The 2013 Content

Management System

Report Card#13NTCcms

Kyle AndreiLaura Quinn

Introductions: www.idealware.org

What Does a Content Management

System Do?

What is a CMS, Anyway?

Update with HTML, DreamWeaver,

etc

Static Pages

There’s Two Models of Websites

Database Backed CMS

CMSs Let You Update Text

Almost all have a “WYSIWYG” editor

WordPress

CMSs Let You Update Photos

Squarespace

Define the Look and Feel of a Site

Create Pages

Joomla

They’ll let you add new pages and place them in the website

Create Content Objects

Luminate (formerly Convio)

No CMS Can Build Your Site For You!

It can’t:

• Design a site that is

useful to your visitors

• Ensure a functional

and usable site

• Make sure the site

enhances your brand

• Write your text and

take your pictures

• Provide timely

content updates

Only a human can do those things!

But Not All CMSs are Created Equal

What Should You Be Evaluating For?

Ease of Setup

• Do you need to setup

your website yourself?

• Can you use an existing

graphic design?

• Can you understand

how to structure a site in

a reasonable amount of

time?

Power and Flexibility

Do you need to support:

• a complicated site

structure?

• a complicated work flow?

• A multi-language site?

• A multi-site structure?

If you don’t know what

these mean… this probably

doesn’t apply to you!

Integrating with Constituent Data

• Can the system integrate at

with your current constituent

database– out-of-the box?

With some work?

• Or is it worth switching

constituent system to have

an integrated solution?

Cost

Extensibility

• Can you get add-ons

to do what you need?

• Can you create

custom structures in

the system?

• Can you adapt the

code to do anything

you want?

Support for the System

• Who is in charge of system

development?

• Where can you go for help?

• How likely is it to be around

down the road?

Open Source vs. Proprietary?

It’s not a simple

question. Each

system has a

different profile on

the criteria often

associated with

open source tools.

Comparing the Systems

Key Priority: Set it Up Yourself

SquareSpace

WordPress

Key Priority: Integrate with Constituent Data

NetCommunity

Luminate CMS

Key Priority: Extensive Power and Flexibility

Plone

Ektron

Good Middle-of-the-Road Options

WordPress… again!

ExpressionEngine

Joomla

DotNetNuke

Drupal

eZ Publish

Plone…again!

How Do You Choose?

Which Comes First?

Do you choose the system

or the consultant first?

Most Consultants Specialize

Most website consultants only

implement one, or a

few, content management

systems.

Website Needs Often Don’t Differ Much

For many organizations and websites, the consultant will

matter far more than the content management system.

Unless You Have Very Specific Needs

But if you have specific

needs, your needs might

not align with the tool a

consultant specializes in.

How Do You Start?

Decide if you fall into one of the specific need categories:

Key Priority:

Set it Up

Yourself

Key Priority:

Integrating with

Constituent Data

Key Priority:

Power and

Flexibility for

a Large Site

If so, it probably makes sense to pick a system first.

Or Are Your Needs Not That Specific?

Plan to hire a consultant to just build a

good site for a middle-of-the-road price?

Are your priorities are around

design, content, user-friendliness?

Then pick a consultant first, and use the CMS they

recommend

Remember the Human Side of the Equation

High quality design and

content –the team behind the

website–is more important

than a feature-rich content

management system every

time.

Questions?

Evaluate This Session!Each entry is a chance to win an NTEN engraved iPad!

or Online using #13NTCcms at www.nten.org/ntc/eval

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