The right content management system (CMS) makes updating, creating and deleting webpages on your court website a simple process for any employee, regardless of technical skills. Many modern sites are built on a CMS, from open source systems (Drupal, WordPress) to more proprietary architectures (Ektron) and closed systems.
How do you choose which is best? With the right vendor, any CMS can work well. The key to making a decision usually comes down to the following:
- If your current system is working, keep it. The cost of moving to another system may be significant, and you have to include training on the new system.
- If your current system is having a detrimental effect on your website, it’s time to seriously consider a change. Remember that you don’t have to be tied to one vendor. Explore all of the available options.
- Have your bidding vendors provide a one, two or three year cost for purchasing, implementing and maintaining your system. If budget is a consideration, open source will generally be much more cost effective than proprietary systems.
- If you are looking for a new system, consider open source as an option.
Training, Support and Content Still Matter
Regardless of what system you select for your court website, do not neglect these basics:
- Training needs to be part of any agreement with a system provider. Your vendor needs to include extensive training and support until your users are familiar with the new CMS, and provide resources for training later on as new users join and others leave.
- What is the cost for ongoing support? Even when you have your staff trained there are times when you may need additional help to create new templates or add functionality.
- Any CMS needs to be populated with content. Whether you transfer the content you currently have, revise it or add new content, this is often the biggest stumbling block to completing a site on time. 360Civic offers experienced content writers who can interview stakeholders, edit pages for consistency and create/develop content at no additional cost.
