How to Improve Content Delivery to Your Customers

By Dennis McCafferty

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How to Improve Content Delivery to Your Customers

Content drives so much of what IT is doing these days, but most organizations lack the tools and expertise to connect customers with the content they seek.
Content Pursuits, Part I

85% of the content strategists, information architects and managers surveyed said they are developing user manuals today, and 61% are creating release notes.
Content Pursuits, Part II

57% said they're developing embedded user assistance content (for help systems), and 37% are creating training manuals.
Top Content Tools

XML Editor: 68%, PowerPoint: 57%, Adobe FrameMaker (unstructured): 27%, Word: 24%, Video Editor: 22%
Distribution Means

74% of the survey respondents said they deliver content via a website or portal, and the same percentage said they do so with PDFs.
Managing Files

33% said they manage content files in a component content management system, and 21% said they do so in a source control system.
Fixed Position

Just 37% said they deploy responsive design to reformat content for mobile devices, while more than two-thirds said they either publish the same content on all devices or they don't publish at all on mobile devices.
Social Recluse

46% of the content strategists, information architects and managers surveyed said they do not use social media for content purposes.
Closed Access

62% said customers cannot contribute content to their website or portal.
Improvement Plans

60% of the respondents said they expect to improve support for content on mobile devices over the next two to three years, while 48% anticipate the acquisition of a more dynamic delivery system.
Business Drivers of New Content Delivery Systems

Customer demands and expectations: 56%, Need to keep up with information development trends: 56%, Need to do more with less: 46%
Searching for Solutions

66% of the content strategists, information architects and managers surveyed said their search capabilities must improve, while 53% said they have so much content that their customers cannot find what they seek.
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While IT and other departments are fully committed to content initiatives, they admit that they're falling behind in adopting the latest in content delivery technologies to boost efficiencies and better meet customer needs, according to a recent survey from Data Conversion Laboratory (DCL) and the Center for Information Development Management (CIDM). The accompanying report, "Following the Trends - Is Your Content Ready?" reveals that survey respondents are developing user manuals, training guides and embedded user assistance content (such as information for help systems). They're taking advantage of XML Editor and other tech tools to do so. However, many are not incorporating social media into their content practices, nor are they customizing content for mobile devices. A significant share, however, expect to invest in more dynamic delivery systems over the next two to three years. "The bar is constantly rising, both in functionality and data volume, and if you're not keeping up, you're falling behind," said Mark Gross, DCL's president. Nearly 370 content strategists, information architects and managers took part in the research.

This article was originally published on 2017-05-22

Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine.