiding fruitless searches for required information.

Reduce customer support costs

Customer support requirements should be reduced, by providing more accurate and comprehensive information to customers.

Reduce publishing costs

Many business manuals are still produced in paper form. Direct cost savings would be realised by replacing these with online resources.

Reduce website maintenance costs

By replacing the current labour-intensive maintenance activities, the CMS should reduce the need for website administration staff, and other associated costs.

Increase website audience

The CMS should allow a wide audience to access the corporate website. All customers of the business will then benefit from the site. (This includes non-English speakers.)

Business-specific goals

Beyond the general CMS goals outlined above, there will be a number of very specific goals that relate directly to your business.

Identifying these ensures that the CMS matches the unique nature of your business, and that it meets the overall strategic direction.

Examine the key products, services and processes within the business to identify these business-specific goals.

Start with corporate strategy, define goals, and finally, requirements

Align with corporate strategy

Select goals from the list above to align with your overall corporate strategy and direction. In practice, this means selecting no more than a dozen primary goals.

For example, a CMS to manage a large corporate website for a retail business might list:

* increase website audience

* reduce customer support costs

* reduce duplication of information

* increase flexibility of site

* improve customer experience

An intranet project, however, would list very different goals:

* improve staff efficiency

* reduce publishing costs

* reduce duplication of information

* capture business knowledge

* support knowledge discovery

If necessary, identify a further six secondary goals. This should not be necessary in most cases.

Use metrics to make your goal tangible and measurable

Specifying requirements

Once the goals for the CMS have been identified, the requirements process can begin. Each requirement must be mapped to one (or more) business goals.

In this way, the requirements specify the ‘what’, while the goals are the ‘why’. Together, they form an integrated strategy for the selection and deployment of a CMS.

As an example, the business goal of ‘reduce duplication of information’, may lead to the following requirements:

* Manage the internet and intranet from the same system

* integrate CMS with existing systems

* single-sourcing functionality

(For a comprehensive set of requirements, see the Content Management Requirements Toolkit.)

Measures

If at all possible, specify ways of measuring the success of each of the goals (also known as ‘metrics’). These allow the success of the project to be assessed, and provide a basis for calculating a return on investment (ROI).

Metrics are also a valuable way of tracking the health of a CMS, and help to identify issues quickly enough for them to be tackled effectively.

With metrics still an area of ongoing research, you will need to spend some time to determine the best measures to use in your project.

Some possible metrics include:

* web usage statistics

* printing and distribution costs

* call center usage

* turnaround time for publishing new material, or implementing changes

* customer satisfaction

* development time for new pages

* cost of training

For example, the metric for ‘improved customer experience’ might be to ‘increase customer satisfaction with the website to 90%, as measured by customer survey’.

Alternatively, ‘reduce support costs’ could be measured by analysing both website usage and call frequency to the call center.

In order for metrics to be effective, measure them before the project starts. This provides a baseline, and gives something to compare against.

Conclusion

Identifying key business goals should be the starting point for every CMS project. With these in hand, a system can be selected confident that the outcomes are measurable, and the business strategies will be met.

Putting metadata to work

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Metadata is ‘information about information’, used to describe, categorise and manage the content in a content management system (CMS).

Metadata is often seen as secondary information, to be sorted out once the CMS is up and running. At worst, it is seen as a bureaucratic burden to be ignored if at all possible.

It is neither of these things. Instead, it is the most valuable information stored within the CMS, and it offers many benefits.

Making metadata deliver on this promise is not hard, if you keep it in mind when you are designing and deploying your CMS.

This briefing shows how some of the common metadata types can be made to work for you. Beyond this, look for other ways in which metadata can be used creatively in your system.

Description (abstract)

Provides a brief outline or summary of the page contents, usually only a sentence or two. Use to:

* Display in search results, to provide a more accurate summary than the automatically generated abstract.

* Include in page metadata, to assist internet search engines.

* Display in automatically generated site navigation (this has been shown to considerably improve browsing success).

Content owner

Lists the person (or role) responsible for keeping the content up-to-date. Use to:

* Build a system for automatically notifying the owner when the content needs to be reviewed or revised.

* Automatically route feedback messages to the relevant person.

Publishing dates

The date to publish a page to the live site, and when to remove it. Use to:

* Prevent accidental early release of sensitive information.

* Co-ordinate the release of information written by different teams.

Metadata is what makes a CMS so effective

Review dates

In addition to the publishing dates, this specifies when pages should be reviewed for accuracy and currency. Use to:

* Ensure information is up-to-date.

* Combine with the content owner information to build an automated notification system for reviews.

* Track the overall currency of the site, as a measure (metric) of ongoing project success.

Keywords

The topics covered by a page. This can just be typed in by the authors, or selected out of a list (known as a controlled-term index). By far the most important information captured for a topic. Use to:

* Bring important topics to the top of search results (give keywords a high weighting in the search engine).

* Build an online ‘back of the book’ index for users to browse.

* Provide authors with a way of easily finding pages that need to be updated.

* Generate ‘related pages’ links automatically.

Custom metadata

Many CMSs allow custom metadata fields to be defined. Use these to capture business-specific information, such as product details for pages in an online catalogue. Use to:

* Automatically build powerful navigation that matches the specific nature of the information being published.

* Link related pages together (such as ’see other fridges in this price category’).

* Present the same information in different ways, or different locations, depending on the metadata.

Tags: content management, content management systems, metadata

What is metadata?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

what is metadata?

The most accurate description of metadata is that it’s ‘data about data’. This is pretty abstract however.

Perhaps a better description is that metadata is the details about the page, such as the name of the page, or who created it.

This information can be kept hidden behind the scenes, or listed on the published pages. Metadata may be very simple, or extremely powerful (and complex), depending on the situation and business needs.

Metadata is fundamental for sites but often misunderstood

The purpose of metadata

There are two fundamental purposes for metadata on intranets and websites:

* helping end users find what they are looking for, via search or navigation

* helping authors and administrators manage the site

Metadata such as title, keywords or description helps to provide better descriptions for pages on the site.

This can be used to improve the quality of search results in the site search engine, as well as helping to ‘promote’ more important pages to the top of the results lists.

Note, however, that most of the public search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Live Search no longer make use of metadata on sites, due to the problem of spam or falsified data.

The metadata is therefore only used on the onsite search, or in site navigation.

Metadata can also be used to improve the manageability of the site. By capturing author, review data and expiry date, the problem of out-of-date content can be addressed (if not fully resolved).

Knowing who is the ‘owner’ of a page can also help to route feedback, and support other similar processes.

This kind of behind-the-scenes metadata, and the management benefits it offers, is one of the primary drivers for many content management system projects.

Beyond these two uses, there may be a mandated requirement for metadata, particularly within government agencies. While this metadata may be very extensive, it should still be assessed against these two fundamental purposes, and the principles outlined later in this article.

Standard metadata fields

Most content management systems, portals and other publishing tools support seven metadata fields:

* title

* keywords

* description

* publish date

* review date

* expiry date

* author

These are provided out-of-the-box by almost all tools, and can be mostly taken for granted (although there are still some tools which don’t even support these fields).

Depending on the publishing tools being used, it may be simple, hard or impossible to go beyond these metadata fields.

Some tools will ‘bake in’ these standard metadata fields, with no possibility of going beyond them. This is not uncommon in content management systems focused on marketing-driven public websites.

Other tools can add metadata fields as additional customisation or development. A smaller proportion of tools offer simple ‘point-and-click’ interfaces for adding and maintaining these metadata fields.

Of course, like all things relating to content management systems, if you don’t need the flexibility, don’t ask for it. Simpler is better.

Seven metadata fields are supported as standard.

Search engine friendly CMS: Choose the best one

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content management system is being now widely used for publishing, creating, editing and archiving electronic text. Actually, it is above and all a computer application system that allows its user to make necessary changes in content without relying on external assistance all the time. In short, CMS has ushered a revolution in the field of web development by facilitating the task of adding or modifying content in a website. However, most of us have a common notion that CMS and search engine optimization are two contradictory concepts but the fact is just the different. Modern content management systems are much advance as compared to their previous versions. They now have more advance features, which have made them search engine friendly as well as user friendly.

Choosing the Right CMS

Static website has become a rarity in the online industry as it does not allow a user to make necessary changes in its content if he does not have professional exposure in this domain. However, you can break free from this limitation by integrating a content management system in your website. Mambo, Joomla, Wordpress, Drupal etc are some of the popular content management systems that are available for free online. However, you need to check out some basic SEO issues that are intrinsically associated with updating content in CMS:

Custom HTML Tags

Most of the search engine friendly CMS offers some flexibility of using HTML tags. You have to make sure that you can use some common HTML tags such as tags for subheadlines or headline and “nofollow” tags for links. Besides, you need to make sure that your chosen CMS will allow you to make some changes in the HTML manually. You need to make sure that you can access built-in features of your CMS without facing any hassle.

Anchor Text Flexibility

Internal linking of anchor text is a vital issue that you should give utmost attention while choosing a CMS for your website. A SEO friendly CMS should offer this flexibility at any cost.

Intelligent Categorization

A poor category structure is as worthless as poorly formed URL. The accessibility of pages should not be limited just because a CMS does not have that flexibility. In order to avoid this situation, you need to opt for a CMS that offers customizable navigation panels.

301-Redirect

It is a fact that most of the CMS does not have this crucial feature, which often plays a critical role in the optimization of a website. 301-redirect is indispensable for those pages, which are being removed or are expired temporarily or permanently.

Static Caching

If your website is getting a large volume of traffic on regular basis, you should opt for a CMS, which offers caching options. If your CMS does not have this feature, you are on the verge of loosing media attention because connection error is bound to occur in such situation.

Static URL

No longer you will have to bear with dynamic URLs. Most of the content management systems are now offering a unique chance to create keyword rich static URL. Be sure check out this feature before making a final decision.

These are some of the issues that you should consider carefully before choosing the perfect SEO friendly CMS for your website.

The disadvantageous aspects of custom CMS and the beneficial characteristics of open source CMS

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The disadvantageous aspects of custom CMS and the beneficial characteristics of open source CMS

If you still have this false notion that in today’s world nothing could be availed free of cost, then you are absolutely wrong. There is the Open Source CMS, since no money has to be invested for using it; nowadays most of the online users, running their own sites prefer to use it. However, still now in some situations Custom CMS has to be used, but these cases are truly rare. Usually custom CMS needs to be used for the management of those sites that don’t deal with the usual text editing.

Honestly speaking in recent times custom CMS is out of everyone’s usage and the main reason behind it is the rising popularity of legendary open source. There will be nothing wrong to say that that the key benefit of using these open source CMS is that they can be customized to the fullest.

On the other hand, if you want to add some other functionality, you can easily add it by putting less effort. Added to this, online help as well as extensive documentation through community forums can prove to be useful for getting rid of any of your issues, during the web development procedure. But the custom based CMS do not provide those flexibilities, instead it costs good amount of money.

It has been observed that once you get one of the custom CMS, accommodating additional requirements again becomes painful. In the true sense, the main drawback of a custom CMS is that it makes the web development procedure more time consuming and it is also costly.

These are probably the reasons, why in a good web development company open source CMS is mainly used for the purpose of custom web programming.

Content Creation

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content Creation

When the user enters content such as an article and creates the article title the CMS needs to follow normal guidelines for the Title Tag, Meta Description Tag, Meta Keywords Tag and the file info. Only one keyword rich file name should be associated with the article. The filename is the unique identifier for the article and all related info.

Title Tags

Title Tags should be between 65 & 70 characters long including spaces. If the user enters an article title that is not over the maximum characters the title is left as is. If it’s longer, the system asks for a revision with suggestions or else gives the user the option to keep it as is. If the user wants to keep it longer than the max, it should tell the user to put the most important keywords in the first 65 characters. Once a Title Tag is entered, the CMS should do a “Duplicate Check” and see if there are any duplicates in the System. If there are, the CMS should notify the user and offer the ability to edit either Title or to accept.

Meta Description Tags

The CMS can use the first 30 words of the body copy of the article or two complete sentences, whichever is shorter, as the Meta Description and allow the user to edit. The same rules as the Title Tag apply. The user has the option to not add a Meta Description Tag.

Meta Keywords Tags

The CMS should pull out all stop words from the Title Tag and the Meta Description Tags (e.g. commas, dashes, “a”, “to”, “for”, etc.) and provide the user with a list of all remaining words separated by commas. The user can edit the words, add/remove commas, etc. Once the Meta Keywords Tag is accepted the CMS should do a Duplicate Check.

Category Selection

Once the article has been entered into the CMS, the user can select a category and assign the article to the category.

Multimedia Files: Images/pdf/Video, etc.

If there’s an image, video, pdf or other multimedia file associated with the article there needs to be a category structure based on the type of content (e.g. latimes.com/images). At the time of uploading images ask user for the alt tag. Ask the user if they want to change image name. If the user changes the name check the desired name against a list of all image names to make sure it is unique.

Text links

It can be helpful to the user to provide a way to autogenerate internal links so they don’t need to keep pulling up the site and finding urls to link to. We recommend creating a file alias or one word in the file name (e.g. first word) to create text links. If the user is adding new article to a section or editing an article the CMS highlights the word to link to another post and autogenerates the link, anchor text and title attribute if the user requests it. The user should be able to edit all elements of the link

Are You Ready for CMS?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

So you've planned your Web site and have decided to use a content management system (CMS). Are you ready for it?

Gauging your readiness involves taking a look at who your Web site stakeholders are. Some stakeholders may want to manage their own sections of your Web site. You might want to consider what kind of governance to have in place. Do you want it centralized or spread out over various groups who claim ownership of the content? If you have multiple players in management of the content, it's a good idea to ensure that each is ready to support the CMS. Without such commitment, your development and implementation can drag on or even fail.

The worst thing you can do is fly by the seat of your pants, forever reacting to problems and issues instead of marshalling the resources and talents to maintain your CMS. It's a good idea to have some type of governance in place and keep the CMS experience a positive one. A CMS handles most of the risk-prone tasks, reducing the level of risk and failure. It also requires little experience and can be mastered in a short time.

Best Reasons for Using a CMS

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A great way to gain control of your Web site is to use a content management system (CMS). With a CMS, you can maintain your site quickly and easily. Publishing is simple. Re-working some of the elements takes little effort. You've don't have to be a tech guru to run a Web site that uses CMS.

Editing content is easy if you know how to use a word processor. The editing interface to the content is often WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get. Move a page element, and you get to see just what the user will see.

With a CMS, you can apply templates to your Web pages. These templates ensure that the page presentation is consistent. For instance, you want to change the background color of your page. Do you have to edit each page? No. All you do is modify the template. The CMS takes care of the rest.

Perhaps you feel a CMS would be to "boxy" for you. Not at all. You can customize the CMS as much as you want. There are a multitude of widgets and features you can apply.

The best part of using a CMS is organization. From a management perspective, your Web site has a systematic feel to it. Content arrangement has logic. You have greater control over what items are included, how, and where.

As time goes by, you'll be glad you built your Web site using a CMS. You don't have to change code every time the site needs to be updated. You can manage its content and locate items, no matter how large your Web site has grown.

CMS for Collaboration

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

As a collection of documents and other relevant information types, a content management system (CMS) goes a long way to manage work flow, especially in a setting that requires collaboration. The processes undertaken to manage the collection may be either manual or computer-based. Whatever the case, the purpose of a CMS is to make it possible for large numbers of people to participate efficiently and effectively in information contribution and sharing.

This data or information can be anything – documents, graphics, audio, video, diagrams. What type of data is being stored is not important. What are important are timeliness and the ease of accessibility to the data. Stored data is of little use unless it can be accessed easily and in a timely manner.

Any CMS facilitates both data storage and retrieval; thus, mechanisms are in place to govern how information is stored and retrieved. Mechanisms govern how material is protected, not only from inappropriate access, but from inadvertent overwrites and deletion. Synchronization is a valuable aspect of any content management system.

Access to stored data is generally controlled via defined user roles. Some users may have read-only access. Others may read and edit, while others may take on more management tasks such as purging outdated information and moving data to more relevant categories, as appropriate.

In essence, a CMS improves communication and collaboration within a team environment and protects the information generated by and provided to that team. But more importantly, a CMS has the capacity to present the right information to the right people at the right time.

CMS and Risk Reduction

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The content management system (CMS) is an enterprise that saves time and improves access to data and information. It can also help reduce risk.

Although protecting and maintaining current documents is essential to an ongoing project, historical information and "lessons learned" deserve the same. Information from past projects often goes a long way to furthering the events of a current project.

Historical information can detail how a particular resource was applied, how a given application performed, how a team met its milestones and gateways. "Lessons learned" bring valuable information to current projects by detailing what went wrong and why as well as what went right and way. To reduce risk now and in the future, this kind of information deserves protection.

Not only does a CMS protect information, it helps reduce errors intrinsic to manual paper handling. It reduces the risk of lost documents. It protects information from overwrites, inappropriate modifications, and deletions. A CMS gives an organization control over how its data is maintained and distributed.

CMS Monitoring and Audit Statistics

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content management system (CMS) gives an organization the means to track and audit information storage and retrieval. What information is being stored and where? Who is storing? Who is retrieving? How often? All the details about a particular information element, -- whether it be a document, photo, audio file, or video file – can be monitored, providing statistics about its usage, including accountability.

The ability to monitor statistics helps improve workflow and efficiency by identifying bottlenecks, what types of issues arise, and which groups or individuals are making use of the system and when.

Identifying issues makes it possible for an organization to make better use of a CMS. Processes can be streamlined. Security can be improved. Features can be added and enhanced.

CMS Sets Standards

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

By its very nature, a content management system (CMS) facilitates standardization. It can help protect the corporate image and branding.

Most content management systems function on a template structure. If someone is to create a corporate document, that person selects the appropriate standardized corporate template. Certain elements will be included in all documents of the type selected. A strict format is established. The author cannot eliminate certain features from the document because they are inserted as the document is posted to the system. For example, the corporate logo is always positioned in a specific manner, or the corporate address is always formatted according to a set standard. Data is automatically converted into formats suitable for the target audience. Even legacy documents can be standardized.

Established standardization protects the corporate image. Standardization removes any risk that the company may be represented in an inconsistent manner as various groups and individuals prepare a multitude of documents, press releases, presentations, training materials, and other such information that will be distributed outside the corporation.

Objections to Using a CMS

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CMS advocates shouldn't be surprised if they encounter objections to incorporating a content management system (CMS) into their organizations. Such objections can come from all levels, from content developers, application developers, and even managers. The most determined objections revolve around arguments related to cost, learning curves, and administration.

Content developers often resist a CMS because it can add to their work, alter their routines, and insert the burden of accountability. In pre-CMS environments, content developers used traditional word processing tools almost as second nature. Most of their cognitive effort went to the creation of content, which they handed off to publishers. With a CMS, the content developer becomes the publisher, with all the accountability and responsibility that entails. The content developer must learn a new tool – the CMS – to both create and publish. A great chunk of the cognitive effort now goes to manipulating content within the tool. The effort becomes task-oriented, not content-oriented. In addition, content developers are now subject to an approval process, adding to the accountability. Content developers can perceive a CMS as bringing on extra work.

Application developers often resist a CMS because it may not be as fast as their tried-and-true tools. They can't get right into the code to modify it. With a CMS, they must adhere to certain standards and abandon various tricks and shortcuts they have learned. A CMS may not be as flexible as they would like. Much of their cognitive effort goes to applying the tool, rather than applying their second nature skills. In addition, application developers may perceive a CMS as a threat to job security.

Managers have visions of higher cost and more administrative responsibilities, even additional headcount. The question asked is: What is the return on investment (ROI)? By far, the greatest hurdle to management acceptance of a CMS is the cost. Implementing a CMS is not cheap in terms of financial outlay, staff time, and implementation. Administration is another point of objection. Who will maintain and manage the system? Does this mean hiring additional staff or does it mean outsourcing? Or does it mean that managers will assume these responsibilities? For managers, incorporating a CMS into the organization comes down to cost.

Overcoming objections to a content management system means addressing the issues of the staff who are to use it.

CMS Usability

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A good content management system (CMS) can present the right information to the right people at the right time. But getting to that point can be a challenge. If a CMS is not usable, the right people probably won't receive the right information at the right time. Then the whole point of having a CMS is lost.

Incorporating a CMS into an organization is not just a matter of adding a tool that everyone is expected to learn; it is the integration of processes under a single management umbrella. Its components must function in a synergistic manner to provide optimum usability. Disconnected processes such as content creation, publishing, management, storage, and retrieval become connected. For example, in a good CMS, it is not possible to publish a new document to replace an outdated one if that outdated document has been checked out for modification. In other words, there are mechanisms in place to protect content. But if a CMS is not usable, if it is cumbersome and complex, any effort to increase productivity and efficiency falls by the wayside. When most of the effort goes to getting through the tool instead of using its content, the CMS fails to be useful.

To prevent user resistance, a useful CMS must be easy to learn. The functions and processes of the CMS must have some relevance to the user without forcing the user to leap through complicated features to accomplish some task. It is vital to CMS acceptance that the processes that are relevant to the users are examined and detailed so that functions and tasks can proceed without complication. It is essential that maintenance and control be defined, as well as search features and indexing.

All the upfront effort must be devoted to examining how the CMS fits into the organization. Only after a good foundation is defined is it possible to determine the best CMS tool for the organization and what customizations might be necessary. If a CMS is usable, its acceptance and actual use are more likely. The business goals of helping the worker to be more efficient and effective and of presenting information in a timely manner to the public can be attained.

CMS and Storage

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content management system (CMS) stores information in the form of documents, images, audio files, diagrams, and presentations to be retrieved on demand. That one single aspect of the CMS is causing problems. As document libraries grow, they place an ever-growing strain on long-term physical storage capacity, search and index functions, efficiency, and ultimately cost.

Although adding more disks is an inexpensive solution, doing so adds to storage management issues. It impacts storage and retrieval performance. In the end, however, there will be no more room for more disks. At some point, the space problem must be faced.

Forward planning can help forestall storage issues. Decide what to store, how much, and for how long. Determine if any currently stored information is redundant, has outlived is usefulness, or is no longer relevant. One of the primary causes of space strain is the repeated storage of the same documents. Content management systems help track and monitor for duplicates. They help in the decisions on schedules to archive material or purge it. They help with decisions to flag documents for retention.

Another technique is deduplication, a single-instance strategy that examines information as it is about to be stored. Deduplication determines if the information has already been saved. If the information has already been saved, deduplication replaces the new copy with a pointer to the old copy, a single instance.

Whatever technique is applied, it is essential to plan for potential storage issues.

CMS Business Benefits

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content management system (CMS) has a number of business benefits as it manages the entire life cycle of information from creation to archival. For internal use, it helps teams communicate and collaborate. From a business perspective, a CMS supports business goals and strategies with the highest potential to improve sales, increase customer approval, and support communications with the public.

Providing accurate timely information to the public is a good way to stimulate sales. As news of a new product or feature comes to light, interested people begin searching for more information and reading up on details. A CMS streamlines content creation and publication. Turnaround times for new information and updates are briefer, giving the public faster access to the details they seek. A Web site driven by a CMS offers users logical site navigation and efficient search features, all to ensure that the public has access to the information of interest.

A CMS standardizes how information is presented. Format and structure are consistent as content creators use templates for documents and as the CMS itself ensures that certain elements are consistently applied to the material. Its security measures can help ensure that material is not inadvertently deleted and that confidential information cannot be accessed by inappropriate users.

One business goal is to present information in a timely fashion and protect it while keeping costs down. A CMS offers those capabilities.

CMS Workflow

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content management system (CMS) supports decentralized content creation and publishing. A content creator can be anyone with privileges to create content and publish to a specific content area of the CMS. For example, someone responsible for media relations can create and publish press releases. Someone responsible for product information can create and publish catalog entries. Project teams can develop project documents. The business model itself can govern content responsibility within the CMS.

Workflow capabilities built into a CMS help support content creation, approval, updates, maintenance, and publication. Content creators use an authoring interface often integrated within the CMS itself. The CMS gives content creators a non-technical means to remotely manage content without having to rely on an application development team to publish it. This interface offers features to route documents for approval prior to publication. It offers features to notify team members of updates and new project documents.

Workflow established for the type of information being created and published helps reduce chaos and oversights. Documents are assigned appropriately, approved as required, and published as needed.

Content Management Systems For Linux?

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content Management Systems For Linux?

zoneranger asks:"I've recently been for an interview with part of a large global news company (naming no names)... I'd been sent for jobs in Linux Sysadmin, but found out shortly after arriving that they only used Solaris. Enquiring more deeply, they were basically using Netscape Web Server (mmm...) and Net Gravity, with an unnamed RDBMS in there as well. They also said that instead of taking out maintenance on the boxen, they would just buy another one if problems occurred, and roll it out. It occurred to me therefore that the only reason they weren't using Linux on whatever hardware was simply down to software availability, so my question is: Are there any CMS's for Web Development/etc. under Linux that the 'big boys' would use? Are people using Zope, etc., out there to enable just about everyone to submit content? "

CMS- Online Publishing Industry

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CMS- Online Publishing Industry

This is a term which is commonly used in the online publishing industry. Its objective is to simplify the creation and administration of online content (articles, reports, pictures, ad banners, etc.) used in publications. For example, let's consider a fictitious news website called AlphaBetaNews.com. This news site has 100 reporters scattered all over the country. In order to avoid a publishing nightmare, there has to be some means to manage all the articles that the reporters send in each day. This management is enabled by the the CMS by:

* Separating content from presentation: Reporters just need to concentrate on delivering their content (e.g. By uploading MS-Word documents or by entering directly into a web template) and not worry about layout considerations of their article like where the image will appear, how big the headlines will be, etc. All such presentation, and layout considerations are taken care of by the publishing templates. These are layout and presentation blueprints that would make sure that Reporter25's article and Reporter88's article have a consistent look and feel to them.

* Enforcing workflow processes: The articles sent in by the reporters are first approved by editors before publication. And when they are published, the articles are kept "live" for a particular period of time, after which they are backed up and archived.

To implement Content Management System

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

To Implement CMS

To implement content management system that really works, business and IT must think beyond internal processes and technology. If your organization keeps in mind the users who will interact with the content as well as the range of types of content, then your CMS is much more likely to succeed.

However, users and content are only the inputs that go into your CMS. Understanding the content lifecycle is the final missing piece. In part two of this series, I’ll examine additional design methods that can help illuminate the early content lifecycle—how the content is managed—as well as the content’s end lifecycle when it finally lands in the hands of end-users.

The primary reasons small- and medium-size businesses should invest in a content-management system

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

What are the primary reasons small- and medium-size businesses should invest in a content-management system and what are the top benefits they can expect to see in return for their investment?

It's not clear to me that small companies should invest in content-management systems. Even systems with initially low or free licensing costs can be complex to implement and maintain over time. SMBs should carefully evaluate total cost of ownership of any system, which is likely to be some multiple of the software license.

The key business drivers should be:

* Need for regulatory compliance

* Desire for more interactive customer experience

* Requests to streamline and simplify editorial processes in multi-contributor publishing environments

Those companies that are information-rich, or where their product is essentially information, should pay closer attention to content-management technologies than those SMBs where content is lubricant or byproduct of their main business.

CMS market appears somewhat fragmented in terms of product categories

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The CMS market appears somewhat fragmented in terms of product categories. What is the different between what's dubbed an Enterprise Content Management system and a document-management system, for example?

The CMS market is incredibly fragmented in various ways and—despite analyst predictions otherwise--getting more fragmented with each passing year as smaller suppliers get bigger and new vendors enter the market. For example, we estimate there are more than 2,000 products around the globe that call themselves Web content management systems. Eighty percent of them, though are very local solutions.

But, as you suggest, it is also fragmented functionally. As a practical matter, there is no such thing as an “ECM” product. There are vendors who sell ECM suites, which are typically composed of multiple products that solve specific problems. These include:

* Imaging

* Document Management

* Web Content Management

* Digital Asset Management

* Collaboration

* Workflow

* E-mail Management ... and so on.

Most customers buy these as individual products. When a vendor say “Enterprise” management system, they would seem to imply a more scalable system; in reality, buyers should watch their wallets here.

What role do portals and search functions, respectively play in CMS systems? Are they critical components?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

What role do portals and search functions, respectively play in CMS systems? Are they critical components?

Search is essential, especially once the number of items in any repository exceeds 5,000 to 10,000. Search becomes the core way that employees find the documents or Web pages they want to work on. Evaluating the search engine that bundles with any content- management system should be an important part of any solution selection.

Portals play a somewhat different (and definitely optional) role. Like some content-management systems, portals are capable of delivering personalized, dynamic content; but their greatest value lies in exposing information from a variety of information sources (not just your content and document repositories).

What's the downside?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

What's the downside?

Introducing a Content Management System is no small matter for an eBusiness, it is a strategic tool. In developing your system, you will expose process and infrastructure issues that may have been papered over for some time, and be forced to resolve them. However, as the scope and scale of content delivered to customer touchpoints increases, it becomes a basic equirement of being in eBusiness. Without it, your ambitions for growth are unsustainable.

6 core CMS requirements

Almost every CMS will require the following:

1. Automated, audited workflow/signoff process

2. Templating

3. Roles-based security management

4. Scheduled launch and archiving

5. Integration with back office systems such as campaign management tools

6. Scalability

You don't need a CMS (yet) if...

At least 4 of the following are true:

* You have a small organisation where web publishing is in-house, and can communicate exceptionally well with content creation

* Your site is small and doesn't update frequently in content or structure

* Your online operation doesn't perform any personalisation

* You don't integrate content between the web site and retail outlets, call centres, email newsletters or other channels

* You don't need to manage specifications from R&D to customer support

* You are not offering customers a community where they can contribute to a site

* One individual has intimate knowledge of the entire site (and others have intimate knowledge over their own sections)

Planning document management

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Know what is document management?
Identify document management participants and stakeholders
Analyze document usage
Plan document libraries
Plan content types
Plan workflows for document management
Plan versioning, content approval, and check-outs
Plan Information Rights Management
Plan information management policies
Plan enterprise content storage

Simplified CRM Implementation

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Simplified CRM Implementation

In many traditional Direct Marketing scenarios, an audience may be segmented into a dozen segments. In the online environment, where all user interactions are mediated by IT systems, users may be segmented into unique individuals. Managing many thousands of individually customised sites is no simple job.

Campaign Management tools will manage the users' preferences and behaviours, while Content Management tools will manage content that they will access. At the point of delivery (the web site, or email campaign), the two groups meet and content will be selected for a user to reflect their preferences and behaviours. Best-of-Breed players in each segment will relatively easily integrate, enabling rapid construction of eCRM solutions.

Identifying participants

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Check:

Who in your organization creates content?
What types of content do they create?
Who reviews content?
Who edits content?
Who uses content?
Who approves the publication of content?
Who designs Web sites used for hosting content?
Who sets guidelines and policies for managing content?
Who manages records in your organization?
Who deploys and maintains the servers on which documents are stored?

Analyzing content usage

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

After you identify your content participants, collect information from them. This will help you in analyzing the content used. This is an important part of the planning process because the analysis helps you to determine:

How document libraries are structured?
Which site templates to use?
How many sites you will need?
Which information management policies to apply to the sites?
Which physical server topology you will need to implement your solution?

CMS Benefits

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CMS Benefits

No more accidents

With a CMS, it becomes very difficult for content assets to be on the site accidentally. Any updates must pass through commissioning, creation and one or more predefined signoff steps before the system will publish it. The resulting audit trail provides accountability for each action.

Job sharing

Many sites are operated by a team distributed between offices, companies or even countries and notifying a participant of an assigned task becomes more complicated than calling across the room. The CMS could notify a participant by email, by SMS (mobile phone text messaging), by fax or even by auto-generated letter. Because all the major tools have a web interface, participants can perform their task and view its results from anywhere with web access. And with a sensible CMS security model, you can be sure that only authorised people can perform authorised tasks.

Advance and refresh

You can specify dates and times for the content to go live and be archived or removed, along with the contents target audience segments. You can also impose review dates to ensure that information is not simply left on the site to rot until a new product replaces it. The responsible area will need to rubberstamp the content as still valid, commission a replacement or archive/delete it. If content is removed or archived, the CMS will ensure that the remaining content is still structurally consistent, without leaving orphaned links to the deleted asset.

Speed to market

When you have a CMS, you suddenly have a tremendous advantage in the time it takes to react to market intelligence. You can write, edit and publish updates in a matter of minutes without suffering from "WebMaster Bottleneck". If your product globally propagates a virus, updates at this pace could be essential.

Reduced maintenance costs

By automating the building of pages on your site, you will cut substantial sums from the site's maintenance costs. A reasonably content rich site could need 250 or more updates a day, each averaging around 2 man-hours to produce and test. As a Web Publisher with the competence to get the edits right and not break the site will cost from £150-£200 per day, you could be cutting £12,000 from your bottom line every working day.

Version Control

At its simplest, this means that you know, and can control, what content is supposed to be live today, what is sitting ready to go live next week, and what is being prepared by your team for the week after, and keep them separate on an piece-by-piece basis.

It also means that you can have one version of a news story live now, one being written to update it in an hour's time, and one incorporating the press release which is embargoed until tonight.

Simplified CRM Implementation

Content Syndication

Many sites are now pulling content from, and pushing content to, systems run by other organisations, best handled by a CMS. At its simplest, this will allow you to pull headlines and articles from a relevant news site, or gain an income stream by syndicating your own material to other site. Alternatively, it could be a way to share product specifications, prices, marketing information and availability with suppliers and vendors.

If you're selling to a large retailer, expect them to demand product features delivered directly to their CMS within the next year. Planning and building this facility before they do so will win you a major advantage.

Silicon.com reported last year that a number of b2b procurement marketplaces are struggling with the many catalogue formats they are managing, and are unable to satisfy either suppliers or buyers. A CMS will automatically handle the interfaces and pull content from multiple vendors without missing a beat.

Control of non-web content, channel integration and business re-engineering

Companies traditionally put web-production into a silo. Often, the first that a web team would hear about a new product would be when the first public ads were released. To be really effective, the web channel needs to be integrated into the core business as other communication channels are, which has implications regarding workflow and signoff of communication.

In the journey towards an effective CMS strategy, conflicts between departmental silos will be unearthed. Introducing a CMS can be the lever to ensure that R&D talk to marketing, rather than throwing products over the wall and expecting them to be sold without customer insight. If implemented completely, product information can flow between marketing, R&D and suppliers in a smooth flow, reducing departmental conflict.

Furthermore, it can be the lever which ensures that the eCRM nirvana of cross-channel, single customer view comes about, as the customer will be able to view the same content as the call centre and the sales force and the marketing department.

Reduced risk of litigation and adverse customer reaction

Publishing the wrong price or availability information on your site can bring strongly negative PR and class-action lawsuits, and hit your margins. Similarly, some industries - finance and pharmaceuticals for example - are highly regulated, where communicating the wrong interest rate or disclaimers can have serious legal consequences. By systemising the publishing of your content through automated workflows, you can ensure that all content is checked and signed off before it is publicly exposed.

Alternatively, you may wish to develop a user community by enabling users to contribute to your site. As Lawrence Godfrey's successful action against Demon shows, you may be held liable for defamatory content merely by providing a forum for the third parties who produce it. Ensuring that all content supplied by a user group perhaps numbering in the thousands is approved and launched in appropriate timescales and is available for removal will require all the automation help that you can get.

Content types can specify...

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content type defines the attributes of a list item, a document, or a folder. Each content type can specify:

Properties to associate with items of its type.
Workflows that can be launched from items of its type.
Information management policies to associate with items of its type.
Document templates (for document content types).
Document conversions to make available (for document content types).
Custom features.

What is a website?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A website (also spelled web site) is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network.

A web site is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network.

What is a web page?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A web page is a document, typically written in plain text interspersed with formatting instructions of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML, XHTML). A web page may incorporate elements from other websites with suitable markup anchors.

Accessing web pages on the Internet

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Web pages are accessed and transported with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which may optionally employ encryption (HTTP Secure, HTTPS) to provide security and privacy for the user of the web page content. The user's application, often a web browser, renders the page content according to its HTML markup instructions onto a display terminal.

All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web.

The pages of a website can usually be accessed from a simple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) called the homepage. The URLs of the pages organize them into a hierarchy, although hyperlinking between them conveys the reader's perceived site structure and guides the reader's navigation of the site. Some websites require a subscription to access some or all of their content.

Examples of subscription sites include many business sites, parts of many news sites, academic journal sites, gaming sites, message boards, web-based e-mail, services, social networking websites, and sites providing real-time stock market data.

Dos and donâ��ts while selecting a CMS

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

While choosing a CMS, you should keep the following points in mind:

1. Select a right time while choosing CMS

2. Don’t rush into purchasing a new piece of technology before fully understanding the problem to be solved.

3. Try to understand the features available in products, key challenges in implementing CMS products, common problems with the design of CMS products and its functionality and scope

4. Distinguishing between requirements and selection criteria

5. Focus on ‘what you want’ not ‘how to achieve’

Uses of Web CMS

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Web Content Management Systems can be used to create information portals that serve as the backbone of data management.

Along with the database handling facilities, the software modules also allows to contribute information to a website via a graphical user interface (GUI).

At the company level, Content management systems (CMS) stores and manages organization’s electronic document and Web content so that the employee of the company can reuse the information across different applications.

The web published content can also be distributed to customers and business partners outside the organization.

The content in the CMS can also be shared by e-commerce and customer relationship management systems (CRM).

Web Publishing system enables you to establish a consistent look and feel throughout your site, but gives your non-technical content authors the power to publish and update their own content using simple, but powerful, browser-based tools.

Participants in the web publishing CMS system

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

There are three basic participants in the web publishing CMS system:

· Content Editors: These are the people who decide what content to publish and where to publish it

· Content Publishers: Those who actually publishes the content on the web

· Content Authors: Those who create the content for the web

Content that can be published using CMS

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A wide range of content can be published using the system.

This can be characterized as:

· Simple pages for normal presentation

· Complex pages, with specific layout and presentation

· Dynamic information sourced from databases and will change on regular time intervals

· Training material

· Online manual

· General business documents

· Thousands of pages in total for different categories of customers

· Extensive linking between pages

Features of a CMS

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Easy to Use
100% Web Based Interface
Group Based Permissions
Approval Workflow
Email Notifications
User Dashboard
Choice of WYSIWYG Editor, or power HTML Editor
Administrative Preferences
Visual Site Overview
Rich Multimedia Support
Separate Content from Form
Central Asset Repository
Content Tagging
Audit Trail
Content Versioning
Integrated Site Search
Press Releases Module
Rich Internet Support
Custom Content Objects
Password Protected Pages with Login
Dynamic Form Builder
Print Friendly View
E-mail to a Friend
Dynamic Navigation Menu and Site Map
Instant Dynamic Page Rendering
Configurable Page Caching System
Fully Addressable URL's
Scalable for Concurrent Users
Cross Platform
Custom Integration with 3rd-Party Systems
Portlet Application Programming Interface

Factors to be considered before investing in CMS

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Two factors must be considered before an organization decides to invest in a CMS.

· Organization's size and geographic dispersion

· Diversity of the electronic data forms used within an organization

CMS in corporate sector

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Within a corporation, a CMS does a lot of things:

· provides Web access to Web page content owners directly

· allows for faster updates of Web pages

· provides an easy-to-use interface where content owners don't need to know HTML

· creates accountability, as most content managers can track logins and changes to various pages within the site

· upholds standardization rules

Phases of content management

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content creation

Here, the content, including text, graphics and photographs, is created as per the requirement.

Content management:

At this stage, one decided what content would be used on a particular page of the website. Here, one can use text only or a photograph or a conbination of two depending on the requirement.

Content delivery:

At this step, the content is actually delievered as per the requirement of the website or a particular page.

Ajiboye content management package

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

AJIBOYE CONTENT MANAGEMENT PACKAGE

A single site, multi-user content management system designed to be used by NON - TECHNICAL users for the updating and maintenance of Web sites, Intranets and Extranets. Ajiboye CMS package is an extremely powerful, user-friendly and flexible content management system designed to fit any corporate budget. If you are looking for a serious Content Management System, Ajiboye CMS Package is for you.

Self sufficiency in a CMS

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Self-sufficiency in a CMS

While it is important to identify key functional requirements when selecting a content management system (CMS), some of the most important issues relate to how the CMS works, rather that what it does.

In particular, the issue of self-sufficiency is one that should be addressed by all organisations looking to purchase a content management system.

The issue

Historically, organisations have focused almost exclusively on functional requirements when selecting a CMS. For example, the workflow capabilities of the product, or the publishing features.

In some cases, however, organisations have selected a CMS that matches all the requirements outlined in tender, only to find that the product does not meet their real needs in practice.

In many cases, this is due to a mismatch in expectations of what skills will be needed, or the amount of effort involved.

For example, a product may provide powerful workflow capabilities, but these may need extensive programming abilities to configure. If an organisation doesn’t have these skills then the budget can be blown out by expensive consulting, and the project can fail.

Two forms of self-sufficiency

To avoid encountering these issues, organisations should set clear expectations regarding their self-sufficiency in two areas:

* administration

* development

Self-sufficiency (administration)

Organisations are often looking to become more self-sufficient in the administration of their websites. In the context of a CMS, this includes:

* managing users

* creating or changing workflow rules

* restructuring the site

* modifying page templates

If self-sufficiency is required, the CMS should ideally provide a simple user interface in these areas. If programming is required to make these changes, the CMS team must have the skills and knowledge required.

On the other hand, changes to some aspects of the system (such as the page templates) may be very infrequent. In this case, self-sufficiency will be much less of a selection criteria.

Self-sufficiency (development)

Self-sufficiency in development relates to customising or extending the CMS product, beyond the levels offered by the product’s tools.

While administrative self-sufficiency is often desired, it is often not needed when it comes to development. In many cases, organisations may simply not have the internal IT resources to make these changes, and would prefer to look to the vendor for support in this area.

There may also be a desire to minimise customisation (to constrain project costs and risks), by looking to purchase an “out of the box” CMS product.

If self-sufficiency is required, then the CMS must be coded in a language that is understood by the internal developers. Open-source products are also a potentially effective approach, as they can provide the greatest degree of self-sufficiency regarding further development.

If self-sufficiency is not required, then the CMS can be treated as “black box”. In this situation, it is less important for the CMS to match the IT environment used in the rest of the organisation.

Tender documents

Organisations should decide on their levels of self-sufficiency in these two areas. More importantly, they should be documented, and included in the tender documents.

While this will give the prospective vendors valuable context, further work will be required to assess whether the products meet the identified criteria. In practice, this can often best be done via scenarios (see Using narrative in a CMS tender) or by pilot projects.

TYPES OF CMS

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

There are six main Types of CMS, with their respective domains of use:

Enterprise management systems:-An enterprise content management system is concerned with content, documents, details and records related to the organizational processes of an enterprise. The purpose is to manage the organization's unstructured information content, with all its diversity of format and location

Web CMS:-A 'web content management' (WCM) system is a CMS designed to simplify the publication of Web content to Web sites, in particular, allowing content creators to submit content without requiring technical knowledge of HTML or the uploading of files

Document Management Systems:is a computer system(or set of computer programs) used to track and store electronic documents,and/or imagesof paper documents. The term has some overlap with the concepts of content management systems.It is often viewed as a component,of enterprise content management,(ECM) systems and related to digital asset management,, document imaging,, workflow, systems and records management systems

Mobile Content management Systems:-are a type of content management system(CMS) capable of storing and delivering content and services to mobile devices, such as mobile phones, smart phones, and PDAs

;Component content management systems:-Component Content Management Systems (CCMS) manage content at a granular level (component) rather than at the document level. Each component represents a single topic, concept or asset (e.g., image, table, product description). Components are assembled into multiple content assemblies (content types) and can be viewed as components or as traditional documents. Each component has its own lifecycle (owner, version, approval, use) and can be tracked individually or as part of an assembly. CCM is typically used for multi-channel customer-facing content (marketing, usage, learning, support). CCM can be a separate system or be a functionality of another content management system type (e.g., ECM or Web Content Management).

Media content management systems:

Advantages of CMS

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Full control

over structure, content and design of your website. No programming knowledge is required while using our web based content management system, now you can stop spending money and effort on IT personnel. Online Manual will hone your skills in web site content managment fast and easy. Take an extensive control over your site!

Easy update:

with a complete range of content editing tools. Powerful Editor allows you to see what a web-page will look like and how everything will align. The Editor has an MS Word-like interface with standard tools for formatting text, tables and web tools for managing forms, images, files and links. Try our web-based Live Demo Site or watch a Flash Demo to see how the web site content management system works!

MONEY SAVER:

our web site content management system allows you to purchase only the value you need at the moment. Small business CMS consists of the modules, each of them performing certain task (Web-page Manager, Catalog Manager, News Manager, Backup Manager, Gallery Manager, etc.). You can start with an affordable content management package and extend the system as your e-business grows.

Definition of Web Content management system

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A ‘Web Content Management System’ (WCM, WCMS or Web CMS) can be defined as the content management system software implemented as a web application for creating and managing HTML content.

It is used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of web material that includes HTML documents and associated images.

It facilitates

Essential web maintenance functions

The WCMS provides authoring tools to allow users with little knowledge of programming languages or markup languages with relative ease.

Types of Web Content Management System

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

There are three major types of WCMS that describe the deployment pattern for the WCMS in terms of when presentation templates are applied to render Web pages from structured content.

Offline processing: Also known as baking systems: These systems pre-process all content, applying templates before publication to generate web pages. Since pre-processing systems do not require a server to apply the templates at request time, they may also exist purely as design-time tools.
Online processing (called ‘frying’ systems): These systems apply templates on-demand. HTML may be generated when a user visits the page or pulled from a cache. Most of the open source WCMSs have the capability to support add-ons that provide extended capabilities, including forums, web-stores, photo-galleries and contact-management. These are often called modules, nodes, widgets, add-ons or extensions. Add-ons may be based on an open-source or paid licence model.
Hybrid Systems: Some systems combine the offline and online approaches. Some systems write out executable code e.g. JSP, ASP, PHP, ColdFusion, or Perl pages rather than just static HTML, so that the CMS itself does not need to be deployed on every web server. Other hybrids, operate in either an online or offline mode.

Commonly-cited disadvantages of CMS

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Here are some of the commonly cited disadvantages of website content management systems (CMS). These disadvantages are so ridiculous, it's almost laughable. However, many uninformed website solution buyers fall for these. Don't be one!

1. Contains hundreds of files: A site that contains many files leaves itself open to errors. For example a client updating the site may create errors that result in substantially altering the design of the template.

2. Limited design flexibility: CMS sites primarily use templates for design. They are easy to recognise because they have a standard format.

3. Limited SEO of web pages: The web pages of a CMS site are generated dynamically. This often means the URLS of the web pages contain long strings that are a combination of words, numbers and/or symbols. Search engines have a difficult time spidering these types of pages. Not all web designers will care to edit the code to make the CMS site search engine compatible.

4. SEO Maintenance: Since CMS sites often contain hundreds of pages it may be difficult to optimise them.

5. Slow loading: Because a CMS site is database driven you need to wait for the pages to be processed by the server. Since there are hundreds of pages they may be slow to load. This will cause you to lose visitors as most internet users have a short attention span. A site should only take a few seconds to load.

6. Expensive design: CMS sites cost a lot more to design than static sites because a designer has to install and configure the database, design the template, then customize it to include all the extensions i.e. menus, polls, banners, forms etc.

7. Maintenance costs: Even the maintenance cost could be more if your CMS site suddenly produces errors, if your database server fails.

All of these are myths. They may be true 10 years ago, but they are certainly not true today. Almost all modern web content management systems offer a robust solution for managing the complexities of running large websites. And in many cases, it will cost you less long-term to build your website on a CMS, than to build each page statically using an PC hosted webpage editor software. Don't be fooled, if you are not sure, or have questions, speak with an experienced project manager today!

How CMS works?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A Content Management System works by storing pictures and text into a database. When a webpage is requested, the CMS system accesses the database and renders the webpage. Because the data is separated from the code, changes to the data can be made using a web interface that requires no knowledge of HTML or ftp.

Thus, first you need Content Management System Templates, i.e. series of files that contain the basic layout of your website or blog.

Following that Content Management Programming Language is needed to fetch the information stored in the database, format it and then present it to the viewer. e.g. PHP and ASP.NET (or ASP).

Then you need Content Management System Dashboard, where authorized users make changes to the website.

Then you need Content Management System Database that usually runs using a database like MySQL Database, Microsoft SQL Server, Flat File Database

Why Your Web Site Needs a Content Management System

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Why Your Web Site Needs a Content Management System

A Content Management System (CMS) allows you to easily update text, images, and other media on your Web site without having to write code. Whether you're updating quarterly reports, product details, or your daily online journal, a CMS makes changing your site's content quick and relatively easy.

A CMS is server-side software used to change the text and images contained in predefined templates. Most come equipped with standard editing tools to add hyperlinks, images, and basic text formatting like bold and italics or bulleted or numbered lists. While not as robust as stand-alone word processor software, a CMS can be used to compose original documents.

CMS software runs the gamut from enterprise-strength -- and costly -- products such as Vignette Content Management; these are only suitable for very large-scale sites. On the other end of the pricing scale, open-source CMS applications like Drupal and Joomla! are free to use. But you should be aware that formal technical support will cost you. But if you can't find answers on their community forums, they do have robust user-generated support communities. Blogging platforms, such as WordPress and Moveable Type, are really simple content management systems.

Most CMS packages can be installed by anyone who knows how to "FTP" into their server file structure. If you're uncomfortable doing this, you can pay a Web firm or contractor to install the CMS package for you. It's important to note that while a CMS will allow you to take control of your site's content, text, images, or similar items, making substantial changes to the design, layout, or architecture are often beyond their scope. Unless you have a good amount of technical knowledge or enjoy a challenge, large-scale changes are best left to a professional designer or Web developer.

For tips on hiring a Web professional, check out Simple Steps to Finding a Web Designer.

The CMS you choose will probably built on PHP and SQL, and use Cascading Style Sheets to control layout and design. If the last sentence made absolutely no sense to you, you'll probably want a professional to install and implement your CMS for you. As you write that check, console yourself with the reminder that, once the system is in place, updating your site's content will be easy.

A Crucial Tool for Web Developers

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

More often than not, the decisions that we make come down to a simple match up of time versus effectiveness. While this may not be true for every aspect of life or business, it is certainly true for those who own or maintain a website or attempt to operate an online business. In many cases, attempting to maintain a website or network of online sites can become more and more complex as time goes on. Despite this, though, there are methods and programs that can help to make life easier, especially when it comes to managing online content and various web sites. These systems are known as Content Management Systems, and they can be an invaluable tool to web site developers and owners.

However, before we begin to discuss the many benefits of a CMS, perhaps it is important to first understand what a content management system is and what it can do for a web site owner. Basically, a content management system is an online program and organizational tool that allows a one to manage a vast number of websites, keep track of changes and produce uniform changes quickly and efficiently across a wide spectrum of different pages. The best part about this procedure, though, is the ease and simplicity with which most content management systems operate. Far more so than making operations more complex or harder to work with, the typical content management system strives to make group actions and using and applying templates simple and uniform, making sure that websites stay the same from page and page and result in an overall high quality browsing experience.

Choosing Content Management Software for a Gaming Website

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Content Management Software are at the heart of any website. Whether it be for business, files, portfolio, entertainment, etc, a CMS can make life a whole lot easier and make time more efficient. However, finding the right CMS for your site can be tricky as different CMS are tailored to fit different kinds of sites. As for gaming sites, there are many options, ranging from free to hundreds of dollars, when it comes to content management. Here is a guide to some premium content management software for gaming sites as well as what aspects of a CMS should be looked at when shopping around.

First of all, most people will take a look at the readily available content management software like Mambo and PHP Nuke. However, although they are fairly efficient and customizable, they lack many of the features of a gaming specific CMS. When looking for a CMS of any kind, the main things to look for include price, customizability, and how easy it is to implement into an existing site. When looking for a gaming CMS, you have to look more specifically at whether it is properly suited to handle companies, cheats, multiple platforms, spotlight areas, ad management, screenshots and video clips, and adding games and articles for those games.

Content management software that are most suited to handle all of the aforementioned aspects include VGPortal, Cigmas Advanced, and OneCMS. Of these, Cigmas Advanced sets itself apart both with a fairly hefty price tag (well over $100) but also with its XHTML/CSS validation. VGPortal, despite being slightly cheaper (usually right around $100 to purchase), is not XHTML/CSS compliant and instead relies heavily on ugly tables. OneCMS is not completely XHTML/CSS compliant however carries only a $30 price tag. But these are just some of the examples of premium content management software; there are also many quality free CMS to be found.

Open Source Content Management Software - CMS

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Silverstripe is considered one of the best open source CMS. It provides many facilities regarding search engine optimization. Page keywords and descriptions can be easily entered by putting them in a couple of text boxes. Everything in a content management system is designed for the ease of use. Search engine optimization features are now included in Silverstripe, so it is not a hard task anymore.

Silverstripe uses Gsitemap support to enhance the search engine optimization capabilities of the content management system. It can become very difficult to submit a XML sitemap file associated with every entry on the content management system to Google, Yahoo and/or MSN. This functionality creates a gzipped sitemap XML file that is automatically submitted to Google. Some people need this facility to keep some pages away from the reach of Google bot as well. Excluding such pages from sitemap can provide the possible solution to this issue.

A Comparison between Static and Dynamic Websites-Introduction to CMS

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Content Management Systems (CMS) are widely used on the Internet. They separate the content creation from the site design. Users without having web design or programming knowledge can create a professional website using a ready-made application that allows them to concentrate only over the content creation. A site powered by a CMS is called a dynamic website, because its content (text, images, animations) could respond in various ways to the visitors' requests.

The dynamic content is created using client site programming (javascript for example) or server side programming (ASP, PHP). Static websites are made only from HTML files. In order to modify them you must edit one by one.

Usually CMS are database driven. The visitors will look at the frontend, which is the final website displaying your content, while the backend allows you to manage the content that is stored in a database.

Dynamic sites are easy to update and maintain. When you deal only with static html pages, the updating process could take hours, while the use of a CMS will simplify the content editing process. This is performed from an administration panel through a simple browser based interface. Another advantage of CMS is the increased interactivity and functionality of your website. Most of CMS have lots of modules that allow you to enhance your website in minutes, website development being faster as compared to creation of static html files.

For example you can have a news publishing system, a forum, a blog and an image gallery on the same website due to the CMS modularity. The disadvantages of CMS over static websites (formed only by HTML pages): low pages loading speed on client side due to multiple database requests and the SEO (search engine optimization) process is not always optimal due to the web addresses format, because the pages address names are dynamically generated.

These impediments can be eliminated by optimizing CMS using PHP cache optimizers and short URL's names generators. The best practice is to carefully decide when a CMS is necessary, depending of the website size, the time interval when the content is updated and the webhosting services details.

Role of a Content Management System

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The role of a content management system is to organize and store content regardless of type and complexity. The main goal of such a system is to provide a well structured, automated yet flexible solution allowing information to be freely distributed and instantly updated across various communication channels (such as the world wide web, intranet and miscellaneous front and back-end systems).

CMS concepts

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Every web site is a set of pages (static or database generated) linked to each other.

Navigation within the site is provided using:

- hyperlinks using images or text within the page

- menu system giving quick access to most important pages (main areas) of the site

- site map - showing a listing of all pages arranged in categories (headings or subheadings)

Different pages have different design, but usually follow have similar look and feel, which is represented in templates.

There are three types of functionalities that any web content management system will provide for:

- Maintaining the site (adding new pages, site hierarchy, maintainance tasks such as backups, checking for broken links etc...)

- Manipulating pages (Layout templates, and ability to manipulate content in those templates)

- Different add-ons, typically database-driven, dynamic functionality: simple example would be example guest book or feedback form. More complicated examples will include e-commerce functionality: shopping cart, user account, checkout procedure etc...

Other functionalities (for more complex solutions) are more to do with how the site, or group of sites is maintained and typically will include:

- users with various access levels

- page creation workflow and change history

- web analytics tools

What is a Content Management System?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content management system is a computer software system for organizing and facilitating collaborative creation of documents and other content. The software manages content (text, graphics, links, etc.) for distribution on a web server. Usually the software provides tools where users with little or no knowledge of programming languages and markup languages (such as HTML) can create and manage content with relative ease of use. Most systems use a database to hold content, and provide templates for a presentation layer which displays the content to regular Website visitors. Access to the CMS is typically made through a web browser, but some systems may be modified in other ways.

Content Management is used to refer to a range of technologies and techniques, including portal systems, wiki systems, and web-based groupware.

Glossary of CMS terms

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Glossary of CMS terms

Change

A change (or diff) represents a specific modification to a document under version control.

Conflict

A conflict occurs when two changes are made by different parties to the same document or place within a document. Since the software may not be intelligent enough to decide which change is "correct", a user is required to resolve the conflict.

Creator

The person who created the file.

Diff

Diff is a program that outputs the differences between two files. The program displays the changes made per line for text files.

Draft

A version of a document that is not ready for publication.

Publish

A version of a document ready for publication and available to the public.

Repository

The repository is where the file data is stored on the server.

Resolve

User intervention to address a conflict between different changes to the same document.

State

Documents have two states: publish and draft.

Version

A revision or version is one version in a chain of changes.

Users frustrated by poor CMS functionality

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Ease of use and functionality are the most important factors for people looking to buy a content management system (CMS), while price and security come way down the priority list, according to new research from web design consultancy Webcredible.

The firm polled over 1,000 visitors to its site including web developers, online bosses and web designers and found that practical factors such as functionality/feature set (22 per cent) or ease of use (21 per cent) were key when making a CMS purchase.

Also popular was the ability to enable users to customise functionality to ensure the longevity of the product. However, price was identified as most important by only eight per cent of respondents, while security was even less popular, with just five per cent rating it an important factor when considering a new CMS.

Managing complexity

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

“A CMS is probably the most complex rollout you and your IT colleagues are likely to have to manage.” This is because content management most likely requires contributions from many different skill sets and coordination across diverse departments and roles. A CMS project can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars and require months or years to design and implement. Because of the high planning, purchasing, and design costs, there is a need to effectively manage the complexity of CMS projects.

Tips for choosing the right software

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Tips for choosing the right software:

* Buy small software if you’re a small organization. Organizations like Boxes and Arrows, the Asilomar Institute of Information Architecture, and Adaptive Path all use Movable Type to manage content, which was originally designed for weblogs. As content management software, it doesn’t provide many basic functions, but it simplifies the publishing process enough for occasional publishing needs.

* Buy big software if you’re a large organization. One big CMS can actually be more efficient than many different, smaller packages. One financial services firm employs a federated model of CMS by using one software platform to publish many websites, avoiding the extra training and technical work needed to work with several different software packages.

* Buy no software at all if you really don’t need it. In the decision to buy vs. build, we can also avoid software all together.

DEFINITION OF CMS & FUNCTIONS

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A content management system (CMS) is software used to create, edit or update, review, index, search, publish and archive various kinds of digital media. When the software is used for a website, it is described as a web content management system or a website content management system.

CMSs are frequently used for storing, controlling, and publishing industry-specific documentation such as news articles, operators' manuals, technical manuals, sales guides, and marketing brochures.

The content managed may include media, video files. These concepts represent integrated and interdependent layers.

There are various nomenclatures known in this area: Web Content Management, Digital Asset Management, Digital Records Management, Electronic Content Management and so on.

The bottom line for these systems is managing content and publishing, with a workflow if required.

Content Manage Systems Market is Near to Explode

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In the nearest couple of years the market of content management systems or CMS, both commercial and open-source, is going to explode, according to the recent research conducted by experts from Basex, a known research and analyst company, which produces independent researches for over a quarter of a century.

In year 2008 the revenues of the U.S. market of content management systems reached over 4 billion dollars. Taking into account the dynamics of market development, experts estimate that by year 2014 this market will explode to 10 billion dollars.

Experts consider that nowadays the market of commercial or proprietary content management systems is mature enough and ready for qualitative changes. Besides, open-source CMS projects, such as Joomla, Drupal and others, are gaining more and more popularity, so they work like a catalyst for further rapid development of the whole industry of content management systems.

Online vs Offline Website Content Management Systems

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

There are two major types of website content management systems:

online website CMS and
offline website CMS.

They are often called “frying” and “baking” systems respectively. The major difference between these two types of systems is where all the content management process takes place.

Online website content management systems work on remote web servers, for example, on the servers, where your website is hosted. In this case, you can access CMS control panel through the web-browser. All the content adding or editing is performed online in real time.

Offline website content management systems work on the client computers. All the content management assignments are performed locally, and after that the changes are published online.

This type of website CMS is more complicated software than online systems, however they have certain benefits:

offline CMS decreases the traffic load on your hosting servers, because all the changes are applied locally;
offline CMS does not require internet connection all the time – it is needed only when publishing the completed projects online;

However, in view of high cost, offline content management systems are not as widely spread as online CMS.

On the other side, the obvious advantages of online website content management systems are

Great flexibility and mobility: they are installed on the web servers and hence always available from any computer you are working from, giving you the freedom to work from anywhere
Easy, intuitive user interface: working with online CMS is very simple and does not require technical skills. The website design or layout is edited with the built-in WYSIWYG editor, where you simply drag-and-drop the necessary elements, like menu, forms, text fields, etc, to organize them on the page.
Extensible: if you need to customize the website behavior and operations for different business process automation and requirements, you can do that. With offline content management systems, you simply can't.

Learn more about our online website management technology >

Commercial vs Open Source Content Management Systems

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In spite of the ancient wisdom that free cheese can be found only in the mouse trap, a variety of open source and thus free content management systems has already become a talk of the town. Joomla, Wordpress, and Drupal have already turned into kind of magic words, attracting the attention of millions webmaster worldwide, who want to build a modern website and not to pay a cent…

Well, it is true that top popular open source CMS offers an impressive set of templates and tools for webmasters and are extremely popular these days, but let me drop a few flies into this pot of honey… just to create an unbiased and impartial point of view rather than to spoil the reputation of open-source CMS platforms.

Since open-source CMS are developed by a virtual group of programmers, not always and not all such platforms are stable and secure enough. The key feature of many free CMS is that they offer a bunch of add-ons and plug-ins, developed by individual programmers. Sometimes, these additional modules are not well-adapted to the platform and cause the whole system instability and faults. It is important to keep in mind that using free CMS and installing any additional modules is only at a user’s risk. You will not have a chance to complain about the system failure other than on some online forums.

Unlike free CMS, commercial content management systems are usually well-tailored and properly tested on variety of platforms; besides they are always offered with extensive technical support to address all the potential problems that users may experience with the commercial application. It is also a fact, that commercial products usually feature higher level of safety, security and reliability.

All in all, when choosing among free and commercial content management systems, it is necessary to understand properly the goal you need to achieve with the help of CMS platform. If it is about web experimenting – open-source CMS is a perfect solution, but if you need a reliable working instrument for your online business, it is worthy to consider buying a full-featured reliable content management system

Factors to Consider Before Choosing Your CMS

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

There are several factors to evaluate before choosing your website content management system, irrespective to whether it is an open-source solution or commercial product.

Functionality – Does the solution possess all the tools and features you would need to build a website of your dream?

Programming Quality and Architechture – Is the application properly programmed? This is difficult to evaluate if you are not a programmer, but try to research a bit, find the reviews of the application, you are considering to use, or find other user’s experience stories.

Usability – Is the content management system comfortable to use. Does the control panel seem easily understandable to you?

Security – How much do you trust the developers of the content management system? How do they promise to keep your data secure?

Scalability – Is it easy or difficult to edit the layout of the website? What additional modules or plug-ins are offered for installing above basic configuration? Is the content management system localalized or translated into languages, you would wish to use on your website?

Support – Is technical documentation as well as live support available? Will you have someone to consult with once any questions on CMS appear?

Training Content Management System Users

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

1. Installation and basic training

Most CMS training and support was undertaken remotely. Training consisted of:

Installation of the CMS on the PC used by the user, either by the user themselves or by an existing CMS user.

Downloading of the latest version of the CMS documentation. Substantial documentation was written in parallel with the development of the CMS and web site.

In some cases, introductory CMS training by the web development team.

CMS users took to the system in a variety of ways. More enthusiastic users with PC experience required virtually no training, and were editing and publishing content within 10 minutes of installing the CMS; other users required more detailed training and assistance. As staff are housed in different locations, CMS users were encouraged to ask fellow users in the same office for help and advice. Previous CMS users were also useful sources of feedback regarding the functionality of the system.

2. CMS training facility

Within the CMS, an area was set up for inexperienced CMS users. This allowed people to experiment with creating, editing and publishing files, and creating CMS directories and navigational functions, without interfering with "public" content. The area is automatically wiped of files every night, therefore freeing up filenames for re-use and discouraging any CMS users from permanently storing content there.

3. Content quality

The tools and mechanisms available to the CMS user enable content to be processed and manipulated with considerable speed and ease. However, the CMS cannot improve the quality of such content. If a CMS user enters poorly written content, it will still appear on the public web site as poorly written content, albeit in a slightly prettier format.

A variety of quality issues have been raised, and new ones emerge periodically. For example:

Spelling control, despite the inclusion of a spell-checker in the CMS, is variable. Differences also exist in US and UK spellings of the same word, e.g., program and programme.

Staff have individual styles, for example regarding use of capital letters in terms such as Further Education.

Inappropriate use of formatting styles is sometimes found, e.g., using the same size heading for titles of different emphasis.

Evolving guidelines were provided in the documentation. However, it is clear that:

These guidelines will need to be periodically reviewed and updated.

Content produced by CMS users who are less quality-aware needs to be monitored, and extra training or support provided if required.

Implementing a CMS is Complex

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Enterprise content management Systems are broad in scope, and by nature, affect multiple parts of the organization. The implementations are complex, and different departments are likely to have contradictory goals. One good example? Collaborative work spaces. Business units are quick to adopt these tools in order to enhance the project team’s productivity. However, Legal/compliance and Records Management will want to make sure the appropriate controls are in place to ensure the records management requirements are implemented.

Tips for CMS Implementations

Tip #1

Clarify the meaning of terms being used in the project. Even with common everyday items, we all use different terms. Picture a bottle of a carbonated soft drink — do you call it soda? Cola? Coke? Soft drink? Imagine how much more complicated it becomes when we are using terms such as archive. If you are a records manager or archivist, you are probably thinking of a storage location to keep records. If you are from IT, you are probably thinking of moving data to nearline or offline storage. Discuss the various meanings of retention, record, taxonomy so the goals of the ECM are clearly understood.

Tip #2

Understand the stakeholders in the project, what they want to achieve and what challenges they face. IT wants to provide a service, but is often faced with tools that are increasingly complex and difficult to keep “up to speed.” Department heads have organizational goals to meet. Legal has an increasingly complex array of regulations and litigation requirements and can’t always provide quick and easy answers.

Tip #3

Pay specific attention to change management throughout the project. Change is hard for everyone, especially when times are tough and nobody has enough time, resources, or staff. Sometimes the communication message boils down to “just do it.” But you can be more successful if you distribute accurate information throughout the project.

Even if you are busy working behind the scenes, people won’t know about it if you don’t tell them. They may think the project has been abandoned. Celebrate early wins and publicly recognize early adopters. Provide reasons to change, explain the new benefits and have the early adopters share the successes.

Tip #4

Align your project with other programs and initiatives. This demonstrates the importance of the project and helps to avoid mixed messages. Make sure others understand how your project helps the company to be more successful.

Tip #5

Utilize a network of coordinators to implement records management requirements. Goodfellow identified this as a key success factor in ECM implementations. Records coordinators can be good champions for the project and can help everyone understand their business operations better.

Tip #6

Find ways to recognize the efforts of early adopters. They are naturally motivated by recognition. So whether it’s a matter of crowning an “early adopter of the year” or handing out movie tickets or gift cards. Recognition matters.

Setting a common understanding between the different partners at the beginning of an ECM project is key. Once you have a common understanding, it will be easier to wrangle the issues of setting system requirements, developing project schedules, and dealing with the impact of the unexpected!

Website Content Management Systems â�� Why do We Need Them?

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The world we live in is mostly dynamic rather than static. Everything around us moves, flies, swims, and changes constantly. So does the internet. The times of static web pages have faded away. Now every time we think about successful web site, either it is a personal blog or a huge business web portal, it is always a dynamic content, which forms the core of the web site.

In simple words, dynamic content refers to information, which is added or changed on a regular basis. The frequency of content updating can be very high and depends on the specifications of the web site, for example, web sites dealing with financial markets or weather forecasts need their content updated practically every minute.

Website content management system, known also as web CMS, WCM or WCMS, represents one of the subtypes of content management system software applications, designed to make web content adding or editing easier. Now, you do not have to go deep into the basics of HTML, CCS, PHP or other web programming languages and tools – web content management system turns content updating into a simple and intuitive procedure. CMS takes your article, product description, news release or anything else you want to add to your web-site and publishes it right where you want it to appear on the web (provided that you are authorized to edit the target web-site, of course:-)

Advantages of Website Content Management Systems

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

If there is a website with many authors publishing their information on a regular basis, there is no better way to manage that huge content publishing traffic than to implement website content management system. The benefits of it are obvious:

1) With website CMS it is not necessary to possess HTML, PHP or other technical skills to publish your material on the web;

2) Website content management system offers tools to manage your publishing team. You can define what site users can create new content, edit the existing materials, or publish the changes online.

3) Website CMS helps to reduce the work flow in the IT department, allowing them to focus on major programming assignments, while all the content updating tasks are performed by content authors.

4) Web content management system allows building a properly organized web site, where all the information is categorized and structured in the predefined way. Besides, you can always change your website layout and add many different options, thanks to the whole bunch of website applications, such as menu editors, web blogs, web forms, and others.

5) Website content management system simply makes content publishing much quicker…

I am sure there are many other benefits one can enjoy with website content management system. So, if you have something to say, just join the discussion…

Disadvantages of Website Content Management Systems

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Nothing is perfect in this world and before making a decision, we usually have to consider both advantages and disadvantages of things. Let us discuss some of the known disadvantages of website content management systems.

1) Content management system is a software application, which requires more technical resources on the hosting server to run efficiently. That is why if you plan to install a web CMS on your web site, it is necessary to choose your hosting provider very carefully…

2) With CMS one incorrect setting can make the entire website look incorrect. So, take care that technical supervision of the CMS is carried out by qualified personnel.

3) Search engines do not like websites with CMS very much. This is one of the major drawbacks of the web content management systems. When all the major content is saved in a database file, search engine may sometimes “understand” your website in a wrong way. To avoid this, CMS should be properly programmed.

4) The web design is not always flexible enough with CMS. The truth is that website CMS usually offers several variants of web site design. This is realized with the help of templates, using which one can build his own site. So, a web designer has to stay within these predefined templates. However, if a designer has basic skills in programming, it is always possible to implement particular changes into the website template.

Are there any other drawbacks of the website content management systems?

How to choose a website CMS

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A CMS by definition is a content management system. As a result, it is crucially important to determine the content you want the system to manage and how you want the system to manage the content.

A few starter questions:

1. What content do I have or expect to have? (web pages? documents? discussion forums? image galleries?)

2. Where does this content come from? (departments? users? myself? Internet sources? databases? third-party apps?)

3. How should the system manage this content? (workflows? editors? fine-grained access control?)

4. How should this content be displayed? (xhtml/css? pdf? print/paper? cell phones? xml? rss?)

5. How much separation of content and design do you require?

6. How extensible should the CMS be? (in-house development? modular? out-sourced development? completely opensource?)

7. What are the administrative requirements? (*nix? mysql/postgresql? apache? php? python?)

8. What is the anticipated load and can the CMS manage that? (quite different from a 5,000 hits/day site vs 20,000,000 hits/day)

9. What is the estimated lifetime of the website? What changes to the site are forseeable and should be considered?

Assuming your doing something more than a personal blog site, most likely pre-existing workflow processes and organizational resources already exist and those should be analyzed when making a CMS choice.

Don't get overly focused on initial setup times. The cost of administration, development and resources will far outweigh the initial setup costs on all but the smallest of sites.

ERP/CMS for Small Business

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Small businesses continue to deal with information / data overload. We write reports in Microsoft Word, draw network schemes in Visio, export offers to PDF, and so on, and stack it all together on a nice Windows file server in a per customer directory structure. So much for the automation aspect of Information Technology.

For small businesses looking for some software to extensively manage corporate resources, ERP is the holy grail of an end to end solution. The ideal app would be accessible online and offline.

Process automation - a step away from end-to-end ERP

Script it. Batch it. Perl it. AutoIT it. VBA it. Don't start over with a package. Make what you have work.

You write reports in Microsoft Word:

Make a template of your reports with all boiler plate data. Create a form to open with the template to enter the necessary data. Automate the form to a database for other reports, Statements of Work, Invoices etc..

You Draw network schemes in Visio:

Generate automation scripts to build your drawings. Visio has all the tools. In Visio 2000 you could import well formed text files. As I understand it, in Visio2003 you can import xml. Write a script to parse your sys data and make diagrams.

Export offers to PDF:

Look at AutoIT (http://www.hiddensoft.com/AutoIt/): You can automate whatever you need to do by keystroke.

If your file structure is clear enough, you should be able to script that pretty easily.

CustomerService DateReports

CustomerService DateDiagrams etc.

One push of a button should open the customers latest diagram.

AJIBOYE Forums - Website Content Management System (CMS)

What are the pitfalls to beware when choosing a CMS?

Website CMS Components â�� Raffle Manager

Website CMS Components â�� Salesforce Manager

Enterprise Content Management â�� What does it serves for?

Web Engagement Management â�� a Future of Website CMS?

CMS Migration Issues

Content Management System Overview

Content Management System Benefits

More Content Management System Benefits

Web Content Management Systems Options

Content Management Software Solutions

Factors to Consider Before Building a CMS Website

Understanding Content Management and Its Roles

Features of Content Management Systems

Two Core Elements of Any Content Management System

Situations When CMS Can Help

Why CMS?

Custom Website Development Or Content Management System?

The Advantages Of A Content Management System (cms)

Content Management in Corporations

Choosing A Content Management System

Advantages of CMS

How Do You Choose The CMS That Is Right For You?

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 1

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 2

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 3

CMS - Important Points to Consider - Part 4

CMS - Creation and Contribution

CMS - Management and Administration

CMS - Publishing and Serving

Website Configuration

Users and Permissions

Content Approval

Archiving, Retrieval and Backup

Why Content Management?

Essentials to Look for in a CMS - Part 1

Essentials to Look for in a CMS - Part 2

Questions to Ask Regarding CMS - Part 1

Questions to Ask Regarding CMS - Part 2

Questions to Ask Regarding CMS - Part 3

Be Clear About the Content You Have on Your Website

How Many People Will Be Managing Content on Your Website?

Consult With Your Peers

Simplicity Rules

Internet Software

Server Installed Software

How Does Content Management Work?

Some Benefits of CMS

Finding Time to Produce Content

User Generated Content

Quality versus Quantity

Tips for Web Content - Concepts

Tips for Web Content - Formatting

Content Management Systems

What Can a CMS Do?

Do You Need a Content Management System?

Background of the Invention

Summary of the Invention

Content and Metadata Bound Together in a Package

Advantages and use of the invention

Content Type Settings

A Content Management System

Is Validity Important?

Description features

Tuning Performance

Capacity Planning

User Targets

Calculate Concurrent Load

CMS and Usage Profiles

Building a Ajiboye Content Management Server Site

Questions for Planning navigation

Types of navigation

Template Specifications

E-Mail Notification

Functional Specifications

Content Sources

Enterprise Content Management

Web content management system for business site

Web-Page Manager