How to MAXIMISE your ROI from your CMS investment
by Angus McDonald
@elcomCMS
Who am I?
Angus McDonald
Technical Director, Elcom
@elcomCMS
What should your CMS do? • Run your website (or intranet) • Make … – your website easier to use – content easier to manage – content easy to find and re-use
• Manage … – content for you (SEO, links) – your online users
major CMS challenges
Using It Properly
CHALLENGE #1
It must be used to be
useful
A vendor-neutral consultancy from Sydney providing specialist advice on content management.
“Success depends entirely on staff being able to use the CMS” James Robertson Step Two Designs
“Usability is a major factor in whether staff will be able (and willing) to make use of a new technology.”
James Robertson Step Two Designs
What is “usability”?
Easy for Everyone
Not just easy for “casual” authors
Easy for power users!
Easy for designers & developers too!
parts to
good usability
Learnability
Efficiency
Memorability
#/Effect of Errors
Satisfaction
Learnability
Efficiency
Memorability
#/Effect of Errors
Satisfaction
2 days
2 days
No training required
Wrong Solution
CHALLENGE #2
Is a new CMS really the
solution you need?
“We use the new CMS as a way to re-implement the same problems on a new platform!”
Rick Yagodich Think Info
@elcomCMS
Changing Behaviour
Your CMS won’t suddenly encourage users to publish their own content if someone’s always done it for them.
@elcomCMS
Process Failure
If your CMS selection process doesn’t ensure the real needs are identified and matched, then your project will fail.
@elcomCMS
Two examples
Central person to distributed web
Email publishing
Scope Creep
CHALLENGE #3
Is your CMS project biting off more than it needs to?
“Sometimes technology projects are just excuses to address more systemic issues”
Seth Gottlieb Content Here
Merging User Logins
Vendor Support
CHALLENGE #4
There comes a time when
everyone needs the vendor
@elcomCMS
Vendor Support
@elcomCMS
Vendor Support
• Can you get hold of the vendor’s 2nd level support quickly and easily?
@elcomCMS
Vendor Support
• Can you get hold of the vendor’s 2nd level support quickly and easily?
• How committed is the vendor to your success?
@elcomCMS
Vendor Support
• Can you get hold of the vendor’s 2nd level support quickly and easily?
• How committed is the vendor to your success?
• Can you get visibility of and influence their roadmap?
@elcomCMS
Elcom’s Support
• Sydney-based
• Melbourne user group 2x/year
• Local product developers
• Local hosting support
Performance Issues
Configuration Failures
Changing Technology
CHALLENGE #5
Changing Technology
CHALLENGE #5
Changing Technology
CHALLENGE #5
Changing Technology
CHALLENGE #5
Using a new CMS for every
website is a waste
@elcomCMS
When Technology Changes
• Power users not so powerful
• Support issues
• Learning curves all round
• Hosting headaches
• Increased training costs
@elcomCMS
Familiar Technology
• Old lessons apply
• Less re-training
• Power users can help
• Greater internal support
“you don’t want to customise the CMS at the outset of the project, before you’ve understood how it’s going to work in practice”
James Robertson Step Two Designs
Reusable not Customised
How did they re-use it?
First
Intranet Then
Website Now, considering
Learning
Management
System
How did they re-use it?
Website
Client Portal
LMS
Performance Management
Intranet?
@elcomCMS
Maximising CMS ROI
In Conclusion
solutions to 5 challenges
1. Your CMS must be usable
2. Get the process right
3. Avoid scope creep
4. Make sure the vendor can/will
support you
5. Re-use your CMS
(where possible)
@elcomCMS
Questions & Answers
@elcomCMS
Thank You!
Angus McDonald Technical Director
www.elcom.com.au
blog.falkayn.com