Content management Web sites not delivering
Content management Web sites not delivering
A survey has revealed that Web sites from Content Management application vendors are not delivering the content readers and users want.
Benchmarking CMS Vendor Websites from Sydney's Step Two Designs is based on an online survey conducted in March 2003. James Robertson, the managing director of Step Two Designs said that the survey was initiated after "increasing discussions" in the market place on the role of a vendor's Web site.
Over 150 users responded to the survey with users logging-on from around the world.
Over-all the survey found that consumer expectations of these sites were not being met. As well as rating the Web sites, survey respondents were asked what they considered were the most important sources of content management information. Recommendations from other users is the highest, followed by demonstration and sample software, then independent reports and lastly vendor sales visits, brochures and conferences.
"It is interesting to note that the methods traditionally relied on by vendors, such as sales visits, are the lowest ranked by consumers," Mr Robertson said.
The survey found that the main information users were looking for on vendor Web sites were; technical requirements, product descriptions, and features.
"It is clear that consumers are now expecting to use vendor Web sites to narrow down the list of possibilities," Mr Robertson said, but his survey found that many sites do not provide basic pricing information.
The survey also asked respondents to give details of what categories that they felt Web sites were performing particularly badly on. Worst of all was product demonstrations, secondly was product support information and the cost and licence terms of the product.
Step Two Design said in a statement that the report is for the vendor community to use.
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