Articles - Page 116

What I Mean to Say: A Practitioner Perspective on AI, Semantics, and Content Evolution

msalvatierra

Regular reader will have noticed our DNN Software coverage this week, as part of CMS Critic's first round of Featured Weeks.
But the world of CMS whirled on in the background, and so it's only right that we bring you the highlights from this past week.
<h2>Ghost's Transparency</h2>
This week, Ghost delivered on it promise to be more “transparent” (yes, I know, the irony) by revealing their revenue in full.
The blogging platform has also released a “Revenue Dashboard”, inspired by a similar feature offered by Buffer last year.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/baremetrics1.png" />
Ghost's annual revenue so far is $411k, and the revenue dashboard offers up a whole host of other revenue-related metrics.
<a href="http://blog.ghost.org/april-2015-update/" target="_blank">Read more here</a>.
<h2>US Shopify Users Get Google Wallet</h2>
Shopify, one of the world's leading eCommerce solutions, recently announced the arrival of Google Wallet for its US user base.
The introduction of Google Wallet is another effort from Shopify to simplify their mobile checkout process.
Shoppers who have their Google Wallet already set up will be able to simply click “Buy with Google”, instead of typing in their credit card details, billing, and shipping address on a tiny virtual keyboard.
<a href="https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/accelerated-checkouts/google-pay" target="_blank">Read more here</a>.
<h2>WordPress 4.2 On The Horizon</h2>
For those of you who don't know, WordPress is the most widely used CMS (and yes, it is a CMS) in the world.
Thus, the arrival of its latest version, WordPress 4.2, is being eagerly awaited.
The fourth beta was recently released, meaning that the final release of version 4.2 shouldn't be too far away at all. In fact, it could be a matter of days rather than weeks.
<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2015/04/wordpress-4-2-beta-4/" target="_blank">Read more here</a>.

Weekly News Roundup: Ghost Revenue, Shopify's Google Wallet & WordPress 4.2

mike-johnston

CMS Critic's very first <a href="/featured-weeks/" target="_blank">featured week</a> is all about DNN Software, and we're now taking a closer look at how <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015" target="_blank">DNN Evoq 8</a> helps to ease platform migration for brands through some stellar integration options.
The .NET platform is trusted by over 2,000 brands worldwide, including a range of Fortune 500 companies. DNN was also the <a href="/2014-critics-choice-award-winner-best-small-to-midsize-business-net-cms/" target="_blank">2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner for Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS</a>.
<img style="max-width:234px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/evoqcontent_1.png" />
<h2>The Importance of Integration</h2>
Adopting a new platform for your website (or websites) isn't the easiest task in the world, especially if it means having to leave behind the extra apps and solutions your company already works with.
For example, if your company depends on Microsoft Sharepoint as a digital asset manager, switching to a CMS which doesn't readily support such integration will hit your team hard. The double whammy of having to adapt to a new CMS as well as having to live life without Sharepoint will be a difficult pill swallow, for everyone.
Of course, Sharepoint is but one example, with most companies relying on a range of intranets and marketing suites to keep workflows in check and business in order.
Hence, the heightened importance of solid integration options — because nobody wants to deal with that double whammy.
<h2>All The Essentials, And Then Some</h2>
After already <a href="/how-dnn-evoq-8-charges-advocate-marketing-with-gamification/" target="_blank">discussing DNN Evoq 8 from a advocate marketing standpoint</a>, let's now delve into what it serves up on the integrations front.
<img style="max-width:760px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/integrations-configure.png" />
According to DNN, Evoq 8, “connects easily to popular cloud marketing software and social media networks, so you can use familiar and preferred solutions to extend your website’s functionality.”
Here's what DNN serves up as readily available integrations:
<ul>
<li>Google Analytics integrates just as easily as it always does.</li>
<li>Marketo can be configured even without any technical knowledge.</li>
<li>Storage Solutions including Box, Dropbox, Amazon S3 and Sharepoint can all be accessed simultaneously from a single window.</li>
<li>Extended Microsoft Sharepoint integration, with features that enable you to schedule publications, push documents, share lists, and synchronize files between Evoq Content and SharePoint.</li>
</ul>
But that's not all.
<a href="http://store.dnnsoftware.com/?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015">DNN Evoq 8 also boasts a fully fledged store</a>, which is home to a vast array of modules built to extend website functionality.
Many modules have been developed to add functionality in their own way, while others are there to help integrate with systems like Mailchimp, Google Maps, and so forth.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-33.png" />
And just in case none of that is enough, DNN also allows you to craft custom integrations via Evoq API.
DNN's powerful development libraries are there to help you build interactive web applications, integrate with ERP, CRM, marketing automation systems, and much more.
So, with all of those integration options and tools on offer, it's safe to say that DNN Evoq 8 is equipped to help any brand avoid the aforementioned double whammy during platform migration.
And of course, it's also more than ready to help existing DNN customers expand their website functionality.
To find out more about DNN Evoq Content 8, <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015" target="_blank">visit their website</a>. Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/dnn-evoq-content/" target="_blank">DNN Evoq Content through our CMS Directory</a>.

A Closer Look at DNN Evoq 8's Integration Options

Continuing with our featured coverage of DNN Software, it's time to take a look at how <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015" target="_blank">DNN Evoq 8</a> helps brands to engage with existing users and customers.
DNN Evoq Content is trusted by over 2,000 brands worldwide, including a range of Fortune 500 companies. DNN was also the <a href="/2014-critics-choice-award-winner-best-small-to-midsize-business-net-cms/" target="_blank">2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner for Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS</a>.
DNN Evoq 8 combines advocate marketing and gamification features to give brands the tools they need to first engage with their users and customers, before using them as standalone marketers.
<h2>What is Advocate Marketing &amp; Gamification?</h2>
Not sure what on earth do these two terms mean? Don't worry, because as per usual, they sound more complicated than they are.
<h3>Advocate Marketing</h3>
Advocate marketing is the process of turning your customers and users into marketers.
Ideally, advocate marketing is carried out by a brands most regular and most passionate customers, who are therefore happy to preach positive news and views about the brand in question.
<h3>Gamification</h3>
Gamification simply means using game mechanics to engage users in solving problems. This could include a leveling system, where users or community members get rewarded with different levels of titles once they complete certain tasks.
For exmaple, giving a forum member a special title once they reach 100 forum posts, is a type of gamification.
The purpose of gamification is to improve user engagement, return on investment, data quality, timeliness, and learning.”
<h2>How DNN Expertly Blends The Two</h2>
The release of DNN Evoq Content 8 has brought advocate marketing and gamification together.
Their gamification engine was already in place beforehand, giving brands the opportunity to reward their audience for participating in the community, be in via discussion, task completion or otherwise.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-321079x0.png" />
DNN's gamification features come in the form of badges, reputation points, leaderboards and more.
Now though, with a newly introduced advocate marketing feature, DNN Evoq's gamification engine has a counterpart to work in tandem with.
Evoq 8 enables Marketers to activate the brand advocates already on their website by rewarding them for sharing content on their personal social networks.
The advocacy marketing capability is integrated with Evoq’s native gamification engine, and engages customers by issuing challenges, tracking challenge completions, and awarding points, badges, or other designated incentives.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/advocate-create-challenge1.png" />
By creating challenges for users to meet, brands can incentivize sharing content on social media. For instance, the example above shows a social sharing challenge, which rewards the user with 25 points for sharing news of an upcoming webinar.
As you can see, the challenge setup process is supremely straightforward, with URLs, titles, instructions, and points all easy to configure.
Each challenge can be set to be either locked or open for public editing. Challenges can also have expiration dates and times for completion.
A simple, yet effective idea which slots in very well alongside (and complements) DNN's existing gamification options.
To find out more about DNN Evoq Content 8, <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015" target="_blank">visit their website</a>. Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/dnn-evoq-content/" target="_blank">DNN Evoq Content through our CMS Directory</a>.

How DNN Evoq 8 Charges Advocate Marketing With Gamification

One of the stops on the <a href="/cms-critic-is-touring-north-america-and-europe-this-year/" target="_blank">CMS Critic North American Tour</a> was at DNN Software, the company behind <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015" target="_blank">DNN Evoq Content</a>.
DNN Evoq Content is used by over 2,000 businesses worldwide, including a number of Fortune 500 companies. DNN was also the <a href="/2014-critics-choice-award-winner-best-small-to-midsize-business-net-cms/" target="_blank">2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner for Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS</a>.
The company recently launched DNN Evoq 8, “A CMS built for marketers to deliver today's modern web experiences.”
<img style="max-width:234px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/evoqcontent.png" />
DNN Evoq 8 was released to bring additional focus to the following four key areas:
<h3>1. Content Personalization</h3>
Evoq 8 enables users to build personalization rules that tailor site content based on visitors’ profiles.
Rules can be based on geography, account registration (i.e. registered versus non-registered users), gender, age, recent visits, referral source, search terms and ad clicks.
<h3>2. Page-Level Content Analytics</h3>
Statistics on page views, referrers, unique visitors, and conversions are presented as an overlay on each web page, via data collected and managed by Evoq.
Making these stats more accessible means that any marketer, regardless of their level of proficiency with analytics, can immediately understand how content is performing, without navigating away from the page in question.
<h3>3. Centralized Access to Cloud-Hosted Content Repositories</h3>
Evoq 8 includes built-in connectors to Box, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and SharePoint, making it easy to access any piece of content or digital asset from a single window.
This capability allows marketers and content producers to use their preferred content storage service or use multiple services, without moving files, duplicating effort, or wasting valuable time.
<h3>4. Advocate Marketing</h3>
Evoq 8 enables marketers to activate the brand advocates already on their webiste by rewarding them for sharing content on their personal social networks.
The advocacy marketing capability is integrated with Evoq’s native gamification engine, and engages customers by issuing challenges, tracking challenge completions, and awarding points, badges, or other designated incentives.
Now, although these four areas have been impressively enhanced, there's a lot more to DNN Evoq 8 that goes beyond just new features and functionality.
<h2>Beyond Standard Enterprise Content Management</h2>
After the recent <a href="/walkthrough-of-dnn-evoq-content-8-with-cms-critic/" target="_blank">DNN Evoq 8 video walkthrough</a>, Mike Johnston made a very interesting observation about the nature of DNNs latest release:
<blockquote>“Let me tell you folks, this is one impressive looking piece of software. They have completely done away with the dashboard (in the manner that there is no longer a back end admin interface to log into) and moved into a more “website builder look”.
The good part being that there was no loss in functionality so I consider Evoq 8 (and you can quote me on this) a website builder for Enterprises.”</blockquote>
A website builder for enterprises? Now that's an angle worth exploring.
Simplicity and ease of use was definitely high on the priorities list for DNN Evoq 8.
It's the removal of the traditional dashboard that has shifted the focus towards front end content editing, which in turn resembles that website builder experience.
Users can log in and immediately begin working on the page they're viewing. The sidebar offers up contextualised administrative functionality, giving the user the tools they need depending on the type of content appearing on the page.
DNN Software's CEO, Navin Nagiah, gave further insight into this newly crafted user experience during his interview with Mike Johnston:
<blockquote>“Our eventual goal is to make it so that, when somebody starts using the software, they [already] know how to use it. No training, no user manuals, no videos to watch, nothing. The software has to speak to the user.
We want to take the same user experience that you have in consumer apps and devices, and apply it to the business world. So Evoq 8 is an important milestone, but we are going to get even better as we go forward for the releases this year and next year.”</blockquote>
Perhaps the most interesting element of the above quote is how Navin Nagiah implies that DNN Evoq 8 is but a stepping stone towards an even simpler user experience, which we will hopefully see manifested in future DNN releases.
For now though, marketers can enjoy DNN Evoq 8 for what it is; an enterprise-grade powerhouse of a website builder.
To find out more about DNN Evoq Content 8, <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015" target="_blank">visit their website</a>. Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/dnn-evoq-content/" target="_blank">DNN Evoq Content through our CMS Directory</a>.

DNN Evoq 8: Beyond Content Management

During my recent visit to the DNN Software office in San Mateo, California, I took some time to sit down and have a chat with CEO Navin Nagiah. Topics discussed include the recent release of Evoq 8, expectations for the future, his thoughts on customer experience management and more. What's funny about this interview is that there was a spot during the interview where I had a great question ready to go but ended up getting too wrapped up in what he was saying and completely blanked. We had to pause filming so I could get refocused. Watch for the transition to see where that happened. Interestingly enough, that's never happened before so kudos to Navin for being too interesting ;).
Check out the video below:
https://youtu.be/CJEv0_LiqII
Learn more about DNN Evoq 8 here: <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015">http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content</a>

Mike Interviews Navin Nagiah, CEO of DNN Software (Video)

As part of our North American tour (which you can learn more about <a href="/cms-critic-is-touring-north-america-and-europe-this-year/">here</a>) we are visiting a number of vendors throughout North America. One such vendor was DNN Software. In the following video, I had an opportunity to sit with Will Morgenweck, VP of Product Management for DNN Software and have him show me through their latest release, Evoq Content 8.
<img style="max-width:234px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/evoqcontent.png" />
Let me tell you folks, this is one impressive-looking piece of software. They have completely done away with the dashboard (in the manner that there is no longer a back end admin interface to log into) and moved into a more “website builder look”. The good part being that there was no loss in functionality so I consider Evoq 8 (and you can quote me on this) a website builder for Enterprises.
Check out the video in which Will walks me (and you as you watch) through this great release with the occassional question from me along the way.
Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/bxIxRMh3cyo
Interested in learning more about Evoq 8? Check out <a href="/products/dnn-evoq-content/">their listing</a> in our directory or <a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-content?utm_source=cmscritic-article-april-2015&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritic-april-2015">visit them directly</a>.

Walkthrough of DNN Evoq Content 8 with CMS Critic

<h3>What are Featured Weeks?</h3>As part of our efforts here at CMS Critic to enhance your exposure to the amazing products on the market, I have decided to offer featured weeks on the site. The purpose of these is to provide you with everything you need to know about a specific CMS including product walkthroughs, interviews with executives and articles about their products.Nowhere else can you get as much information about a product than on CMS Critic and when combined with our in depth CMS directory, I think this new opportunity for you to learn more will help both customers and vendors connect in a unique and meaningful way.<h3>How did this come about?</h3>I began this year by deciding to do something that has never been done before. I am touring North America and Europe  visiting and connecting with interested CMS vendors in order to learn more about their products, interview them and dig deeper into who they are and what they do so that I could bring this valuable information back to you, the consumer in a manner that I think helps make the decision process easier.I've meeting with CMS companies of all sizes that offer products for personal use, small to midsize business and the enterprise markets. I'm sharing my visits with you on the site.During these featured weeks, you'll come to our site and see a graphic indicating which product (if any) we are featuring in the top right hand corner of the site. During this period (3-7 days depending on the vendor) we'll share with you information about the company, the products they offer and more.I encourage you to <a href="/contact">let me know</a> if you have suggestions on how I can improve this as we go forward.<h3>Interested in being featured?</h3>We are currently booked up for 2015 but I encourage you to reach out to me if you are interested in participating next year (beginning in January). To do so (and to secure your spot before they run out), <a href="/contact/">drop me a line</a>.

Featured Weeks Start Monday

Power your CMS on AWS

Manage your websites & apps in the most trusted cloud.

#ffffff

Squarespace, one of the world's most widely used and respected website builders chosen for coverage over at <a href="https://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank">Website Builders Critic</a>, has released a small yet notable update.
The newest Squarespace feature allows users to select their own design, layout, and imagery for their password-protected site or pages.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/squarespace-lock-screen-021079x0.png" />
<h2>Protect Client Areas, Pages &amp; Entire Websites Your Way</h2>
Squarespace claims that these new customized lock screens can serve as a client area for photographers, who can inform clients that their photos are now ready for viewing behind a password-protected page.
Customizable lock screens can also be used to inform visitors that a website is under construction, or that changes are coming soon. Finally, it can also make visitors aware that they are entering a secure area.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/squarespace-lock-screen-051079x0.png" />
The new lock screen feature includes six different layout options, each of which can be further customized in the Squarespace Style Editor.
Users can also upload their own images for their lock screens, with Squarespace recommending a minimum image width of 1500px.
To find out more about Squarespace's new lock screens, check out their <a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/introducing-customizable-lockscreens" target="_blank">official blog announcement</a>.
Otherwise, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/squarespace/" target="_blank">Squarespace via our CMS Directory</a>. Otherwise, you can <a href="https://www.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">start your Squarespace website today</a>.

Squarespace Reveals Customizable Lock Screens

This week, the Agility CMS Team began the process of pushing its brand new user-interface live.
The Beta One Release is the first iteration of a major Product Release that includes a brand new user-interface, robust workflow improvements and big performance updates.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/unnamed-1.png" />
This Release was made available to a small group of Agility CMS power users, the company’s most active development partners, to test on a sample site.
Their feedback will be gathered and used to make changes and improvements before the next iteration of the Release, which will be rolled out to a select group of customers for continued testing and feedback.
“We’re very excited to get feedback on our updated content management platform from our power users,” Jon Voigt, Agility's CEO and co-founder, said. “We began working on redesigning and rebuilding Agility CMS a year ago, so it’s great to share the hard work that the team has put in to make this Release possible.”
Agility’s CMS new user-interface and updates will make it even easier for online teams to create, manage and deliver compelling content to engage their audiences.
For developers, Agility CMS is a highly-advanced, scalable and speedy platform that removes any barriers to building and developing powerful websites.
The final Production Release will be rolled out over the course of a month later this year, to all customers and live sites.
<a name="_GoBack"></a> To learn more about Agility CMS, visit: <a href="http://agilitycms.com/">agilitycms.com</a>

Agility CMS Launches First Iteration of Major Product Release for Testing & Feedback

Occasionally, a number of WordPress users may well have the urge to renew their websites and make them look different. If you are one of them, perhaps you have become bored with the way your home page looks, or you want to get rid of that annoying calendar widget.
You start by removing unnecessary layout elements, or maybe picking another color scheme or font family. But after a couple of such attempts, you realize that you need something more than just playing with your old WordPress theme. You need a new one.
Of course, you can always buy a new theme. There are <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/wordpress-themes.php" target="_blank"> a wide variety of premium WP themes available out there </a> , and you just have to spend some time on finding the right one. But what if you’re not sure that buying a new theme is exactly what you need right now?
What if you just want to try out a couple of different themes, perhaps on different frameworks, and dive more into WordPress itself?
In this case, there’s no real need to buy anything new. You can easily find a great selection of awesome and yet free WordPress themes and try them out. Many of them vary in style and functionality, some of them are mainly blogging themes, and some are more suited for a business website. But what’s more important is that all of them are developed by professionals and each theme may become a suitable choice for your website.
We’ve prepared this list of free WordPress themes for you and hope you’ll be able to find here some good options for your WordPress website.
<h3>Melissa</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/melissa.jpeg" />
Melissa can be a great solution for a photographer’s portfolio, or any other website that has to make a special emphasis on its imagery and visuals. Our attention is drawn by the image slider on the home page, which can be a good place to showcase your best works. Original typography combined with a dark background creates a great aesthetic appeal.
<a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/demo/52153.html" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/free-wordpress-photography-theme.html" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Mynd</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mynd.jpeg" />
Although Mynd positions itself as a theme for a creative portfolio, it is much more than that. This theme can become a wonderful solution for different kinds of portfolio and business websites. It has a lot of awesome features, such as one-click demo install, parallax scrolling effect, Font Awesome icons, a large number of blog and portfolio pages, shortcodes, different header variations and many more.
<a href="http://mynd.premiumcoding.com/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="http://premiumcoding.com/free-wordpress-theme-mynd-creative-portfolio-theme/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Globaly</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/globaly.jpeg" />
The theme fits nicely into any business related website. It is built with Cherry Framework that considerably extends its functionality and makes it easy to customize. You can experiment with the color-scheme, change the layout of elements, choose another logo, etc. More than 80 useful shortcodes are available for you to upload the content easily.
<a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/demo/52382.html" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="//www.templatemonster.com/free-wordpress-business-theme.html" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Zerif</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zerif.jpeg" />
Zerif is a lightweight one-page WordPress theme that is nicely suited for a business website. It has a parallax scrolling effect and large hero images. Zerif has an easy-to-use contact form and is compatible with the latest versions of WordPress. The code is clean and well-written.
<a href="http://demo.themeisle.com/zerif-lite/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://themeisle.com/themes/zerif-lite/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Lawyeria</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lawyeria.jpeg" />
Lawyeria is a fully responsive WordPress theme, designed specifically for lawyers, but it can also be successfully applied to a business website. The distinctive contact form on the home page makes it very easy for prospective clients to get in touch with you.
<a href="http://themeisle.com/demo/?theme=Lawyeria" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://themeisle.com/themes/lawyeria-lite/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>.Multi</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/multi.jpeg" />
Implemented with elements of flat design, Multi is a nice combination of style and aesthetics. It has a responsive design, different types of custom pages, including testimonials, archives, FAQs, contacts, etc. The theme is easy to customize and adjust to your needs.
<a href="http://demo.crocoblock.com/wp-themes/free_multi_wordpress" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="http://www.crocoblock.com/themes/free_multi_wordpress/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Editor</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/editor.jpeg" />
Considering that the above mentioned themes were primarily for business websites, this one is made exclusively for blogging purposes. Editor has a carefully implemented design with attention to minute details. If you’re looking for a good blogging theme, you should definitely try it out.
 Demo <a href="https://array.is/themes/editor-wordpress-theme/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Harmonic</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/harmonic.jpeg" />
Harmonic is a minimalistic theme with a big focus on quality imagery, which uses a parallax scrolling effect. The theme also has a good-looking blog, and media library, where you can showcase your images.
<a href="https://harmonicdemo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/harmonic" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Jewelry</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jewelry.jpeg" />
This Jewelry theme uses Jigoshop eCommerce plugin, which turns it into a perfect solution for any eCommerce business. Apart from the ordinary WordPress features, this theme has a full pack of useful additions that are important for any eCommerce website.
<a href="http://demo.crocoblock.com/wp-themes/jewelry-jigoshop" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="http://www.crocoblock.com/themes/jewelry-jigoshop/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Convac Lite</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/convac_lite.jpeg" />
Convac is a good solution for a personal website. The theme has different variations (for photographers, fashion models, fitness trainers, etc.) and you can decide which one suits you best. The intuitive layout displays all the necessary information about you and your services.
<a href="http://sketchthemes.com/preview/convac/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/convac-lite" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Constructzine</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/constructzine.jpeg" />
Constructzine is a simple theme that can be used as a calling card for your business. It has a standard set of pages (contact us, about us, etc.) and a blog. The theme will not bore you with an excessive amount of animations, which makes it load faster.
<a href="http://demo.themeisle.com/constructzine-lite/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://themeisle.com/themes/constructzine-lite/" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Aventurine</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/aventurine.jpeg" />
Aventurine is mainly a blogging theme that has a special emphasis on a distinctive color-scheme. The turquoise background color and red fonts are definitely an eye-catcher, but you can always change them to something more neutral.
<a href="https://themes.redradar.net/aventurine/documentation/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/aventurine" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Influence</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/influence.jpeg" />
The front page of Influence has some nice-looking elements of a typography poster. The theme is mostly content oriented and is suitable for a blogging website. There are different types of posts, including posts with embedded videos and images.
<a href="http://demo.siteorigin.com/influence/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/influence" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Griffin</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/griffin.jpeg" />
Griffin provides your website with an aesthetically pleasing design. It has a set of standard features that are more than enough for a simple blogging website. The code is clean and well-written which makes it a pleasure to customize the theme.
<a href="http://demo.wpmultiverse.com/griffin/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/griffin" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Ascent</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ascent.jpeg" />
Ascent is a clean and good-looking theme that is a perfect fit for blogging. It has an image slider at the top with big hero images and ghost buttons. The layout of blog articles looks stylish and effective, the only feature that may seem a little excessive is the hover effect on images.
<a href="http://testbase.info/c/theme/wp/ascent/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/ascent" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Business</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/business.jpeg" />
The name here is self-explanatory. Being a great fit for any business website, this theme has a set of useful features such as various types of pages, shortcodes, responsive design, etc. The theme can serve as a great platform for your business.
 Demo Download 
<h3>Medics</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/medics.jpeg" />
It can be difficult to find a free WordPress theme dedicated to the medical field, but this theme could become your perfect solution. It is clean and has a well-built structure of pages, so that your clients can find all the necessary information quickly.
<a href="http://medics.fasterthemes.com/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/medics" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Flat On</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/flat_on.jpeg" />
Flat On is a multipurpose WordPress theme that can be used both for blogging and business purposes. It has two types of image sliders, different page layouts, a collection of shortcodes and other helpful features. You can choose from over 8 different color-schemes.
<a href="http://demo.webulous.in/flaton/" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/flaton" target="_blank"> Download </a>
<h3>Simplicity</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/simplicity.jpeg" />
Simplicity is a one-page theme that is built mainly for high speed and effectiveness. It uses flat design and two types of layout – default and full-width. It has a set of shortcodes and an image slider that is probably the most dominant element on the web page.
 Demo Download 
<h3>Mia Ittalonni</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mia_ittalonni.jpeg" />
Mia Ittalonni is a restaurant theme that features a nice, elegant design. It has a lot of helpful features, including image galleries, sliders, custom post types, shortcodes, etc. The theme is fully responsive and all the main layout elements can be easily adjusted according to your preference. 
<a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/demo/52056.html" target="_blank"> Demo </a> <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/free-wordpress-restaurant-theme.html" target="_blank"> Download </a>
We hope you have found this round-up of free WordPress themes useful and were able to find some great solutions for your WordPress website.
So what is your favorite free WordPress theme? Or maybe we haven't included it in our round-up? Please, share your thoughts in the comment section.

Top 20 Free WordPress Themes of 2015

<a href="https://microweber.com/" target="_blank">Microweber</a>, the open source CMS fresh out of beta, has unveiled Microweber Version 1, which hosts a wide range of new features. 
In 2014, <a href="/microweber-a-cms-stripped-of-complexity/" target="_blank">I delved into the background and inner-workings of Microweber</a>. But a lot has changed since then, particularly since the introduction of Version 1. 
Let's take a look at what's new.
<h2>Lavarel 5 &amp; A Revamped Design</h2>
Microweber has taken the plunge with a brand new framework; Lavarel 5. 
According to the Microweber team, “Laravel is a great framework and it is one of the most stable PHP frameworks of our time…using Laravel 5, to develop modules is real pleasure.”
Alongside this framework shift, Microweber have also been hard at work on the front end of their platform by re-designing their admin panel and live edit mode interface.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image08_1.jpg" />
We have make some changes on the live edit design. Now we have a buttons for Modules and Layouts and you can easily use which you like by drag and drop it to the page.
<h2>A New Website &amp; Marketplace</h2>
To go with all these major enhancements, Microweber has also reinvented their website.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image061079x0.jpg" />
Furthermore, the new Microweber Marketplace is now available from within the admin panel, and on the main website. From here on out, the entire Microweber community now can sell and buy modules, templates and licenses from either of the two interfaces. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image071079x0.jpg" />
Microweber have also announced a new affiliate program open to its users, which is available via the admin panel. 
All the finer details of Microweber Version 1 can be found via the official announcement. 
For more information on Microweber CMS, visit their <a href="http://microweber.com/" target="_blank">official website</a>, or better yet, <a href="http://demo.microweber.org/" target="_blank">test out a demo</a>.

Microweber Version 1 Released

Wix has just announced their latest vertical solution; <a href="http://www.wix.com/music/home" target="_blank">WixMusic</a>.
Still technically in beta, WixMusic has been designed to help musicians and vocal artists of all types sell their content. WixMusic includes an advanced music player, commission free sales, an easy to use management system, tracking and metrics, and a range of specifically designed music website templates.
Recently, Wix was made the winner of the <a href="/the-winner-of-the-2014-peoples-choice-cms-award-for-best-website-builder/" target="_blank">People's Choice CMS Award for Best Website Builder 2014</a>. The platform was also chosen to be covered in detail over at <a href="http://websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank">Website Builders Critic</a>.
Here's a video introducing WixMusic.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0hvm9pEQ4VQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>A Complete &amp; Commission-free Solution</h2>
Wix are aiming to empower users to professionally promote their music and audio content directly from their Wix websites. Optimized for mobile devices, WixMusic ensures music sharing and purchasing can continue on the go.
As with its previous vertical solution, WixHotels, WixMusic is a freemium solution, soon to be on offer to all Wix users.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wixmusic.jpg" />
Avishai Abrahami, the Co-Founder and CEO of Wix, made these comments upon the announcement:
<blockquote>“WixMusic is the latest verticalized solution added to the Wix platform, further executing our goal to provide comprehensive ways for anyone, including musicians, to build, manage and grow a business or brand online.
Musicians want to focus on their music, not code websites, or piece together the tools they need. That’s why we created a complete and commission-free solution, letting this unique professional audience create an online presence that encapsulates their sound.”</blockquote>
Check out the <a href="http://www.wix.com/music/home" target="_blank">Wix website</a> for more information about WixMusic.
And of course, be sure to swing by <a href="/products/wix/" target="_blank">Wix via our CMS Directory</a> to explore more of their platform.

Wix Announces WixMusic

The budding cloud-hosted eCommerce solution LemonStand has just introduced a handy one-page checkout system.
This news comes after <a href="https://www.lemonstandapp.com/">LemonStand</a>'s recent unveiling of content blocks, improving the platform's flexibility when it comes to design.
LemonStand's new checkout page is available in five new themes; Slate, Tanto, Hype, Mker, and Coffree, all of which are now available to all LemonStand customers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1-page-checkout-black_1700x0.jpg" />
<h2>One Page, Three Sections</h2>
The benefits of a one-page checkout will be known to most online merchants. It makes the shopping process easier for customers and streamlines the payment process — which is often the most drawn-out part.
LemonStand claims to have taken the following steps with this update:
<ul>
<li>Instead of presenting all the information on the page at once, we’ve broken it up into 3 easy sections. Customers can easily progress through each section, and nothing feels overwhelming.</li>
<li>The shipping address mirrors the billing if the checkbox is selected (it is by default).</li>
<li>Your customers can use their web browser’s back button, and it will take them through the steps (even though they are all on 1 page).</li>
<li>A payment method and shipping method are selected by default to reduce the needed clicks.</li>
</ul>
Also, as far as responsive design goes, LemonStand says that they, “paid attention to details, such as invoking the number keypad when the credit card number field is active for mobile devices.”
<h2>Customization &amp; A/B Testing</h2>
LemonStand enables users to customize each of the five themes related to its one-page checkout.
Users can fully customize the CSS to change the design, and there are also some basic options that you can customize right through the editor, some of which are unique to each theme.
LemonStand has encouraged their user base to take advantage of these customization options to not only tweak the design of their checkout pages, but to also implement A/B testing for better conversions. Some wise advice for sure!
Visit the LemonStand blog to find out more about their new checkout system, and <a href="https://www.lemonstandapp.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a> to start your online store today.

LemonStand Introduces One-page Checkout

Best Video Experience

Give your audience the best video experience

#000000

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 - 116