Content Management & Portal Management

1. Content Management &Portal Management Christine Apikul

2. Module 4 Objectives • To discuss the features and functions of a content management system • To understand the tools and options available for managing multilingual websites • To introduce what XML is and the benefits of XML • To give an overview of the information that web analytics tools provides and how it can help to plan, design and improve websites

3. Features of a Content Management System

4. Content Management System is • A system of hardware and software • Enables different people (technical and non-technical) to collaboratively create, edit, manage and publish content • Manages a variety of content (such as text, graphics, video, documents etc. • Users are constrained by a set of rules, standards and workflows that ensure coherent, validated digital content • XML is used in most content management system to make information sharing and systems integration easier

5. Features • Allows those without programming language knowledge to manage digital content WYSIWYG Editor

6. Features • Standard templates available for different content types (e.g. news, events, blogs) • In most systems, templates can be customized or new templates created • These content templates give the web content a standard structure, contributing to consistency and usability of a website • These templates also allow the structure and appearance of all contents to be changed from one central place

7. Features • Standard template for announcing an event can include: • Title • Description • Event location • Event start and end dates • Body text describing the event • Attendees • Event url • Contact details (name, email, phone)

8. Features • Able to tag and categorize content List of taxonomies that content contributors can choose to tag Choose a content management system that applies the Dublin Core metadata standard, which is endorsed in the Iraqi GIF

9. Features • When content is consistently tagged with an agreed upon taxonomy, content managers are able to aggregate content in different ways • Tagging also facilitates search and easy retrieval • A faceted search is a technique for accessing information organized according to a faceted classification system, allowing users to explore a collection of information by applying multiple filters

10. Features • Able to track and manage multiple versions of a single instance of content • Most content management systems keep a history of all the versions of a content page • Versioning keeps track of all kinds of edits: content, metadata, settings, etc. • There are usually options to compare versions and revert to the previous version • Prevents overwritten changes by allowing content contributors to check out and check in content. When a content is checked out, it is locked as a read-only document

11. Features - Versioning

12. Features – Check In/Check Out

13. Features • Manages permissions for different users • Sets who can read, create, modify and delete content • Based on roles. For example: • Author can create, modify and delete their own content • Editor can only modify content • Designer can modify templates but not content • Others can only view (read) content

14. Features • Controls workflow of different content • A content management system can automate workflow • Match roles to tasks (assign who does what) • Manages security (who can see or do what) • Track, report and notify appropriate “players” when tasks are done

15. Features • Content owner can submit content for review (content marked private) • The editor submit the content for publication • The approver “publish” the content and make it public

16. Managing Multilingual Websites • Treat each language as a separate site • Used by organizations with branches in other countries • www.yoursite.com, www.yoursite.de, www.yoursite.jp • Multisite capable content management system • One website with multiple visitor-selected language outputs • Users may switch between any languages on any page of website, rather than navigate separate sites • www.yoursite.com/en, www.yoursite.com/ar • Multi-output capable content management system

17. Interface for editing a multilingual page

18. Exercise • Goto http://egov-iraq.dev.inigo-tech.com • Create a web page • Create a news item • Create an event • Add tags to the pages created • Create a collection • Edit your profile • Customize your dashboard • In groups of 4-6 people, explore the different roles as member, contributor, editor and reviewer

19. XML

20. XML – What is it • A markup language like HTML • Structures content • Transports content • Stores content • HTML is designed to display content, with a focus on how the content looks • Tags are not predefined; Authors can define own tags using metadata

21. XML – Example <note> <to>Jane</to> <from>Peter</from> <heading>Reminder</heading> <body>Don't forget our meeting this weekend</body> </note>

22. XML - Benefits • XML separates content from HTML • Content creators and managers can focus on developing and structuring content • Web designers can concentrate on using HTML/CSS for display and layout • Changes to content will not affect format, and vice versa • XML simplifies content sharing • XML data stored in plain text format provides a software- and hardware-independent way of storing data • This makes it much easier to create content that can be shared by different applications

23. XML - Benefits • XML simplifies data transport • One of the most time-consuming challenges for developers is to exchange data between incompatible systems over the Internet • Exchanging data as XML greatly reduces this complexity, since the data can be read by different incompatible applications • XML simplifies platform changes • Upgrading to new systems (hardware or software platforms) is always time consuming as large amounts of data must be converted and incompatible data is often lost • XML data stored in text format makes it easier to expand or upgrade to new systems & applications without losing data

24. XML - Benefits • XML makes content more accessible • Different applications can access your content, not only in HTML pages, but also from XML data sources • With XML, your content can be available to all kinds of "reading machines" (handheld computers, voice machines, news feeds, etc.) • XML also makes content more accessible to people with disabilities

25. Web Analytics

26. Web Analytics • The measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage • Can be used for monitoring and evaluation purposes by measuring the size of a website’s audience, its volume of traffic and the level of interaction • Can also be used for design, planning and improving the website. For example, in the design of a navigation taxonomy by assessing user’s search terms

27. Terms Used • Page View • Visit / Session • Visitor / Unique Visitor / Unique User • Pages per Visit • Average Time on Site • Average Page View Duration • Bounce Rate

28. Traffic Source • Search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.) • Direct traffic (typing the domain name into the Web browser or through users’ bookmarks) • Referring sites (clicking on a link from another website)

29. Tracking of Location

30. Search Terms • What terms are used in internal search to navigate website • Where are users navigating to after they have viewed the search results • What term users entered in search before they clicked to enter website

31. Granular Analysis • To understand whether the services or information provided are meeting user needs • Analytical tools can be configured to show: • The most popular pages • The most popular areas (groups of pages) • Usage of a group of web pages and documents relating to a specific subject or campaign • How demand for specific pages changes over a selected timeframe (e.g. showing daily activity over a week)

32. User Experience • Track user journeys • Entry and exit pages • Routes taken by users through the site

33. Limitations • Web analytics should be used alongside other data in order to gain a deeper level of insight, including: • Qualitative data (e.g. from online satisfaction surveys, interviews, focus groups etc.) • Observational data obtained from user testing • Expert reviews

34. Summary

35. Summary • A content management system simplifies content creation and management, and enables collaboration Features: • Allows those without programming language knowledge to manage digital content • Standard templates available for different content types (e.g. news, events, blogs) • Able to tag and categorize content • Able to track and manage multiple versions of a single instance of content • Manages permissions for different users • Controls workflow of different content • Makes it easier to manage translations on multilingual sites

36. Summary XML • Structures content • Transports content • Stores content • Tags are not predefined; Authors can define own tags using metadata • Separates content from format • Allows content sharing between different applications • Makes content more accessible

37. Summary Web Analytics • The measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage • Can be used for monitoring and evaluation purposes by measuring the size of a website’s audience, its volume of traffic and the level of interaction • Can also be used for design, planning and improving the website. For example, in the design of a navigation taxonomy by assessing user’s search terms • Should be used alongside other data in order to gain a deeper level of insight