Do Your Homework Before Choosing A WCM System

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

According to some experts, web content management systems are more likely to become obsolete faster, so do your homework before you consider investing in one.

Ready-made content management may seem alluring, but according to Search Content Management's Lauren Horwitz, software that’s trying to be everything can only be subpar. “They try to be everything to everybody and by doing so end up satisfying nobody,” she says in a blog post.

“Teams end up paying for way more features than they need to get their job done,” Horowitz continues. “Brandcast is purpose built for designing on the web quickly and beautifully. Every decision that has gone into the product is in service of putting immaculate web design at your fingertips. The internet is by nature a visual medium and it makes sense to create for it using a visual tool. The days of using forms to design websites are over.”

Erik Martin, in an article for E Content Magazine, warns against choosing a WCM system that contains every possible tool and feature under the sun so you're ready for every eventuality. “The WCM solution you rely on today is bound to land on the software scrap heap before long. Planning now — before its obsolescence — and forecasting the new bells and whistles of tomorrow's WCM tools can keep your company moving forward without being left in the digital ditch,” he writes.

So what’s the best advice? Don’t be tempted by a solution that offers too many features. Choose one that suits your needs and caters to your type of business. As Horwitz says, “When it comes to creating something beautiful, you need the correct tools built specifically for the job.”