Articles - Page 100

Not All Heroes Wear Capes. Here's Why CMS Is Your 'Unsung Hero' in 2025

janus-boye

Shipping to US-based customers is now faster and cheaper with <a href="https://www.shopify.com/" target="_blank">Shopify</a>, thanks to the platform's newly launched USPS postage label printing feature.
Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the world, serving merchants across the globe.
<a href="/shopify" target="_blank"><img style="max-width:256px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2010_6_23_shopify-green_256x256-1.jpg" /></a>
This new feature, dubbed “Shopify Shipping”, enables merchants to buy and print discounted USPS postage labels originating from their Shopify dashboard. Only a regular printer is needed to get the job done, while the fee for each label simply gets added to Shopify's monthly bill.
<h2>Discounts &amp; Queue Skipping</h2>
The discounts applied to each USPS postage label depend on the Shopify package being used. The Basic Plan entitles you to a 30% discount, and the Pro and Unlimited plans give you a 35% and 40% discount respectively.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image00_eab3b751-d357-4bae-9349-e03d816f8c3d_1.png" />
After printing, you can simply stick the label on a parcel and head off to any USPS location. Because you’ve prepaid the shipping costs, you’ll be able to skip the queue totally. You can even have USPS collect packages directly from your home or office.
It's also worth noting that Shopify users worldwide can buy and use these shipping labels, but only for items to be delivered within the United States.
<h2>Free Webinar</h2>
Shopify is holding a webinar to help their users make the most of Shopify Shipping.
<blockquote>“We’ll walk you through how you can save time and money by printing USPS labels in Shopify. We’ll also provide you with some additional education and free resources to help you successfully ship your products to your customers. It's happening on September 30, 2015, at 3pm Eastern /12pm Pacific.”</blockquote>
To find out more about Shopify Shipping, <a href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/54177669-now-you-can-print-usps-shipping-labels-in-shopify-saving-you-time-and-money" target="_blank">check out Shopify's blog announcement</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/shopify/" target="_blank">Shopify via our CMS Directory</a>.

Shopify Shipping Launched: US Shipping Now Faster & Cheaper

mike-johnston

The 2015 CMS Awards have well and truly arrived, and the nominations stage is underway.
Initially launched by Mike Johnston in 2012, The CMS Awards were introduced to give the CMS Critic community a chance to vote for their favorite products and to give CMS vendors an opportunity to shine.
<img style="max-width:250px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/nominate_us.png" />
The awards are comprised of the People's Choice Awards, which give the public power over which CMS wins each category, and the <a href="/announcing-this-years-judges-for-the-2014-critics-choice-awards/" target="_blank">Critic's Choice Awards</a>, where a select few judges are appointed to select the winners.
<h2>The Importance of the CMS Awards</h2>
Last year, I touched on <a href="/the-cms-awards-what-they-mean/" target="_blank">what the CMS Awards mean to the public, as well as to vendors like PrestaShop, Hippo CMS, and others</a>.
<blockquote>The CMS Awards mean more available research for businesses to apply their needs directly to a CMS- better research=better experiences
— Ceeonsoft, Inc. (@Ceeonsoft) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ceeonsoft/status/522406900244430848">October 15, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote>“The CMS Awards represent an opportunity for each ecommerce solution to get the recognition they deserve. It’s extremely gratifying to watch our community come together and show their support. 
For us, winning the CMS Awards isn’t just about PrestaShop. It’s about recognizing the 700,000 dedicated community members that contribute to the software every day. 
Our supporters are members of our open source community. Together, we have built PrestaShop into what it is today. Therefore, winning would be rewarding in itself, it reaffirms the success of our collaboration.” 
– Natalie Beigel, PrestaShop's Program Marketing Manager</blockquote>
<blockquote>The CMS awards are a great opportunity to show that there are other platforms besides the most obvious choices ?
— Ben Barden (@benbarden) <a href="https://twitter.com/benbarden/status/522404989554397184">October 15, 2014</a></blockquote>
Now, with a revamped category system, 2015 is the year where more platforms should see the benefits of the Awards, if they choose to take part. Those beenfits could include getting nominated, and perhaps even taking home a trophy (which can now be personally presented at any Award Winner's Head Office).
The first step to winning though, is getting nominated in the first place.
<h2>How to get Your CMS Nominated (In 3 Steps)</h2>
You don't need a big budget or a big history to get nominated. Here's how to get people to nominate your product.
1. Identify The Most Relevant Categories
Before you set out your campaign to get nominated, it's a good idea to identify which category (or categories) your platform best fits into.
There are a wide range of categories to accommodate all CMS types. Plus, extra categories like “Most Innovative CMS” and “Most Promising CMS” make the CMS Awards that much more inclusive and flexible.
A full list of Award Categories can be found here.
2. Reach Out To your Audience
Now that you know what categories to aim for, you can begin asking your audience to nominate you.
Make use of your email newsletter, your blog and your social media handles to urge your fans and software users to nominate you in your chosen category. It's also a good idea to provide incentives, if possible.
3. Get Active With the #CMSAwards Hashtag
This year, we're making use of the #CMSAwards hashtag to help spread the word.
The CMS Critic Twitter account will be using the hashtag, and will be retweeting and favoriting tweets using it, too. So, be sure to include #CMSAwards in your tweets to get your brand's name heard.
For more information on the CMS Awards, including images to help promote your campaign, visit the dedicated website.

The CMS Awards: How To Get Your Platform Nominated

<a target="_blank" href="http://joomla.org/">Joomla</a> 3.4.4 has been released, ahead of the platform's pending 3.5 unveiling, which is scheduled for some point in October 2015.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/joomla_logo_slogan_700x0.png" />The popular CMS kicked off 2015 <a href="/joomla-now-offers-free-hosted-websites-via-joomla.com/">by launching Joomla.com</a>, a hosted version of their renowned platform. Now, as we move closer to 2016, Joomla will be hoping to push on with their open source project too, starting with the release of version 3.5.<h2>“Preparing for Even Better Features”</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5628-joomla-3-4-4-released.html">Joomla 3.4.4 is basically a security update</a>, which includes:en-GB Language Cleanup.Fixes for MSSQL and PostgresSQL Joomla InstallationsJQuery, HTML5Shiv, and CodeMirror UpdatesJoomla Code Style Rules Implementation FinishedInterestingly though, Jessica Dunbar, Joomla's Production Leadership Team Liaison; responsible for coordinating the production of the Joomla CMS and Framework, made the following comment about the release:<blockquote>“Our Production Team is continually improving the code of Joomla as new needs of our CMS users arise, systems we rely upon change, and we improve our great feature set.We are also preparing for even better features in coming versions.”</blockquote>To demo Joomla 3.4 go to <a target="_blank" href="http://joomla.us8.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=fc57bf0c5dade4c32b33c845e&amp;id=f591afe4cd&amp;e=0ca73f4c1d">demo.joomla.org</a>, to download it go to <a target="_blank" href="http://joomla.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fc57bf0c5dade4c32b33c845e&amp;id=149e26614c&amp;e=0ca73f4c1d">joomla.org/download</a>.Additionally, be sure to <a href="/products/joomla">explore more of Joomla via our CMS Directory</a>.

Joomla Updated Ahead of Upcoming 3.5 Release

To help their users complete more sales, <a href="https://selz.com/" target="_blank">Selz</a> has released an Abandoned Cart App – an essential feature for the modern eCommerce platform.
Selz is a increasingly popular online selling solution that can be integrated into existing websites, or set up as a standalone store. They release regular and relevant updates, which is always a positive sign in my eyes.
<a href="https://selz.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/selz-1_700x0214x0-is.png" /></a>
According to Selz, 63.85% of customers abandon their carts at the checkout stage. That's an alarming figure, and one that Selz is trying to shrink with this update.
<h2>Bring Those Customers Back</h2>
The Selz Abandoned Cart App automatically detects abandoned carts and helps bring those same customers back via email.
Selz users are given full visibility around who abandoned their cart, and what products they were going to buy.
Customized and thoughtfully timed emails can then be configured to be sent out to those deserters, letting them know that their cart is ready and waiting for them to complete their purchase. Merchants can also opt to send another follow up email if the cart remains abandoned.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2015-09-21-at-5_00_17-pm501x0-is.png" />
If the system works, and a customer returns and converts, Selz users will see a ‘Recovered’ tag attached to that particular sale in their admin panel.
The only down side is that the app doesn't come free. There's a 14 day free trial to ensure it works for your audience, but thereafter, <a href="https://selz.com/apps/detail/55cbf1df3f64cafb6a27531c" target="_blank">it'll be $4.99 per month from the Selz App Store</a>.
To find out more about this new app, <a href="https://selz.com/blog/the-abandoned-cart-app-is-here/" target="_blank">read Selz' official blog announcement</a>.
For more information on Selz, <a href="https://selz.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.

Selz Releases Abandoned Cart App

<a href="http://www.agilitycms.com/" target="_blank">Agility CMS</a> has started to roll out the redesigned version of its popular web content management solution.
The platform provides users with a cloud-based digital content management solutions. It's aimed primarily at large companies, and caters to some of the top brands around the world.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/agilitypaw-1365x0-is.jpeg" /> 
Some Agility users have already received the update, transitioning from the old interface, to the new one. According to Agility themselves, those users have responded with “rave reviews.”
<h2>A Brand New Interface &amp; The Introduction of Dashboards</h2>
Agility has revamped their interface, which now provides an increasingly intuitive and visually attractive experience. A responsive framework and touch-friendly elements modernize the platform and enable users to update their website from anywhere, at any time.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/agility-screenshot1608x0-is.png" />
The redesigned also brings about robust workflow improvements and performance updates in order to provide marketing and development teams with more flexibility. The aim here was to make more tasks doable in fewer clicks.
One major Agility CMS update is the introduction of Dashboards, which provide improved insights to users on overall website performance, as well as user activity and recent changes made within the platform.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/agility-screenshot2608x0-is.png" />
The Homepage Dashboard includes integration with Google Analytics, and and pulls in metrics like weekly page views and average session duration. In addition to the Homepage, other Agility CMS Sections now include unique dashboards that consolidate information specific to their functionality.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/agility-screenshot3.png" />
The Pages Section, for example, displays information about each webpage’s performance and activity, including a website’s top-viewed pages and top entry pages.
<h2>Sleeker, Faster &amp; Better Value</h2>
According to Agility's CEO Jon Voigt, who was recently interviewed by CMS Critic, this update is highyl significant in the products' history.
<blockquote>“This a huge step forward for Agility CMS. The legacy content manager was built out 8 years ago, and it served us and our customers well.
This new, upgraded version provides the same user-friendly experience – but it’s sleeker, faster and provides more value to all that login to the platform.”</blockquote>
Agility plan to have everybody upgraded by the end of Fall 2015.
<a href="http://agilitycms.com/ui/rebuilt-and-redesigned" target="_blank">Learn more about what’s new and improved in Agility CMS</a>.
Also, check Agility out through our <a href="/products/agility-cms/" target="_blank">CMS Directory</a>.

Agility CMS Starts Rolling Out Rebuilt & Redesigned Interface

More and more consumers are saying goodbye to the offline retail experience, opting to do the majority of their shopping online.
While this shift may not surprise most tech-savvy business owners, the amount of money ($80 billion) that changed hands in eCommerce transactions in 2015's first quarter alone, is a real eye-opener.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ecommerce-mas_1602x0-is.jpg" /> While convenience has clearly been one of the major contributing factors in the rise of eCommerce, the biggest catalyst behind its overall success has been the direct result of a feature that isn’t often associated with eCommerce: personalization.
You heard that right – online consumers are able to enjoy a personalized shopping experience on a level that not even a brick and mortar retail store can offer.
At this point, you might be asking yourself exactly how a business could possibly make an online shopping experience more personalized for a consumer than a trip to the local retail location. After all, eCommerce was, at one point, a basic storefront used by businesses to sell their products directly to a visiting consumer. With eCommerce Marketing Automation Systems, however, that has changed in dramatic fashion.
By enabling businesses to make personalized product recommendations based on past purchases, as well as provide dynamic content based on previous product searches, eCommerce Marketing Automation Systems can help consumers to find needs they never knew existed, and then call upon them to act on those needs.
With the soaring growth of eCommerce, there are many different eCommerce Marketing Automation Systems available on the market. That being said, there are 5 eCommerce MAS in particular that offer everything that a business could need to transform their online storefront into a personalized online boutique that not only attracts customers, but also retains them as well.
<h2>1. Remarkety</h2>
Remarkety is an email marketing platform – but it’s much more than just another autoresponder.
Rather than having to craft broad messages that don’t really target any of your customers in particular, Remarkety allows you to craft newsletters and automated emails that are sent to specific customers based on their buying habits.
It’s hard to get information more targeted than that. You can tailor your message to your customers based on what they’ve actually bought – not on more nebulous characteristics like demographic information.
The possibilities here are almost limitless. You can instantly email them upsells and cross sells based on the items they’ve already purchased, follow up on abandoned cart items, and give them truly personalized recommendations based on what they’ve already proven to be interested in.
The data that you’ll get from tracking this information is truly priceless. You can see how much a customer is likely to spend in total if they buy a certain items, which of your products has the highest lifetime customer value, and more.
The end result is a more engaged customer base that can trust your brand to give them recommendations they can actually use – because Remarkety has given you information that you can actually rely on.
<a href="http://www.remarkety.com/" target="_blank">Find out more about Remarkety</a>.
<h2>Silverpop</h2>
Silverpop is conceptually similar to Remarkety, except that instead of personalizing email messages, Silverpop allows you to personalize every page that your customers see. This feature, called “dynamic content,” means that you don’t have to guess what to show your customers when they visit your site. Instead, what they are items that have been specifically chosen for them.
This is as close as you can come to having an experienced salesperson guiding your customers every step of the way. The software can reveal products to your customers that they’re likely to be interested in, based on past behavior.
You can use Silverpop on your email campaigns as well. Each purchase can trigger a specific set of emails, designed to keep your customers engaged – and buying. One of Silverpop’s biggest selling points, however, is the breadth of the data it gives you. You can instantly analyze the ROI of a campaign, measure brand interaction, and see how each of your campaigns is trending in real time. This information could make – or save – you a bundle.
<a href="http://www.silverpop.com/marketing-automation-ecommerce/" target="_blank">Find out more about Silverpop</a>.
<h2>Klaviyo</h2>
Klaviyo is an email platform that integrates more fully with your ecommerce site than your typical autoresponder.
If that sounds complicated, don’t worry – many of Klaviyo’s are designed to have one-click integration. This means that you can get much of the system up and running with a simple click of the mouse – no advanced degrees required.
The ultimate goal of Klaviyo is to give you the ability to make more money from sending less emails. To do this, it gives your customers highly personalized emails that feel more like a one-on-one conversation, as opposed to a mass blast to the entirety of your list.
Using Klaviyo gives you an unprecedented look at your audience’s behavior. You can see exactly what they’re responding to – and what messages are falling flat. When you combine this information with beautiful, highly personalized messaging, it adds a powerful weapon to your marketing arsenal.
<a href="http://www.klaviyo.com/features" target="_blank">Find out more about Klaviyo</a>.
<h2>Windsor Circle</h2>
Windsor Circle is an MAS that focuses primarily on customer retention. Of course, it also gives you plenty of opportunities to attract new customers – primarily by tracking unknown users and treating them like customers you just don’t know that much about yet.
By giving you as much information as possible about your customer base, you can tailor your strategy to give them as positive an experience as you can – and keep them coming back. This includes features like cart abandonment messages, personalized emails, and renewal reminders.
Another great aspect of how they use the information they collect is that they can make incredible predictions about future customer performance. They can predict which of your customers are most likely to churn, determine which customers are likely to represent the most value for your company, and much more. Once you know which customers are on the shakiest ground, versus those who are committed for the long haul, you decide where and how to focus your marketing efforts.
This allows you to allocate resources where they’re most likely to have the highest ROI – and that can really add up over time.
<a href="http://www.windsorcircle.com/" target="_blank">Find out more about Windsor Circle</a>.
<h2>VibeTrace</h2>
VibeTrace offers many of the same features of the above MAS’s, but focuses more on customer segmentation, so that you can be sure you’re sending the right message to the right people.
You can personalize email campaigns, product displays, and even well-timed discounts and coupons. Similarly, you can follow up with cart abandonment emails, recommendations based on past purchases, and messages designed to help them get the most out of their product experience.
Once you have enough information to properly segment your customer base – segregating loyal customers versus those likely to churn, repeat visitors versus first-timers, etc. – you can get a lot more bang for your marketing buck. You won’t have to worry about wasting money by putting the wrong offer in front of your customers, because more segmentation gives you the ability to be hyper-targeted.
<a href="http://vibetrace.com/ecommerce-marketing-automation" target="_blank">Find out more about VibeTrace</a>.
<h2>Finding the Right eCommerce MAS for You</h2>
Although there are other <a href="/top-5-ecommerce-platforms-for-your-website/" target="_blank">major MAS that provide eCommerce marketing functionality</a>, using a MAS that is designed specifically for eCommerce may be the most ideal solution for online merchants.
After all, a dedicated eCommerce MAS can ensure that the online merchant has the ability to give each customer gets the personalized shopping experience they want, without forcing the merchant to pay for additional tools that they probably won’t use.
Ultimately, the more you can zero in on your customers and their behavior, the more you’ll see your marketing results improve. After all, the aim of marketing is to have a one-on-one conversation with your ideal customer – and with the right MAS, you can do just that.

5 eCommerce Marketing Automation Systems to Attract & Retain Customers

<a href="http://koken.me/" target="_blank">Koken</a>, the photography CMS, is on the brink of being acquired ny <a href="http://netobjects.com/" target="_blank">NetObjects</a>, a US based software vendor.
We <a href="/koken-the-photography-cms-goes-up-for-sale-as-co-founders-announce-they-want-out/" target="_blank">previously reported that Koken's Co-Founders were looking for buyers</a>, stating that it was, “time for a new team to take over.”
<a href="http://koken.me/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/h4qgi0zfisx9k6wv1i4a_400x400365x0-is.png" /></a>
That new team, seems to be over at NetObjects. The company offers its own website builder, and will certainly be boosted by this acquisition in more ways than one, considering Koken's existing potential and popularity.
<h2>What Koken Users Can Expect</h2>
NetObjects has been developing, marketing and distributing web design software since 1995, so Koken should be in very safe hands.
Existing Koken users can continue to use Koken to publish web sites and upload photography. New users can also go about setting up free Koken instances, just like they always could.
So in other words, there's not much to adjust to for the average Koken user.
NetObjects President and CEO, Steve Raubenstine, had this to say following the announcement:
<blockquote>
“We are proud to add this exceptional product to our award-winning portfolio of web design products. The Koken CMS meets every need for managing and sharing our ever growing libraries of digital images — whether run from a home based server or a shared hosting account — the user is in complete control of their images.
For the past few years I've used Koken to manage my own personal photography website. We at NetObjects are excited to continue development of this special application and introduce it to an even larger global audience.”
</blockquote>
The deal is scheduled to be completed on September 30th 2015.
To learn more about this transaction, <a href="http://blog.koken.me/essays/2015/09/koken-agrees-to-be-acquired-by-netobjects/" target="_blank">visit the Koken blog</a>.

Koken to Be Acquired by NetObjects

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

#ffffff

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wishpond.com/">Wishpond</a>, is a marketing automation software, a landing page builder and a lot more. It aims to take the guess work out of increasingly important lead generation gateways, and the analytical process that typically follows.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wishpond-logo-blue_1.png" />It's a platform that marketers can use to create landing pages and contests, track leads, send emails and more. It's marketing automation made accessible to even the smallset startup – thanks to it's totally free package.<h2>Landing Pages</h2>When it comes to building a landing page for your product or service, it's easy to get lost in the minutae.The background image needs to reflect your brand, the font needs to be the perfect weight, and the sign up form needs to be bold, yet unobtrusive. Getting that balance correct can be time consuming to say the least.Once signed in, the Wishpond dashboard offers up; Landing Page, Pop up, Form and Social Promotion campaign options. But as I just mentioned, landing pages will be our main focus.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1-11081x0-is.png" />Selecting a landing page template is the first step needed to be undertaken.As previously mentioned, Wishpond takes a lot of guess work out of building a landing page. But that's not to say that it forces your hand in any way. Rather, the customization options are plentiful.Text, images, horizontal lines, buttons, videos, forms, social buttons, maps are just some of the elements available to use.Pointing and clicking anywhere in the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor allows you to customize images, text, element sizes, page positions, and so forth. Elements can also be dragged-and-dropped into place.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6717x0-is.png" />However, when it came to selecting and editing text in the editor, I needed to double-click a number of times in order to arrive at the interface I needed. A minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but a better response time would be nice to see.Further to this, I noticed that the autosave and “Save as Draft” features weren't working too well. I often saved my work only to find the last edit I made wasn't actually saved, which meant I had to make the same edit twice.I'm also not a fan of being transferred out of the editor whenever I click “Save as Draft”.All in all though, I was impressed by the landing page builder. I was able to tinker with a variety of templates, and I managed to produce something truly professional with it, too.Added features include website embedding, custom domain publishing, WordPress integration and A/B testing.<h2>Popups, Forms &amp; Social Promotion</h2>Wishpond's Popup builder works similarly to its landing page builder. First up, is template selection. Once again, there are plenty to choose from, and they all look great out of the box.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2-1.png" />Editing consists of more pointing, clicking, dragging and dropping. Text can be easily modified and positioned, backgrounds can be tinkered with, and more A/B testing options are available.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3989x0-is.png" /> The Form builder works identically also. In fact, I could barely tell the different between the Popup and Form builder, which is actually a good thing, since there's little need for them to be too different.As for Social Promotions, these are all to do with contests.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-4.png" />You can choose from a wide range of contest types, from article-based contests to Instagram hashtag contests. There's a genuinely broad and excellent selection.However, there's only one template for all the contest types. Although each contest makes use of a slightly different content layout, the foundations of the template are all the same. It would be nice to have a choice here, as offered with landing pages, forms and popups.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5840x0-is.png" />Nevertheless, the range of contests on offer makes up for it, and the same level of customization remains. So, if you really want to jazz up your contest page, you can.<h2>Marketing Automation &amp; Integrations</h2>Wishpond's marketing automation page lets you configure automation workflows.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-7.png" />Essentially, this means that you can set up personalized emails to be triggers and sent to your leads based on their activity and personal profiles. It's a handy way to keep customers engaged, in a way that doesn't consume time and resources.As far as integrations go, Wishpond plays nice with Mailchimp, Emma, InfusionSoft, Insightly and a few others within the email marketing and CRM fields. I was slightly surprised to see Aweber and SugarCRM missing, though.<h2>The Verdict</h2>Wishpond offers an impressive range of features, and would be a seriously beneficial marketing tool for any business.Under the same roof, you get landing pages, popups, contest management, forms, retargeting ads, marketing automation, and more. That's an excellent feature selection.Perhaps the most impressive part though, is the free package on offer. It means that Wishpond isn't just an additional tool for large businesses, it's also capable of being at the heart of marketing for startups and SMBs.Downsides include a slightly buggy interface (at times) and the lack of a middle ground between the free plan and the $69 plan. Other than that, Wishpond is very much up to scratch.<h3>Pros</h3><ul><li>Wishpond offers a wide range of features, from landing pages to marketing automation.</li><li>Drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for anyone to design pages and popups.</li><li>Templates are varied and very well designed.</li><li>Everything is highly customizable, thanks to pre-set page elements and code access.</li><li>A/B testing, retargeting ads, lead database and custom templates all built in.</li><li>There's a free package.</li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul><li>Dragging, dropping and clicking on page elements isn't as responsive as it should be.</li><li>Manually saving a draft removes you from the editor.</li></ul><h2>Final Remarks</h2>I'm personally impressed with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wishpond.com/">Wishpond</a>.It's easy to use, and provides all businesses with avenues into lead generation via landing pages, popups, contests and more. Let alone the marketing automation features and re-targetting ads.It has some flaws, sure, but for brands with small budgets, or even for those with no budget at all, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Wishpond.

Wishpond Review

Selling on Facebook is a lucrative prospect, and so <a href="https://www.shopify.com/" target="_blank">Shopify</a> has made sure that their users aren't left behind by introducing the “Shop section”.
<a href="https://www.shopify.com/" target="_blank"><img style="max-width:256px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2010_6_23_shopify-green_256x256-1.jpg" /></a>
Shopify's Shop section makes it easy for merchants to showcase their products directly on their Facebook Page, improving product visibility right off the bat.
But that's not all. A Shopify seller can then send potential buyers to checkout on their own website, or have it handled totally within the Facebook website or mobile app.
<h2>Facebook Store App on Shopify Steroids</h2>
Some merchants will be asking why this update means so much when a Facebook Store app already exists for Shopify users.
But in reality, the Shopify Shop section feature takes selling on Facebook to a whole new level.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/shopify-facebook-3597x0-is.gif" />
Instead of having a Shop tab on your Facebook Page, Shopify products will now have their own section on the main page, making products easier to access for visitors. Furthermore, the Facebook Store app doesn't work on mobile, while Shopify's version does.
According to the official Shopify announcement:
<blockquote>“A small group of Shopify merchants have already been selling their products using the new Shop section, and over the coming weeks we’ll be making it available to all Shopify merchants — at no additional cost.”</blockquote>
So, Shopify sellers should keep their eyes peeled for an email or alert from Shopify, notifying them of their free update.
Merchants have expressed their delight in the comments section of Shopify's announcement, further embellishing this rather exciting feature. For without a doubt, shopping on Facebook has just taken a big step forward.
Learn more about <a href="/products/shopify/" target="_blank">Shopify via our CMS Directory</a>.

Shopify Rolls Out Shop Section on Facebook Pages

<a target="_blank" href="http://zesty.io/">Zesty</a> is an enterprise-grade CMS that <a href="/zesty-io-rivalling-traditional-enterprise-cms-with-lean-saas/">leverages a SaaS (Software as a Service) approach</a>, aiming to enhance deployment speed, reduce costs and improve reliability across the board.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zesty-io-rgb_rgb_400x0.png" />The platform comes in two forms; Zesty <a target="_blank" href="https://zesty.io/satellites/">Satellite</a>™ for single web properties, and Zesty <a target="_blank" href="https://zesty.io/ecosystems/">EcoSystem</a>™, a unified platform for managing multiple Zesty instances.Recently, I had the pleasure of catching up with Randy Apuzzo, Zesty's Co-Founder and CEO.<h2>Who is Randy Apuzzo?</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/unnamed.jpg" />Randy started hacking at age 12 and started his professional career years later in 2004. As a young entrepreneur, Randy focused on building business software and websites.He now uses his experience to lead the team at Zesty.io. As CEO he focuses on partner communication and product vision. Outside of technology, Randy enjoys learning about space and history, and weekend visits to San Diego's beautiful beaches.<h2>The Interview</h2>KI: You founded Zesty alongside Andy Fleming back in 2010. Can you give us some insight into how that came about, and what your aims were at the time, and whether those aims have changed at all?RA: Andy and I met at an AIGA design event in 2010. I had never met a designer that could hold a conversation about database storage, so we immediately hit it off. At that time, we both had different solutions to empower our clients to update their content without using clunky, not secure, hard to use systems that existed.Andy challenged me to build a better content system than the one I was already selling to my clients. I accepted. After meeting every Monday for two months the first version of Zesty.io was born in October 2010. The passion to empower businesses to control their content remains, but now we are looking beyond the website to offer an all encompassing platform for customer engagement and content distribution.KI: For those who have yet to hear of Zesty, can you give us a quick breakdown of what the platform is today, and who it's for?RA: Zesty is a 100% SaaS platform for powering business content. Imagine AWS, but for business content. Zesty empowers businesses to manage content in a multiple department, collaborative environment purposed for business needs.Businesses can grant agencies and vendors access to content tools for creating websites, mobile apps, connected home, IoT, etc. Businesses retain full control, and gains valuable insights on the performance of their content and customer engagement.We currently have customers like Sony, Mission Brewery, and Astroglide.KI: Zesty is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) content management system. What benefits does SaaS bring to the table? In other words, why should should enterprises be looking to move towards a SaaS content management system?RA: SaaS fills labor gaps in businesses that do not have the resources to create their own software, or rather, should not be creating their own software.In my career supporting businesses, I’ve been the one building in-house solutions or helping technology operations. It’s great in the beginning, but it becomes a burden to the business long-term, and can have negative effects as lacking the latest technology can really hinder growth.KI: How about small-to-medium size businesses. Should they also be thinking about going SaaS? (If so, are there any plans to begin marketing Zesty in this market?)RA: Yes. If you’re not in the business of IT management or internet technology, then let a great service take care of you.Demand from small-to-medium size business is so high it’s hard to ignore. We turn down opportunities in this market a couple times a week. Right now our focus is creating the most solid solution a mid-market to enterprise level businesses has available on the market.While keeping that focus, talks of a “Zesty Lite” are brewing, and we may start testing it with a select group of digital creatives. Expect an announcement in 2016.KI: Can you tell us what's in store for Zesty in coming months? Is there anything planned to happen before the end of 2015?RA: Every week is exciting! We are rolling out new language to communicate the product, as well as new platform, infrastructure, and feature updates. We are working heavily with our current customers and their developers to improve tools, and something new is rolling out every two weeks.Before the end of the year there will be a big announcement about the business. We have very excited investors looking towards a big future as well as standing solutions interested in merging.KI: And finally, if you had just three short sentences to sum up why an enterprising company should opt for Zesty, what would they be?RA: If you’re not in the business of building and maintaining digital marketing software, then do not spend valuable resources doing so. Zesty.io will continue to serve you with new ways to reach and engage your customers in their home, on their commute, or at work.We constantly strive to give our customers the latest and greatest technology opportunities to be successful.<h2>Learn More</h2>To learn more about Zesty, <a target="_blank" href="http://zesty.io/">check out their website</a>.Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/zestyio">Zesty via our CMS Directory</a>.

An Interview with Zesty's Co-Founder & CEO Randy Apuzzo

<a href="https://www.kissmetrics.com/" target="_blank">Kissmetrics</a>, the renowned analytics and marketing platform, has rolled out some notable updates.
<a href="https://www.kissmetrics.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/8f3eflnz365x0-is.jpg" /></a>
The popular platform can segment audiences, configure behavioral triggers, provide detailed reports and much more, all for the sake of better customer journeys, and of course, better conversion rates.
Here's what's new with Kissmetrics.
<h2>Color Customization &amp; Date Filters</h2>
Marketing isn't black and white. In fact, color plays a big role when it comes to conversions.
In recognition of this fact, Kissmetrics users can now customize the color of their banners and engagement elements for greater effect.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kissmetrics-engage-color-customization727x0-is.gif" />
Furthermore, marketers can now benefit from enhanced date filters when sifting through data. Previously, users only had the option to filter out viewing the pricing page in the entire history of a customer’s activity. Now, though, a custom date range can be set for any report filters.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kissmetrics-filter-with-date-ranges813x0-is.gif" />
<h2>Multi-touch Attribution</h2>
Which campaign drove which sale? Did those same customers ever come back to my store?
Those are some common questions asked by merchants, and Kissmetrics is endeavoring to answer with this next update.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kissmetrics-multi-touch-attribution-breakdown-overtime813x0-is.gif" />
For example, maybe one purchase was driven by a Facebook ad, the second was attributed to an email campaign, and the third purchase was attributed to a Twitter post. You used to be able to only see first or last touch, but now you can get a breakdown over time of how multiple touchpoints result in conversions.
Without this breakdown of attribution, you would have never known your email campaign had an influence in this customer’s purchase behavior. Now you can accurately give credit to channels that drove conversion–whether they’re the first, second or last.
Want more detail? <a href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/kissmetrics-september-product-update/" target="_blank">Check out Kissmetrics' official blog announcement for these updates</a>.
To find out more about Kissmetrics, <a href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.

Kissmetrics Updated With Color Customization, Custom Date Filters & Multi-Touch Attribution

<a href="http://www.flazio.com/">Flazio</a>.com powers more than 150,000 Websites worldwide, so it’s high time you heard about it, if you haven’t already.
Launched by the Elisa and Flavio, both from the Italian-rooted Fazio household, Flazio has become a popular choice for startups and brands looking to entertain an international audience.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nS7sGLoDoO8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Their Professional plan includes custom domain name usage, 5 5GB email accounts and unlimited bandwidth. The Professional plan comes with an extra-cheap price: 9€/month or 99€/year (VAT included).
Flazio.com also boasts a lucrative <a href="http://www.flazio.com/Partner-Program.php">reseller program for freelance and agencies</a>.
Now though, let’s delve into what Flazio.com <a href="http://www.flazio.com/features.php">offers</a> as a website builder.
<h2>Social</h2>
Flazio.com also offers a unique import function from Facebook personal and brand pages in just a matter of one click. This functionality also stretches to Twitter and Linkedin.
As Flazio.com does most of the work by pulling data directly from existing social media profiles, this provides non-technical users with an excellent avenue into website building.
<h2>One For All</h2>
Flazio.com has been built to cater to all business types. And it's just not matter of different templates.
Features like eCommerce functionality, photo galleries, a booking engine and even real-estate modules which boast complete databases, ensure that most brands can flourish with Flazio.
<h2>Visible Everywhere</h2>
First and foremost, Flazio.com builds purely responsive websites, which are ready to be viewed and used by visitors on desktops, tablets and smartphones.
Flazio.com also boasts advanced SEO (search engine optimization) and analytics features to help get websites in front of more eyes – and to inform website owners of when that happens.
Furthermore, Flazio.com users can also implement Flazio’s multi-lingual capabilities, which includes the quick and simple translation of text boxes.
<h2>Free(dom)</h2>
Flazio.com offers a package totally free of charge, and follows up by providing freedom when it comes to design, too.
You can start with either a template or a blank page, before moving things around using a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor. So, anybody can design a truly functional website.
<h2>Collaborative</h2>
Got a team together? Flazio.com makes it easy for users to work together on the same page, and they can even see things changing in real time.
Not only does this streamline design and publishing processes, but it also saves time. For example, an Editor is able to proofread text as it’s being written.
<h2>Customer Centric</h2>
Last but not least, Flazio.com puts the customer first.
The team behind Flazio.com prides itself on fast email support, live chat and customer service via social media.
To learn more about Flazio.com, <a href="http://www.flazio.com/">visit their website</a>.
Please Note: This is a sponsored article.

Introducing Flazio: Flexible, Multi-lingual & Free

<a target="_blank" href="https://modxcloud.com/">MODX Cloud</a> has hit its users with another update, this time bringing in dashboard improvements, an improved backup and restore process and enhanced documentation.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/modx-color.png" />MODX Cloud is the hosted version of MODX, which allows users to build websites using MODX servers, the most recent of which was unveiled in Frankfurt. MODX Cloud provides optimized infrastructure, automatic backup management, and other benefits.<h2>Better Backups &amp; Dashboard Vault Space Reports</h2>Users of MODX Cloud can now <a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/modxcloud.com/userguide/using-modx-cloud/backups/restore-backup-to-another-cloud.html">r</a>estore backups to any Cloud instance. This is useful if you need to grab a file from a few days ago that accidentally was deleted, but you’ve made changes to the live site since then you’d rather not lose.Finally, the Vault space usage report has returned to the Dashboard. You can now see how much space you’re using for Snapshots and Backups. It appears at the top of the Vault page. One of the first plan upgrades we’ll offer is extra storage space, so there’s no need to worry about exceeding their plan limits.Here's a summary of all the other updates:<ul><li>Improved documentation, including additional nginx web rules examples to <a target="_blank" href="https://modxcloud.com/userguide/using-modx-cloud/tools-and-configuration/web-rules-rewrites-redirects-tweaks.html">lock down Manager access to specific IP addresses</a> (ex. 5), <a target="_blank" href="https://modxcloud.com/userguide/using-modx-cloud/tools-and-configuration/web-rules-rewrites-redirects-tweaks.html">use free testing certificates to always access the Manager via SSL</a> (ex. 6) and to further <a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/">optimize performance of your sites</a>(ex. 4).</li><li>Updates to the latest PHP 5.6.x version, and added <a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/blog/2015/08/19/revolution-2.4/">MODX Revolution 2.4</a> as the default version in Cloud alongside its previous latest 2.3.x patch release.</li><li>Improvements to the overall signup and trial process have been implemented.</li><li>Under the hood billing system updates have come into effect, including ways for customers to easily switch to newer plans (coming soon).</li><li>Dashboard improvements to make it faster.</li></ul><h2>Making CMS Accessible</h2>Previously, <a href="/modx-makes-noble-move-towards-true-accessibility/">I covered MODX's charitable project which aims to make the Internet more accessible for those who need it</a>.Most (if not, all) content management systems don't cater to those who require assistive technology or assistive features in order to build websites or apps, and that's what MODX is trying to change.The good news is, the company has raised just under $40,000 in the way of this cause. The not-so-good news, is that it needs at least another $10,000 in order to achieve the $50,000 goal.<a target="_blank" href="http://a11y.modx.com/">Click here to donate</a>.For more information on this MODX update, <a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/blog/2015/09/10/modx-cloud-update-september-10-2015/">check out the official announcement</a>.

MODX Cloud Update: An Improved Backup Process, Dashboard Changes & More

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