WordPress as a Higher-Ed Content Management Solution

Hanna ArnoldDirector, Online CommunicationsNorthern Essex Community College

Overview

My BackgroundThe Web and Northern Essex

Community College’s backgroundWordPress? Yes--WordPress!Rolling out WordPress as a CMSLaunching the siteNow what?Lessons Learned

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

My Background

Education BFA in Painting, Rochester Institute of Technology MFA in Painting &New Media from SUNY New

Paltz Professional Experience

Large global companies mainly in the B2B arena (GTE, Ericsson)

Smaller local companies (VerticalNet (B2B), Potpourri group (B2C))

Freelance UMASS and Mass College of Art

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

My Professional Roles

Graphic/Web DesignerProduction ManagerProject ManagerMarketing Communication ManagerUX Specialist Interactive Marketing ManagerCreative DirectorDirector, Online Communications

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Prior to Arriving at NECC

First generations of the college’s websites was done in static HTML

Impossible to maintain with 2 part-time people

No online strategy, no cross communications with other departments

The website was viewed as a “big repository/filing cabinet” Content was duplicated 2, 3, 4 times over the

site Content was not correct, outdated

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Prior to Arriving at NECC

Slow time to market with simple content edits Content owners would have to wait 3-5+

days for minor edits to be made Content/assets would be sent to the

Communications Department (e.g. a document) for updating, only to have a mistake in the document, and another one sent to replace it. (duplication of effort)

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Prior to Arriving at NECC

Total dissatisfaction with the website Everyone (up to the president of the

college) was frustrated with the site The site was the laughing stock of the

college (people--including the President--would say *it is on the web, and good luck finding it*

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Prior to Arriving at NECC

Marketing and IT did not do joint planning, did not know how to communicate/speak to one another

New CIO had used WordPress at a previous college, mainly as blogging software

The college knew it needed to *do something* about the web Needed someone to bridge the gap between

Marketing and IT/MIS (New role, Director of Online Communications was created)

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Shifting Gears—Time to Think Outside the Box

Clear goals were set for the NECC’s web presence Distributed publishing (content experts

making small edits to their pages) Replace the functionality and creative on

the outdated public website Create a faculty/staff intranet, separate

from the public site Implement a system for faculty web

pagesWordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnol

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Shifting Gears—Time to Think Outside the Box

Remember we are a Community College

Limited staff, budget One full-time position in Marketing ½ time position in MIS Had some money for contractors for

content migrationStaggering amount of content to

manage 900+ pages, 1200+ media assetsWordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnol

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WordPress? Are you NUTS?

Really? Isn't that just for blogging?No one uses it for *real websites*!Who knows how to use it?

Do you have a better idea? No?

Then what do we have to lose?

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

WordPress? Really!

Decision made based on examples from small business and non-profit sectors

We had the expertise internally for design, UX, PHP development

Developed a project planContracted a Linux AdministratorHired content migraters, cleansed

contentWordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnol

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WordPress? Really!

Used Atahualpa theme as a basis/point of departure

Integrated ~20 plug ins Integrated LDAP user accountsConstructed 10 various templates

Some for design layout, some for functionality

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

WordPress? Really!

WordPress single install VS WPMU CIO was convinced to go with Single

install, we went down the wrong path, but are now going into MU▪ Tried launching the site 2 times and failed

because of the configuration of the site mainly issues with cache

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Rolling Out WordPress to the College

Defining roles for editing the site, what should we have the content experts have access to? Can edit an existing page/content (that they are

assigned to) Can replace document(s) CURRENTLY on the site Online Communications and Power-users in

MarCom can create new pages, new posts, add new documents

ID-ed extended editors, brought them together for trainings a few weeks before launch

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

The Launch

Launched June 30, 2010 Redesign took 13 months

Site was received extremely well Creative, Functionality, Content

Extended editors are thrilled with ease of use Can make as many changes as they

want Update the document as many times as

they want2010 NCMPR Sliver Metal winner

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Next Steps for necc.mass.edu

Migration into WP 3Usability Testing

Reworking of IA Refinement of CreativeRefinement of Functionality

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

What is Next for Online Communications at NECC

Using WP as a CMS has allowed strategic online projects to become *fast-tracked* Social Media & Location Based

engagement Optimized Mobile Site (Aug.16 launch) Launch of Mobile App for Current

Students (Aug. 30 launch) myNECC Portal development (Jan. 2012) Continuous Improvement of Public SiteWordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnol

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Key Takeaways

There will be naysayers--go with your gut, you CAN do it

Ask for help/advise You are only as good as your team

Current team of 2 1/2, growing to ~3 1/2▪ 1 Full-time Designer, 1 Full-time Developer (in MIS), 1

10/wk Work-study▪ 1 Part-time Web Specialist, 1 Part-time Online

Marketing Specialist (QA, Analytics) (Starting Sept.2012)▪ Trust their judgment

Key support from CIO, many other executive level stakeholders

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold

Key Takeaways

Managing Extended Editors Every page should have a main editor

and a backup editor Offer training early, ideally on their

specific content (they will connect with WP more easily)

Develop a cheat sheet/site for the editors▪ Logging in, making text edits, replacing a

document KISSWordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnol

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Questions?

Contact info: Email: hanna.arnold@comcast.net,

harnold@necc.mass.edu Twitter @HannaArnold

WordPress as a Higher-Ed CMS @HannaArnold