Aloha

We are starting to actually putting some info about Umbraco on our website (wow - finally) http://netmedia.dk.

So what would you say is the key benifits for selling Umbraco to a customer?

For now we think it's stuff like (not prioritized order):

For end users/editors:
- "If you can use Word, you can use Umbraco" - no rocket science.
- Open Source (one of them buzz words :dribble: )
- Great GUI for editing pages
- Very easy to create, copy, move, delete pages
- No artificial limitations, like max 25 pages.
- Rollback feature
- Publish date - remove date.
- Media library
- Very easy to make good SEO
- Readable URLs
- Image scaling directly in GUI
- Fast CMS
- No stupid workflows
- RSS feeds
- Site search, sitemap, breadcrumbs (what ever turns the customer on) etc...
- Maxium design freedom
- Headers, fonts etc controlled by CSS - NOT enduser.
- Easy to customize with new functionality
- Easy/fast to make acces protected pages
- Danish "core team" (...good argument in Denmark)

For techies:
- Open source
- .NET / C# / MSSQL
- Fast CMS
- Easy to integrate with other systems
- Easy to create new librarys
- Active and fast growing community

Try to focus on what you think is great about Umbraco, that I have missed out on while typing away - mainly end users/editors. Don't focus on what could be better :thumbdown:

Inputs wanted/needed :thumbup:

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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

RSS integration :)
Crossbrowser compatible

This line fails to give justice to Umbraco. Anyone who has ever tried to use ANY other CMS will know how limited other solutions generally are. Umbraco gives freedom on so many levels from the ability to craft really great XHTML exactly how you want it using XSLT to the freedom to create .net based controls and expand / integrate the platform.

I now feel that I can approach any client and say "folks, there's nothing I can't do". Try saying that with any other CMS - it's usually "err, I'll, err, have to go away and think about it". Hell, if I don't know something, I just ask here :thumbup:

Selling Tactics
Note that most CMS use Marketing Speak to sell their wares. They tend to focus on perceived BENEFITS such as (lifted from one such brochure) :whistle:

- Easier to keep your content up to date
(Obvious, but again, perceived benefit)

- The ability to add / move pages and the navigation / links will all change automatically.
(Well, duh!)

- Back Office Integration
(Believe it or not, this means you can cut and paste from Word :dribble:)

Remember... it's BENEFITS that sell to customers, not FEATURES.

Security
I would also add SECURITY to the list. Having worked with a number of other (open and closed source) CMS solutions, it's really good to see the efforts here to build a secure solution (esp. around the SQL component).

I've just had to inform one commercial CMS (been in development 2-3 years, and recently offered to one of my clients!) that I can break into their server just by corrupting the URL - a problem with the Application_BeginRequest / URL rewrite handler which has to be the most fundemental part of any CMS software. If they can't get that part of the CMS right, what hope have they?? :blush:

Stewart
Bawden Quinn Associates
UK

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Bawden Quinn Associates, UK

And a crappy one in all other countries. Unless we could brand umbraco as the "Egg" of CMS ;-)

(btw: Brilliant initiative, sorry for making jokes)

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Jeeeez, did I really start this :-)