Reducing Risks
Quite rightly, security is a major concern for Internet users. But we all know of many instances of other catastrophes due to poor content management e.g. wrong published prices, accidental publication of sensitive data, customers seeing each other’s records etc.
Listed below are some of the main risks and common issues surrounding website maintenance:
| Risk | Implications | Avoidance Using Web CM |
Erroneous or Unauthorised Publication | At best embarrassment and a blow to credibility, at worst damaging to potential business. | Preview functions aid reviews of changes. Workflow ensures changes are subject to pre-defined authorisations. |
Link Integrity Failure | Breakdown in site navigation - visitors rarely return to sites that fail to function correctly. | Automated linking, link validation and preview ensure that all links are valid prior to publication. |
Out-of-date information | Actions are made on superseded information. Websites unable to keep pace with changes in the business are almost certainly doomed to failure. | The ease and speed of content submission and publication removes barriers to keeping information bang up-to-date. |
Slow Error Recovery | Where recovery from errors is not swift enough, the entire site may need to be disabled. | Version control facilitates swift ‘rollback’ to previous page / site release versions. |
Unauthorised Access | Implication could be severe, depending on who is gaining access. This might go on for a prolonged period before being discovered. | In-built user security administration, log-on control and other security features provide a level of protection appropriate to the application. |
Poor quality / inconsistent presentation | Site branding and corporate image will suffer, resulting in a poor impression of the company. | Content is presented using an authorised set of pre-formed page templates and site navigators to ensure consistency. |
Inconsistent content | Dilution and confusion of marketing messages. Large organisations are vulnerable. | Views of the same content, or portions of content, across multiple pages promotes content re-use rather than duplication. |
Lack of integration with core systems | Disjointed business processes that are error-prone and involve duplication of effort. | Industry-standard facilities to import / export content. The ability to readily link online web applications to back-office systems and databases. |
