Companies Are Making the Shift to Digital Content
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Digital Distinction
58% of survey respondents plan to publish more than half of their content in electronic form (not in PDF) by the end of this year, and 32% expect to publish 90% of their content this way. -
Change Drivers
50% said they're pursuing new content-delivery mechanisms because they feel they need to "change now" or be left behind, and 49% said they're doing so because customers are demanding information in new ways. -
Internal Affairs
Among those changing content-delivery mechanisms, 57% are developing and converting everything in-house, and 41% are opting for a combination of in-house teams and outsourced services. -
Improvement Areas
69% said their content's search capabilities need improvement, and 48% said their content doesn't fully support customers' needs going forward. -
Consumer Choices
68% said their customers are asking for content that's more searchable. A little more than half (53%) want learning videos; less than half (46%) seek content that's available on mobile devices. -
Readiness for Digital Demands
Just 44% said their content is ready to support digital business requirements over the next two years. -
Stumbling Blocks
Among the 31% who said their content isn't ready to support digital business requirements over the next two years, 74% cited insufficient staff time for converting in house as a major barrier. And 55% said they don't have a sufficient budget to support a conversion. -
Tools of Choice
84% said XML editor is one of their top content solutions, and 61% said MadCap Flare is. Another 50% heavily depend on Adobe FrameMaker. -
Eclectic Offerings
84% said they're developing user manuals via their content efforts, and 61% said they're creating embedded user assistance (help system) content. Another 39% said they're generating training materials, and 30% are making videos. -
Pack Leaders
43% said their competitors are not ahead of them in terms of the type and quality of content they publish electronically, compared with just 23% who said their competition is ahead of them.
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Why Metrics Matter to the Channel A clear majority of companies are increasing their investments in electronic (non-PDF) forms of content for customers, according to a recent survey from Data Conversion Laboratory (DCL) and the Center for Information Development Management (CIDM). In responding to customers who said they want information presented in new ways, most tech businesses will likely produce more than half their content electronically, if not nearly all of it, the study found. In doing so, they're hoping to use advanced solutions to extend search capabilities and the mobile-friendliness of their content, among other improvements. "That there's industry movement toward more sophisticated XML tools … bodes well for more feature-rich content," said Mark Gross, CEO at DCL, a data conversion specialist. "The demand for digital formats will only continue to increase, and professionals should be looking at longer-range strategies for enriching existing content … and delivering all of it in … ways that customers will be demanding." Barriers, however, include a lack of available staffing and budget to make a digital conversion. More than 300 professionals, mostly from the IT industry, took part in the research.
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