Plan your content strategy

When discussing a product content management solution, careful evaluation pays off

By Tom Minthorn -- Industrial Distribution, 8/1/2005

Is your company looking at a product content management solution for catalog and e-commerce? Taking a strategic approach early in the technology evaluation process is critical to finding the best solution.

This is especially true for companies that carry thousands of products and have geographically diverse markets that require multiple language versions of marketing and sales materials. They deliver content to many commerce channels, including the Web, printed catalogs, direct mail and other emerging channels.

Organizations that handle the evaluation process well are likely to come up with a technology solution that delivers increased revenues, reinforced brand presence and lower costs, while meeting the needs of all involved. In contrast, organizations that misstep at this early stage can find themselves with a solution that might meet only one aspect of the company's overall business needs.

What is it that enables some organizations to find a good fit while others stumble? It can all hinge on the approach the company takes in evaluating solution providers, according to Simon Walker, product manager at Stibo Catalog, based in Kennesaw, Ga.

"Executives should talk more about the strategic business goals they want to achieve right from the start," Walker says. "If all a solution provider has to go on is a laundry list of issues or technical specs, the end result may be a misfocused solution."

What goals should you reasonably demand a marketing and sales content management solution to deliver? Among them could be increased market share; decreased costs; an improved ROI on technology investment; and faster delivery of product.

Developing a content strategy is also essential. A content strategy involves taking an inventory of all digital information within the organization used for marketing and sales purposes. This includes product descriptions and prices, text-based ad copy, digital images and Web content. Any well-conceived strategy will have definitions of each digital information type as well as their standards for creation, modification, and delivery throughout their lifecycle.

Without a content strategy, each problem with the information appears to be an entirely new issue. A content strategy enables an organization to identify problems and potential solutions all at once, rather than discovering them piecemeal. A content strategy can establish implementation priorities, which leads to a more cohesive and comprehensive solution.

Here are some potential questions that can help your organization develop a solid content strategy:

• What is the ultimate goal of marketing and sales information? Who uses the product information and what are they using it for?
• How many e-commerce and call-center orders are initiated through print catalogs?
• What is the most cost-effective way for the IT team to support the information needs of multiple departments?

To achieve strategic business gains with a content management solution, start by developing a strategy. A well-planned content strategy can put you on a path to enhanced marketing impact and reduced costs, delivering a very respectable ROI.