“They need to organise the information better so people can find what they need.” Websites, especially those produced by sophisticated content management systems, should be functional on a range of …

My second CM Briefing for June looks at the spending patterns during CMS implementation. To quote: There are three clear phases to the adoption of a content management system, of which the initial implementation is just the first step. The activities and spending patterns during these phases needs to be understood, to ensure that sufficient time and resources are made available for the project as a whole. This article explores each of the three main phases, and outlines some recommendations for the planning of CMS spending.

A website can be an impressive statement of professionalism and creativity, enhancing a company’s image with a high standard of design, graphical sophistication, consistency and attractiveness. “Why would I want …

Features and benefits Importance to consumers? Very important 48% Important 39% Somewhat important 10% Not important 3% How do vendor websites rate? Very good 11% Good 35% Acceptable 37% Poor …

Detailed product descriptions Importance to consumers? Very important 64% Important 24% Somewhat important 10% Not important 2% How do vendor websites rate? Very good 5% Good 29% Acceptable 37% Poor …

At-a-glance product summary Importance to consumers? Very important 42% Important 37% Somewhat important 18% Not important 3% How do vendor websites rate? Very good 8% Good 36% Acceptable 37% Poor …

My second CM Briefing for May looks at the paradox of delivering to isolated staff. To quote: Staff in geographically isolated locations are most reliant on information sources such as intranets. In practical terms, however, these staff are the hardest to reach. This is a central paradox for intranets, and while there are no easy answers, there are some practical steps that can be taken to better meet the needs of these isolated staff.

Iain Barker has written our KM Column article for this month, answering the question: what is information architecture? To quote: Organising functionality and content into a structure that people are able to navigate intuitively doesn't happen by chance. Organisations must recognise the importance of information architecture or else they run the risk of creating great content and functionality that no one can ever find. This article provides an introduction to information architecture, discusses the evolution of the discipline and provides a 9-step guide for how to create an effective information architecture.

The CMS marketplace is undergoing a substantial transformation, and vendors must update their websites to reflect the new environment. With consumers increasingly relying on vendor websites during their selection processes, …

A while back, we published a report titled Benchmarking CMS vendor websites, which looked at how effectively vendor websites communicated the strengths and capabilities of their products. This was a report targeted specifically at vendors (rather than consumers), with the twin goals of: helping vendors better sell their products; and as a consequence, helping consumers to get the information that they needed. This was a good report, based on a large consumer survey and expert evaluations of a wide cross-section of vendor websites. In all honesty, however, we didn't make many sales. While vendors could see that they could gain