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Our friends at TheCodeCo claim that just because your original site was the basis for who you are today this doesn't mean that it will always work. This piece is published under the terms of permission. check out the original article here.
Your trusty publishing platform have gone through many things together. You're deeply attached. It's only natural that you'd like to do everything possible to reignite the joy of good old times.
But just because your original customized website helped you become the accomplished publisher you are currently, that doesn't mean it will carry you to the next level. Like all long term relationships ending a relationship is difficult to do. But don't let sentimental feelings hinder your progress.
Do you think it's time to part the ties with your website?
Sometimes, you just need to face the facts. You've changed. The industry has changed. We must change our ways. Deep down, you already know this. However, you feel like a more relaxed stumbling around in your old, creaking CMS, hoping for some alternative, button, or magic to help you escape the never-ending chaotic.
Why? Because it's a tech project. Most people (even the digital publishing industry) have an uncomfortable relationship with technology. Indeed, a research conducted by Chapman University revealed that technology was Americans their second-leading source of fear. That's right, technological disruptions are more frightening than death (and just a little less frightening than being in an earthquake). However, if you want to get ahead as a contemporary media entrepreneur is the right time to face your fears and reevaluate the most crucial relationship you have with your customers.
Your tech stack may be holding you back
Do some of these scenarios sound similar to yours?
- Your editorial team is increasingly overwhelmed by admin tasks for your website and other processes.
- You're spending huge sums to achieve seemingly straightforward actions.
- The majority of your budget for tech will be spent on keeping your website's lights on
- Your programmers have advised you that something cannot be achieved "because of the way it is built"
- Your readership is growing, however profit has flatlined
- The advertising industry is requesting data and insight from their audience that you're struggling to provide
- You're running out of advertising inventory or have the nagging feeling that you're not maximizing revenue
- The business model you have adopted has changed dramatically since the time you launched your business.
If you agree with any of these assertions, you should seriously look into a tech upgrade. Any publisher that has outgrown their website, replatforming is often the most efficient way to bring about significant and lasting change. This can be a way to see results overnight.
The reason why publishers are afraid of tech-related projects
In reality, it's not just the tech-related fear that's holding your from taking the leap. It's the fear of technology getting wrong. For most digital publishers, their reluctance to experiment is due to one (or several) of these "nightmare situations"
- The blow-out cost
- The never-ending project
- The agency that isn't right
These fears are perfectly understandable. Your company is already an organization that is digital during one of the biggest periods of disruption the world has ever encountered. This is why you're uneasy about the possibility of a massive web rebuild. But, waiting and watching is no route to success, as recent McKinsey research 'Digital Strategy in a Time of Crisis' demonstrates.
"Early adoption of digital technology in the early stages and at a size, in conjunction with large allocation of resources to digital initiatives and M&A are strongly associated with value creation" MCKINSEY, 'DIGITAL Strategy in a Time of Crisis'
What technologies do publishers need to be investing money in?
While now is definitely the right time to start investing in technology, it's crucial not to overinvest. Tech debt is very easy to accumulate, yet less clear. Publishers are increasingly overwhelmed by technology options. It's one of the reasons we start every project with an extensive discovery. In order to give owners of media a chance to fully explore their options, set goals and stay clear of costly mistakes.
A key to success as a media operator is knowing what technologies to invest in. As Steve Jobs famously acknowledged, technology is simply tools to help facilitate the work of brilliant people. It's what you do using that tool that makes the biggest difference.
It is the truth that technology shouldn't be complex or confusing.
Before launching any new digital tool, think about "How will this improve my business?' If it doesn't, then you're just adding to the mess. When working with media operators the way we've always worked has been "anti-complexity". How can we deliver the most impactful business results with the least effort? In avoiding distractions like flashing lights and useless equipment, we can ensure the budgets of clients are used only on areas that are is truly required. So your project always ends and there's no surprise costs and all of the nightmare scenarios are avoided.
The most powerful transformations are usually simply a result of changes, smartly executed and aligned seamlessly to core business objectives.
The reason why traditional publishing goals aren't working
The initial step in deciding your requirements for technology is to determine your company's objectives. Here's what editors generally tell us is their objectives:
- More traffic
- Advertising more
- Time to get it done
In the past, these could have been a sensible ball to aim for. However, the data revolution has revolutionized the publishing industry.
Align technology to your goals for publishing
The focus on traffic isn't the method to increase the size of your website's digital publishing. Advertisers don't really care how many people visit your website. They want to be aware of who visit their site, how they engage with content and the value they bring to their particular brand.
To this ever increasing data-focused client base and vanity metrics like traffic don't even scratch the surface. It's time to think beyond selling advertising and instead focus on how you can harness technology to form mutually beneficial relationships with brands. If you can get your stack right then you'll have more time to work.
These are the goals you should be:
goal 1: Better understanding of your audience The more information you have about your target audience is the easier it will be to improve and refine your web content. This can lead to greater engagement (see Goal 2.) and gives you the ammunition to create engaging opportunities for your clients (see Goal 3)
Goal 2: Deeper participation of the audience: An engaged audience is a highly valuable audience. That's why now is such a great time to be a niche publisher. Being part of a smaller, vibrant community is where the future opportunities lie for media operators.
Goal 3: More compelling advertising opportunities for customers: If you've achieved Goals 1 and 2then Goal 3 will occur naturally. When you're able to offer innovative, personalized marketing services for clients, you'll be an attractive target.
The game-changing technology of publishing
Once you've set the goals you want to achieve, it's safe to start looking at your tech system. When working with digital publishers trying to scale, these are the first game-changers we tackle:
Content Management System
You're a content-based business, so it doesn't take an expert to appreciate the importance of your Content Management System (CMS). A top-quality CMS is the foundation of any successful digital publisher. It's (or it ought to be) the sole source of truth, and can be flexible enough to meet all of your editorial and advertising requirements.
If you're an expanding media provider, you shouldn't pass up WordPress. Well you can, but you'll probably regret it pretty soon. Dozens of different platforms have attempted to take on WordPress however nothing can come close to matching its flexibility, reliability and capabilities for integration.
READ MORE: Drupal and. WordPress: What's best for digital publisher?
If you're part of a huge publishing enterprise, there's no need to create the platform of your choice. The CMS's that are proprietary are inflexible costly, and they're likely to be left behind if (or more likely when) technology continues to evolve in the current speed.
Many people don't realize is the fact that WordPress is able to be customized to handle complex workflows. We are doing it all the time. It's just that publishing platforms can be incredibly complex and it is rare to come across developers with the capacity (or time) to completely answer the specific questions you have. And so, through a series of workarounds, you end up with a complicated publishing structure.
What are the pros and cons of SaaS publishing platforms like Substack and Medium?
If you're a blogger or just a little curious about the world that is publishing SaaS services are fantastic. However, plug-and-play technology platforms are a red flag for serious publishers. Would you want to have your entire business relying on an app that costs you $50? A large part of our work with The Code Company involves 'rescue operations' for publishers who learnt this the hard way.
Read More: The three most common mistakes committed by publishers while building or replatforming their site
Hosting Platforms
Slow websites are the fastest way to lose audiences as well as advertisers. That's why your choice of hosting infrastructure is so important. In selecting a server you basically have two options:
- Hosting that is self-managed
- Platforms for managed hosting
In the past, due to the complexity of their needs, most enterprise publishers opted to create their own hosting system. However, managed platforms have evolved at such pace that almost all of the key requirements of growing publishers are being met.
Read More: What is the ideal hosting service for digital authors? Managed hosting options are particularly straightforward if you're using WordPress. In terms of the reliability, security backups, caching, backups and updates, the options of hosting platforms such as WP Engine and WordPress VIP surpass all others. And you'll most likely make money. We have been reminded of the advantages of hosting platforms recently when working with a new publishing client. Simply by switching to managed services they saved around $200,000 annually!
AdTech
Our team has recently met with a publisher in a niche market that had created such an engaged audience community that brands were banging down their doors to promote. A publishing dream come true? You'd think. However, there was one issue. The company was out of stock. It was impossible to find enough advertising units available on their website to meet the demands of clients. The company's profit margin was declining, but they refused to take clients off.
Our first step to change this dire scenario around was the hiring of the AdOps team to correctly install Google Ad Manager and build an effective WordPress Integration. This gave editorial and advertising teams full control over campaign management and their targeting. And crucially, it led to a rapid ROI as well as the possibility of a significant increase in revenues.
The focus of publishing has been shifting rapidly from traffic to targeting and focusing on the right consumers will need more complicated strategies for advertising. For the best chance of maximizing future revenue, now is the perfect time to design your AdTech for success.
Data Collection Tools
Do you have a goldmine of data? Probably. Many digital publishers are however, few realize this. They are also less aware of how to use the data to boost their profits. The WPP AUNZ CEO Jens Monsees made this point at the 2020 Mumbrella 360 when he likened digital data to high school sexuality.
"Everybody speaks about it," but few are doing it and nobody does it right. There is more than talk, you have to understand it. What data is it sitting in? How do I access it and interpret the data in real-time? How many clients have a solid data strategy and the IT infrastructure to extract and understand from the data?"
When you've got the right technology It is possible to get an in-depth understanding of behavior that can tell you what audiences are doing over a longer period of time. A good place to start is to set up your email service provider (email service provider) to gain insight into what content categories an users click on. This lets you personalize your user's experience and provide highly targeted advertising opportunities for clients and content.
"Behaviorally targeted advertisements have twice the efficient and valuable as non-targeted online ads"
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is also a must-have on your radar. Like the name implies, GTM allows you to control tags on your site. It's been game-changer for publishers as it provides greater control over the kinds of tags that used on your site, and means you're not continuously involving programmers in making trivial updates. GTM Event Tracking tool GTM Event Tracking tool can be a very effective way to track interactions between users as well as specific features or elements on your website.
READ MORE: Tags for Server Side within Google Ad Manager: What it means for publishers
Some parting thoughts
As a digital publisher, you're in a long-term relationship with the world of technology. However, is your website offering everything you require to succeed? Are you restraining yourself from making changes because it's familiar and comfortable? Be aware that none of the greatest achievements could be achieved within the comfort of a zone.
However, innovation doesn't need to be stressful. If you have the right technology companion and an uncomplicated mindset the publishing platform could well live happily ever after.