University Business - October 2006 - (Page 69)

INTERNET TECHNOLOGY 10 Tips for Surviving a CMS Switch Make the switch to a new content management system as seamless as possible. By Karine Joly I blogs, a survey, a teleconference, or a 'M A WCMSS: A WEB CONTENT video conference to get input during Management System Survivor. Are the decision-making process, suggests you? In the small world of higher ed Brian Phelps, web manager for the Uni- web professionals, you have either already versity of the Pacific Calif. . Document implemented a CMS or you will at some who contributes to the process, by what- point in your career. With so many tar- ever means. As the project progresses, the get audiences, strategic goals, and content weight of buy-in from a larger number of contributors, long gone is the time when participants and contributors will bring a single person could efficiently man- along others who are less excited about age an institution's website. While some the changes. institutions still rely on a centralized ap- proach to web content producing and 3. Start to sell the CMS to its future publishing, more and more are turning to Factor in that your users by learning how they work. content management systems. As a result, content contributors Find out what your content contribu- a CMS implementation has become one don't like to change the tors need, if you want them to use the of the most important rites of passage for CMS. How do they update their area of higher ed web executives and teams. way they work. the website? Do they cut and paste di- Whether you're just contemplating rectly from Microsoft Word? Do they Do you need editorial workflow? Do you the idea, you're about to start your imple- work their way through pages and pages want to syndicate content? Look at imple- mentation, or you're in the middle of the of code? How long does it take? What menting different solutions for different nightmare such a project can turn into, would they like the CMS to help them needs. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't these tips from other WCMSSs should with? The earlier you can involve your necessarily work well at a university. help ... and could save you from a few CMS end-users in the project, the easier sleepless nights. it will be to make your implementation a 2. Get more buy-in than you think you long-lasting success. will need. 1. Make sure you really need a CMS. With content management systems' total Don't think of a CMS as the silver bul- 4. Define your requirements before even costs of ownership in the five- to six-digit let that can solve all your website prob- looking at potential systems. range, a CMS implementation can draw lems. It can help manage and update the Content contributors' wish lists can be a lot of attention. Add to this the fact that website, but it won't write excellent copy, used to define institutional requirements. content contributors, scattered in differ- draw qualified leads to your web pages, or Marketing and IT department staff should ent offices and departments, don't like to make your home page navigation user- review this list and fill in any obvious change the way they work, and it makes friendly overnight. sense that a CMS implementation will al- Know the specific business problem ways be a high-visibility project even if it you are trying to solve, advises Mark Karine Joly is the web editor behind www.college didn't cost a single penny. That's why you Greenfield, director of Web Services at webeditor.com, a blog about higher ed web mar- need as much buy-in as you can get. the University at Buffalo, part of The keting, public relations, and technologies. She is Use a variety of communication chan- State University of New York system. Are also a web editor for an East Coast liberal arts nels such as the web, in-person, cam- you looking at a CMS to give non-tech- college as well as a consultant on web projects for other institutions. puswide town hall meetings, e-mail, nical staff the ability to update content? www.universitybusiness.com October 2006 | 69 IntTech.indd IntTech.indd 69 9/21/06 9:43:42 AM http://www.collegewebeditor.comHeart Favor Cards http://www.collegewebeditor.comHeart Favor Cards http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - October 2006

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Behind the News
Marketing
Future Shock
Admissions
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
On the Hill
Beyond Baldrige
Made in America
Wiring the Dining Experience
Lighting The Way
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - October 2006