Item: Magnolia
Rating: 7
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Magnolia is our company's content management system. It is used by multiple departments in the organization. It is used to create and publish content [on] the company's website. It offers us an easy way to deliver a digital experience to our consumer, business, and professional audiences. It allows multiple teams within the organization to communicate with an external audience.

Pros and Cons

It's intuitive
It's customizable
The version we currently use (Magnolia 5) is [aesthetically] pleasing

With virtual mapping, it would be useful for there to be a way to organize items in groups and to filter (e.g., alphabetically).
Still, with virtual mapping, it would be easier if a page didn't become redirected until the virtual URI is published. Currently, the page being redirected becomes inaccessible once a vanity URL is created, even if left unpublished.
More online references/documentation for front-end users.
An edit mode that lets you make changes to the actual page (i.e., what the page looks like to a website visitor), which would be a separate edit mode [that] currently exists (editing to the back-end, which looks more like a database).
The ability to multi-task in the CMS. For example, if approving publishing requests, the ability to edit pages while the CMS processes the approvals.

Return on Investment

Has provided our organization with an easy-to-use CMS. Even inexperienced web page builders can create content.
Has allowed us to create a bilingual website that reaches a large audience while meeting language requirements.
Common templates have allowed us to create a cohesive website.

Usability

It's very intuitive and allows even inexperienced website creators to build pages. Java knowledge is not necessary to create and post content. Adding users, and managing roles and users is simple. The templates are easy to use and allow for a consistent-looking website. The ability to duplicate pages and components helps will productivity.

Performance

Opening components can sometimes be slow. When too many requests are in the publishing queue, the CMS slows down. When a user is approving publishing requests, they are unable to do anything else in the CMS. (This is an issue because wait times can be up to a minute if 10+ items are in the queue.)

Alternatives Considered

N/A

Likelihood to Recommend

Magnolia has worked well for our organization, where there are multiple users in different departments needing to access the same pages. While it can be overwhelming at first, the CMS is intuitive to new users once they have hands-on experience. For basic needs - creating simple pages - works well for front-end users with little to no CMS experience or Java knowledge.

-Magnolia Review

Overall Satisfaction with Magnolia