Articles - Page 101

Agentic AI for Agencies in 2026

bmckeiver

Today is a big day. Mike Johnston and I (the CMS Critic team) are joining forces to launch a project that we have been toiling over behind the scenes.  
 We have compiled a number of the world’s best website builders in order to review, compare and demonstrate their abilities via real and replicable examples. 
 We wanted to reach out to the less-tech savvy world of individuals and businesses looking for a professional online presence, and guide them towards not only the best products on the market, but also towards the best products for their project.  
 Introducing, <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank"> Website Builders Critic</a>.
<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wbclogojpg.jpg" alt="Website Builders Critic" /></a>
 Along with simple and unbiased reviews, entrepreneurs and businesses alike can expect to find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/websitebuilderscriti">video tutorials</a> for each major website builder. Such videos will illustrate how each website builder can be used to construct different website types, including blogs, online stores and business websites. 
 The best part? These reviews and video tutorials weren't written or recorded by just anybody. Both Mike and I have worked hard to craft each piece of content, guaranteeing that our knowledge of the website builder industry remains the key ingredient throughout.  
 After all, thanks to our years of work through CMS Critic, it's fair to say that we know these products inside out. We've seen what they're good at, and what they're bad at. 
At the time of launch, Website Builders Critic will have a focus on the following products:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/squarespace/" target="_blank"> Squarespace </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/weebly/" target="_blank"> Weebly </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/wix/" target="_blank"> Wix </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/lightcms/" target="_blank"> LightCMS </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/strikingly/" target="_blank"> Strikingly </a></li>
</ul>
All of the website builders above have been selected for their quality in terms of user friendliness, functionality and end product creation. Collectively, they serve up a range of website building options, from online stores to one-page websites. 
 So, if you want to find the best website builder for your project, you'll want to check out our demonstrations and insights into the best of the bunch. 
<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/">Visit Website Builders Critic</a>

Introducing Website Builders Critic: Unbiased Reviews & Video Tutorials

mike-johnston

The team behind <a href="http://www.imcreator.com/" target="_blank">IM Creator</a> claim that it's ‘not your typical drag-and-drop website builder’- which is a bit of a bold statement in a DIY website creation market that’s practically bursting at the seams.
But, after having a good look through the <a href="http://xprs.imcreator.com/">site</a>, they just might be onto something.
<h2>XPRS</h2>
IM Creator have turned their website into something very special with their XPRS system and their new proprietary Polydom web building software. Unlike other website builders, IM Creator builds its sites using dynamic objects that are automatically responsive. These objects shift to match the screen they are displayed on, so they’re about as responsive as you can get.
Whilst other sites are still using a combination of HTML and CSS, IM Creator have skipped ahead of the field with this innovation and it really is something to behold.
The system allows for near infinite variations on their templates and it seems like it’s a big step ahead of most other CMS web builders I’ve reviewed so far.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
When you first <a href="http://xprs.imcreator.com/">log on to the site</a> the very first thing that strikes you is the design aesthetic. Everything is extremely sleek, smooth, and ‘alive’. The site pops off the screen and all of the elements on the screen are moveable. It really shows the Polydom system's advantages over CSS and HTML.
Logging in, or signing up, is a very simple process.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/account_screen644x0-is.png" />
Clicking on ‘Login’ takes you to a very simple and sleekly designed window that allows you to create a new profile in a matter of seconds. It’s an extremely streamlined process that gets right down to business. You can access the site in any number of languages too, which is a great feature.
The very next screen takes you to the Theme Selection page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/themes622x0-is.png" />
There are a wide range of beautiful themes available and all of the sites have an extremely modern, contemporary, and ‘premium’ feel that makes them barely seem like templates at all.
The selection shows you the desktop version and the responsive version – which is a nice feature. You can also scroll down through the preview to get a better look as it isn't just a static element.
A single click takes you straight to the site editor.
<h2>The Editor</h2>
The XPRS editor is excellently designed. You can view the site exactly as it would be displayed online – whether that’s via the browser or on a smart device.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/editor697x0-is.png" />
There’s also a handy tool tip function that guides you through the intricacies of the site in a non-intrusive way.
From here, you can access their apps, web elements, and other features. And the drag-and-drop feature is smooth and high end. One thing I did note is that the system is a bit of a resource hog if you’re on an older browser or an older machine, which slows it up quite significantly. But on a new machine, it runs like a dream – smooth and lag free.
IM Creator makes it simple to add new sections or edit the ones that are already there. You simply click on the blue ‘+’ signs to add a new section or click on an existing element to change it.
When you want to add a new element, there’s a wide selection available.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elements691x0-is.png" />
All of their elements are superbly designed and will fit your theme like a glove.
The social media section is a little lacking – as you can only add links to your pages and nothing else, and I’d like to see custom <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/?lang=en">Twitter </a>feed widgets included. But it’s not a massive issue.
All of their features are ‘native’, which means you’re a little limited in your choices but the choices you do have are pretty decent.
I did find that some of the back-end elements were difficult to navigate, and I was unsure of what was free and what was premium. The access to the back-end was also a bit confusing at times, and I felt that certain elements of this were a little outside my grasp.
Another thing that really tripped me up was the process for changing templates. If you’ve already built a site, changing templates means you wipe your existing work and start from scratch – which would probably get a bit tiresome.
Aside from those minor issues, it’s a beautifully designed editor that stacks up well against their competitors on both ease of use and functionality.
<h2>Features</h2>
IM Creator is a little light on apps and widgets. On their main editing page, you only add the very basics to each ‘stripe’ and there isn’t much on offer in terms of third party extensions. This fits with their design aesthetic but might leave the uber-customizers amongst you a bit disappointed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elements_2592x0-is.png" />
One feature that really caught my attention was the 4min site creator. This option, which is available on their theme startup page, gives you a range of pre-built and pre-populated templates that are ready to go straight out of the box. You simply click, edit some text and contact details, and you have a beautiful site ready to go.
This Surf School (hey, a girl can dream) theme I picked is absolutely gorgeous, modern, and practically ready to go live.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/site_sample651x0-is.png" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/instagram_sample629x0-is.png" />
These themes come pre-populated with guide text, video, photographs, and custom fields like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a> and others. It’s a fantastic feature for businesses or individuals in a rush with getting their site up and running. You can quickly and easily add a sign-up sheet, a contact form, or other apps to these ‘pre-built’ sites.
<h2>Design</h2>
As I’ve already mentioned, everything on this site is superbly designed, right down to the My Account Page. It really is one of the most aesthetically pleasing sites out there.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/account_screen644x0-is.png" />
Their templates are fantastic too, and I’d rate them as some of the best I’ve seen.
Everything seems to be very focused on the user experience and driven towards getting you to the site editor as quickly as possible.
One negative that comes to mind is that the site is a tad overpopulated with content. Their front page is packed full of promotional material, videos, and webm files, which is fine – but it was a little overkill. There was so much to take in that I didn’t really take in any of it, and I felt like I was being pitched a little too hard.
<h2>eCommerce</h2>
The ecommerce integration is very well done. With just a few clicks, you can have a web store added to your site in a matter of seconds. The layout is clear, clean, and very nicely designed. They have a decent range of payment options also. The ecommerce functionality is available on their basic premium package and it’s well worth it.
<h2>Blogging</h2>
The blogging section can be easily added to the site with just a few small clicks on the element page. Users have a range of font choices and different styles to choose from, and it's simple to add media files, embedded video, and images.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
IM Creator has a lot of pricing options for a wide range of possible customers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing697x0-is.png" />
Their first paid option is for the regular, hosted business customer and it seems quite reasonable.
$7.95 gets you full access to all their themes, their eCommerce plugins, and the ability to hook up your own custom domain. It’s a really good price for the quality of themes you get access to. The pricing is pretty competitive in comparison to other website builders on the market. There's a free plan for students, artists, and non-profit organizations, which I thought was a nice touch.
IM Creator also has a white label function that would be perfect for web designers and other creatives to ‘resell’ their templates on their own servers, and it’s available for $250 a year.
The Pros and Resellers tab is a little confusing for the new user – and may put some businesses off. It’s the first menu item that looks like it might be about prices (it’s got Pro in the name, which led me to think ‘Premium').
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing_2685x0-is.png" />
Prices range from $250 a year to $25,000 a year and they allow users to have full control over the entire Polysom system.
Is the free plan worth a try? I don’t know. The UI design made it difficult to discern what the free option actually was. So I can’t really recommend it.
<h2>Overall</h2>
IM Creator have done a fantastic job with this site builder. It’s incredibly powerful, sophisticated, and intuitive. If you’re an advanced user, it lets you delve deep into customization to get exactly what you need. If you’re a basic user, you can get a beautiful site in 4 minutes that you only pay $7.95 a month for.
There are a few issues, like the template change content wipe, the limited apps and widgets, and the unclear pricing. But once you get to grips with it, it really is a stellar option for almost any business.
<h3>Pros:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Fantastically responsive templates that look like custom made sites.
</li>
<li>
Beautiful template designs.
</li>
<li>
Extremely competitive pricing for their regular business premium package.
</li>
<li>
Excellent WYSIWYG editor
</li>
<li>
A brilliant 4-minute website builder
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Unclear pricing and confused UI when it comes to actually buying a premium theme
</li>
<li>
Cluttered front page is distracting.
</li>
<li>
Changing templates wipes your content completely
</li>
<li>
Limited apps and widgets.
</li>
</ul>

IM Creator Review 2016

grainne-logue

For those of you who have always wondered what the difference was between Squarespace and WordPress and how they compare, check out our latest article on Website Builders Critic entitled “<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/squarespace-vs-wordpress/">Squarespace vs WordPress</a>“.
The question of <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/out/squarespace">Squarespace</a> vs WordPress isn't a straightforward one. 
 WordPress isn't a website builder in the same way that Squarespace is. At the same time, Squarespace isn't as flexible as WordPress, nor is it well known for building large websites like WordPress can. 
 However, WordPress rivals Squarespace in terms of being being simple and user friendly. So, when somebody wants to build a small, simple and good looking website quickly, the question of WordPress vs Squarespace can crop up. A lot.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress-or-squarespace.png" />
In the article, Kaya compares six flash points aimed to help you decide between the two.
The items he compares are as follows:
<ol>
<li>User Friendliness</li>
<li>Themes and Design</li>
<li>eCommerce</li>
<li>Blogging</li>
<li>Pricing</li>
<li>Maintenance and Support</li>
</ol>
Check out the full article here: <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/squarespace-vs-wordpress/">Squarespace vs WordPress: The Full Comparison</a>

Squarespace vs WordPress

Kentico Software (<a href="http://www.kentico.com">http://www.kentico.com</a>), the Web content management system vendor, announced at the Kentico Connection Conference in Denver a new Customer Experience Management product – Kentico Enterprise Marketing Solution (EMS).
<blockquote>“I’m happy to announce a new Customer Experience Management product – Kentico Enterprise Marketing Solution (EMS). Attendees of Kentico Connection conference in Denver are given a special release of Kentico EMS that empowers marketers of mid and large size companies to easily optimize their websites and achieve higher campaign ROI,” said Petr Palas, CEO and founder of Kentico Software.</blockquote>
“Version 6 of Kentico CMS converts the software from a state-of-the-art content management system to a modern online engagement platform. Presently, only the leaders of the enterprise-level CMS market offer the tools necessary to develop truly user-centric websites: built-in real-time analytics, A/B and multivariate testing, and user segmentation with real-time personalization,” said Ralph Spandl, Information Architect at r42 communication Inc.
“The new user interface really improves the user experience for content managers and the Widgets and Dashboards makes it easy for us to extend and unlock customized features to our clients,” said Bram den Boer, Software engineer at Datacon BV. “It's great to see that Kentico is not just adding new features, but also keeps improving the existing functionality following our needs.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/20140909_193540_cc8jvb-scaled.jpg" alt="Kentico - Editing a Site" />
Kentico Enterprise Marketing Solution is an integrated Customer Experience Management solution that enables marketers to deliver and optimize real-time customer centric marketing across multiple channels. Unlike other products, Kentico EMS provides a complete and fully integrated set of tools for marketers who need to quickly deliver their campaigns, get useful and actionable data and increase their ROI. Some of the main features are:
• A/B Testing and Multivariate Testing 
• Campaign and Conversion Management 
• Lead Scoring and Engagement Scoring 
• Web Analytics 
• E-mail Marketing 
• Contact Management 
• Content Personalization 
• Segmentation
The official release of Kentico CMS 6 and Kentico EMS is planned for October 10. Attendees of the Kentico Connection conference are treated with special release to begin their development.

Kentico Sets a New Standard for Customer Experience Management

Nuxeo have officially launched their latest update in the form of Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3, bringing with it a host of new improvements for administrators, general users and also developers.
The open-source platform is primed for building content-centric business applications, with an aim to integrate and align with existing IT infrastructures which many organizations may already have in place.
The 5.7.3 update offers features that can help users and administrators get work done quicker as they use the platform's interface, whilst also offering some more technical improvements.
<h2>Enhanced User Interface &amp; Workflow Features</h2>
One of the ways in which Nuxeo have improved the user interface, is through some simple, yet effective ways. A “Form Submit Shield” for example deters errors and unhappy users who wish to crazily click the “Submit” buttons more times than necessary. Now, the interface will simply present the user with a message telling them that their request is being processed.
Another handy feature comes in the form of an inactivity screen, which alerts users to the fat that their session has expired, and that they need to log back in to continue.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1.png" alt="Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3" />
Additionally, some interesting Workflow improvements have been added. Workflow tasks can now be specifically assigned to other users, and a clever multitasking feature creates a different task per assignee.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2.png" alt="Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3" />
Nuxeo also further enhanced Workflow by implementing a visual graph, allowing users to visualize the tasks at hand, their context, relevance and structure. All of these useful improvements will almost certainly streamline tasks and make life easier for all Nuxeo users.
<h2>Automation, Widgets and Much More</h2>
As well as all the new interface and Workflow enhancements detailed above, Nuxeo have piled on quite a few more updates which may pique the interest of developers and technically minded Nuxeo users.
The Nuxeo REST API provides several new endpoints for documents, users, groups and more. Additionally, users can now enable tracing of Content Automation call using the Automation trace feature.
What's more is, UI/UX frameworks have been re-worked, Select2 widgets have been integrated, and much more has been done behind the scenes, to help the entire platform run smoother than ever before.
To find out more about Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3, or to get a better understanding of the new enhancements discussed above, check out <a href="http://www.nuxeo.com/en/about/news/nuxeo-releases-a-new-fast-track-version-of-the-content-management-platform" target="_blank">Nuxeo's official release notes regarding the update</a>. You can also utilize our <a href="/products/nuxeo/" target="_blank">CMS Directory to explore Nuxeo further</a>.

Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3 Released

<a href="https://ghost.org/" target="_blank">Ghost</a>, the blogging world's newest platform, has given users custom post meta data features, and has also changed the prices charged for Ghost Pro, their hosted solution.
Released in late 2013, Ghost is still relatively young platform. It offers a simplified user interface for uses to focus on creating good blog content, and has been tipped to soon oust WordPress as the number one blogging platform on the market. 
Not long ago, along with the release of Ghost 0.5, Ghost announced that they would be <a href="/ghost-0.5-released-with-re-written-admin-ui-multi-user-support-more/" target="_blank">updating their platform on a far more regular basis</a>. The introduction of custom post meta data features and a rethink on pricing for Ghost Pro are two such updates, coming in quick succession.
<h2>Custom Post Meta Data</h2>
Ghost users can now add a custom meta title and description to all their posts and pages within Ghost. Naturally, this means a higher level of control over your search engine optimization management for individual posts and pages.
The GIF below shows you how it's done.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/meta.gif" /> Search engine optimization is on every blogger's mind, so Ghost users will definitely be glad to see this feature now up and running. You can find out more about this feature <a href="http://blog.ghost.org/post-meta/" target="_blank">right here</a>.
<h2>Ghost Pro Pricing</h2>
Furthermore, Ghost have had a rethink regarding their price plans for Ghost Pro, their premium, hosted service.
Firstly, prices have gone up slightly. Secondly, view allocations have also gone up. Thirdly, there are no more website suspensions if you go over your view allocation. 
Below are the updated plans, now starting from $10 per month. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing700x0.png" /> To find out more about how Ghost Pro pricing has changed, check out the <a href="http://blog.ghost.org/new-ghostpro-plans/" target="_blank">official blog announcement</a>. 
Also, <a href="https://ghost.org/" target="_blank">visit the Ghost website</a> to get started on your blog.

Ghost Unveils Custom Post Meta Data & Rethinks Pricing

The widespread use of mobile devices including smart phone and tablets, has served as a catalyst for companies and website owners everywhere to increase their focus on mobile optimized versions of their sites.
More Internet traffic is being funnelled through mobile devices than ever before, and such traffic is only rising across the world as time goes on. So, opting for a responsive design should keep everybody covered, right?
Not exactly. In reality, responsive design is what the name implies – design. It will ensure that your website is navigable, and that text and images can be seen without too much hassle.
Yet, there is so much more to optimizing your website for mobile devices than just making the desisn responsive. Thankfully, the capable enterprise management system, <a href="http://www.jahia.com/">Jahia xCM</a>, does a good job of recognizing that, as I will soon discuss.
<h2>Being More Than Just Responsive</h2>
Responsive design is great. In fact, in today's fast moving world of mobile evolution, responsive design is a must.
However, website owners and organizations looking to optimize their content for mobiles need to look deeper than simply the looks of their website. Focusing on the quality of the user's experience, overall functionality and how easily the design can be tweaked, are all vital.
For example, many companies opt for code-laden mobile responsive websites, which are often just as difficult to edit and add to as they were to build in the first place. This is especially the case when attempting to customize the design of a website for each mobile device on the market, which for many will seem like a mammoth task.
In light of these extra factors surrounding responsiveness, Jahia xCM – a powerful content management system built to enhance the online presence of businesses, has some pretty interesting solutions and features, some of which turn such mammoth tasks into manageable ones.
<h2>Going The Extra Mile With Jahia xCM</h2>
When it comes to optimizing the user experience for a wide range of mobile devices, few content management systems can do it as comprehensively as Jahia xCM, especially in lieu of their latest <a href="/jahia-announces-the-availability-of-jahia-xcm-6.6.2-and-jahia-wise-1.8/">Jahia xCM 6.6.2 update</a>.
For example, Jahia xCM enables you to tailor your website experience for each visitor, based on profile, the device they're using, and based off a variety of other factors.
Also, both non-technical and highly experienced website builders can comfortably utilize Jahia xCM to achieve optimum results. The admin control panel is extremely easy to use, allowing you to selectively include, exclude and modify elements on your pages with just a few clicks.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2700x0.png" alt="Jahia xCM" />
Jahia xCM also provides high definition device  emulators, showing you your website on the screen of a range of devices, allowing you to preview, modify and personalise the experience that each user will get, depending on the device they use to access your content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3700x0.png" alt="Jahia xCM" />
With these highly detailed customization and management options, it's easy to see how Jahia have trancended the level of simple responsive design, and have even managed to make the entire procedure moreuser friendly in the process. So, if you're interested in taking your responsive website to the next level, without the need for custom code which is difficult to maintain, check out <a href="http://www.jahia.com/">Jahia xCM</a>.
For more information, you can also find <a href="/products/jahia/">Jahia xCM on our CMS Directory</a>.

Jahia xCM: Above & Beyond Responsive Design

Whether you’re searching for your first CMS or you’re planning to upgrade soon, there are a handful of things that are available with the top tier of content management systems on the market today that you simply shouldn’t do without. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by investing in a CMS that has the following top 5 benefits:
<h2>1. Supports COPE</h2>
If you haven’t heard of the content publishing strategy made famous by NPR, “Create Once. Publish Everywhere.” is all the rage, and your CMS should provide all the tools you need to accomplish it. At its core, COPE is a strategy for getting the most out of your costly content by reusing it and repurposing it across multiple channels, pages and sites.
In order to support a COPE strategy, your new CMS should go beyond just allowing content to be used across sites. It should make this extremely easy by offering easy-to-use indexing, RSS feeds, central image and content repositories, and managed links, to start. It should also allow you to output your content in multiple formats for multiple sites and pages, publishing to multiple servers, for optimized use across multiple devices.
<h2>2. Provides a Superior Editing Experience</h2>
One of the defining features of content management systems is the ability of non-technical end users to create, upload, edit and publish content to the web. However, not all user experiences are created equal. Think about how many people will be editing your website—not just today, but in a year or two as well—and consider their level of technical ability. Having a beautiful interface is nice, but there are many other important parts of the experience to think about. Here are some questions to consider regarding your users:
<ul>
<li>Is there a maximum number of contributors?</li>
<li>Does the application offer true in-context editing and quick edit links to make editing the correct pages and regions as easy as possible?</li>
<li>What type of organizational structure does the CMS use, and is it something your users will easily adopt?</li>
<li>Does the CMS have drop and drop functionality for moving assets, such as pages and folders and for uploading images and other files?</li>
<li>Can you customize the roles and abilities for your content contributors, or are the user types rigid, out-of-the-box profiles?</li>
</ul>
It’s important to look beyond your impressions in the first two minutes and actually practice accomplishing some tasks and testing the software with your end users for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
<h2>3. Improves Your SEO</h2>
There are a number of things your CMS can do or provide in order to support your search engine goals. Some basic things to consider are the URL naming convention, custom and standard metadata fields, keyword tagging, spell-checking and broken link checking, as these can all affect your search engine results placement. Some advanced features are integration with social applications for easy promotion and sharing, Google Analytics connectors to provide analytics information inside the CMS where you edit your pages, page load time calculators, and notifications and automatic archiving when pages expire.
While all these things will impact your SEO, they don’t necessarily help your SEO. More precisely, they just won’t hurt you. With the increased emphasis on fresh content, you need a CMS that goes beyond the “SEO Checkbox” items. Some features that your CMS can provide that will actually help with your SEO are content freshness reports to tell you when stale content needs to be refreshed or unpublished, incredibly easy user interfaces to help you get more contributors creating content (see #2 above), and integrated content marketing tools to help you further optimize, promote and measure your content.
Check out my post from last week on <a href="/why-it-s-not-enough-to-just-manage-your-content-anymore/">why it’s not enough to just manage your content anymore</a>.
<h2>4. Enforces Brand Consistency</h2>
Depending on the size of your organization, you may have several pages on a single site, several interlinked sites and microsites, or literally thousands of sites with millions of pages. Likewise, you may be the only editor, have a handful of content contributors and editors, or manage a very decentralized team of authors, editors, designers, approvers, and managers using the system. Whatever your size and structure, though, you likely have a brand to maintain. Any CMS should help you maintain that brand consistency, but some do it better than others.
For example, you should be able to define a look and feel for a site by creating CSS files and templates for each page type on your site. You should look for a CMS that provides a central repository (see #1 above) for your logos and managed links, footer information, CSS files and formats and templates. That way, if you change something in one place, that change will flow through to all pages and sites where it is being used. A superior CMS will also make it easy to stamp out new sites by copying entire sites (link re-writing included), so you can maintain the same look across all your micro-sites, department sites, landing pages or product sites.
<h2>5. Provides Actionable Reports</h2>
Let’s be honest, reporting isn’t the sexiest component of a CMS, but it is a necessary part of business and can be very powerful when used correctly. Instead of choosing a CMS that provides a laundry list of useless reports, look for a system that provides powerful, actionable reports that you can really use.
Reports like broken links, misspellings and accessibility issues for both pre- and post-publishing are incredibly helpful for SEO and to create a positive experience for your web visitors. Additionally, stale content reports, publishing notifications, and login and usage reports can be especially useful to both administrators and content contributors. Other reports that may come with the content marketing tools to complement your CMS include keywords, search terms, visitors, page load times, inbound and referral links.
<a href="http://goo.gl/tybTuY"><img style="margin-right:auto;margin-left:auto;display:block" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cascade.png" /></a>
When you search for a first or replacement CMS for your company, there will be a number of different features and benefits to evaluate. In addition to looking for these top 5 CMS features, you’ll also need to evaluate many other options. Ultimately, the most important part of the process is planning and understanding your particular needs based on your organization’s size, resources, technical skill level and marketing needs. Once you figure our your needs, it will be much easier to evaluate potential solutions.
For more information about Cascade Server Enterprise CMS, contact us to <a href="http://goo.gl/tybTuY">schedule a demo and set up a free testing sandbox</a>.

The Top 5 Things to Look for in Your Next CMS

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

#ffffff

We’re kicking off yet another featured week here at CMS Critic, and this time, it’s the rapidly improving website builder <a href="/products/motocms">MotoCMS</a> that we have under our magnifying glass.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled-3.jpg" />For me, the platform turned a serious corner with the <a href="/motocms-3-0-formally-launched/">release of version 3.0</a>, which brought about, among other things, fully responsive templates and a vastly improved WYSIWYG editor.The release has seemingly given MotoCMS a new lease of life. So much so, that I’ve just included it in my list of, “<a href="/motocms-review/">Top 25 CMS to Watch in 2016</a>”.To get this featured week rolling, let’s take a closer look at what this charming website builder serves up.<h2>Beauty Begets Beauty</h2>Everybody likes for their website builder to be snazzy, and MotoCMS is snazzy indeed.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2-1_936x0-is835x0-is.png" />The sleek design of the product is something I mentioned in my <a href="/motocms-review/">MotoCMS Review</a>, and I’ll emphasize again here that it’s one of the best looking user interfaces on the website builder market. Plus, it’s quick, responsive and easy to use.However, MotoCMS’ beauty doesn’t begin and end with its interface. It also extends to its template library.It boasts well over 2,000 templates, all of which can be purchased through their marketplace. And I must say, they are superbly crafted.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/moto606x0-is.png" />Categories range from; Art &amp; Photography, Politics, Law, Sport and even Military.Despite there being so many templates, MotoCMS’ template library doesn’t appear to run out of class. Every single page is filled with awesome looking themes. And the best part is, each one seems to offer something a little different, so you can usually find exactly what you’re looking for.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/58546-big_1.jpg" /><h2>eCommerce, Blogging &amp; All The Traditional Trimmings</h2>MotoCMS also offers eCommerce and blogging capabilities, both of which are vital when going up against the biggest names in website building.Because eCommerce and Blogging are available as extra plugins, MotoCMS users don’t have to wander outside the confines of the platform to fulfil their business needs.So, there’s no need to tack on third party software.On top of a blog feature, MotoCMS also does well on the SEO front, with Google-pleasing tools built into the system out of the box.And of course, it’s only right to mention that MotoCMS covers the basics quite well, offering up; WYSIWYG editing, theme customization, page creation, analytics, and everything else a traditional website builder should do.

Getting to Grips with MotoCMS 3.0

PrestaShop may come with elegant default theme right out of the box, but that’s not all it offers in terms of design.
Via the <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/" target="_blank"> PrestaShop Theme Marketplace</a>, you can find thousands of free and premium PrestaShop themes. Some are created by the PrestaShop team, although most are a result of <a href="/a-closer-look-at-prestashops-global-community/"> PrestaShop’s busy community</a>.
It goes without saying that sifting through all of those themes to find one for you can be quite the task. So, I’ve compiled ten of what I consider to be the very best PrestaShop themes on offer. Here they all are.
<h2>1. Response</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1700x0.png" /> If you’re looking for something to make your store stand out, the Response PrestaShop theme is for you.
It makes use of responsive, Retina-ready image tiles which display product images and information. You can configure colour gradients, sidebar positions and more.
Reponse also comes in three styles, with one allowing you to play a video in the background of the theme.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/neutral/8803-01-response.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO7338.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>2. Trendy</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2700x0.png" />
The name Trendy is apt, since today’s web design trend sees many websites incorporating a one-page style design. The Trendy PrestaShop theme follows suit.
A full-width slider tops the page, followed by banners, neatly laid out featured products, more banners, a newsletter subscription are and a contact us section, which boasts a full-width map.
Of course, the Trendy theme does have other page types, all of which look excellent.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/fashion/17556-trendy-luxure-prestashop-theme.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO9493.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>3. HiTech</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-4700x0.png" />
Looking for a PrestaShop theme with some “Wow Factor”? You just found it.
HiTech is an obvious choice for merchants looking to sell tech-related goodies, and the slick design will no doubt help to refine the image of your online presence. It’s sleek, modern, and outright pretty.
The bold colours work perfectly with the full-width slider and banners, all of which are professionally presented.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/high-tech/17787-vphitech-responsive-for-prestashop-16x.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO9726.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>4. Flooring Store</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-7700x0.png" />
Don’t ignore this one because of the name. It may be perfect for flooring stores, but it’s also a pretty good fit for all other industries.
The black and white colour scheme is simple and elegant, and make the banner and sliders (which as you may now have guessed, are hallmarks of PrestaShop themes), stand out even more.
There’s a handy side-menu down the left too, which can help you showcase more of your stock. Definitely worth looking at, no matter what you’re selling.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/interior-furniture/17782-flooring-store.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO9721.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>5. Star Fashion</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-9700x0.png" /> Another visual powerhouse.
Star Fashion serves up large banners to capture the attention of shoppers, along with an elegant menu at the top of the page. Geared towards the fashion industry, the minimalist design works well.
If you have good imagery to show off, Star Fashion is definitely for you.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/fashion/17488-star-fashion-responsive-template.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO9422.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>6. Oslo</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-8700x0.png" />
Oslo has a big emphasis on visuals and general usability.
The homepage is dominated by giant banners, which, together, make up a product catalog. There’s also a slider in the middle of the page, whilst logos and menus take their place on the side bar.
It’s a unique look, and one which would suit a number of industries. Plus, it comes in two slightly different styles.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/fashion/16958-01-oslo.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO8871.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>7. Leo</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5700x0.png" />
This PrestaShop theme is ideal for fashion and jewellery merchants.
The centered logo, large slider and neat design make it one of the most professional themes on the PrestaShop market.
It also boasts mega menus, displaying product thumbnails and standalone images and text alongside a list of pages.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/fashion/11447-leo-fashion-store-prestashop.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO7934.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>8. Gadget Shop</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-10700x0.png" />
The Gadget Shop theme is ideal for, well, gadgets.
With a snazzy, modern design, it’s a great fit for all things tech related. Yet, I wouldn’t rule it out for any other industry either. The design is neutral in that respect.
The menus can get detailed too, as the drop-down menus allow you to display pages, products, images and even videos.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/high-tech/11449-new-gadgets-shop-responsive-html5-theme-16.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO7936.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>9. Elation</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6700x0.png" />
Sometimes, a theme can make you fall in love with it, just by scrolling down the home page. Elation is one such theme.
The full-width slider, call-to-action button, dainty fonts and beautiful use of banners, carousels and images makes Elation one of PrestaShop’s most attractive themes. It really is stunning.
Plus, with the right approach, Elation could be used in almost any industry.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/neutral/16704-elation-advance-touch-theme.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO8611.html"> Demo </a>
<h2>10. Travely</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-11700x0.png" />
Looking to dazzle? Look no further.
Travely greets visitors with a full-page slider, overlaid with a mega menu, text area, logo and cart area. It’s one of the most professional PrestaShop themes around.
As the name indicates, Travely is best suited for those selling holiday packages. However, I think all forms of service-based products can be sold using this classy theme.
<a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/travel/17643-travely-theme-shop-of-travel.html"> More Info </a> <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/demo/FO9582.html"> Demo </a>
So there you have it. ten PrestaShop themes that are certainly worth your consideration – and maybe even your investment.
Have I missed out your favourite PrestaShop theme? Let me know in the comments section below.

Top 10 Beautiful PrestaShop Themes

GOSS have now officially released the latest version of their content management system, the GOSS iCM (intelligent Content Management) v10.
Many high profile websites currently utilise GOSS' technology, including the BBC, the UK Met Office, and over 70 other UK public sector organisations. It goes without saying then, that GOSS has a solid history of success. A history they will hope to build upon with the launch of GOSS iCM v10.
The updated version of their CMS brings about a number of sweeping changes, including a brand new user interface, social media integration advancements, drag-and-drop editing and so forth.
GOSS have highlighted that many of their updates come in the face of restricted public sector budgets, and general belt tightening by most organisations. They aim to help cut costs by simplifying and streamlining a host of processes deemed vital to large corporations and governmental bodies. So, let's review the changes GOSS iCM v10 brings.
<h2>Integration on a Whole New Level</h2>
One way in which GOSS iCM v10 helps to minimize effort for users, is through some pretty extensive integration with other business tools, including social media, payment gateways, marketing applications and so on.
GOSS iCM v10 uses these media networks, SaaS (Software as a Service) systems and other platforms to help create a Single Customer View, which aggregates all of the data held on customers or individuals, by the company in question. 
The Single Customer View makes it easy to access this wide range of information within one, manageable interface. This information can include things like order statuses, service updates and more.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3.png" alt="GOSS iCM v10" />
The integration of SaaS systems and social media, will help organisations build a seamless link between their website and other tools offering more flexibility and more information, but with less work.
<h2>Enhanced Form Capabilities</h2>
GOSS have also worked hard on streamlining the processes surrounding online data forms, making it easier for organisations to create forms, and to offer their customers a more user friendly experience.
This is all thanks to GOSS iCM v10's newly improved drag-and-drop script editor, which allows administrators to quickly and easily build, modify and customize online forms.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1.png" alt="GOSS iCM v10" />
Additionally, improved non-technical editing in the form of WYSIWYG editor, makes it simple for website administrators to implement changes surrounding online forms, as well as across the entire website itself. 
These improvements mean that administrators need to know nothing about coding in order to successfully build forms and create content, which will inevitably save both time and money in the long run.
<h2>Interface Changes, Sub-Site Creation &amp; More</h2>
On top of these integration enhancements and online form improvements, GOSS iCM v10 also brings about a wide range of other updates.
For example, administrators will benefit from a revamped control panel interface, with larger, clearer icons and faster navigation. Quick links and shortcuts can also be created, giving users fast access to different areas of their website, admin panel, and even third party applications.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2.png" alt="GOSS iCM v10" />
Another useful update, is the sub-site management feature. Many organisations create sub-sites to run events, promote products, and so forth. With GOSS iCM v10, administrators can create and manage sub-sites from their control panel, allowing their sub-sites to inherit the capabilities of their main site. This will make sub-site creation far easier, quicker and more manageable than ever before.
For full details on the points highlighted above, plus a long list of all updates and enhancements brought about by GOSS iCM v10, <a href="http://www.gossinteractive.com/v10-overview">check out GOSS' official overview of their v10 launch</a>.

GOSS iCM v10 Launched

I was contacted recently by Increo, the makers of a new WCM called Wondercode to see if I could spend some time writing up a Wondercode Review, so here it is. (Keep in mind that all of my reviews are 100% unbiased and not influenced by the company). Wondercode is a product based out of Norway that offers a fully functional WCM with a number of modules such as eCommerce, newsletters, recruitment and more.
Let's dig into the review shall we?
<h2>The Good</h2>
The interface itself is clean, well designed and makes good use of tabs to switch between areas:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/modx-color_morv7n.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
They appear to be using Google Analytics for their statistics module, which you can't really go wrong with and it's good to see some integration with this popular tool.
The history tab shows you all of the pages on the site including the status of each (archived, draft, published, etc). This is handy for a quick overview of what's been happening on the site.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wondercode-cms-history-450x235.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
Looking to include a gallery of pictures in one of your pages? The Gallery module is excellent with a myriad of options and a live preview of how it will look once embedded.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/selz_orjupl.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
There is also a media rotator which allows you to build rotating slideshows of images for your pages. This works equally as well as the galleries module.
Wondercode offers a translations module as well which presents all of the words within the system and allows you to configure each available language and modify the wording as needed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/selz-1_mrwrtq.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
It's not apparent whether you can use third party translations services and import/export files to/from the system somehow. This would be a great feature to see here that would quickly extend the value of the software on the market.
Security is defined by roles and the included module does a great job of allowing you to build a very granular set of permissions for users / groups.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wondercode-cms-permissions-450x390.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
Adding articles and media uses a couple of very nice interfaces. The first, the editor, is pure WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) and includes tagging, scheduling of posts, categories and modification of the permalinks. The editor works as expected without issue.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/votenow_nyqiae.jpg" alt="Wondercode Review" />
Adding media is done through a nice dropdown menu which offers both image embedding and video embedding. For the video component, there are plenty of available options for embedding:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/votenow-1_tdruhs.jpg" alt="Wondercode Review" />
The Bad
One of the first things I noticed upon connecting to the system is that the English translated version is still missing a number of key translations. You can see this throughout the screenshots I've posted here and while one can still blunder through without too much issue, this is going to limit the amount of English adoption the product will see until it is corrected.
This is not unrecoverable and simply requires a bit of focus from the Wondercode team to ensure that the English translations are both correct and understandable. I expect that this will be corrected rather promptly.
The settings page is a bit barren with a number of editable strings that can be modified to adjust the system's configuration.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wondercode-cms-wondercode-settings-450x305.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
The problem here, however, is that the configuration strings don't all make sense and while there is an info option, clicking on it gives a half english popup that doesn't do much to clear up the confusion.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/awards-logo_ri1g3o.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
From the Dashboard tab, I decided to try to add a web page and see what this functionality looks like. Unfortunately, after adding it and then clicking on it to begin editing, I was greeted with the following error message:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/awards-logo-1_g6hwfj.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
Throughout my time testing out the system, these types of errors (above) came up every time I tried to edit a page, either in their current form or as below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wondercode-cms-wondercode2-450x278.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
There is a recruitment module that works well for job postings as well. It allows you to add jobs and review applicants, it is also plagued with translation issues, however.. which make it difficult to understand.
I attempted to use the activities module as well but could not figure out what exactly it was for.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/votenow-1_nmklme.png" alt="Wondercode Review" />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Wondercode certainly looks like a promising system but until they are able to clear up the translations issues and ensure there are no server errors when attempting to edit pages, I cannot recommend this system for any kind of production use. It absolutely has tons of potential and they are on the right track with a number of features that we see in some of the more costly commercial offerings. It's also not clear what Wondercode costs at the moment.
There is mention on their website of an ecommerce component but it did not appear to be present in the version I was given for review. For those interested, there appears to be a video showcasing it here: http://wondercode.com/ecommerce
Items needing addressing before it can be recommended:
<ul>
<li>Corrected english language translations.</li>
<li>Improved english version of their website to make it more understandable and clear.</li>
<li>Correction of server errors that appear to crop up when editing pages.</li>
<li>Improved and understandable help system.</li>
</ul>
Certainly these are not issues that cannot be corrected and I'm excited to see what the system becomes once they are.
Interested in learning more about Wondercode? Visit their website: http://www.wondercode.com

Wondercode Review - A new CMS from Norway

<a href="https://www.drupal.org/node/2348025"> Drupal 8.0.0 – beta1</a> has just been released for testing and feedback.
The first beta, according to the <a href="http://www.drupal.org/" target="_blank"> Drupal</a> team, is thanks to the efforts of over 2,300 people who contributed more than 11,500 committed patches to 15 alpha releases, and especially the 234 contributors who fixed 177 “beta blocker” issues.
As one of the world's most popular CMS', this upcoming release of Drupal 8.0.0 will impact the way that millions of website owners and admins go about their duties.
Here's a look at what Drupal 8.0.0 is set to bring to the table.
<h2>A Look Inside Drupal 8.0.0</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/drupal8tablet.jpg" alt="Drupal 8.0.0" />
Drupal are calling it, “the most customizable, adaptable Drupal release ever”. Here are the feature highlights:
<ul>
<li>Deploy content once and watch it display the way you want on any device.</li>
<li>Multilingual Capabilities.</li>
<li>New configuration management.</li>
<li>Effortless, WYSIWYG authoring.</li>
<li>Easily customize the front page, listing blocks, and more.</li>
<li>Better markup with HTML5.</li>
<li>Multilingual capabilities.</li>
<li>Built-in web services.</li>
<li>Fun and fast theming.</li>
<li>Strong accessibility feature.</li>
</ul>
And that's not all, either. <a href="https://www.drupal.org/drupal-8.0" target="_blank"> Click here to explore everything Drupal 8.0.o has to offer</a>.
<h2>Drupal 8.0.0 Release Date</h2>
Before the final release of Drupal 98.0.0, this first beta will be followed by a series of additional beta releases with bug fixes, performance improvements, and improved stability.
The final release of Drupal 8.0.0 will launch once there are no more <a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/issues/drupal?text=&amp;status=Open&amp;priorities=400&amp;categories=All&amp;version=8.x&amp;component=All">critical issues</a> (as of today, there are 97 remaining) and after the release of at least one <a href="https://www.drupal.org/core/release-cycle#rc">release candidate </a>  (RC) without adding any more critical issues to the list.
If you're looking for an actual Drupal 8.0.0 release date, you won't find it just yet. Here's what the Drupal team had to say about it:
<blockquote>“When will [the release of Drupal 8.0.0] be? “When it's ready.” The more people help, the faster we can find and fix bugs, and the faster 8.0.0 gets released. The faster 8.0.0 gets released, the faster we can <a href="https://www.drupal.org/node/2135189">start adding new features for Drupal 8.1.0</a>. So help out where you can, and let's deliver the best release of Drupal ever!”</blockquote>
To find out more about Drupal 8.0.0, <a href="https://www.drupal.org/drupal-8.0" target="_blank"> check out the official information page</a>. To find out more (and to download) the first beta of Drupal 8.0,0, <a href="https://www.drupal.org/drupal-8.0.0-beta1" target="_blank"> click here</a>.
Additionally, be sure to check out <a href="/products/drupal/" target="_blank"> Drupal via our CMS directory</a>.

Drupal 8.0.0: First Beta Released

Semrush - Be an SEO hero

Be an SEO hero with Semrush

Explore a wide range of informative articles, insights, and industry updates. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our diverse collection of news and posts covering the latest trends and developments in the industry. Page - 101

News

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

Be an SEO hero with Semrush