CMS for Travel Directory

This CMS project? is for? is an online? travel directory? that guides consumers to travel and hospitality companies that do good works and give back. We need a content management system that allows us to: -- create fun, easily consumable profiles of travel companies that do good -- store this content (including words, pictures, video, logos) -- publish this content in a consistent format via templates -- database this content to be coordinated, combined and presented in useful ways -- present calendars of upcoming travel-and-giving-back opportunities that can link to (and be linked from) company profiles, and present featured interviews -- present an on-going blog ## Deliverables Problem/Opportunity Statement Travel consumers have no easy way to find out what good works travel companies do. Our website directory will make the traveler aware that travel companies and travel brands that do good works exist and will encourage travelers to support those that give back. Travel companies need more ways to communicate the good works they do without appearing self serving. Our website directory will provide a way for travel companies to call attention to their good works without appearing promotional. Business Objectives The B/Cause Guide is an online directory to travel companies that do good, and travel programs that give back. The B/Cause Guide is a resource for the traveler who wants to travel in this way, and the company that want to communicate this. The content management system running the directory site will make it easier to get information about these travel companies published consistently and quickly, and for users to find that information via a on-site search engine. Functionality Overview We need a content management system that allows us to: ? create fun, easily consumable profiles of travel companies that do good ? store this content (including words, pictures, video, logos) ? publish this content in a consistent format via templates ? database this content to be coordinated, combined and presented in useful ways ? use this content to present a searchable guide online ? present calendars of upcoming travel-and-giving-back opportunities that can link to (and be linked from) company profiles ? present featured interviews ? present an on-going blog Roles and Access Different groups of users would have different levels of access: ? B/C staff would be able to load and edit everything (author, edit, approve, publish) ? Company clients (travel companies and causes) would be able to load content, to be edited by B/C staff (author) ? Consumers would be able to view content. Specific Functions ? Search o Users would search for travel company profiles by destination, company name, or type of good the company does (including name of the causes supported by the company). ? Data Entry o We would use templates to load the content easily, applying metadata codes, and publishing the content in a consistent way via templates. o We need to load content into the database in a variety of common formats, such as Word files, or work with excel spreadsheets. o We want to be able to write, edit and design on the fly in a WYSIWYG environment. We want to be able to quickly load, make live or take down pages. o We want to be able to record things like creation date, revision date and author of entries and articles. o We want to be able to have more than one author, editor and publisher working on material at a time. ? Publishing o We want to be able to present content across different formats or templates. For example, a profile for a company can publish as a guide entry, and as an email-able blast, using different templates. o We want to be able to change templates and design elements easily, with the changes applying across different published presentations (so we don’t have to do ad hoc design on each presentation) o We want to be able to collect email addresses, and easily send email blasts and newsletters to opt-in consumers. These emails should run off a template. o We want to link to travel companies and to causes mentioned in our profiles and on our site. ? Consumer Experience o We want to allow consumers to “follow?? a property or a cause, receiving updates from us about the property or cause. o We want to allow consumers to comment on profiles or content. o We want to be able to create and publish surveys, and store and display the results. ? Search Engine Marketing and Optimization o We want an easy and effective way to manage search engine optimization, including maximizing links that rank us higher in search engines. ? Reports o The project will allow for reports on referrals we generate to travel companies or causes. ? Membership Access o To eventually allow us to management memberships. Exclusions • This project does not include a system for taking money or donations • This project does not include the design or look of the B/Cause Guide site. Assumptions • We assume that the current environment that supports socially aware travel will continue to expand. • We assuming that the content management system will allow us to easily load and publish information • We are assuming that the project will allow us to easily pursue search engine placement (SEO) • We assume that the content management system will be delivered on time and on budget. Constraints • This is small company and the staff has limited time to manage information loading, so if the process of soliciting and managing the development of the content management system is time consuming, we will need to re-evaluate. • This company will need to build revenue streams over time, so cost is a major issue. • The advertising environment now is challenged, and that will challenge a revenue stream. Again, this makes cost of development of a CMS a major issue.. Benefits Benefits of the project to the developer: • The project should be an interesting application of CMS construction, in that it combines the need for data-based content, with ease of use. • When finished the site that is powered by the CMS will be a showpiece in the developers portfolio. Benefits of the project to the B/Cause Guide • We can publish our current and easily accessed guide quickly, and build efficiencies in gathering and presenting information. • We will be able to develop three revenue streams ??" advertising on the site; referral fees from travel companies to which we deliver business, and consultancy fees. Benefits of the site to the traveler • All of the information they seek about companies that do good is one place. Benefits of the site to the travel supplier • The travel company gets their message out in a way that doesn’t appear self serving. • The travel companies get a PR message that can be delivered beyond the B/Cause Guide users • They get their message in front of a dedicated audience seeking them out. Benefits of the site to the causes • They get expanded visibility. • They get to potentially grow their donor base Risks • We need an easily managed CMS because the primary risk to this project is that we don’t have much time to manage and publish information. • We don’t have huge funding to get big quickly. • We don’t know that the climate will change to better support advertising revenue. • A competitor may develop this kind of guide before us. * * *This broadcast message was sent to all bidders on Friday May 15, 2009 11:22:20 AM: Hello from the B/Cause Group, I wanted to let you know we are still evaluating bids for this CMS project, and have not yet made a decision. Thank you for your patience. Mike with the B/Cause Group.