The WMS

Desirable Content Management features

Web-based content management
An online system eliminates the need for software installations, it allows users to manage a site from anywhere, simply by logging on through a web browser.

Easy page editing interface
A CMS should allow non-technical staff to edit and add content through an intuitive visual interface. The CMS handles the task of writing the underlying HTML code, and makes it easy to insert graphics and mulitmedia files into pages.

Compatible with standards/accessible code
The code produced by a CMS should conform to markup coding standards and website accessibility guidelines recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Compatible with dynamic pages
A good CMS should allow users to edit 'dynamic' web pages written in a server-side programming language such as ASP, PHP or ColdFusion.

Template-based page creation
Create as many pages as necessary from predefined templates. Templates establish the layout for a particular type of page, and include editable regions. Different templates exist for different categories of pages. When a template is altered, all the pages created from it are updated accordingly.

Reusable blocks of content
Users should be able to reuse a block of page content, such as a navigation menu or table, across multiple pages. It is then only necessary to edit such 'components' once to update all the pages in which it features.

Easy site file management
A good CMS provides an intuitive means of organising website files into a coherent site structure. It should be easy to file new pages within appropriate folders and to delete those that have become redundant.

Multiple user site editing
Multiple users should be able to login to the CMS to edit site content. A system should be in place to prevent more than one user from editing the same page at the same time. There should also be provision to assign granulated access rights to determine precisely what content each user is allowed to edit.

Version control

The system should record successive alterations to site content to allow users to rollback to previous edits if required.

Support
Email support should be available from technical staff responsible for maintaining the CMS. Comprehensive online help and printed documentation should be available for reference.