It also seems as though each vendor has its own definition of content management and a unique combination of features-making a point-by-point comparison difficult. Generally speaking, you'll want a package that helps you manage the creation and presentation of information throughout the project life cycle. Searching and ongoing administration and maintenance are other basic features you should have on your checklist.

Personalization for site visitors is an important feature with which many Web sites are still struggling. BroadVision Inc. seems to offer particularly strong personalization capabilities and is used by many of the largest commercial Web sites.

It's also necessary to be able to separate content from the structure of the pages. Templates can help keep the content and page layout separate. Templates ensure that all content fits into the standard format of a company's Web pages. Visitors find it easier to navigate Web sites that look the same from page to page. Constantly changing formats throughout a site can be confusing and make it difficult for visitors to find what they want. Those who get frustrated are likely to become lost customer opportunities.

Content-management systems provide companies with the ability to significantly reduce the bottleneck that occurs when the Webmaster tries to approve, load, publish, and manage every piece of content on a company's Web site. Content-management systems automate the routine tasks associated with content creation.

Content-management systems also help enforce security by regulating access rights to particular types of content. Such systems also help prevent unauthorized content from being published on Web sites, preventing potential damage to the organization and its reputation.

A content-management system can also reduce maintenance and recovery costs. It can manage mirrored or replicated versions of site content, and if a site is hacked, the system can re-fresh the entire site in a relatively short time. When a site is damaged, the system's content repository is used to reload the Web serv-ers quickly. This means shorter recovery times, and less lost revenue.

One key feature of content-management systems is personalization, which helps companies aim content at specific customers. It also lets users customize Web sites to their own needs. This means that the visitors only see the information that is relevant to them. Over time, personalization services help the site become more "sticky," ensuring repeat visits.

Content-management systems have the ability to transform the way companies manage Web content. However, to use a content-management system effectively, a company must formally define the content-management process. Simply automating a bad process will just get bad content to the Web site faster. To realize the benefits of a content-management system, companies must define specific phases, such as those shown in the diagram on the previous page.

Companies must also define and enforce strict controls on what content is posted to the Web and what approvals must take place before content is published. The workflow features found in many content-management tools facilitate the formalization of an enterprisewide content-management process. Workflows can be set up to create and enforce a standard path that content must follow from creator to Web site.