How Do You Know You Need a CMS?
A small business owner I know recently came to the conclusion that she "desperately needs a CMS." She has a couple of employees. She creates a newsletter, posts weekly tips, has an e-commerce component, and frequently promotes special offers. "I have over 300 hand-coded HTML pages on my site," she said, "and it just getting chaotic."
Most businesses start a Web site with basic content, very basic functionality. Over time, the site grows "organically." Organic in vegetables is a good thing. Organic on a Web site, it's not!
Now, not every small business Web site needs a CMS behind it, but there are often some very good reasons why a CMS becomes worth the effort.
So, how do you know need a CMS?
- When a tiny wording change means having to call "that %#@& Web person" again.
- When you ask for different color scheme and graphics and find out "it's going to take how long?"
- When you find yourself wondering "why do customers keep calling when that information is on the Web site?" (Hint – they can't find it!)
- When it takes you longer to find the content you created last month than it took you to create it in the first place.
- When the pain of changing is less than the pain of staying the same!
While making your site more dynamic and interesting could be a reason for using a CMS, the majority of businesses are motivated by the "pain" factor. For most of us, being disorganized and unstructured is a highly uncomfortable state.
I ran into this overwhelming content chaos myself several years ago when I realized that my home office was driving me crazy. Then I read a book called "Getting Things Done" by David Allen that changed my life. The book's prescription was to set up a highly structured filing system and a trusted place for my "to-do" tasks. The catch? You had to dedicate to a whole weekend to setting it up. And I did. The result? Years later, all my files are still neatly labeled. I know where everything is. My desk is clear and uncluttered, and that gives me the mental space to do creative things—like write this blog!
The bottom line is that when you're spending time dealing with the headaches of your Web site, you're not spending that time thinking of that new marketing promotion or a better way of serving your customers.
Ironically, when you commit to moving your site to a CMS, you may do so to alleviate the pain. But, the end result will ultimately be that it helps you unleash business opportunities that were previously buried underneath all that content mess.
Rita Warren of ZiaContent, Inc. is a veteran of the software and digital media industries with more than 10 years experience helping companies deliver content in compelling and sensible ways. Well known in her field, Rita served as technical editor of the first edition of Bob Boiko's acclaimed book, the Content Management Bible. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences and contributor to content management industry publications.
