Summary: One of the most irresponsible moves web marketers can make, is failing to choose their content management system intentionally. This short article offers a bit of advice on what to keep in mind when looking at web content management. Done correctly, decision makers can be empowered to question in-house developers and contractors who are building their site.

Lucky 13 Quick Tips

• 1. Get involved in the decision. Don’t let your web designer or anyone else choose your CMS without explaining the rationale.
• 2. If your designer/developer is using FTP to synchronize files between their computer and the web server, keep in mind that it may be beyond your company’s capabilities to maintain the site yourself in-house without specialized training. That said, FTP has and always will be your workhorse.
• 3. Explore the various idiosyncrasies, strengths, benefits and drawbacks of different open source systems by looking at a number of sites built on each platform. Each CMS, they say, has its own personality.
• 4. Research and understand the legal implications of using open source software, specifically the license requirements of the package you want to use.
• 5. Figure out if your web server or hosting account will accommodate the technology you choose. Some software plays better on one server platform or another.
• 6. Be open to mashups. Think of your current CMS, whatever it is, as the primary system and mash in another. If your site is FTP, then try mashing in WordPress for RSS feed functionality and social media tools. If your primary is Joomla, it’s perfectly OK to create extra pages maintained by traditional FTP.
• 7. Custom is nice, but don’t make a huge investment in custom content management unless it absolutely makes sense. If you do then make sure your development team is in place for future modifications and fixes. These things fail, get hacked and every program can somehow break. Be aware that web publishing is always changing so, if you make the decision to “go custom,” be ready for the commitment entailed. Above all, don’t build an expensive white elephant.
• 8. If an advertising agency or web design firm offers to “host” your website and offers browser based site maintenance as part of the package, ask them what CMS they’re using and how it affects your ability to leave with the site someday.
• 9. Pay a lot of attention to SEO. The “stock” installation of a standard application like WordPress does not make some crucial SEO attributes available, without extending by plug ins. Some CMSs make it impossible to change basic attributes like Title tags. Make sure, at minimum, that your CMS allows for custom HTML title tags, meta description tags and interlinking.
• 10. Don't be afraid to call in a consultant, if even for a minute, if you feel out of your comfort zone in making such a decision. A couple of hours of advice and oversight might save you a world of heartache later.
• 11. Be sure to consider what web applications might be required or are already deployed on the site. This may well dictate the server platform, and therefore content management options. Also, web apps’ often have CMS features, so study possible tools already at your disposal.
• 12. Ask about backup. How is content preserved in case of disasters. WordPress can email a DB backup on a schedule. Lots of advertising or interactive agencies build their own custom CMSs on their own servers and resell them to clients as a profit center. Don’t assume it’s being backed up properly.
• 13. With CMS standardization comes vulnerability, as malfeasants try and figure out how to hack-rip you off or otherwise wreck your day. If you’re using open source components then make sure to stay on top of system and plug in versions.

If, as they like to say, content is King, than it’s very important to avoid being the jester when managing it. Take a healthy interest in how your website is published and work with your team to determine the most appropriate solution. Ask a lot of questions and don’t assume that anyone’s looking out for your best interest.