How to Justify the Purchase of a New Web Content Management System

Thursday, February 18, 2010 by JanJaap Kolleman
In today's economic environment business and marketing professionals are having a difficult time justifying technology spending- and that includes the purchase of a brand new web content management system.

The justification for this major investment might seem hard to make, but delaying the purchase or piecing together an in-house solution can cost you more in the long run and severely impact your brand. Here are four rock solid points to help you make the business case for an investment in an enterprise web content management system (WCMS).

1.  Demonstrate Increased Revenue

By streamlining and centralizing content creation, a new or revamped WCMS boosts your revenue by allowing content reuse and re-purposing across multiple websites, channels, and, if you're a global enterprise, in multiple languages.  Additionally, a WCMS simplifies workflow and provides robust analytic measurement capabilities to keep you focused on the timely updates of content that makes you money rather than wasting it.

A best-in-class enterprise web content management system will also have an integrated suite of online marketing tools that will help you achieve business objectives, like increasing conversion rates and building brand loyalty. Here are a few examples:

Brand management tools
 
Email campaign tools
 
Target audience marketing
 
Website personalization
 
Another revenue generating benefit of a top-rated WCMS is faster time to market.  Imagine launching a multichannel marketing campaign or a new product in just a few days, rather than a few weeks or even months.  What would this mean to your business in terms of increased sales or leads/

2.  Demonstrate Decreased Operational Costs

With the right WCMS, you will spend less money on updating your website and avoid the inefficient practice of copying and pasting content across various pages. Centralized design elements and templates can be created once and then instantaneously integrated across your website. WCM helps you save money on labor, protect your brand and get it right the first time. Most enterprise web content management systems are easy to use.  One of the major reasons organizations invest in web content management is because it empowers content creators (marketing teams, for example) to create, manage, modify, and publish content themselves- without IT involvement.  Consider the savings of hundreds of IT hours on an annual basis, not to mention the increased efficiency

3.  Calculate Probable ROI

Due to the economic environment, the concept of ROI is on the tip of everyone’s tongue when discussing technology investment. Don’t worry: an best-in-class enterprise web content management system almost always provides a sizable ROI. In addition to saving costs and boosting your revenue, a good WCMS interface comes with a high degree of usability. This means you can accelerate and simplify projects such as site development, implementation and content creation.

4.  Think Beyond ROI

In addition, a WCMS can provide benefits that supersede ROI.  Next generation web content management systems can really help to protect brand equity online and across multiple channels. For large companies, branding remains one of your most important assets and good customer perception is integral for continued success.  A next generation WCM system allows you to build and maintain your brand with minimal hiccups. Even if you come up with initial ROI figures that are lower than you want, maintaining your brand equity and providing the ideal user experience across multiple channels is enough to make the business case for updating your WCM strategy today.



Top 3 Business Drivers Behind Web Content Management (WCM)

Friday, October 30, 2009 by Brad Davis
In March of 2009 the Aberdeen Group released a report titled "Maximize Business Results Online: How Web Content Management Technology is Transforming Digital Marketing".  The report was based upon an in-depth survey of B2B and B2C businesses.  The executive summary of the report states:

"This reports serves as a guide for identifying best practices in online content management and maximizing the business benefits of the web.  The findings highlight the strategic value of web content management.  The report links the technology and practices of Best-in-Class organizations to top line revenue, customer loyalty, and the customer experience".

Optimization and Distribution of Online Content a High Priority

According to Aberdeen "70% of respondents indicated that the optimization and distribution of online content is a high priority".  They conclude that "Today, organizations are looking to influence business results through the online channel.  Whether the web is a vehicle for information or a source of sales, all organizations must focus on the development, execution, and distribution of online content to maximize sales in a global recession".

In addition to exploring the strategic value of web content management and outlining the best practices for maximizing online results, the Aberdeen report took a serious look at the business drivers behind web content management- and why Best-in-Class organizations are much more likely to deploy an enterprise web content management system.

Top Marketing Channels to Reach Customers


It's not surprising that a majority of survey respondents reported that the website and email marketing are the top marketing channels that they use to reach their customers.

Top 3 Business Drivers Behind WCM

According to Aberdeen's research, the top 3 business drivers behind web content management are:
  • Improve the customer experience (44%)
  • Improve website traffic (35%)
  • Improve overall return on marketing investment (33%)

Aberdeen found that "Marketers are looking for technology that will empower them to deliver impactful, engaging customer experiences online.  Therefore, improving the customer experience is a top pressure driving the adoption and use of web content management.  This is followed by a desire to increase website traffic and increase the overall return on marketing investments by improving the productivity and processes surrounding web properties".

Increasing Conversion Rates

It stands to reason that if you improve the online experience, you will convert more visitors into leads and sales.  The question is, how do you improve the customer or visitor experience on the web?  Personalizing online content is one answer.  Another answer, agreed upon by most WCM and CMS experts, is to deliver rich, engaging content that is relevant to your target audience.

Download the Entire Aberdeen Report Free of Charge

If you are in the market for an enterprise web content management system or looking for solid data to help with justifying web content management, you will find the Aberdeen report a most valuable resource.  Download the report by clicking the link below, compliments of SDL Tridion, a recognized leader in enterprise web content management solutions and technology.

Abdereen Report
Maximize Business Results Online
How Web Content Management Technology is Transforming Digital Marketing


The Business Case for Web Content Management

Saturday, October 24, 2009 by Brad Davis
 Justifying Web Content Management (WCM)


It’s certainly no secret that in the current harsh economic environment marketing professionals are having a difficult time justifying technology spending -- and enterprise web content management systems are no exception.

The justification for this major investment might seem hard to make, but delaying the purchase or piecing together an in-house solution can cost you more in the long run and severely impact your brand. Here are four concrete tips and explanations to help you make the business case for an investment in an enterprise web content management system (WCMS).

1.  A Web Content Management System Increases Revenue.

By streamlining and centralizing content creation, a new or revamped WCMS boosts your revenue by allowing content reuse and re-purposing across multiple websites,  channels, and, if you're a global enterprise, in multiple languages.  Additionally, a WCMS simplifies workflow and provides robust analytic measurement capabilities to keep you focused on the timely updates of content that makes you money rather than wasting it.

A best-in-class enterprise web content management system will also have an integrated suite of online marketing tools that will help you achieve important business objectives, like increasing conversion rates. Here are a few examples:

Another revenue generating benefit of a top-rated WCMS is faster time to market.  Imagine launching a multichannel marketing campaign or a new product in just a few days, rather than a few weeks or even months.  What would this mean to your business in terms of increased sales or leads?


2. A Web Content Management System Decreases Operational Costs.

With the right WCMS, you will spend less money on updating your website and avoid the inefficient practice of copying and pasting content across various pages. Centralized design elements and templates can be created once and then instantaneously integrated across your website. WCM helps you save money on labor, protect your brand and get it right the first time.

Most enterprise web content management systems are easy to use.  One of the major reasons organizations invest in web content management is because it empowers content creators (marketing teams, for example) to create, manage, modify, and publish content themselves- without IT involvement.  Consider the savings of hundreds of IT hours on an annual basis, not to mention the increased efficiency.

3. Create an honest ROI calculator.

Due to the economic environment, the concept of ROI is on the tip of everyone’s tongue when discussing technology investment. Don’t worry: an best-in-class enterprise web content management system almost always provides a sizable ROI. In addition to saving costs and boosting your revenue, a good WCMS interface comes with a high degree of usability. This means you can accelerate and simplify projects such as site development, implementation and content creation.

4.  Save 70% - 80% by Purchasing an Enterprise Web Content Management Solution

Gilbane found that site development based around a content management system saves a company 70-80 percent on cost when compared to in-house development.

Content creation in a WCM system looks and feels like standard applications such as Microsoft Word™ and blogging platforms. Gilbane found that this ease-of-use cuts training times by up to 90 percent. With an out-of-the-box commercially available enterprise web content management system, updates don’t get bogged down in IT departments. Marketers and other communicators can create and re-purpose content as easily as making or editing a Word document.

Beyond ROI

In addition, a WCMS can provide benefits that supersede ROI.  Next generation web content management systems can really help to protect brand equity online and across multiple channels.  For large companies, branding remains one of your most important assets and good customer perception is integral for continued success.  A next generation WCM system allows you to build and maintain your brand with minimal hiccups. Even if you come up with initial ROI figures that are lower than you want, maintaining your brand equity and providing the ideal user experience across multiple channels is enough to make the business case for updating your WCM strategy today.

For more information about justifying web content management and building a case to purchase a new enterprise web content management system, SDL Tridion produced an excellent whitepaper titled ROI for the online channel.  Please feel free to download free of charge by clicking on the link.


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