For most people, a provider’s website is now the first and also the most important touchpoint. They expect it not only to provide content that answers their questions, but increasingly also to offer the option of integrating interactive service offerings. If the first impression on the website is already convincing with an appealing and modern presentation, an excellent range of information, functions and corresponding services, the chances of winning this prospective customer as a customer increase significantly. This is why a suitable Content Management System (CMS) is so important. A market overview of different systems / software or other interesting articles on content marketing can be found here.
However, as the demands of users increase, so do the requirements for content management systems (CMS). Some of the currently most important developments of these systems, which are decisive for the scope of functions of a content management system, we have summarized here in five points.
1. Efficient handling of large amounts of content and different formats
With the growing number of texts, images and videos, efficient organization of content and efficient handling of content are becoming increasingly important. For this purpose, a media database should either be integrated directly in the CMS or an external database should be integrated in such a way that a website editor can work with the content without having to leave his editorial system. If the editorial system already allows image editing and already provides a preview of the later result when editing web pages, this additionally simplifies the creation of articles. To ensure that video clips offered on the website can be played on all devices without any problems, they should be available in different resolutions and formats.
2. Responsive web design for an optimal user experience on any device
With the increasing prevalence of smartphones and tablets, businesses also need to think about how their websites look on these devices. However, since providers cannot possibly provide a specially optimized version for each device, Responsive Web Design is the solution to this problem: In this process, the content management system automatically generates different website variants that are adapted to the characteristics of the respective output device. The CMS recognizes which format the screen has and adapts the content according to predefined rules so that it is correctly structured and clearly presented on each device. It must be ensured that images or graphics are available in the appropriate format. It should therefore be possible to define different image sizes for the various output formats in the CMS. We have compiled an overview of various web design agencies for you here.
3. Content targeting: personalizing information in the CMS
Content targeting allows companies to display their content to different target groups according to their needs. Website operators can then derive profiles from an analysis of surfing behavior and thus assign users to individual target groups. Based on this data, the CMS then presents the visitor with the appropriate information using predefined rules. This rather rough segmentation can be refined if the users are known, for example because they identify themselves via a login. Then the CMS can evaluate the visitor’s history and, based on their previous activities, provide them with content that is very likely to interest them – regardless of whether they access it via a website, an app, or a newsletter.
4. Integrated web reporting: optimizing the offering.
To monitor whether the individualized content offered promotes the desired behavior, companies must continuously monitor their website and analyze surfing behavior. Web reporting integrated into the CMS is indispensable for this. Only when companies understand how visitors interact with their website can they optimize their offering. A/B testing can be used to find out which design, which arrangement of elements, which colors and, of course, which content appeals most effectively to the respective target groups.
5 Multilingualism: Maintaining different language versions in one environment
If a company’s offering is aimed at target groups in several countries, it is advisable to offer the website in different language versions. The associated effort remains manageable if companies use a CMS with an integrated translation management system. Editors can then initiate translation jobs from the CMS, coordinate them with their national subsidiaries and publish them on the Web. If the tool also includes a translation memory system (TMS), it is possible to reuse texts that have already been translated.
If you have fulfilled all these functions, nothing should stand in the way of a successful content management system in your content marketing.
Check here whether your CMS is fit for these challenges:
(Editor’s note: at the end of the checklist, you must enter your name and e-mail address in order to receive the evaluation).
Author: Christian Weber, Director Digital Communication at nionex GmbH
You can also find our CMS integrator comparison here.
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