Content Management Solutions - A contradiction
in terms?
There are a lot of
content management packages out there,
all sold as solutions and the answer
to the business need:
- of a relatively
straightforward way of getting content
onto a website
- for the potential customer
to read
- and decide to use the
products or services promoted
There's a bit more to it than that.
Too often companies are sold 'content
management solutions' as a software package
where the web company makes the money
- lets say £20 - £30K out
of providing a 'pretty' website .
Theoretically that's all that is needed.
What happens next is. As the company
has bought the solution, the problem
is percieved to have gone away. MD sees
a pretty website, existing customers
might be asked to have a look - "Hmm,
that's pretty" they say everybody
is happy but the website and solution
is fundamentally a waste of time as it
does nothing much for the company.
Unless there is somebody assigned to
the website:
- Who knows what is needed in order
to make the site work
- is focused on getting some search
enegine positioning
- provides useful information on the
website that existing and potenrtial
customers might need
- Updates the site sufficiently often
that the site is seen as a working
media
If that person exists, apart from creating
an attractive structure that can be replicated,
the web company has little relevance.
Conclusion
A technical content management solution
is no more a solution than expecting
the purchase opf a typewriter to be a
solution to writer's block, lack of creativity
or lack of grammar.
For a decent content
management solution, get a package like
Dreamweaver, send an IT literate member
of staff on a course and make them responsible
for the website. The most a Web design
company should offer is the look and
feel of the site with clear deliverables
and statements of why - not just that
it looks pretty!
Content management can of course be
subcontracted, but again, deliverables
should be stated along with reporting,
feedback advice etc.
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