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Our friends at TheCodeCo suggest that, just because your original site helped you become what you are today, that doesn't mean it's going to ever be a good fit. This piece is published with permission - check out the original article here.
You and your trusty publishing platform have been through many things together. You're deeply attached. It makes sense that you want to try all you can to bring back the joy of good old times.
Although your first, custom website made you an accomplished author now, it doesn't mean that it's going to carry you in the near future. As with all relationships that last for a long time, breaking up is hard to break up. Yet don't allow sentimentality to stand in your way of growth.
Is it time to break off from your site?
Sometimes, it's just necessary to face the facts. You've changed. The industry has changed. It's time to move on. In your heart, you know this. But somehow, it feels better to be rummaging around on your old, creaking CMS and hoping for a solution, button, or magic to help you escape the ever-growing chaos.
Why? Because it involves a tech project. Most people (even digital publishers) are uncomfortable with technology. Actually, a study by Chapman University revealed that technology was Americans their second-leading source of fear. That's right, digital disruption is more terrifying than death (and just a little less frightening than being in an earthquake). However, if you want to get ahead as a digital media professional It's the time to confront your fears and review your most important relationship.
Your tech stack may be hindering your progress
Does any of these scenarios seem familiar?
- The editorial team of your website is becoming overwhelmed by admin tasks for your website and other processes.
- The cost is huge in order to accomplish seemingly easy tasks.
- Half of your tech budget will be spent on keeping your website's lights on
- Your developers have told you that something cannot be achieved "because of how it is built"
- Your audience is growing but the profit is flat.
- Advertising agencies are asking for audience insights/data that you're not able to deliver
- You're running low on advertising inventory or have an uneasy feeling that you're not maximizing revenue
- The way you conduct business has changed significantly since you first launched
If you are in agreement with one or more of these statements, it is time to seriously look into a tech overhaul. If you're a publisher who's outgrown their website, replatforming is often the fastest way to create an impactful and durable change. This can be a way to see outcomes in a matter of minutes.
The reason why publishers are afraid of tech-related projects
It's fair to say that it's not just the technological fear that's keeping your back. It's the fear that technology is going wrong. For most digital publishers, their reluctance to invent is based on one (or several) of these "nightmare situations':
- Cost blow-out
- This never-ending endeavor
- The incorrect agency
The fears you have are completely normal. You're already leading an organisation that's digital in one of the largest periods of disruption the world has ever experienced. That's why you're not so enthusiastic about the prospect of a major reconstruction of the web. However, the wait-and-see approach does not lead to success, as recent McKinsey research 'Digital Strategies in the Age of Crisis' demonstrates.
"Early use of technology early and at the scale of large allocation of resources to digital projects, and M&A is strongly linked to value creation" MCKINSEY, 'DIGITAL Strategies in the Age of Crisis'
What technologies should publishers consider investing in?
If now is indeed the moment to invest in technology, it's crucial not to over invest. Tech debt is easily accumulated, but much less clear. Publishers are becoming overwhelmed with technology alternatives. This is one reason why we start every project with the detailed discovery process. In order to give owners of media the chance to thoroughly look into their options, determine the priorities, and avoid costly errors.
Success in the field of media is understanding which technologies to make investments in. As Steve Jobs famously acknowledged, technology is merely tools to help facilitate the work of great people. It's the actions you take when using the tool which makes all the difference
The truth is, technology should never be complex or confusing.
Before launching any new tool or technology, you should take a moment and ask "How will this improve my work?' If it doesn't add to the confusion. In working with the media companies, our model has always been "anti-complexity'. What can we do to deliver an impactful and profitable business outcome in the simplest possible way? In avoiding distractions like blinking lights and unnecessary equipment, we can ensure that the client's budgets are utilized only on areas that are truly needed. Thus, when your project is completed with no surprise costs and all of the worst-case scenarios are eliminated.
The most efficient changes are typically simply a result of changes, smartly executed and aligned perfectly with the business's core objectives.
Why traditional publishing goals are not the best
The first step for determining your technology needs is to define your business objectives. Here's what editors usually tell us about their goals:
- More traffic
- Advertising more
- Additional time
In the past, these would have been sensible balls to pursue. But the advent of data has changed the game of publishing.
Make sure that your technology is aligned with your goals for publishing
The focus on traffic isn't the route to scaling your digital publishing site. Potential advertisers don't care about how many people visit your website. They'd like to be aware of who visit their site, how they engage in content, and what value they add for their specific brand.
In this constantly growing data-focused customer base the vanity metrics such as traffic barely scratch the level. You need to look beyond selling advertising and instead focus on ways to harness technology to create profitable relationships with brands. If you can get the right stack, you'll automatically have more time to work.
Here's what your goals should be:
Goal 1: Improved audience data: The more information you have about your audience and their preferences, the better you are able to optimize and enhance your website's content. This can lead to greater engagement (see Goal 2.) and provides you with the ammunition to create engaging opportunities for your clients (see Goal 3.)
Goal 2: More audience engagement: An engaged audience is a valuable audience. This is why this is the perfect time to be a niche-based editor. A small and active group of readers is where the best possibilities are for publishers.
Goal #3: More engaging marketing opportunities for clients: If you've achieved Goals 1 and 2then Goal 3 will naturally occur. When you're able to offer smart, personalised marketing solutions to your clients, you're an increasingly attractive candidate.
The publishing tech game-changers
Once you've set your objectives, it's time to begin looking over your technology collection. When working with digital publishers trying to scale this is the initial challenges we take on:
Content Management System
Your business is based on content, which is why it's not difficult for someone with a genius to realize the significance of your content management system (CMS). A superior CMS is the foundation of all successful digital publishers. It is (or it ought to be) your single source of truth, and it should be able to adapt to every needs for advertising and editorial.
If you're a developing media operator, you can't ignore WordPress. Well you could, but you'll likely regret it pretty quickly. Numerous other platforms have tried to challenge WordPress however nothing has ever really even come close to the flexibility, reliability, and ability to integrate.
READ MORE: Drupal Vs. WordPress: What's best for digital publishing?
If you're part of a huge publishing empire, there's still an excuse not to develop the platform of your choice. Custom CMS's are stifling, prohibitively expensive and threaten to be left behind If (or more likely when) technology evolves in the current speed.
What people often don't understand is the fact that WordPress can be customized to handle complex workflows. We do it every day. The problem is that the publishing platforms are complex beasts and it is rare to find developers that have the capabilities (or time) to fully answer your specific brief. So, by various workarounds, it's a complex architecture for publishing.
What do you think of SaaS publishing platforms, such as Substack as well as Medium?
If you're a blogger , or trying your hand at the business of publication, SaaS platforms are great. But plug-and-play tech stacks are a major problem for publishers who are serious. Do you really want the entire company to rely on a plugin that costs $50? A large part of our work at The Code Company involves 'rescue operations' for publishers who learned this lesson the hard way.
READ MORE: The three most common mistakes made by publishers when building or replatforming their site
Hosting Platforms
A slow website is the fastest method of losing audiences and even advertisers. This is why choosing the right hosting infrastructure is so important. When selecting a server, you have two options:
- Self-managed hosting
- Platforms for managed hosting
In the past, because of the difficulty of what they needed, most enterprise publishers opted to create their own hosting infrastructure. However, managed platforms have evolved to the point that all the major demands of expanding publishers are being met.
Read More: What is the best hosting solution for digital publishing? Managed hosting options are particularly straightforward if you're making use of WordPress. When it comes to safety, reliability as well as backups, caching, and upgrades, the features of platforms like WordPress Engine and WordPress VIP surpass all others. You'll probably reduce costs. We discovered the benefits of hosting platforms when we worked with a brand new client for publishing. Just by changing them to managed services and saving them around $200,000 annually!
AdTech
Our team has recently met with a small-scale publisher that had created such an engaging audience, that advertisers were knocking on their door to advertise. A publishing dream come true? You'd think. But there was a problem. They had run out of stocks. They had a shortage of ads on their site to accommodate client requests. Profit margins were declining yet they were turning customers away.
Our first step to change this dire scenario around was the hiring of our AdOps staff to successfully implement Google Ad Manager and build a smart WordPress connection. This gave editorial and advertising teams complete control of campaign management and their targeting. And crucially, it led to an immediate ROI and the possibility of a significant increase in revenue.
The focus of publishing shifts rapidly towards targeting and traffic, so it's inevitable that clients will demand increasingly complex advertising solutions. To maximise future revenue opportunities, now is the time to engineer your AdTech for success.
Data Collection Tools
Are you sitting on a goldmine of data? Probably. Many digital publishers are yet few realise that. They are also less aware of what they can do with the data to boost their profits. is the name of WPP's AUNZ CEO Jens Monsees made this point during the 2020 Mumbrella 360 when he likened digital data to high-school sexual activity.
"Everybody speaks about it," but few are doing it and no one is doing it correctly. More than that, you have to understand the subject. What is the location of this information? How can I access it and interpret it in real time? What percentage of clients have a solid data strategy as well as the IT infrastructure in place to extract and understand out of their information?"
With the right technology, it's possible to gain an in-depth understanding of behavior that can tell the user what they are doing for a long period of time. The best place to begin is to set up your ESP (email service company) to gain insight into the categories of content that an user clicks on. This lets you personalize your user's experience and provide highly targeted advertising opportunities for clients and content.
"Behaviorally targeted advertisements are more than twice as efficient and valuable as non-targeted online ads"
Google Tag Manager (GTM) should also be in your consideration. It's a name that's apt, GTM allows you to control tags on your site. It's transformed the way publishers work as it provides greater control over the tags you run on your website which means that you don't have to constantly engaging programmers to make trivial updates. It's the GTM event Tracking tool provides a reliable tool to monitor interactions between visitors and specific elements/features on your website.
READ MORE: Tags for Server Side with Google Ad Manager What does this mean to publishers
A few thoughts on the way forward
If you're a digital publishing company and a digital publisher, you're in a lengthy relationship with the technology. Is your site giving you everything you need to be successful? Are you restraining yourself from making changes due to the fact that it's comfortable and familiar? Remember, no great accomplishments could be achieved within a comfort zone.
But innovation shouldn't have to be difficult. If you have the right technology companion and an uncomplicated mindset the publishing platform could well live happily forever.