When the business world first started creating websites for their companies, those sites were little more than informative brochures that were maintained by webmasters that hid in the dark recesses of the office writing thousands of lines of code. As the technology changed and commercial sites multiplied, they became more focused on transactions and were more in line with a company’s growth strategy. These days, sites are still focused on transactions with more emphasis on creating a CMS that creates loyal customers and creates high conversion rates. Having the right WCMS solution will allow businesses to rapidly respond to changing consumer needs and market conditions, and it will ensure that your organization has a solid foundation that it can leverage its web presence from.

As more and more companies began creating websites that contained large amounts of information, the need for web content management systems (WCMS) exploded. Today there are an estimated 1,700 different WCMS options to choose from when it comes to website content management systems, according to the website Noupe, and one size doesn’t fit all. With different vendors creating different systems that tailor their tools for different scenarios, choosing the right website platform and system to meet your company’s needs can be a difficult task. As with anything that you have to decide to purchase for your business, you have to make sure that it fits your budget, the scope of your project, and the type of project that you are engaged in.

Knowing What Really Matters

When you are looking at website content management systems, as a business, you have to know what really matters. You need to look at how the system will be used by both the administrators of your site as well as how it will function for those that visit your site, in other words you need to get a handle on your company’s strategy before investing in any software. Since not all WCMS are not created equal, you have to look at your specific situation and choose the system that best fulfills your requirements. When you are looking at the various software packages to fulfill your requirements you need to make sure that you know what scenarios you are trying to address so you can start isolating vendors that may fulfill your requirements. When it comes to selecting the final product, you need to use it and test it out before you make the final purchase to make sure it will do what you need it to do.

Common Scenarios

When it comes to choosing a WCMS for your site, it is important to understand some of the common scenarios relating to how content is managed. Just like all WCMS packages are not created equal, there are substantial differences concerning how content is managed between a basic site and an enterprise eCommerce site.

• Basic Content Management Scenarios – Small to mid-sized businesses with standard features are not always simple to manage. Corporate brochure sites, simple Intranets for employees, community-oriented sites and sites with basic interactivity are all scenarios that can be addressed with a large number of WCMS packages.
• Mid-range Content Management Scenarios – As sites begin to grow and expand in size and complexity, the CMS must begin to become more of an application platform in order to achieve the specific communications and informational objectives that are needed. The scenarios that are present in these situations involve enterprise-level Intranets for employees, sites that feature interactive marketing, and sites that incorporate various microsites.
• Complex Content Management Scenarios – When sites evolve into needing a more complex suite of scenarios like those that serve as a global  for employees, sites that handle various eBusiness revenue streams, and sites that incorporate multichannel publishing features, it creates a need to accommodate more complex workflows, content models and governance structures.

When you are able to clearly identify your needs and the scenario in which your company is operating under, you will be able to choose the right tool to meet the needs of your business’s website. Creating and maintaining a website is a necessity in today’s marketplace, notes Shaun Walker, writer for CMS Critic. With the proper website content management system in place, you can help your business grow and be able to effectively communicate with customers, suppliers, employees and partners. It can make a huge difference in the amount of time that you have to spend keeping your site updated and maintained. Having the right WCMS in place can mean the difference between your website’s success or failure. Taking the time to do your research can provide you with the kind of results that you need to make your website successful.