Yesterday the results of the study on content managers and their impact on Spanish SMEs [PDF] were presented, on aspects such as modernization, innovation and internationalization of their activities. The study allows to identify the existing market of content management solutions as well as its advantages and disadvantages.The study reviews both proprietary software solutions and free software and seeks their adaptation to the world of SMEs, so that they can be adapted to the business of each type of company. In this aspect, a series of conclusions are drawn and 10 recommendations are made for SMEs when adopting a content manager:
SMEs should know the advantages of content managers for the development of useful web applications for their business and have criteria for their adoption. They should bet on content management tools and products, avoiding as much as possible the "custom developments". For small SMEs, free software solutions are recommended that are better adapted to their needs and with lower implementation costs. Only medium-sized SMEs, which need to automate more powerful processes and functionalities, should opt for commercial solutions, with more investment need and greater complexity. The business criteria to be taken into account are a high cost-benefit ratio, with a clear return on investment, and adaptation to their functional and operational needs. The main technical criteria to take into account are ease of use, simplicity for updating content, compliance with Web standards, multi-language support and search engine positioning. The SME must see the adoption of a content manager as an investment not as an expense. The first solutions based on content management systems for smEs should be the creation of a website to have a presence on the Internet and that allows it to offer its catalog of products or services. SMEs should check the advisability of outsourcing the creation of the website, as well as its hosting and maintenance. It is very important to evaluate the offers of several providers to be able to compare before making the decision Assess the SaaS option for the management of these services, since each time the offer of these services is more complete and interesting for SMEs, whether free or proprietary software. With all the data provided by the study, a "Content Management Management Guide for SMEs" has been prepared, which also includes practical cases for implementing a Web presence solution in a typical SME. It aims to provide SMEs with guidelines on addressing and improving the "Internet presence" process at a reasonable cost and with objective criteria.Source: Tecnología Pyme and CESLAM