Management and Leadership
Resist redesignMarch 24, 2008: Redesign is classic organization-centric thinking. It rarely has much to do with making things better for the customer. More
Finding people: top task on the Web
March 10, 2008: The Web is supposed to replace manual service with self-service, but sometimes our number one task on a website is to find someone to talk to. More
Evidence-based website management
September 24, 2007: The Web is the perfect environment in which to make management decisions based on evidence and facts, rather than emotion and opinion. More
The Web is messy
July 09, 2007: The nature of the Web is not neat and tidy. A website is not a project but rather a process of continuous improvement. More
Websites: designed by dogs, managed by cats
July 02, 2007: A key danger in website design is over-ambition. We need to design a website we can professionally manage. More
Task management, not content or technology management
June 25, 2007: Websites will achieve maximum value when they focus on the tasks of their customers, not the technology or content. More
Google changes information management
May 07, 2007: The success of Google proves that if you manage content professionally, tremendous value is delivered. More
The problem of dirty data
April 23, 2006: More than 25 percent of critical data in Fortune 1,000 companies is poor quality because organizations have little experience in managing content. More
Using content to make sales, drive productivity
December 18, 2006: Most organizations do not properly understand or manage content. They fail to realize that quality content is now key to productivity, cost effectiveness, sales, and customer satisfaction. More
Does technology make managers lazy?
December 11, 2006: Technology does not replace the need for good management. Without such management, technology can create more problems than it solves. More
Senior managers: you can't keep ignoring the Web
June 26, 2006: The Web deserves professional management because the Web is central to the future of the organization. More
Scientific Content Management
January 09, 2006: Management is the pursuit of the best way. Content is an increasingly important resource and activity within organizations. It is time it was professionally managed. More
Raising the perceived value of your website
December 19, 2005: Perception is everything. Right now, most senior managers do not perceive that content delivers significant value. More
How Google manages its homepage
December 05, 2005: An average person can deal with only 7-10 choices on a webpage, according to Google research. That's why it's so hard to get a link on the Google homepage. More
Nino Doll: great web design and a great cause
November 28, 2005: It’s always refreshing to come across a website that communicates its purpose clearly and concisely. Ninodoll.org does that. More
Why is corporate communications seen as fluffy?
October 10, 2005: In many organizations, corporate communications doesn’t get a lot of respect. The intranet gives a rare opportunity for corporate communications to get the respect it deserves. More
Crisis management: your website can help
September 26, 2005: A website can be a valuable source of information during a time of crisis. Using your website should become part of your crisis planning. More
Why web managers are leaders
September 19, 2005: The Web requires leadership if it is to achieve its full potential. That leadership will rarely be given by senior management. So that means it’s up to you. More
Proving to senior management your website delivers value
September 12, 2005: It’s time for public websites and intranets to show clearly how they are delivering value. The first step in doing this is to understand how senior management thinks about value. More
Web manager: you can't serve everybody
September 05, 2005: Every time you serve someone, you make someone else wait. Every time you publish a piece of content you make other content less findable. More
Web content management is not data management
May 23, 2005: Web content management and data/document management require very different approaches. Data management is about storage; web content management is about using content to make the sale, deliver the service, and build the brand. More
Publish the website you can manage
May 09, 2005: Your job as a web manager must be about a relentless focus on quality. Always put quality first and you will create a website that delivers real and sustainable value. More
Do you manage a website or a warehouse?
November 15, 2004: There are two types of people involved in websites today: those who see content as an asset, and those who see it as a commodity. The latter better start looking for a new career. More
Website content management depends on trust
October 25, 2004: You must be able to stand over everything that is published on your website and say that it is all accurate and up-to-date. Trust is a fundamental building block of professional web content management. More
Websites: easy to start, hard to manage
August 30, 2004: One of the biggest problems websites face is that they lack proper planning in the design and development phase. Generally, the design of the website tends to overreach, in that what is built requires more staff to professionally manage than are available. More
Website content management a process, not a project
May 10, 2004: When something is new, we need to approach it in an exploratory manner. We need to experiment and try things out. And so it has been with the Web. That period is now over. We need to move from seeing our websites as a series of projects, to managing them as a well-planned process. More
The secret of managing a successful website
April 19, 2004: The Web is about self-service. To achieve success in self-service you need to really understand how your visitors think and behave. If they are to serve themselves they must feel comfortable and confident. That requires getting to know their needs in a comprehensive manner. It requires an ongoing conversation with them. More
Don't make these mistakes when buying content management software
March 29, 2004: Most organizations don't need content management software. Unless you have a very busy website with lots and lots of content being published, the return on investment is not there. The majority of those who do require such software need a very simple, streamlined solution. More
You need a five-year plan for your website
October 06, 2003: Websites change the way an organization communicates with its staff, customers, investors and general public. A change in communication is a major shift for the organization. To effectively implement such a change will take time. You need a five-year plan for your website. More
Content management: critical skill of modern manager
June 30, 2003: The Internet has changed how organizations manage. Historically, management was focused on 'walking and talking.' Today, 'reading and writing' are becoming more and more central. This trend is reinforced by a recent META Group study, which found that 80 percent of business people choose email as their primary communication tool. More
Usability is good management
April 07, 2003: The professional manager is always looking for feedback. They test their plans and theories constantly. They are sensitive to cues within their environment, adapting as appropriate. The website manager operates within a feedback-starved environment. Thus, they need to be much more proactive in seeking feedback. Usability is a way of doing this. More
Seven headaches of the website manager
March 24, 2003: The job of the website manager (editor) is not easy. Despite the fact that content is everywhere, few organizations understand it properly. The true value and cost of content is rarely recognized. So, as a website manager, you have lots of headaches. But stick with it. Things are slowly getting better. More
Demystifying content management
July 08, 2002: In consulting, they say that the margin is in the mystery. Ironically, some managers prefer mystery to simplicity. If it sounds complex, many will pay more than if it sounds simple. Content management is a bubbling vat of hyperbole. It's time for some simple language. More
