Web Writing: Plan Your Workflow

A content management system (CMS) changes the workflow in an organization.

Topics for Discussion in Your Area

Take a Fresh Look

1. What are the three most important things your website must do? 
2. Consider working with a professional facilitator to help you make these decisions as a group.
3. Take time to plan and reach consensus with others in your area.  Seek guidance from upper management.
4. Focus on your audience and what they need.

Workflow

1. Who is responsible for what?
2. Talk about a content approval process.
3. Identify the owner of the content.

Best Practices

1. Assign content creation to the person closest to the content.
2. Your website content may be divided among many contributors...just make sure one person is ultimately responsible for each piece.
3. Build the new responsibility into the content owner's job description.

Feedback, Measurements, and Changing Content

1. How will you know if you are providing the right content?  Who will be in charge of tracking this information, providing reports, etc.?
2. Use analytics, surveys, web feedback, email, focus groups, face-to-face conversations, event participant conversations, comment cards, etc. to fine tune content and make it more user-friendly and relevant.
3. Change your content frequently to reflect what you have learned from your measurement tools. 
4. Give people a reason to return to your site.  Prevent your content from becoming stale and static.