This document discusses providing users of a content management system (CMS) with a positive user experience and content strategy. It defines what a CMS is and some challenges with using them. It also provides 10 tips for choosing the right CMS for a library, including determining hosting options, researching functionality needs, and prioritizing usability. The document stresses that a good content strategy and user experience are important to create a system that library staff and users are happy with.

1. Giving Your CMS Users
a Content Strategy
and a Positive UX
Rachel Vacek, @vacekrae
University of Houston Libraries
TechNet - The North Texas
Conference on Library Technology
August 3, 2011

3. Do you have to edit HTML in order to update
content on your library’s website?

4. Do you have to edit HTML in order to update
content on your library’s website?
Do you use editors like Dreamweaver to help
maintain the content on your library’s website?

5. Do you have to edit HTML in order to update
content on your library’s website?
Do you use editors like Dreamweaver to help
maintain the content on your library’s website?
Does your library use a content management
system (CMS)?

6. Do you have to edit HTML in order to update
content on your library’s website?
Do you use editors like Dreamweaver to help
maintain the content on your library’s website?
Does your library use a content management
system (CMS)?
Do you enjoy the process of managing content
on your library’s website?

7. What’s a CMS?
A Content Management System:
• Allows for workflow in a
collaborative environment
• Uses a database to create, edit,
and store HTML content and
other file types in a manageable way
• Provides templates to help with design and layout

8. CMSs can still be
challenging to use

9. 10 Tips on choosing
the right CMS for
your library

10. #1
Determine whether you can host
your CMS in-house or if you
have to do it remotely.

11. #2
Decide whether you can
support an open-source
CMS or need to purchase a
commercial product.

12. #3
Do your research.
Just because many
libraries are using a
particular CMS, it
does not make it the
best solution for your
environment.

13. #4
Check that the CMS you are looking
into does include extensions with
the functionality you will need.

14. #5
Outline functionality that isn't
currently being fulfilled by your
existing website management plan.

15. #6
You know you
want it to be
easy to use.
Define what
that means
for your staff.

16. #7
Get the opinions of your
IT staff by providing
them with a list of
functionality and user
interface requirements
that you want, and then
have them present you
with CMS options.

17. #8
Test out the CMS’s search
functionality. Will your CMS
users be able to find what
they are looking for?

18. #9
If you have multiple users editing
content, a CMS should let you set
roles and permissions to have
some control over who an edit what.

19. #10
Never
sacrifice the
user
experience
for
functionality.

20. User Experience
User experience (UX) is
about how a person feels
about using a product,
system or service.
Usability is the ease in which
people can use a particular
tool to achieve a goal.

21. Usability

22. User Experience

23. A CMS with a good UX allows you
to apply what you know about your
users to the creation and delivery of
a more personalized experience.

24. An CMS example...
20

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27. Switching gears a bit...

28. User Visual
Experience Design
Information
Architecture
Using a
We make CMS
decisions when
we create
websites
Creation of
Usability
metadata
User research Testing

29. Content

30. Content Strategy
It encompasses every
aspect of content, including
its design, development,
analysis, presentation,
measurement, evaluation,
production, management,
and governance.

31. “The main goal of content
strategy is to use words and
data to create unambiguous
content that supports meaningful,
interactive experiences.”
- Rachel Lovinger, author of
Content Strategy: the Philosophy
of Data

32. An investment in the
right CMS,
a respect for the
user experience,
and taking the time to create a
content strategy
can yield a system that is
run by happy library staff
for happy library users.

33. Thanks!
Rachel Vacek
Head of Web Services
University of Houston Libraries
vacekrae@gmail.com
http://rachelvacek.com
@vacekrae
Presentation available online:
slideshare.net/vacekrae