Web Content Management System (CMS) Selection Guide

Jan 31, 2012

What does your website need?

• Usability and content

• Technical infrastructure

• Ease of administration

What is a CMS?“A wCMS allows non-technical users to make changes to a website with little training. A wCMS typically requires a systems administrator and/or a web developer to set up and add features, but it is primarily a website maintenance tool for non-technical staff.”

- Wikipedia

Content CMS Website

A content manager generates or edits content.

The CMS enables the content manager to make the changes.

The content appears on the website as intended.

What CMSs are offered at ND?

• Conductor Content Management System:– http://conductor.nd.edu built, supported and

maintained by Marketing Communications: Web Team

• Wordpress Content Management System:– http://blogs.nd.edu built by Wordpress,

install/maintenance by Marketing Communications: Web Team

• Other Content Management Systems:– Some individual departments implemented their own

CMS solutions after conducting evaluations

Major CMS Environments at ND

CMS Sites Examples

Conductor 317 Admissions, Law School, Development

Wordpress 169 Blogs.nd.edu

Other 7 Mendoza, Architecture, Kroc, ACE, Engineering, DPAC and Alumni

01/01/2012

Common FeaturesAll three web content management systems provide the following:

Internet-BasedCentral Authorization via ND OITMeets University Security StandardsCustom DesignMultiple UsersBlogs or News ModuleEvents Calendar

Database BasedEmail FormsEmbed MediaUpload MediaMobile StylesShare Content with other sites

CMS DifferentiatorsPlatform Differences

Conductor CMS • Two day set-up when using a pre-defined template• Easy to use simplified interface• Small setup fee of $300 charged to departments• Maintenance costs are covered by the University• Training and support provided by Marketing Communications

Wordpress CMS • Two day set-up when using a pre-defined template• Easy to use but large interface• No fee charged to departments• Maintenance costs are covered by the University• No ND-specific training, but many resources available online• Support provided by Marketing Communications

Other CMS • Setup times vary by product• Interface varies by product• Department bears the entire cost of implementation and

maintenance• Training and support provided by vendor

What is Conductor?Conductor is a web-based website content management system (CMS) that enables non-technical users to perform content updates to their websites.

Conductor is intended to serve the needs of the majority (90%+) of web projects on campus.

Conductor Stats (01/31/2012)

Admissions

Arts and Letters

Commencement

Development

First Year Studies

Forum

Game Day

Graduate School

Innovation Park

Law School

Nanovic Institute

ND Magazine

Public Relations

Pre-College Prog.

President, Provost, EVP

Science

SRIs

Student Affairs

Sustainability

Vocations

317 websites 913 content managers 20,945 pages

Who is using Conductor?

Predesigned Templates

• $300 one-time setup fee• Up and running in as

little as two days• Four templates to

choose from• Upgrades available for

graphics and applications

• Several FTEs dedicated to constant maintenance and upgrades of the system.

Custom Templates

• College of Science Templates

• SRI Templates• Arts & Letters

Templates• Athletics Templates• Faculty Templates

Full Custom Websites

What is Wordpress?WordPress is content management system you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

The core software is built by hundreds of community volunteers, and when you’re ready for more there are thousands of plugins and themes available to transform your site into almost anything you can imagine.

Over 60 million people have chosen WordPress to power the place on the web they call “home”. - excerpt from the Wordpress Website

• Free to set up• One to two day launch• Upgrade available

Wordpress Templates

There are currently 20 themes.

Custom Wordpress

Specialty CMS at ND

• Costs can vary by vendor.• Hosting, server

maintenance and CMS maintenance and upgrades will vary.

• College or Dept is responsible for maintaining web standards defined on http://onmessage.nd.edu

Next Steps

1. Review your needs with your college or dept

2. If you would like to use:1. Conductor, please go to http://conductor.nd.edu or

contact Nick Johnson (nick.johnson@nd.edu) in Marketing & Communications: Web Team.

2. Wordpress, please go to http://blogs.nd.edu and request a site.

3. Specialty CMS, please contact Don Schindler (don.schindler@nd.edu) in Marketing Communications to begin the process.