It is often said that technology doesn’t solve anything on its own, but can either enable great things to happen, or get in the way of great things happening.
Rarely is this contrast seen as starkly as when considering how content management systems (CMS) help or hinder the flow of content from the organisations’ collective brain on to the web. CMS systems – in theory – allow people with editorial skills to easily change a website without needing any coding or technical knowledge.
Many museums have a CMS, from free or cheap systems, such as Wix or WordPress, to the so-called “enterprise” end of things, which can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to implement and maintain.
Which CMS to choose is complicated, and depends almost entirely on the specifics of the organisation. Unless there are good reasons not to, go for something non-proprietary and preferably open source, with well-recognised open standards, so you don’t end up tied to one particular company or technology for years to come.
CMS are about content. So ask your editors, creative people and curators how they work and what they need.
Get them a working demo of any system you’re considering. Be wary of systems that do lots of things that you’re not sure you need.
The users of your CMS on a daily basis will be content people, not geeky people. Involve the latter as you choose a CMS – but let them inform your decision rather than make it.
Mike Ellis is a director of digital consultancy at Thirty8 Digital
Rarely is this contrast seen as starkly as when considering how content management systems (CMS) help or hinder the flow of content from the organisations’ collective brain on to the web. CMS systems – in theory – allow people with editorial skills to easily change a website without needing any coding or technical knowledge.
Many museums have a CMS, from free or cheap systems, such as Wix or WordPress, to the so-called “enterprise” end of things, which can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to implement and maintain.
Which CMS to choose is complicated, and depends almost entirely on the specifics of the organisation. Unless there are good reasons not to, go for something non-proprietary and preferably open source, with well-recognised open standards, so you don’t end up tied to one particular company or technology for years to come.
CMS are about content. So ask your editors, creative people and curators how they work and what they need.
Get them a working demo of any system you’re considering. Be wary of systems that do lots of things that you’re not sure you need.
The users of your CMS on a daily basis will be content people, not geeky people. Involve the latter as you choose a CMS – but let them inform your decision rather than make it.
Mike Ellis is a director of digital consultancy at Thirty8 Digital
