1. Web Content Management
System (CMS) Selection Guide
Jan 31, 2012

2. What does your website need?
• Usability and content
• Technical infrastructure
• Ease of administration

3. What is a CMS?
Content CMS Website
A content manager The CMS enables the The content appears
generates or edits content manager to on the website as
content. make the changes. intended.

4. What CMSs are offered at ND?
• Conductor Content Management System:
– http://conductor.nd.edu built, supported and
maintained by Marketing Communications: Web Team
• Wordpress Content Management System:
– http://blogs.nd.edu built by Wordpress,
install/maintenance by Marketing Communications:
Web Team
• Other Content Management Systems:
– Some individual departments implemented their own
CMS solutions after conducting evaluations

5. Major CMS Environments at ND
CMS Sites Examples
Conductor 317 Admissions, Law School, Development
Wordpress 169 Blogs.nd.edu
Other 7 Mendoza, Architecture, Kroc, ACE,
Engineering, DPAC and Alumni
01/01/2012

6. Common Features
All three web content management systems provide the following:
Internet-Based Database Based
Central Authorization via ND OIT Email Forms
Meets University Security Standards Embed Media
Custom Design Upload Media
Multiple Users Mobile Styles
Blogs or News Module Share Content with other sites
Events Calendar

7. CMS Differentiators
Platform Differences
Conductor CMS • Two day set-up when using a pre-defined template
• Easy to use simplified interface
• Small setup fee of $300 charged to departments
• Maintenance costs are covered by the University
• Training and support provided by Marketing Communications
Wordpress CMS • Two day set-up when using a pre-defined template
• Easy to use but large interface
• No fee charged to departments
• Maintenance costs are covered by the University
• No ND-specific training, but many resources available online
• Support provided by Marketing Communications
Other CMS • Setup times vary by product
• Interface varies by product
• Department bears the entire cost of implementation and
maintenance
• Training and support provided by vendor

8. What is Conductor?
Conductor is a web-based
website content management
system (CMS) that enables
non-technical users to perform
content updates to their
websites.
Conductor is intended to serve
the needs of the majority
(90%+) of web projects on
campus.

9. Conductor Stats (01/31/2012)
317 websites 913 content managers 20,945 pages
Who is using Conductor?
Admissions Innovation Park Science
Arts and Letters Law School SRIs
Commencement Nanovic Institute Student Affairs
Development ND Magazine Sustainability
First Year Studies Public Relations Vocations
Forum Pre-College Prog.
Game Day President, Provost,
Graduate School EVP

10. Predesigned Templates
• $300 one-time setup
fee
• Up and running in as
little as two days
• Four templates to
choose from
• Upgrades available
for graphics and
applications
• Several FTEs
dedicated to constant
maintenance and
upgrades of the
system.

11. Custom Templates
• College of Science
Templates
• SRI Templates
• Arts & Letters
Templates
• Athletics Templates
• Faculty Templates

12. Full Custom Websites

13. What is Wordpress?
WordPress is content
management system you can use
to create a beautiful website or
blog. We like to say that
WordPress is both free and
priceless at the same time.
The core software is built by
hundreds of community
volunteers, and when you’re ready
for more there are thousands of
plugins and themes available to
transform your site into almost
anything you can imagine.
Over 60 million people have
chosen WordPress to power the
place on the web they call “home”.
- excerpt from the
Wordpress Website
• Free to set up
• One to two day launch
• Upgrade available

14. Wordpress Templates
There are currently 20 themes.

15. Custom Wordpress

16. Specialty CMS at ND
• Costs can vary by vendor.
• Hosting, server
maintenance and CMS
maintenance and upgrades
will vary.
• College or Dept is
responsible for maintaining
web standards defined on
http://onmessage.nd.edu

17. Next Steps
1. Review your needs with your college or dept
2. If you would like to use:
1. Conductor, please go to http://conductor.nd.edu or
contact Nick Johnson (nick.johnson@nd.edu) in
Marketing & Communications: Web Team.
2. Wordpress, please go to http://blogs.nd.edu and
request a site.
3. Specialty CMS, please contact Don Schindler
(don.schindler@nd.edu) in Marketing
Communications to begin the process.