content management systems buyer's...
TRANSCRIPT
Content Management Systems
Buyer’s Guide
Hannon Hill Corporation
950 East Paces Ferry Road
Suite 3300, Atlanta, GA 30326
www.hannonhill.com
o: 678.904.6900
f: 678.904.6901
CMS Buyer’s Guide 2
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction to Content Management Systems ..................................................................................................... 5
What is content management? .............................................................................................................................. 5
Online Information Management ...................................................................................................................... 5
What are the advantages of content management? ............................................................................................. 5
Empower Content............................................................................................................................................... 6
Decrease Costs.................................................................................................................................................... 6
Increase Revenues .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Improve Accountability ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Maintain Consistency ......................................................................................................................................... 7
How does a CMS compare to traditional online information updating? ............................................................... 8
The Bottom Line: Efficiently Manage Online Information ..................................................................................... 9
Improve Communication While Reducing Costs ................................................................................................ 9
CMS Implementation ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Do I need a CMS? .................................................................................................................................................. 10
Internet, Intranet, and Extranet ....................................................................................................................... 10
In-House hosting vs. Outsourcing of a CMS ......................................................................................................... 11
Analysis of Each Method .................................................................................................................................. 11
Steps to Implementing a Successful CMS ............................................................................................................. 12
Plan, Plan, Plan ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Create Measurable Goals ................................................................................................................................. 12
Evaluate Available Options ............................................................................................................................... 12
Decide and Go .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Assess Results ................................................................................................................................................... 13
CMS Buyer’s Guide 3
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Twenty Questions to Answer When Buying a CMS .............................................................................................. 14
How is your content currently managed? ........................................................................................................ 14
What do you hope to achieve with a new CMS? .............................................................................................. 14
Technology Considerations .............................................................................................................................. 14
Is a CMS Worth the Cost? ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Sample CMS ROI Calculator .............................................................................................................................. 15
What to Expect During the CMS Sales Process..................................................................................................... 16
Functionality Checklist .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Compatibility .................................................................................................................................................... 18
Security ............................................................................................................................................................. 19
Open Standards Support .................................................................................................................................. 19
Content Editing ................................................................................................................................................. 20
Content Lifecycle .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Automatic Navigation ....................................................................................................................................... 21
Templates ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Users, Groups, and Roles .................................................................................................................................. 22
Publishing ......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Workflow .......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Anatomy of a CMS ................................................................................................................................................ 24
Content Creation .............................................................................................................................................. 24
Content Publishing ........................................................................................................................................... 25
System Management ........................................................................................................................................ 26
Top Ten CMS Buying Mistakes ............................................................................................................................. 27
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Top 10 Mistakes .................................................................................................................................................... 27
CMS Buyer’s Guide 4
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
1. Needing a specific feature, only to learn that it is an additional cost ...................................................... 27
2. IT choosing it without buy-in from the non-technical users .................................................................... 27
3. Not considering future business goals for the organization .................................................................... 27
4. Not understanding access permissions for assets within the system ...................................................... 28
5. Not understanding the level of product support ..................................................................................... 28
6. Not factoring in search engine optimization ............................................................................................ 28
7. Being locked into specific content formats .............................................................................................. 29
8. Being locked into specific pre-defined templates .................................................................................... 29
9. Ignoring Standards Compliance ................................................................................................................ 29
10. Not testing the CMS in your own environment ................................................................................... 29
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................ 29
Partial Client List ................................................................................................................................................... 30
About Hannon Hill ................................................................................................................................................ 31
Contact Us ............................................................................................................................................................ 31
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Introduction to Content Management Systems 5
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Introduction to Content Management Systems
What is content management?
Content management refers to the system and processes whereby information is created, managed,
published, and archived. Information typically passes through this lifecycle for a finite period of time. A
content management system (CMS) provides the necessary infrastructure for multiple persons to effectively
contribute content and collaborate throughout these lifecycles.
Online Information Management
With the explosive growth of the Internet, fundamental content management needs have also grown. No
longer can information be published online in a manual process and be left unattended. Online information
must be continually reviewed and updated by content editors so that other content consumers, including
customers and search engines, have access to the most up-to-date version.
The Internet forced subject matter experts to more rapidly maintain and update information for their
constituents. Prior to online communication, information was typically transferred via physical mail and faxes.
With these forms of communication, lag times were often significant and distribution costs high. The Internet
lowered communication costs tremendously, while providing instant access to a larger audience. Prior to the
Internet, it was acceptable to publish new information on a quarterly basis, whereas now important
information is expected to be immediately available online.
Web content management systems were developed to meet the needs of organizations with a growing online
presence. A CMS typically offers:
• Easy content creation and editing for non-technical content contributors
• Access rights for security
• Structured workflow processes for content approvals
• Archival and versioning of content
• Templates for consistent output
• Content check-in/check-out services for distributed users
What are the advantages of content management?
A CMS provides many advantages over traditional methods, particularly when distributed teams of users are
responsible for coordinating and contributing to different content repositories.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Introduction to Content Management Systems 6
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Empower Content
Empowering content involves making better use of information and putting control in the hands of content
owners.
• Content Ownership
Using a CMS, business users can update their online information quickly and efficiently without
technical intervention. Having full content ownership expands the opportunities for subject matter
experts to make their information available to their specific audiences.
• Content Accessibility
A CMS can repurpose content into multiple formats, and helps ensure disability compliance is met.
Content repurposing takes a single source of information and applies the necessary changes to
automatically generate various outputs including standard HTML, lite HTML, printer friendly HTML,
handheld WML, PDF, and XML. In addition, the content is checked for compliance to make sure certain
conditions are met for persons with disabilities such as blindness or epilepsy.
Decrease Costs
A CMS significantly lowers costs associated with managing information online. Manual technical steps in the
process are eliminated and the “webmaster bottleneck” is eradicated.
• Content Creation
Content creation is less costly as business users can directly contribute information online without
going through an intermediary. An IT specialist is no longer required to reconfigure content from one
program to a suitable online format. Removing steps in the process frees up expensive technical
persons for more specialized tasks.
• Content Management
Managing information is less costly as content is maintained by business users and standard processes
are automated. Common tasks like checking for dead links and archiving old pages are done
transparently by the CMS. Other tedious tasks like generating navigational menus and enforcing
information architectures do not require technical labor when using a CMS.
• Content Publishing
Content publishing is less costly as information is scheduled in advance to be published at a specific
date and time. Associated images and files for content are published by the CMS, reducing the
technical burden of finding the necessary assets. The CMS is also capable of expiring content at a
predefined time.
Increase Revenues
A CMS provides new ways to increase revenues. With lower time-to-market for content and the
empowerment of business users, new opportunities are available on which to capitalize.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Introduction to Content Management Systems 7
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
• Time Sensitive Opportunities
New opportunities arise when information is published online in a matter of minutes as compared to
hours or days. A good example exists in media publishing. Breaking a news story ahead of the
competition brings a first-mover advantage, drawing additional visits to the site and increased income
from sponsors. A CMS improves the speed to publishing for content online.
• Fresh Content Encourages Return Customers
Would you rather visit a site that is updated once a year or a site that is updated once a week? A
frequently updated site is going to have fresher content which will encourage customers to return,
resulting in increased revenue opportunities.
Improve Accountability
Accountability at both the user and content level is important when managing information online. With
effective accountability measures in place, management is free to focus on more pressing issues.
• Audit Trail
The audit trail, available at both the user and content level, provides a snapshot of the history of
content changes. With detailed records available, a CMS institutes full accountability and helps
motivate employees to complete work in a timely manner.
• Version Control
Version control is the automatic backing up of content as changes are made. With version control in
place, business users are given peace of mind that errant actions will not lose information. In addition,
the versioning mechanism allows for full compliance with legal and government regulations.
Maintain Consistency
Content published on a site is often displayed in an inconsistent manner, confusing the site visitor. Rather than
force a visitor to relearn the navigation menus and layout several times for one site, a site should enforce
display standards that maintain consistency throughout.
• Presentation Consistency
Content should be presented within pre-defined templates whenever possible. Templates provide a
mechanism for maintaining a consistent look and feel, thereby creating a professional image of
uniformity for the site visitor.
• Brand Integrity
Brand integrity is enforced with a CMS by limiting available logos and layout design in a manner
consistent with corporate policies. Too often a user, in a non-malicious manner, publishes graphics
and content outside the corporate brand policies.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Introduction to Content Management Systems 8
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
How does a CMS compare to traditional online information
updating?
A CMS represents a revolutionary way to manage information online when compared to traditional methods.
The business processes and necessary personnel are streamlined considerably as many of the technical team
members are no longer needed for day-to-day online information updating.
With a CMS vs. Without a CMS
With a CMS Without a CMS
New Page
Creation
A new page is created based on a
pre-defined default. All navigation
links are automatically updated and a
full audit trail is available.
A new page is created as a copy of an
existing one. The site map and context
navigation links must be updated by
hand and standards enforced in an ad-
hoc manner.
Content
Consistency
Templates are separated from page
content, strictly maintaining
consistency throughout the site.
Display consistency is enforced by the
CMS.
Content and template are inextricably
tied together, making it difficult to
update changes site-wide. Display
consistency is determined by the
developers.
Workflow
Processes
Workflows are built to mirror
designated business processes. The
CMS workflow engine records an
audit with comments on each step.
Upon final approval, content is
automatically published online.
Workflow is typically done via email in
an ad-hoc fashion. Emails are sent to
different persons in the organization
and upon subsequent approvals,
manually published online.
Publishing Times Content is published immediately
once necessary approvals have been
made.
Content is published when the
webmaster has available time, which
could take several days and incur
reconfiguration errors.
Legal Compliance Compliance is enforced by the system
maintaining records of content
changes and content publication.
Compliance is left up to the team
members. Changes to the content must
be manually backed up and a log kept
of when content was published.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Introduction to Content Management Systems 9
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
The Bottom Line: Efficiently Manage Online Information
A CMS represents a major departure from traditional methods. Not only are business processes altered, but
more business users and fewer technical personnel are involved in day-to-day content management
operations. Content bottlenecks are removed, while content backups are automatically generated. A CMS
changes the way online information is managed.
Improve Communication While Reducing Costs
The two most important advantages that a CMS offers are the functionality to help business users improve
communication and the reduced costs of overall content maintenance and publication. Improved
communication occurs at several different levels:
• Faster response to customer demands
• Improved content accessibility for employees
• Enhanced content distribution for partners
Similarly, costs are reduced in several areas:
• No intervention by technical staff for content creation and editing
• Automatic content repurposing
• Navigation structures updated without technical intervention
• Information accessibility standards enforced transparently
A CMS allows business users to manage their own online content efficiently.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – CMS Implementation 10
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
CMS Implementation
Do I need a CMS?
Content Management Systems are trendy, but that’s not a good reason to get one. Before planning your
implementation, make sure you understand how a CMS works and what business problems it can and can’t
solve. A CMS can be used in many ways within a company. Typically, a CMS is used to facilitate online
information management. A CMS also works as a document management system for maintaining versions and
audits of files, in addition to being a method for online collaboration and content creation.
Of particular use with a CMS is the ability to publish new and frequently updated information. Examples of
information published on a regular basis include:
• Press releases
• Newsletters
• Event calendar
• Special offers
• Product updates
• Service changes
Internet, Intranet, and Extranet
The need for a CMS grows on a daily basis: customers clamor for more information, distributed employees
need centralized information, and partners want the latest marketing materials. Many organizations have
multiple public-facing internet sites, in addition to intranet and extranet sites – each with differing
requirements. Having a centralized system to manage these disparate sites benefits all members of an
organization – particularly if content can be reused across multiple sites.
Internet
The Internet serves as an organization’s single most important gateway to the
world. With a CMS, turnaround time from content creation to content publication
is significantly reduced when compared to manual processes.
Intranet
The intranet for an organization acts as the central portal of all corporate
information. With a CMS, the capacity for content growth is limitless as navigation
structures are automatic, metadata is stored, and content is managed by subject
experts.
Extranet
The extranet for an organization delivers timely information through a password-
protected mechanism for related partners and clients. With a CMS, strong controls
and audit trails ensure full accountability for all external publications.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – CMS Implementation 11
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
In-House hosting vs. Outsourcing of a CMS
An important decision when choosing a CMS is whether to manage a system internally or to have a system
managed externally by a third party. Both mechanisms have their pros and cons and each should be carefully
understood before a decision is made. The two most common issues that are deciding factors include:
• Technology management capacity by current IT staff
• Past experience with outsourcing technology solutions
Analysis of Each Method
In-House Outsourced
Status Quo Organization is comfortable
managing software and hardware
systems in-house. Current processes
and people are usually already in
place.
Outsourced technology functions are non-
existent or minimal, thus making it difficult for
management approval.
Annual Fees Lower as more costs have been paid
up front. The annual fees are for
support and software upgrades.
More significant as the fees represent costs for
“renting” the software, hardware, and support
personnel.
Upfront Costs More substantial as the license fees
must be paid in advance, in addition
to hardware costs.
Typically a flat monthly fee that includes license
fees and hardware fees, along with technical
personnel management costs.
Integration More flexible, as a CMS behind a
firewall will be able to talk to other
back-end systems.
Limited, as the CMS will require special
configuration to communicate with other
organization software programs.
Deployment
Time
Variable, depending on the
coordination of the organization’s IT
department with the team
responsible for purchasing the CMS.
Often shorter as personnel have expertise
repeatedly doing the same process.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – CMS Implementation 12
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Steps to Implementing a Successful CMS
Plan, Plan, Plan
1. Plan the requirements for the CMS
2. Plan the timeline for the project
3. Plan the members of the team assigned to choose and manage the CMS
Create Measurable Goals
4. How long does it take for a routine page update without a CMS? How long would you like it to take
with a CMS?
5. How long does it take to create a new page online and update relevant navigation links without a
CMS? How long would you like it to take with a CMS?
6. How long does it take to have office documents such as PDFs and spreadsheets published online
without a CMS? How long would you like it to take with a CMS?
7. How long does it take to make a page available in alternative formats such as printer friendly
without a CMS? How long would you like it to take with a CMS?
Evaluate Available Options
8. Understand the difference between browser-based programs and client-installed applications
9. Understand what is meant by an enterprise application vs. a client application
10. Understand the level of product sophistication required for your organization
11. Ask for several product demonstrations from vendors, both from a business user’s view and from a
technical, administrative perspective
12. Test an existing page and template in the potential CMS to check that everything works according to
expectations
Decide and Go
13. Decide on a solution and embrace it
14. Set up templates and integrate the most critical content first
15. Integrate more static content as needed
16. Develop workflow processes mirroring current ad-hoc methods
17. Train business users and request feedback
18. Publish content online
CMS Buyer’s Guide – CMS Implementation 13
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
19. Provide feedback to all parties involved
20. Establish organizational best practices from knowledge gained
Assess Results
21. Analyze the measurable goals
22. Examine the change in online publishing activity
23. Inspect CMS usage among content contributors
24. Understand the amount of time now required by technical staff to support online publishing
25. Assess the results of the CMS implementation
Successfully implementing a CMS is a time-intensive process involving different team members and
organizations. As with most substantial projects, the potential rewards outweigh the risks. Some of the
rewards of using a CMS include:
• Faster publishing of new content
• Fewer errors and higher levels of quality
• Less intervention by technical staff
• Distributed content collaboration
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Twenty Questions to Answer when Buying a CMS 14
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Twenty Questions to Answer When Buying a CMS
The following twenty questions will help you evaluate how your organization currently operates, and how it
could operate more efficiently with a CMS in place. These questions are meant to guide your thoughts and
help you plan for a successful CMS implementation.
How is your content currently managed?
1. How many websites does your organization manage (Internet, intranet, extranet)?
2. How many pages of online content do you currently manage?
3. Who in your organization currently manages/updates content?
4. How do you currently update your information online?
5. What types of content will be updated frequently (e.g. press releases)?
6. What types of content will be updated infrequently (e.g. contact info)?
7. What is not working about your current method of managing content?
What do you hope to achieve with a new CMS?
8. Who in your organization will use the CMS?
9. What would your workflow steps look like for publishing content?
10. What is the projected timeline for purchasing a CMS?
11. What are some of the short-term goals to be achieved with a CMS?
12. What are some of the long-term goals to be achieved with a CMS?
Technology Considerations
13. What type of client computing environment do you have (Windows, Mac, etc)?
14. What type of server computing environment do you have (Windows, Linux, etc)?
15. Are your websites hosted in-house or are they outsourced to a hosting company?
16. Do you have web programmers in-house, or do you use an outside firm?
17. Do you have other web applications that should interface with the CMS?
18. Where are your business users located (single office, distributed offices, home)?
19. How are your pages laid out? Are you happy with the look of the websites?
20. How are your websites organized in terms of sections and sub-sections?
Once you have answered these questions, you should have a feel for how a CMS will work inside your
organization, and give you a better understanding of the issues involved.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Is A CMS Worth the Cost? 15
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Is a CMS Worth the Cost?
At first glance, a content management system looks like a costly proposition. But the right CMS will also save
your organization a lot of money that could be redirected elsewhere. This sample Return on Investment
Calculator breaks down the cost of managing a website without a CMS, in comparison with the cost of
purchasing a CMS.
Sample CMS ROI Calculator
For this example, we’ve included some typical numbers. To calculate your own return on investment, please download
this document in an editable MS Excel format: http://www.hannonhill.com/downloads/cms_roi_calculator.xls t
Variable Factors
How many departments, divisions, and subsidiaries are in your organization? 10
How many pages of content does each one create per month? 10
How many pages of existing content does each one update per month? 10
How many documents does each one publish per month? 10
How many times are the navigation menus manually updated per month? 15
In how many formats is the content published (printer friendly, WML, etc)? 2
How much does it cost per hour for web developers/consultants? $75.00
Time Assumptions Without a CMS
How many extra minutes are required to put a new page online? 20
How many extra minutes are required to update an existing page? 10
How many extra minutes are required to publish and link to a file? 5
How many extra minutes are required to update navigation menus? 10
Monthly Costs Without a CMS
Create Content $2,500.00
Update Content $1,250.00
Publish Documents $625.00
Update Navigation Menus $187.50
Reformat Content $2,281.25
Monthly Total $6,843.75
Total Costs and Savings
CMS Cost First Year $50,000.00
CMS Cost Subsequent Years $8,000.00
Total Yearly Costs Without a CMS $82,125.00
First Year Savings $32,125.00
Subsequent Yearly Savings $74,125.00
Return on Investment
One Year 85%
Two Year 242%
Three Year 340%
CMS Buyer’s Guide – What to Expect during the CMS Sales Process 16
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
What to Expect During the CMS Sales Process
Buying a CMS should be straightforward and based on continuous feedback between vendor and client. Once
you’ve decided you need a CMS, however, the actual task of selecting and purchasing can appear very daunting.
The following sample timeline will help you to formulate a practical plan for your own CMS purchase. While time
frames may vary, understanding the steps involved will help you know what to expect when purchasing a CMS.
Week 1
(Goals)
• Answer CMS evaluation questions
• Determine project goals and objectives
• Set a project leader
• Assign responsibilities to different team members
Week 2
(Evaluation)
• Choose CMS products to evaluate
• Receive high-level business demonstration of products
• Narrow CMS choices
• Re-evaluate goals and features based on presentations
Week 3
(Technical Demo)
• Receive technical demonstration with proof statements
• Ask final vendor questions
• Install CMS on local machine (if applicable)
Week 4
(Infrastructure)
• Review program license agreement
• Complete purchase of CMS
• Set up CMS software and hardware
Week 5
(Planning)
• Plan the information architecture (the interrelation of information)
• Organize the appropriate users, groups, and roles
• Decide on the templates and page designs
• Create workflows for different content editing and publishing processes
Week 6
(Implementation)
• Integrate the templates with appropriate regions
• Automatically import existing content
• Create placeholders for new content
• Publish content to designated servers
• Test output in appropriate web browsers and devices
CMS Buyer’s Guide – What to Expect during the CMS Sales Process 17
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Week 7
(Training)
• Develop training for specific business scenarios
• Deliver standard content management training for content contributors,
approvers, publishers, and administrators
• Receive training for specific business scenarios
• Begin using the application
Week 8
(Feedback)
• Provide feedback to vendor based on experience
• Offer suggestions for improvements
• Set up open communication for continuing dialog
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Functionality Checklist 18
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Functionality Checklist
There are many CMS products on the market, and selecting on can be a challenge. The following is an easy
way to compare different products in terms of functionality. We’ve checked off the features available with
Cascade Server, and left space for you to review competing products.
Compatibility
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Browser-Based Full program functionality available from a standard
web browser without plug-ins or downloads �
Supported Browsers Support for Internet Explorer and Mozilla/Firefox when
using the CMS �
Supported Browsers for
Content Output
Resulting Content compatible with all standard browsers
�
Supported Client
Operating Systems
Support for Windows, Mac, and Linux when using the
CMS �
Supported Server
Operating Systems
Support for Windows, Mac, and Linux on the CMS
server �
Supported Web Servers Support for Apache, Microsoft IIS, iPlanet, and Lotus
Domino for published content �
CMS Implementation Support for the CMS to be implemented as a server-
installed application or as an outsourced managed
hosted solution
�
Server Side Scripting
Languages
Support for server-side scripting languages including
ASP, PHP, ColdFusion, JSP, Perl, SSI, and Python �
Supported Databases Support for standard SQL compliant databases with an
ODBC interface including MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server,
and MSDE
�
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Functionality Checklist 19
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Security
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Encrypted Client/Server
Interaction
Support for SSL (secure sockets layer) 128-bit
encryption with the CMS �
Encrypted User
Passwords in Database
Passwords encrypted in the database to prevent access
to the CMS through a compromised database �
User Authentication
with Sessions/Cookies
After a user is authenticated, a cookie with only a
session value is stored in the browser preventing
malicious users from accessing private information in
the cookie
�
Content Audit All changes to content in the system are logged to the
specific user including their date/time, type of content,
and content action
�
Login and Logout Audit Every time a user logs into or out of the CMS, the IP
address is logged in the database �
Open Standards Support
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
XML Data Support for XML data in stored and published content �
XSL Transformations Support for XSL when transforming and repurposing
content into different formats �
Unicode Storage Support for Unicode content providing multi-language
content management �
Cascading Style Sheets
(CSS)
Support for CSS-based design within the CMS �
SMTP for Email Support for sending email through a standard SMTP
server (example emails include workflow notifications
and content expiration messages)
�
XHTML Output Standards-based XHTML output of information �
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Functionality Checklist 20
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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Content Editing
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Browser-Based Word
Processor
Inline WYSIWYG browser-based word processor for
HTML/XHTML content input �
Spell Checker Spell checker with user dictionaries for adding custom
words �
Link Checker Check for broken or dead links and notify the user �
Disability Checker Check that proper table summaries and alternate values
for images are specified to meet the standards for
section 508 compliance for web standards for people
with disabilities
�
Separate Content and
Presentation
Ability to separate pure content from presentation
elements allowing the business user to focus on specific
information
�
Insert Image and
Hyperlink
Support for inserting an image and a hyperlink in
content �
Image/File Upload Support for uploading images and files from a web
browser straight into the CMS �
Metadata Support for Dublin Core standard metadata items like
title, summary, and keywords of content �
Microsoft Word
Integration
Support for copy-and-paste from Microsoft Word into
the word processor, maintaining the formatting and
optimizing the resulting HTML/XHTML
�
Third-Party HTML Ability to copy-and-paste HTML from third-party
programs like Dreamweaver and FrontPage �
Unicode Characters Support Eastern and Western languages in the word
processor �
Library Services Ability to check-out and check-in content, thereby
locking content to a specific user �
Custom Forms Support creation of custom forms in the CMS with
content validated via JavaScript �
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Functionality Checklist 21
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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Content Lifecycle
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Standard Content
Creation
Ability to set-up predefined content defaults, allowing
the business user to create new content based on an
existing standard (common examples include press
releases, newsletters, products, and services)
�
Version Control Automatically create retrievable backups of content
with the ability to purge old backups �
Track Content Changes Track changes between content updates with highlights
of content differences �
Content Search and
Retrieval
Ability to do a full-text search of content and metadata
in the system �
System Information
About Content
System stores relevant information about the content
including name, folder, creation time, creation user,
time last modified, user last modified by, workflow
status, lock status, last published time, and user last
published by
�
Schedule Content Start
and End Date
Support for scheduling a specific start and end
(expiration) date and time for content �
Content Expiration
Notice
Emails automatically triggered at specified intervals
notifying a user when content is about to end (expire) �
Automatic Navigation
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Sitemap Generation Support for a complete sitemap to be generated
automatically �
Context Sensitive
Navigation
Support for navigation menus to be automatically
generated based on the current folder of the page �
JavaScript Navigation Ability to have custom JavaScript and DHTML pop-up
menus created automatically �
Previous and Next Page Support for links to be automatically generated to the
previous and next page as ordered in the system folder �
Available Page Formats Support for automatically generating links to the
available page formats (most common example is a link
to the “Printer Friendly Version”)
�
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Functionality Checklist 22
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Templates
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Flexible Templates Support for creating any type of template with no
limitations �
Separate Content from
Template
Support for separating the content portions of a page out
of the template �
Definable Regions Ability to define regions in a template whereby content
can be plugged in through a visual interface �
Visual Layout Support for a visual layout of the template with different
regions and page content differentiated �
Template
Development
Templates can be made with industry standard tools like
Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive �
Standard Content
Output
Support for templates to generate HTML, XML, WML, and
PDF content �
Users, Groups, and Roles
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
User Management User management system that scales for organizations
of all sizes �
Group Management Group management system designed to organize users
according to their department and content access area �
Access Rights Configurable content access rights designed to prevent
unauthorized access – including no access to content,
read access to content, and write access to content
�
Roles for Permissions Roles-based system supporting common scenarios such
as content contributors, content approvers, content
publishers, and content administrators
�
User Reporting Ability to report what users recently logged in, what IP
address users logged-in from, and what date/time users
logged out
�
LDAP Integration Support for users to be authenticated against an LDAP-
based system including Microsoft Active Directory and
Sun Directory Services
�
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Functionality Checklist 23
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Publishing
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Multi-Server Publishing Ability to publish the same content to multiple servers
for load-balanced and mirrored server environments �
Multiple Domain
Names
Support for managing content for multiple domain
names from a single content repository (e.g. support
site1.com, site2.com, www.site3.com, www2.site3.com)
�
Publishing Protocols Ability to publish content through FTP, SFTP, VPN,
mapped network drive, local file system, and an
aggregate ZIP file
�
Publishing Formats Support for publishing content in standard formats
including XHTML, XML, WML, and PDF �
Publish Reports Ability to generate a publishing report detailing what
content was published, length of the publishing process,
and any issues that need to be addressed
�
Workflow
Item Description Cascade CMS1 CMS2
Configurable Workflow Ability to create custom workflows in XML for a
structured business process with no limit to the number
of steps
�
Email Triggers Support for email triggers at each step in the workflow
process to notify the next applicable user �
Step Publishing Ability to have content published automatically at a
specific step with user approval �
Extensible Triggers Support for developing custom triggers to talk to legacy
systems or third-party applications �
Dashboard User-specific dashboard outlining the current workflows
and completed workflows �
Ad-hoc Modification Support for users to modify the person responsible for
each workflow step in an ad-hoc manner �
Workflow Filters Ability to filter certain steps based on a specific group or
role of user �
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Anatomy of a CMS 24
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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Anatomy of a CMS
The following screenshots demonstrate, using Cascade Server as a model, the typical features you can expect
from a quality CMS.
Content Creation
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Top 25
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Content Publishing
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Top 26
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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System Management
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Top Ten CMS Buying Mistakes 27
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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Top Ten CMS Buying Mistakes
Introduction
You’ve finally convinced your organization that it’s time to upgrade to a CMS. Now it’s up to you to select the
right one. Considering the sheer number of CMS offerings out there and the various combinations of features
they provide, it’s no wonder why buyers find themselves overwhelmed in the selection process. For many
customers, the universal method of price comparison seems like the only reliable way to differentiate between
one CMS and another. While price is no doubt important, it can become a pitfall that blinds you to other factors
that will ultimately affect you financially.
Top 10 Mistakes
To help you make an informed buying decision, the following is a short list, in no particular order, of ten major
mistakes that buyers commonly make during the process of choosing a CMS.
1. Needing a specific feature, only to learn that it is an additional cost
Many content management systems offer great features, and their companies are happy to demo them for
you during the normal sales cycle. You can easily imagine all of the benefits these features will offer your
organization, but the vendor didn’t clarify that these wonderful features are only available at an additional
cost. Much like a person who test-drives a vehicle with power locks and air conditioning, you don’t want to
drive the car off of the lot and realize that your locks are manual and there’s no AC and that those features
can only be installed by the dealership for an additional cost. Choosing your CMS wisely means that you
understand everything that you’re paying for. Most likely, you’re working within a budget; add-ons and
extra expenses should never come as a post-purchase surprise.
2. IT choosing it without buy-in from the non-technical users
For many organizations, the decision about purchasing a content management system is deferred to the IT
staff. Although it would certainly seem to naturally fall under their jurisdiction, the IT staff are not the only
ones affected by such a major purchase, and this can pose a problem. Since the IT department personnel
tend to be much more technical than the average user, they can unintentionally end up buying a system that
only they are able to understand. If you’ve purchased a CMS that’s not user-friendly enough for non-
technical users, you’re losing out on one of the major reasons for the purchase: a good system is supposed
to place more control into the hands of the non-technical users who are responsible for creating the
content. Allowing the non-technical users a chance to evaluate the system helps to ensure that the
purchased CMS will be adopted by the content creators, therefore, reducing the bottleneck with the IT
department that most likely brought on your decision to buy a CMS in the first place.
3. Not considering future business goals for the organization
Buying a CMS is a big purchase; it’s not something your organization is going to want to do twice, so it’s
important to choose one that will expand according to your future needs. You will find certain CMS’s that
are designed for very specific purposes, and it’s those specific functions at which they arguably excel. A
great example is a CMS that is designed specifically for article-based content, which could include editorials
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Top Ten CMS Buying Mistakes 28
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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to press releases. The CMS is outstanding at providing an interface that allows users to create new articles
at the drop of a hat, but the ease of use comes at the expense of restrictions on other functionality. Doing a
little strategic planning before your purchase could prevent your organization from getting stuck with a CMS
that won’t meet its future needs. A good content management system should allow for the implementation
of new initiatives as business goals change and evolve; furthermore, a system should be built upon a
framework that provides flexibility.
4. Not understanding access permissions for assets within the system
Access permissions are a very important and basic part of any well-designed content management system.
If no safeguards are put into place, there are many ways that a non-technical user can break the design of a
template or enter in content that would not be approved by management. Likewise, users from different
departments that are allowed to make updates to their respective areas of the site should be limited in the
access that they have. For example, marketing shouldn’t be able to update pages from human resources
and vice versa. Be sure to inquire about and understand the types and levels of access permissions that the
content management system you are evaluating offers. The more granular control that you have over
system areas, assets, and individual regions of a document, the better suited your CMS will be for your
organization.
5. Not understanding the level of product support
One of the most frustrating experiences a customer can have with their CMS is when something goes wrong,
and there is no one available to support it. Some content management systems—particularly free open-
source solutions and discount CMS offerings—are sold without technical support or training to back it up.
Even the most well-designed CMS solutions still have an intrinsic level of complexity to them, and being able
to call in the experts from time to time is an important safeguard to have. Be sure you take the time to
evaluate the level of support and willingness to help of the company offering the CMS.
6. Not factoring in search engine optimization
Organizations looking to buy a CMS to manage Internet sites usually appreciate the role that a sound online
presence will play in their success. Large sums of money are invested in to the creation of a professional
Internet site and a system to manage its content. The fact is, however that neither of these expenses will
mean much if online consumers are unable to find their site due to poor search engine optimization. Most
CMS products offer some form of search engine optimization (SEO) through the use of metadata for each
page that is produced. However, many systems on the market still do not produce one of the more
important requirements of SEO: in that the page URLs they produce are not easily found by the search
engine spider bots that literally crawl around the Internet and document the pages that they find. These
unfriendly URLs are resource locators that contain page processing parameters in the string (i.e.
http://www.mysite.com/?id=36). Spider bots responsible for identifying pages typically do not process
anything after the “?” character, causing only the top-level page to be identified to the search engine. The
major problem with this is that there could be hundreds of pages in a database being called through that
variable query string that will go unnoticed by the search engine spider. Content management systems
based on the common “pull” architecture make heavy use of these types of parameters in URLs. Systems
based on a “push” architecture are designed for SEO due to the fact that those hundreds of pages would be
published to the web server as friendly URLs (i.e. http://www.mysite.com/specific-article.html). Pay close
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Top Ten CMS Buying Mistakes 29
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
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attention to the URLs of the site for the company that makes the CMS that you are interested in to
understand their SEO strategy.
7. Being locked into specific content formats
While the Internet has made HTML pages the most prevalent source for online information, these pages are
still limited to traditional desktop-style machines that have the luxury of an installed web browser that can
handle the bandwidth and processor-driven dynamic HTML effects. Although the majority of the users
access their content via their desktop web browsers now, trends indicate that more mobile devices that do
not handle HTML very well or at all are gaining increased acceptance as alternative means of accessing
online information. Content management systems need to have the ability to allow the user to enter
content in once and be able to repurpose or repackage that content into several different formats in
addition to traditional HTML. Consequently, a system is more suitable for content management when it has
the ability to support existing alternative formats as well as extend itself to support others that have not
been created yet.
8. Being locked into specific pre-defined templates
Many lower-end CMS products require you to use pre-built page templates provided with the system. While
sample templates may be useful in some cases, if you do not have the option to design your own templates,
you may find your organization is unreasonably cornered into restricted design options that are not always
suitable for the type of content you are looking to publish. Likewise, the ability to maintain a unique look
and feel to your site (essential for consumer brand recognition) is also lost. A CMS needs to be able to
support any type of design layout.
9. Ignoring Standards Compliance
A CMS may offer some great features, but if it’s not written according to universal standards, you may have
trouble integrating it in to existing systems. A platform-agnostic CMS that’s built on universal standards
should run in any network environment, send and consume data to and from other applications such as
portals, and integrate with standard protocols such as LDAP. Web Services or an open API will allow even
greater flexibility and customization. It’s also essential that content managed by your CMS is compliant with
the latest web standards for accessibility.
10. Not testing the CMS in your own environment
Doing research, watching demos, and asking questions are important steps, but nothing beats actually
testing out potential CMS’s in your own environment. A trial license will help you find answers to questions
you didn’t know you had, and give you a much more realistic understanding of what to expect.
Conclusion
The right content management system should really strengthen your business or organization. Choosing the
wrong one, however, could end up being ineffective and financially unsound. The above is by no means a
comprehensive list of items to be wary of when making the decision to purchase a content management system.
It should, however, provide a solid foundation to formulate sound judgment in determining the CMS that is right
for your organization.
CMS Buyer’s Guide – About Hannon Hill Corporation 30
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
Partial Client List
Education (125+ Higher-Ed Clients)
Belmont University
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Campbell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Clemson University
College of William and Mary
Cornell College
CSU- San Marcos
CSU-Chico
Duke University
Earlham College
Eastern University
Eckerd College
Gardner-Webb University
Gonzaga University
Harding University
Heinz School of Public Policy
Hofstra University
McMurry University
Reed College
The Juilliard School
UC Hastings College of the Law
UC-Irvine
University of Alaska - Southeast
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Houston
University of Maryland – AGNR
University of Miami School of
Business
University of Missouri (Mizzou)
University of Richmond
University of Texas at Arlington
Vassar College
Government and Non-Profits
City of Irving, TX
County of Charleston, SC
Delaware Dept. of Education
US Department of Justice
Federation of American Scientists
Henderson (NV) Libraries
NV State Office of Employment
Working Today – Freelancers
Union
YMCA
Technology
Adaptive Microsystems
Beacon Technologies
China Mobile
Computer Sciences Corporation
FileMaker.com
Iona Technologies
MediaGrif
PGP Corporation
Servigistics, Inc
Silverpop, Inc
The North Highland Co.
General
Brand Atlanta
British Petroleum
Costco Travel
Cummins Marine
European Investment Bank
IT World Canada
Milliman
Okemo Mountain Resort
Perillo Tours
SCOREGolf
Strang Communications
Universal Air Travel Plan
Waste Connections
Healthcare
American Thoracic Society
MCG Health System
Noland Health
ProHealth Care
St. Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta
Texas A&M Health Science Center
University of Utah Healthcare
CMS Buyer’s Guide – Top Ten CMS Buying Mistakes 31
© 2010 Hannon Hill Corporation, all rights reserved.
950 East Paces Ferry Road ∙ Suite 3300 ∙ Atlanta, GA 30326 o: 678.904.6900 f: 678.904.6901 w: http://www.hannonhill.com
About Hannon Hill
Founded in 2001, Hannon Hill is a leading provider of powerful web content management
software. The award-winning Cascade Server application provides advanced solutions for online
information management and has been a recipient of the ‘Best of Show Award’, from Internet
World Magazine. Most recently, Hannon Hill was recognized by Inc. Magazine placing 247th
amongst the prestigious Inc. 500, representing the top 500 fastest-growing private companies in
the nation. Hannon Hill continues to accelerate its customers’ online success.
Located in the high-tech capital of the South, Atlanta, GA, Hannon Hill continues to deliver high-quality content
management solutions. Its products enable users to easily update their websites through an easy-to-use web interface.
Hannon Hill's content management solutions allow users to maintain up-to-date, accurate, and meaningful website content
while decreasing associated costs.
Hannon Hill’s WCM solutions provide core content management capabilities for management of online information. Our
solutions have been implemented in all types of industries, including higher education, health care, real estate, energy,
hospitality, and publishing. We provide a comprehensive tool set that provides all the necessary modules to manage the
complete content lifecycle.
Hannon Hill is now in its ninth year of operation. Product sales and overall revenue have increased steadily in each year of
operation. Currently, approximately 60% of our revenue is generated from software licenses, 10% from maintenance
contracts and 30% from professional services associated with integration and training.
Most of our annual revenue is re-invested in product development. The majority of our business is generated through
strong client references and by offering numerous informational resources; we do not conduct expensive advertising and
marketing campaigns. Our customer acquisition costs remain well below average, enabling us to focus above average
resources on research and development.
Hannon Hill is large enough to be completely financially secure, yet small enough to ensure a high degree of personal
attention. We pride ourselves on superior customer service and satisfaction, and believe this approach is the best way to
ensure our continued long-term viability.
Contact Us
To learn more about content management and Cascade Server, please contact us at Hannon Hill. We’re happy
to set up a demo or talk with you about your organization’s specific content management needs.
Hannon Hill Corporation Tel: 800.407.3540
950 East Paces Ferry Rd Tel: 678.904.6900
Suite 2440, 24th Floor Fax: 678.904.6901
Atlanta, GA 30326 Online: www.hannonhill.com