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Our good friends from TheCodeCo suggest that, simply because your initial site was the basis for what you are today, this doesn't mean that it will ever be a good fit. This post is reproduced by permission. see the original here.

Your trusted publishing platform have gone through many experiences together. It's a bond that is deeply bonded. It's only natural that you'd want to attempt all you can to bring back the joy of good old times.

However, just because your initial web design made you an accomplished author currently, that doesn't mean it will carry you to the next level. Like all long term relationships breakups are difficult to do. However, don't let your feelings hinder your advancement.

Are you ready to give off from your site?

Sometimes, you just need to face the facts. You've changed. The industry has changed. It's time to move on. Deep down, you already are aware of this. But somehow, it feels like a more relaxed stumbling around in your old, creaking CMS, hoping for some alternative, button, or magic to lift you out of the ever-growing chaotic.

Why? Because it involves a tech project. The majority of people (even the digital publishing industry) have an uncomfortable relationship with technology. Indeed, a study conducted by Chapman University revealed that technology was Americans their second-leading source of fear. That's right, technological disruptions are more frightening than death (and only slightly less scary than being in an earthquake). However, if you want to be a successful contemporary media entrepreneur, it's time to face the fears you have and reconsider your relationship with the people you care about most.

Signs your tech stack is behind you

Does some of these scenarios sound similar to yours?

• Your editorial team is constantly bogged down with website admin and processes
• It costs a lot of money for seemingly simple tasks.
• Half of your tech budget will be spent on keeping your site's lights on
• The developers you've hired have informed you that something can't be done "because of the way the system is constructed"
• Your audience is growing but profit has flatlined
• Advertising agencies are asking for audience insights/data that you're not able to deliver
• You're running low on advertising stock or are having a nagging suspicion that you're missing out on revenue opportunities
• The way you conduct business has changed significantly since you first launched

If you agree with any of the above statements, then it's time to look into a tech change. If you're a publisher who's grown tired of their site, replatforming is often the fastest way to create significant and lasting change. This can be a way to see results overnight.

 Learn how Private Media increased front and back-end performance of their publication Crikey 200%.

Why publishers fear tech projects

It's fair to say that it's not just the fear of technology that's holding you from taking the leap. The real issue is the fear of technology going wrong. For most digital publishing companies, their resistance to innovate centres around one (or more) of these 'nightmare scenarios"

1. Cost blow-out
2. This never-ending endeavor
3. The agency that isn't right

This is completely understandable. You're currently leading an organisation that's digital in one of the biggest times of disruptions the world has ever encountered. It's no wonder you're feeling less than enthusiastic at the idea of an enormous web rebuild. However, the wait-and-see approach will not be a successful strategy, as recent McKinsey research  on 'Digital strategy in a time of Crisis' demonstrates.

"Early use of technology at an early stage and on a large scale, combined with a large allocation of resources to digital projects as well as M&A is strongly linked to the creation of value" MCKINSEY, 'DIGITAL Strategy in a Time of THRILL'

What technologies should publishers invest in?

While now is definitely the right time to start investing in tech, it's important not to overinvest. Tech debt is easy to accumulate but far more difficult to get rid of. Publishers are overwhelmed with technological alternatives. That's why we start every project with a extensive discovery. In order to give owners of media the chance to thoroughly look into their options, determine priorities and prevent costly mistakes.

The art of succeeding as a media entrepreneur is being aware of what technologies to make investments in. According to Steve Jobs famously acknowledged, technology is merely tools to help facilitate the work of great individuals. It's what you do with that tool, which makes all the difference

 The truth is, technology should never be overwhelming or complicated.

So before introducing any brand new technology or tool, think about 'how will this simplify my business?' If it doesn't, then you're just adding to the mess. Working with media owners, our model has always been "anti-complexity'. We must be able to provide the most impactful business results in the simplest possible way? by avoiding the distractions of flashing lights and ineffective devices, we make sure that the client's budgets are utilized only on areas that are they are truly required. So your project always ends and there's no surprises and the nightmare scenarios are avoided.

 The most efficient transformations are usually caused by simple modifications which are well-planned and executed. They can be aligned perfectly with the business's core objectives.

Why traditional publishing goals aren't working

The first step for determining your technology needs is to define your business goals. Here's what editors usually tell us about their main goals

• More traffic
• More advertising
• Additional time

In the past, these could have been a sensible ball to aim for. The advent of the digital revolution has transformed the publishing game.

Align technology to the goals of your publication

Focusing on traffic isn't the way to grow your online publishing website. Potential advertisers don't care about the number of people who visit your website. They'd like to be aware of which users visit their site, how they engage with content and the value they bring for their specific brand.

To this ever increasing data-focused clients, vanity metrics like traffic are barely scratching the surface. It's time to think beyond selling advertising and instead focus on the ways you can leverage technology to create profitable relationships with brands. When you have your strategy right then you'll have more time.

These are the goals you should be:

Objective 1: More accurate information about your audience: The more information you have about your readers and their preferences, the better you are able to optimize and enhance your website's content. This leads to deeper engagement (see Goal 2) and gives you the ammunition to create engaging opportunities for your clients (see Goal 3.)

Goal 2: Greater audience engagement: An engaged audience is an important audience. That's why now is such an ideal time to become a niche publisher. Having a small, active community is where the future opportunities lie for media operators.

Goal #3: More powerful marketing opportunities for clients: If you've achieved Goals 1 and 2, Goal 3 will naturally occur. If you can provide intelligent, customized marketing options to your clients, you're a far more attractive prospect.

Technology for publishing is a game changer.

Now that you've established your goals, it is appropriate to look at the technology you have in your collection. If you work with digital publishers who are looking to scale and grow, these are the primary challenges we take on:

Content Management System

Your business is based on content, so it doesn't take a genuis to realise how important the content management system (CMS). A top-quality CMS is the foundation of all successful digital publishers. It's (or it ought to be) your single source of truth, and it should be able to adapt to every demands for editorial and marketing.

If you're an expanding media provider, you shouldn't pass up WordPress. Well you can, but you'll probably regret it pretty soon. Numerous different platforms have attempted compete with WordPress but none could ever come close to matching its versatility, reliability and integration capabilities.

READ MORE: Drupal Vs. WordPress: What's best for digital publisher?

If you're part of a huge publishing company, there's no need to create your own platform. Proprietary CMS's are rigid cost prohibitive and could be a threat to leave you behind If (or even more likely, if) technology evolves with the speed at which it is currently.

Many people don't realize is the fact that WordPress is able to be optimized for complicated workflows. We do it all the time. Publishing platforms are incredibly complicated and it is rare to find developers that have the capability (or enough time) to completely answer the specific questions you have. And so, through several workarounds it's a complicated publishing structure.

What are the pros and cons of SaaS publishing platforms like Substack or Medium?

If you're a blogger , or simply dabbling in the world of publishing, SaaS platform are awesome. But plug and play tech stacks can be a huge red flag for serious publishers. Are you willing to put your entire business relying on a plugin that costs $50? We have a large portion of what we do at The Code Company involves 'rescue operations' for publishers who learnt this the hard way.

Read More: The three most common mistakes made by publishers when building or replatforming their websites

Hosting Platforms

A slow website is the fastest method of losing customers and advertisers. That's why your choice of hosting technology is vital. When selecting a server, you have two options:

• Self-managed hosting
• Managed hosting platforms

Historically, due to the sheer complexity of their requirements the majority of enterprise publishers chose to build their own hosting infrastructure. However, managed platforms have developed in such a way that nearly every one of the essential needs of publishers growing are being met.

READ MORE: What is the most effective hosting option for digital publishers? Managed hosting choices are especially straightforward when you're making use of WordPress. In terms of reliability, security, backups, caching and updates, the capabilities offered by platforms like WP Engine and WordPress VIP surpass all others. You'll probably save money. We discovered the benefits of hosting services recently while we worked with a brand newly launched publishing client. Just by changing them to a managed hosting service and saving them over $200,000 per year!

AdTech

The team we work with recently had a meeting with a niche publisher who has built an active 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 stock. They had a shortage of ads on their site for client inquiries. The company's profit margin was declining, and yet, they turned clients off.

The first thing we did to turn the situation around was bring in our AdOps group to properly install Google Ad Manager and build an efficient WordPress connection. This gave editorial and advertising teams complete control over campaign management and targeting. And crucially, it led to immediate ROI and a sizeable increase in client revenue.

The focus of publishing is rapidly shifting towards targeting and traffic and focusing on the right clients will demand increasingly complex strategies for advertising. In order to maximize future revenue opportunities, now is the time to engineer your AdTech for success.

Data Collection Tools

Are you sitting on an information goldmine? Probably. Most digital publishers are, however, few realize it. And even fewer know how to make use of it to increase their revenue. 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 sexuality.

"Everybody talks about it, only a few people are actually doing it, and nobody does it right. It's more than just talk and you must understand the subject. What data is it sitting in? What can I do to get it to me and understand it at a moment's notice? What percentage of clients have a decent data strategy as well as the IT infrastructure in place to collect and extract meaning from the data?"

With the right technology you can gain profound behavioural insights that show that you how your audience is performing over a longer period of time. One way to start is to set up your ESP (email service supplier) to get a better understanding of what content categories an person clicks. This lets you customize your visitor's experience, and offer highly relevant information and marketing opportunities to clients.

"Behaviorally targeted advertisements are more than twice as useful and as efficient than non-targeted ads on the internet"

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is also a must-have on your radar. It's a name that's apt, GTM allows you to manage tags on your website. It's been game-changer for publishers since it allows greater control over the tags you use on your website as well as ensuring that you're not continuously involving programmers in making minor changes. The GTM event Tracking tool is a powerful way to track interactions between users and certain features/elements of your site.

READ MORE Server Side Tagging with Google Ad Manager What does it mean for the publishers

 Parting thoughts

Being a digital-only publisher, you're in a long-term partnership with the technology. But is your current website offering everything you require to succeed? Or are you resisting change due to the fact that it's comfortable and familiar? Remember, no great accomplishments could be achieved within the comfort of a zone.

Yet innovation needn't be stressful. When you find the right tech partner and an anti-complexity mindset both you and your publishing platform could well live happily ever after.