 It’s now almost 2009 and I think the jury has finally ruled on the efficiencies and ROI that can be gained by using a Web content management system. So regardless of the size of your Web site - 20 Web pages or 20,000 Web pages - you should definitely be using a Web CMS to manage your online content including: text, images, documents, data feeds, etc.
Great! That decision was easy. Not really. Now your real work begins. How do you choose from the hundreds of solutions on the market and how do you make sense of the endless features and differences in pricing? Most importantly, how do you select the best vendor and product for your needs?
This two-part blog post will provide you with some important questions you should be asking before and during your Web CMS selection process. Part 1 will focus on questions related to the vendor, while Part 2 will focus on the product offerings and implementation.
What is the company history?
How long has the company been around and what is their traction in the industry? Have they proven themselves through numerous client implementations or are they relatively new to the stage? Also, how are they funded? Are they private or public? A well-funded company is obviously important and it should be clear that they have staying power. What does their management team look like? Are they qualified? Additionally, do they have strategic partnerships with any other well-known, complementary vendors? If so, this is a positive aspect to their business.
How do they charge for their product and services?
Is it a one-time licensing fee or a monthly fee? If it is a one-time license fee, are there annual fees to be expected? How is support charged for and what is covered versus what is not? Is there a customer license agreement or services agreement that you will have to sign? If so, ask for it up front. Do they have a Service Level Agreement (SLA)?
How is their organization shaped?
How many people are in the organization and how is the company shaped? Most importantly, ask questions about product management, engineering, support, operations and professional services departments as these are the main departments required in running a successful Web CMS company.
Who are their clients?
What type of clients do they have and how many? Do they focus on a specific industry vertical or are they all over the map? Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call a client. Typically when you ask for actual client references only happy clients are provided. Take the initiative yourself and call their client list.
What is the company’s overall strategy?
Is the strategy clear? What is their product road map and how many product releases do they issue per quarter? Who is their target market and why? Are they covered by analysts in industry reports?
The take away from this first set of questions is to get to know the organization behind the prospective Web CMS solution. You want to work with a well organized company that is strongly funded, has a very clear strategy that matches your needs, and will be around for the long-term to serve you well. They should also have a solid list of happy, loyal customers.
Stay tuned for the continuation of this blog post in which I’ll recommend a variety of product and implementation-related questions you should be asking yourself when selecting a Web CMS.
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