Articles - Page 162

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

janus-boye

Apps are the new black. Everyone wants their own. From Mom &amp; Pop shops to blue chip corporations, companies are scrambling to get their brand, product, or service in the app store. If you don't have an app, you might feel kind of lonely. Many developers, who spend their days managing a CMS or developing sites may consider the app market as the new gold country. Is this where you should be digging for gold? Is it time to pack up and move to mobile country?

<h2>The App Question</h2>
Before you rush into the app frenzy, stop and think. Do you need an app? Should you build one? What is the ROI from building an app?
Apps cost money to create. Plus, they have a subtle impact upon your brand. They can either erode your brand integrity or they can build a stronger brand presence and more loyal customer base. An app can frustrate users, or it can be a huge crowd-pleaser. An app can either drive conversions or it can slow conversions. Before you decide to build an app, you need to have an overall mobile strategy.
<h2>The Mobile Imperative</h2>
You probably already know that mobile is huge. You might even be reading this article on a mobile device. Every company with an online presence — which is basically every company by now — needs to have a mobile strategy. That mobile strategy is going to look different for every single company.
Here's the thing to remember about a mobile strategy. As Google's Mobile Playbook explains, having a mobile strategy does not mean having an app. You can have a robust presence on mobile without investing the time and resources into creating an app. Using a website with responsive design, for example, is often a more cost-effective and reasonable solution for many companies.
<h2>What is an app for?</h2>
What's the whole purpose behind an app? There are two broad potential purposes:
1.  Entertainment:  E.g., Pandora, Angry Birds, Kindle, Words With Friends, Instagram, Zombie Apocalypse
Game apps are great. As I write, I have two Words with Friends games going on. (I'm losing both games.) Are you a mobile game maker? Is your company name Zynga? If so, then entertainment apps are perfect for you. If, on the other hand, your company is not in the mobile gaming industry, this is probably not a great option. Some companies, however, have chosen such a strategy.
F'or example, Capri Sun created an iPad game. I downloaded it for my toddler daughter to play. The game consisted of trying to score points by throwing a beach ball into a goal defended by a dolphin. You can also make the dolphin do tricks. It was cute. My daughter played it a few times.
I don't think we've drunk Capri Sun since downloading the app three years ago.
2.  Utility or Information:  Docs to Go, Evernote, CNN, Dropbox, Flashlight, Maps, Weather
If you see someone busy on their mobile device, chances are, they're playing a game or surfing Facebook. If they aren't, they might actually be working, catching up on the news. or emailing a colleague. Useful tools comprise a vast number of apps. Many companies who create traditional software tools have also created useful mobile versions of their software. For example, Evernote users may use the robust desktop version, an equally powerful online version, or a scaled down Evernote for their Android or iPad mini. Most companies, however, are not in position to profit from a new utility app.
<h2>An App that Promotes Your Brand</h2>
One website with an obviously older article discusses apps for “promotional purposes.” The article seems to indicate that promotional apps are a great idea. It can “enhance your status and stand out of other competitors [sic].”
Are brand promoting apps a good idea? It all depends.
Obviously, the Capri Sun app, mentioned above, is promoting its brand. It's probably not trying to become another Zynga. What about Coca-Cola? They have an app, several actually. One of their apps allows you to play games. Another Coca-Cola app allows users to view the history of the Coca-Cola product and brand. Starbucks has created an app that allows users to make purchases, earn stars, create custom drinks, and even get free music. It's like a loyalty card, only it's an interactive app.
Perhaps the overarching reason why a company would create an app — be it an app for utility or entertainment — is to promote their brand. Is this a good idea for your company? Are people going to download an app you made in order to play with a dolphin or read about your brand's history? Do you have an international chain of coffee shops where people can use your app to make purchases? Maybe, but probably not.
<h2>Making a Decision</h2>
Though the siren call of apps is strong, the numbers tell a different story:*
<ul>
<li>73% of mobile users would rather use a mobile website to do shopping, rather than an app. </li>
<li>60% of mobile users prefer entertainment via their browser rather than an app.</li>
</ul>
(Stats taken from http://mashable.com/2012/06/06/mobile-site-mobile-app-infographic/)
There are plenty of good reasons to build an app. App users are generally more engaged with your brand. Besides, apps provide a greater level of interactivity and functionality. As the mobile browsing experience matures, however, there is less and less driving motivation to build an app.
You're out to make an impact, not waste money on a dud. Before you move forward with your awesome app idea, stop and think for a moment. Apps have had their heyday.  Your answer to the app question may be instead to focus your development on responsive design and mobile customization rather than app building.

Should You Build an App?

daniel-threlfall

How Do You Get a Blog?

mike-johnston

Shaun Walker is the Co-Founder and CTO of DotNetNuke Corporation. In this interview, Shaun took some time so share with us his thoughts about how the product came to be, where he sees it going and some insight into his background. We hope you find it an interesting read. 
With that said, here's the interview.
Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background.
My name is Shaun Walker and I am the Co-Founder and CTO of DotNetNuke Corporation (DNN) and the creator of the DotNetNuke open source project. I started my professional career in 1992 as a
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/shaun_walker_color_headshot_small.jpg" alt="Shaun Walker" /> Shaun Walker
software developer and have worked in a variety of different software disciplines over the years including development, architecture, project management, and product management.
My first experiences with software development were in elementary school on the Commodore 64 and later on IBM PC’s and mainframes. My first professional experience was writing accounting and payroll software for school districts and municipalities on the DEC VAX/VMS environment using VAX BASIC. In the mid-nineties I made a switch to the Microsoft platform and gradually developed my skills writing desktop, client/server, and web software. In 2000, when Microsoft came out with its next generation platform, the .NET framework, I knew I was going to have to upgrade my skills so I downloaded a sample application that Microsoft had made available called the IBuySpy Portal and I proceeded to add a bunch of additional functionally to it over the next 2 years.
Can you tell us about how the idea of DotNetNuke was born?
My original idea was to create a web application for amateur sports clubs to manage their own team websites.  The idea was that the application needed to be simple and easy to use for non-technical folks and it needed to have the ability to host many different team sites from the same web hosting account (which is now referred to as a multi-tenant architecture). After working on the application for a couple years in my spare time, I concluded that I wasn’t going to be able do anything commercially with it due to the other commitments in my life. I also realized that most of the features I had created were applicable to not only sports organizations, but also to businesses, non-profits, etc. Essentially I had created a general purpose content management system. And since I had some experience with open source software in the past, I decided the best way to get value from the effort I had invested was to release my application as open source (this decision was made in spite of the fact that Microsoft was openly and publicly opposed to the open source software movement at that time). I packaged up the source code and posted it for download on December 24th, 2002. And the rest is history.
When &amp; how did the DNN Corporation come about?
From 2002 to 2006 I managed the open source project through my personal consulting company, based in British Columbia, Canada. In late 2003, the Web Platform and Tools group within Microsoft actually recognized the value of the work I was doing and offered to sponsor me for a year, which led to my pivotal decision to quit my full-time job and devote my full attention to the open source project. By 2006 the project had grown substantially with millions of downloads and hundreds of thousands of users, and I decided that it was time to get serious about creating a suitable legal entity to ensure the longevity of open source project and be the official steward of the DotNetNuke brand. DotNetNuke Corporation was incorporated in September 2006 as a U.S.-based company and Scott Willhite, Joe Brinkman, and Nik Kalyani joined me as co-founders. The first order of business was to establish a suitable revenue model which could provide the project with adequate resources to continue to grow and expand its footprint.
Over the years, DNN has seen a lot of competitors come and go, what do you think has helped the product maintain its popularity?
DNN has maintained its popularity by adhering strongly to a number of core principles. First, our software is available under a standard MIT open source license which provides the maximum freedom in both commercial and non-commercial environments. Second, the platform is architected in a highly extensible manner which allows third party developers to customize the application and add their own functionality. Third, there is a large ecosystem of third party ISVs building skins and modules, as well as System Integrators and Web Agencies who have based a significant portion of their livelihood on implementations of the DNN platform for customers.  And last but not least, we have been able to successfully maintain the fine balance between the free open source community and the needs of commercial businesses.  Our commercial product edition provides us with the resources needed to continue to innovate and build on the product and ensure the longevity of the free open source platform.
What led you to take DNN to the enterprise level it’s at today? What factors contributed to its success?
A common phenomenon for many open source projects is that they get adoption by software developers within large enterprise environments. This is largely because the cost and licensing is not a significant blocking factor as it typically is for commercial software applications. Once the open source software is utilized in these environments, it typically starts to evolve very rapidly to support some of the advanced functionality and more sophisticated use cases that exist in the enterprise. So rather than the software vendor having to “push” its product into the enterprise, open source software tends to experience a “pull” from enterprise users as they try to utilize it in a variety of scenarios. This results in the software adapting to meet the specific needs of enterprise customers and ultimately becoming an enterprise level solution.
The factors that contributed to the success of DNN in this regard was:
<ul>
<li>the MIT open source license,</li>
<li>the extensible architecture which could easily adapt to new use cases,</li>
<li>the availability of high quality commercial third party extensions which enterprise customers could immediately take advantage of to fulfill their business objectives,</li>
<li>and the presence of DNN Corp as an official steward and legal entity behind the open source project</li>
</ul>
How does the open source philosophy tie into how DNN operates as a company?
We prefer to operate under a philosophy that we refer to as the “abundance mentality.” This is simply defined as a belief there are enough resources and success to share with others. One of the fundamental ways in which we live and breathe this philosophy is by making our software available under a highly liberal open source license. However, it does not stop there. Every program or service we offer is intended to be a win/win with our community; we feel that the collective success of the various members of our ecosystem ensure our own success as steward. As the number of users and businesses utilizing DNN increases, so do the opportunities available to everyone. In economics terms, we do not believe in a zero-sum game; rather, we believe that as the ocean rises, all the boats will rise with it.
What do you consider the biggest achievement over the years for DNN?
For a software application to exist for ten years and continue to be highly relevant is definitely a big achievement in our opinion. DNN has been able to achieve that by being well-entrenched in a very dynamic and growing market sector, and by constantly investing in product innovation that allows us to adapt to the latest technology trends. This would not have been possible without our other big achievement, which is raising venture capital from some of the most reputable investment firms in the world.
The biggest failure?
Hindsight is 20/20. It is hard to categorize anything as an absolute failure as there are always important lessons to be learned from every mistake. That being said, I do believe that there may have been some benefit of incorporating DNN earlier in our evolution, solidifying a scalable company structure behind the project, and accelerating more quickly with the addition of more key resources. And another regret, which I believe is a common one for any serious entrepreneur, is not recognizing and capitalizing on emerging trends or opportunities earlier.
What do you see as the future of the product?
DNN continues to invest in product innovation and quality so that we can serve our diverse and rapidly growing customer base. Specifically, we are laser-focused on providing business solutions that enable customers to take advantage of the most significant and disruptive industry trends around cloud computing, social collaboration, mobile devices, and managing big data.
What separates it from the competition?
Our open source license, our large ecosystem of commercial ISVs and Systems Integrators, our focus on developing best-of-breed functionality for social communities and collaboration, and our modern cloud infrastructure allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.
If there was one thing you could have done differently, what would it be.
It is hard to pinpoint one thing that I would have done differently. Life is not a straight line; it is a winding path full of many unexpected surprises. I think it is important to plan, but it is equally important to be able to adapt. From a business model perspective, we learned very early on that there is no blueprint for how to successfully combine an open source software project with a commercial software business. So you need to be prepared for some experimentation and education in real-time as you pursue your goals. At the end of the day, all I can advise is that you stay true to your core values and trust your instincts.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
In five years’ time, I hope to see that the DotNetNuke platform is just as relevant and innovative as it is today. I see our product lines expanding to include more specialized solutions that solve specific problems for customers. Our footprint in the enterprise will expand significantly and I see our customers having a more intimate relationship with the corporation as we get deeper into the business of providing cloud infrastructure. On the product side, we will have a very comprehensive story around mobile and social, and I am sure there will be plenty of exciting new industry trends that we have not yet even anticipated that we will need to adapt to so that our customers can take full advantage of them in their business.
Thanks for your time today, Shaun
I appreciate the opportunity to share the story of DNN with your readers. Hopefully it will inspire them to pursue their dreams but also realize that opportunities sometimes reveal themselves while you are busy making other plans.
To learn more about DotNetNuke, visit their website: <a href="http://www.dotnetnuke.com/">DotNetNuke</a>

Interview with Shaun Walker – Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of DotNetNuke Corporation

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ian_truscott_crop1_200px_high.jpg" />As you may have heard, SDL recently <a href="http://www.sdl.com/aboutus/news/pressreleases/2013/sdl-acquires-bemoko-and-extends-leadership-in-customer-experience-management-offering.html">acquired mobile web solutions provider Bemoko</a> to enhance their Tridion content management system. To help us understand what it was that made this acquisition attractive to SDL, we decided to speak with VP of Product Marketing for SDL Content Management Technologies Division, Ian Truscott.
Why did SDL feel it was necessary to purchase bemoko as opposed to implementing their own solution?
 Good question. SDL already has a strong track record of customers using Tridion to deliver content to mobile devices.
In addition to the underlying platform capability to do that, we have been investing in a product strategy to deliver this single, multi-channel delivery tier for some time. For example, the 2011 product release included functionality that enabled the content author to preview and then edit in context content as it appeared on a selected mobile device – so this was our trajectory, toward a single multi-channel delivery tier.
What we found in bemoko was a complimentary technology that will accelerate the realization of that underlying strategy. We are probably best known for the strength of our content model (managing content variants, multiple sites and channel localization through the BluePrinting model) and we found that the way bemoko manages devices is very complimentary to that.
That complimentary fit was essential for us; our strategy dictated a single delivery tier – I refer to this as an experience tier – rather than a bolt on capability, a silo of technology/content or an additional thing for our customers to figure out.
In addition, an acquisition obviously brings talent to the organization – and in this case we have acquired some outstanding individuals that will be a key part of delivering this strategy.
Why bemoko specifically?
Our research revealed what I think most people assume about this space, there are a lot of niche players. What we found during that research was a wide variance in what mobile vendors offered in terms of the product/services mix.
As I touched on in your last question we needed technology that had a level of maturity that would accelerate our own strategy and people that would contribute and fit into the SDL culture. In the UK we have a saying that” you are judged by the company you keep” and in bemoko we found they kept pretty good company as a technology provider for brands such as Pizza Hut and Cable &amp; Wireless.
What does this new offering bring to SDL’s current feature set?
Put simply, on day one, it gives our customers an “out of the box” delivery platform that renders content optimized for the device (from a trusted partner with an investment in the integration) and analytics to provide insight into that experience.
Of course they all say that – so I think some of the highlights are the way it handles image scaling (something often forgotten in responsive design strategies), the way it manages device families, inheritance of capabilities and a focus on salability and security – all consistent with the needs of a typical enterprise Tridion customer.
That’s just day one – going forward – and this will start in our next major Tridion release at the end of this year – these capabilities will be baked into our next generation content delivery platform. A delivery platform that already includes the targeting and personalization functionality we have built or acquired through the FredHopper and Alterian acquisitions.
Can we expect mobile apps from SDL in the future that coexist with / allow interaction with the CMS?
This was already happening thorough our UX development strategy; significant parts of the product are already optimized for touch and this will continue. We anticipate a growing number of our users to be using mobile devices to contribute and manage content.
Will bemoko continue to operate under the bemoko name or will they disappear and become absorbed by SDL instead?
I think the rest of my answers give you a sense of the nature of this acquisition; we see the technology from bemoko in the core of our next generation content delivery platform – rather than as a bolt on.
What other future opportunities does this acquisition present for SDL?
Talking to our customers, they are moving from mobile being a side project, limited to some brands, markets, products or services – a content/technology silo – to being a part of their mainstream content and marketing operations. This obviously coincides with how their customers are engaging with them – access to the web is ubiquitous as we reach for whatever device comes to hand.
We therefore perceive a future for digital customer experience that is omni-channel, not simply that you can blast your content out and it looks pretty on a smaller screen – but that as a consumer you can move between digital touch points and maintain a consistency of conversation from device to device during that engagement – something that leverages all of the pieces of the CXM platform that we are building out.
Does this round out all of the necessary pieces that SDL needs to provide a solid solution for the consumer or are there still other pieces of the pie that you are looking to fill?
That depends on the pie! Joking aside, it really does depend on what is the customers need and therefore what would make up a solid solution for them. If we ring fence this conversation around the mobile web, then yes.
—end–
So there you have it. I fully expect we'll see more and more acquisitions coming down the pipeline involving other vendors within the next year or so as they scramble to ensure their products are mobile ready.
For more info, visit SDL online at <a href="http://www.sdl.com/products/tridion/">www.sdl.com/products/tridion/</a>

Interview with Ian Truscott of SDL about the Bemoko Acquisition

<img title="Responsive Design" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/responsivedesign.jpg" alt="Responsive Design" />
 
There’s no arguing about this fact:  Responsive Design is really important. No doubt you’ve heard of it. Maybe you know a little bit about it. Perhaps you even have a responsive site already. Whatever the case, responsive design is the new must-have of website design. Here’s why.

<h2>The Importance of Responsive Design – A Word from the Pros</h2>
The tech oracles have spoken on the importance of RWD. Neil Patel (<a href="http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/03/04/how-to-optimize-responsive-design-for-conversions/">QuickSprout</a>) wrote that “ responsive design is “ a standard that’s taking everything you know about web design and turning it on its side.” He claims that responsive design influences everything about a site, including conversion rates. He’s right. John Polacek’s masterful treatment of the subject declares that it’s a “fundamental shift in how we’ll build websites for the decade to come.” <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/responsive-web-design/">Mashable</a> prophesies that 2013 is “the year of responsive design.” .net Magazine placed responsive design at number two of their <a href="http://www.netmagazine.com/features/15-top-web-design-and-development-trends-2012">Top Web Design Trends</a> for 2012.
This is kind of a big deal.
There’s more to responsive design that just tweaking CSS or adding bits of code to a site. Responsive design is all about how the web is maturing.
<h2>Responsive design is important because mobile is dominating.</h2>
Responsive design was born because of mushrooming mobile statistics. When the market became saturated with mobile users, we all finally realized that tiny screens weren’t optimal for traditional websites. UX stunk. Responsive design was the answer. The growth in mobile is where every discussion of responsive design must begin.
<h2>Responsive design fills in where apps left off.</h2>
Apps are not the answer to a mobile-saturated society. As mobile devices grew in popularity, so did the demand and appetite for apps. Remember Apple’s slogan,  “there’s an app for that”? That was so 2010. We’ve reached a point now where apps have plateaued. Plus, the iPhone isn’t the only big player in the mobile market. There are more platforms that need to be appified. Savvy companies don’t feel the need to rush out and make a fancy app. Instead, they unleash the power of responsive design. It’s better, smarter, cheaper, and way more 2013. Besides, if conversions are the goal, why create an app? An app can often be a distraction or barrier to conversions. Responsive saves the day by allowing a businesses website to do what it’s supposed to do rather than get bogged down in app building.
<h2>Responsive meets the need of multiple devices.</h2>
Today, we've got desktops, notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and handhelds of every size, dimension, and resolution. With all these net-accessing devices, there is no way that a static site design will please everyone. The variety of devices demands responsive design.
<h2>Responsive design is a design necessity.</h2>
We can’t forget that responsive design is at its core a design phenomenon, despite its far-reaching implications. As a design feature, it is designed to take away the unnecessary aspects of a web presence. After all, when you access a responsively designed site on your mobile device, you don’t see everything that you would see if you were to visit from your desktop browser. Responsive design is about simplicity. In order to meet the scaled-down sizes of tablets, minis, and mobiles, responsive sheds the excess, and offers the beautiful and simple core. This is a design trend that’s not going away soon.
Regardless of what CMS you use, what industry you’re in, or what your role in your company is, responsive design is important. Now, it’s time to do something about it.  If you are on WordPress, check out our list of where to get <a href="/where-to-get-responsive-wordpress-themes/">Responsive WordPress themes</a> to get started in your transition to a responsive design.

Why Responsive Design is So Important

One of our readers recently made an interesting comment on one of my write-ups from the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-summit-2013-day-1-highlights/">Adobe Summit</a> that I attended this past week. The read asked “Where's the Criticism?”, which made me feel it was necessary to write this post so that the rest of our readers understand how we think and what we hope to achieve here at CMS Critic.
Our goal is not to bombard you with re-worded press releases (although admittedly, at times it's necessary to share them), but to keep our articles fun, fresh, and informative. We tend to share personal experiences alongside reporting which is why this site is considered a blog. You come here for the opinion, you get it when it's warranted.
When it comes to CMS reviews, make no mistake, we aim to be 100% unbiased in how we handle them.  We make it very clear that we will write what we think and we always aim to be brutally honest. I think, personally, that's what separates us from some of the other sites out there. Here at Critic, we like to think we bring a balanced view to the table no matter where we go or what we review. I've definitely written my share of reviews that were not necessarily positive and I'm sure I'll do the same in the future. That's part of the game and that's how we keep our reviews honest.
On the flip side of the coin, if we are invited to attend conferences by a company, we will absolutely ask the tough questions if we feel there are any that need asking but our objective when we are there is to COVER the news and share the experience with you and not to find negativity just for the sake of it. Would you like me to tell you that the food wasn't as great as last year? It wasn't, but does that really matter? Or would you prefer to just get a quick overview of the key elements of the conference and get a feel for what it's like should you choose to attend?
The latter, I believe, is more important.
Another item I'd like to add is that before most interviews or prior to question periods, I usually put a call out on Twitter to see if anyone has any questions they'd like me to ask. If I get no replies and I have no tough questions of my own, I roll with the punches.
We want this site to be as interactive as possible and we welcome any input from you as to how we can improve, what we can do, how you'd like to be involved. I think it's great that people raise points like this as they often form the basis for discussion and help us clear the air, which I think is great.
So that's what our goal is and that's how I think personally. Do you have comments or thoughts to share? I welcome them. Please offer up your comments and suggestions below. I promise to reply to each of them personally if warranted.
Thanks for reading,
Mike

Where's the Criticism?

<a href="https://plus.google.com/101942254766672606204/about" target="_blank"><img alt=" Google+ Profile Cover" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot024-620x329.png" /></a> click to view profile
If you have logged into Google+ recently and found your profile page has changed you are not alone. Google+ has just released a new way of managing your profile content on Google+ and since it is one of the most vital profiles you need you ought to get the most out of it. In the process of updating my information I realised that, although Google is not traditionally thought of as a content management system, really it is. I believe you should use your Google+ profile in much the same way you would use LinkedIn and the new features allow you to do this in even more detail. It should act as a professional overview of your abilities and online presence. Google+ is a great way to expand and manage your network, not just based on who you know, but it helps you easily find people and companies who match your interests. All you have to do is search. So if you want to sell yourself online and be noticed you need to make the most out of the latest Google+ profile update.
<h2>New Look</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot027-620x128.png" alt="Google+ Profile Cover Prompt" /> click to enlarge image
The very first thing you are asked when you go to your Google+ profile is to change your cover picture. I recommend changing this to one image that resonates with you and also matches your professional image. If you are a photographer pick one of your photos that you love. Every time you take another photograph you want to showcase then use it as your cover, collecting your best work overtime into your scrapbook.
If you're not a photographer or artist a good tip is to go through your photo albums on Google+, especially the “Photos from Posts” album, and just browse until you find an image that stands out. It is good etiquette to credit the original artist/photographer, after you set your cover, by going into your Photos &gt; Albums &gt; Scrapbook Photos. Then click on the photo you are using for your cover and add a caption with the image credit, edit the photo itself or tag people in. If you don't know the credit you can do a Google search on the image (click the camera next to the search box) and try and find it. This builds a good first impression with others on Google+ that can only benefit your network in the long run.
The cover you pick should also work in miniaturised form, because when you hover over someone's icon in your Google+ stream your cover image will now encompass your profile avatar. If you have any issues with the cover crop or scale then you can find <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101942254766672606204/posts/UWPMCv5BKie" target="_blank">a work around here</a>. You should also check your avatar and make sure the image works in the circler space it has been given in your cover, since this used to be a rectangular image. When you scroll down your Google+ profile page the very bottom part of your cover, where your avatar is, will stay frozen at the top of the screen. Therefore make sure that your cover is not an image that looks odd cut off in this fashion.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot025-620x328.png" alt="Google+ Profile Mini" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>Profile Features</h2>
The various sub-sections of the Google+ profile have been altered as well. Instead of an ‘about' page you now have a ‘story'. I would recommend reviewing whatever content you currently have in your profile and updating it to keep it fresh. It is very easy to let profile information get out of date with all the different kinds of web accounts we have in this day and age, but Google+ is one of the places where you need to keep it current. Often it is the first place people will go to decide if you are worth circling and interacting with.
If you haven't added your story before I would use the “Tagline” to give a one sentence description of who you are and what you do. The “Information” field can be used as a space to do an application letter highlighting your personal qualities, interests and skills. “Bragging rights” are your achievements and what makes you stand out from the crowd.
The work section of your Google+ profile has been extended so you can now add descriptions of your job, responsibilities and achievements. This is also true for the education section as well. There is also a ‘skills' field under the employment section where you can list all the relevant keywords that people would use to search for someone with your talents. Basic information, contact details, links and places act in much the same way they used to, just using the new style.
There is also a new section called ‘<a href="https://support.google.com/plus/?hl=en&amp;p=plus_sign_in" target="_blank">apps</a>‘ that allows you to connect your profile to third party services with your Google+ account. Just as you might use your twitter account to sign into the app <a href="http://www.Twuffer.com" target="_blank">twuffer</a> to schedule your tweets, you can now use your Google+ account in the same way to connect to games, websites and mobile apps. Google also provides you with the option of viewing your profile as yourself or as the public would see it, so you can check if your permissions are right.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot026-620x315.png" alt=" Google+ Profile Mini" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Your Google+ profile is an incredibly important part of your web presence, so the content you share there should reflect you in the best possible light. Trip Chowdhry, the Managing Director of Equity Research at Global Equities Research said in an article at <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/05/2546884/linkedin-vs-google" target="_blank">Benzinga </a>“if you look to the long-term, I think Google+ would be a very serious challenger to LinkedIn… I think Google+ will start challenging LinkedIn, not immediately, but probably 12 months to 18 months from now” and that was in May 2012. With the recent changes in the Google+ profile I can really see how this could be so, considering all the other services Google can integrate such as Google Authorship. So get ahead of the curve and start <a href="http://plus.google.com" target="_blank">pimping your profile</a> now.
<a href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/TECH/social.media/07/15/google.plus.male.mashable/t1larg.jpg"><img title="+You Google+ Profile" alt="+You Google+ Profile" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/_you-620x348.jpg" /></a> click to enlarge image

How To Take Advantage Of The Latest Google+ Profile Update - March 2013

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App development can be quiet lucrative if you hit the market just right, but many people don't have the time to invest in learning how to code their own apps. This is where AppMachine comes in, they are a CMS for app development. AppMachine is not open to the public yet, but people can now <a href="http://www.appmachine.com/de/sign-up-for-the-beta/" target="_blank">apply for an invite</a> to test out the beta version. I managed to get my account approved and I got a sneak preview of what's to come. They are a CMS (rather than a <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1636259/difference-between-web-application-framework-and-a-content-management-system" target="_blank">framework</a>) and cater to those who wish to connect all their content, social networks, services and online products into a handy app for their customers.
<h2>Using AppMachine</h2>
A lot of the steps are rather simple in AppMachine so I will glance over them a little. When you first login you will be asked to agree to the beta agreement, terms and conditions as well as being prompted to watch the demo video. Unfortunately there seems to be an issue in this part of the system. I've noticed after some time when I click back on the “My Apps” tab in the main menu, after being away from it a little while, it will ask me to sign all these agreements again. Even if you check the tick box on the video, not to be shown the next time you login, it still pops up. Also the demo video they offer seems to be in Dutch. I had to go off to their main <a href="http://www.appmachine.com/" target="_blank">website</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/appmachinecom" target="_blank">youtube</a> to find an English video, which to be honest, I found a little off putting in style. Things got better however.
After that you are automatically thrown into the wizard for creating a new app. If you exit out of this screen you will go to your app list, which by default has a few example apps in it to give you inspiration. The wizard, however, will take you through 4 stages. It will ask you to enter your app name and a website that holds links to all the content associated with this app. It will then automatically search the site for posts, feeds, images and other connected networks to import content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-searching-feeds-620x404.png" alt="AppMachine Searching Feeds" /> click to enlarge image
It will then give you the chance to decide which content you want include; your app is then generated and ready for customization. Under the “Build” menu you work with a “Lego-style” block interface to configure the functionality of your app. Each block has a number of setting tabs, some of which you may not have access to depending on the type of plan you have. If you are a designer who wants to completely redesign the look of the interface, AppMachine also gives you template images you can open in Photoshop to use as a guideline. Make sure that whenever you change something under the build menu, you click the yellow “save” button in the top right-hand side of the screen. There are a couple of issues in this part of the system too: I found that sometimes the save button doesn't show up and when I navigate away I lose work. It should show up the second you change something, if it doesn't then refresh the page. The other issue is the block text areas for the “information block” and “product description” seem not to save at all. They did, however, have rich text editors for those long text fields, so once they save your data they will be quiet useful.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-product-novopulp-620x325.png" alt="AppMachine Product NovoPulp" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>LiveView and the Previewer App</h2>
I think one of the best parts of AppMachine is the way it lets you preview your app whilst you build it. AppMachine comes with two handy tools for previewing your work: LiveView and Previewer. Previewer is a free app you can install on your mobile phone and login with your AppMachine account details. Then it gives you a list of your apps that you can preview in it's current state. I found this to be easy to use and a great way to see how your app looks on a mobile device to resolve issues.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-previewer-np-app-620x930.png" alt="AppMachine Previewer NovoPulp App" /> click to enlarge image
LiveView is an option to connect your mobile device to the mock-up iPhone wireframe that you see on the right-hand side of every webpage in the AppMachine dashboard. You do this by going into the Previewer app and clicking the “LiveView” button in the top right-hand side of the app list. This will then connect to LiveView in your browser. You will see a list of your devices connected and then you can browse your apps in much the same way as the previewer app.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-liveview-620x287.png" alt="AppMachine LiveView Connected" /> click to enlarge image
The only downside about LiveView is that it is bandwidth intensive and if you're on a rural broadband connection like me it is rather slow. I stuck to the Previewer app in the end.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
AppMachine is free whilst you develop and test your app but when you want to publish there is a one off charge. There are 3 plans: gorgeous (individuals building their own apps), designer (advanced design features) and developer (advanced developer features). I was given a gorgeous account so I can't comment on the other two plans. The advanced plans have additional kinds of blocks to add to your app and the other features listed below to improve the quality of your mobile application. The development plan will allow for web services, which opens up a whole lot of possibility. I understand, at the moment though, that not all of the developer plan features are ready yet.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-plans-620x520.png" alt="AppMachine Pricing Plans" /> click to enlarge image
On top of the publication charge there is also an update fee, which can be either a one off upgrade or on a monthly service plan to cover all eventualities.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-updates-620x222.png" alt="AppMachine Update Fees" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
If this was a product that gave you a framework to build more than the equivalent of a landing page app it might be a better return on investment, but I think at this stage it is unlikely to refer enough sales and customers to cover the costs for most users. For larger companies that can afford to take a hit as early adopters in order to provide a useful service to a large customer base, however, may still find it useful. Coming in now does allows you to participate in moulding it's expansion and to get ahead in development experience at a platform that I'm sure could be popular. The process for creating apps is very intuitive and uncluttered, developing and testing is very user friendly. I put my app together in about an hour and I never had to look for help.
Once AppMachine is live to the public, who knows what other functionally they may add next. With time I could see them “go enterprise” and earn the price range they seem to be targeting.

AppMachine Review - CMS for App Development

Day 2 of the Adobe Summit kicked off with the General sessions in which John Mellor, VP of Strategy for Digital Marketing was greeted on stage by the crazy space jumper, (and I say crazy because you have to be crazy to jump from space.. ) Felix Baumgartner (@itsFelixB),
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1day2.jpg" alt="Felix Baumgartner during Day 2 General Sessions" /> Felix Baumgartner with John Mellor during Day 2 General Sessions
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2day2.jpg" alt="Felix Baumgartner during Day 2 General Sessions" /> Felix Baumgartner during Day 2 General Sessions
It was an interesting session in which Mr. Baumgartner shared what he had to go through in order to pull off such a high profile event. It was especially interesting listening to his marketing mind and how it works. He is very appreciate of all of the hard work that the various team members put into making his jump happen. Mr. Baumgartner definitely did an amazing job of marketing himself for this jump and as a result, had a staggering amount of views on YouTube and broke the record for most live views.
Following Felix were representatives from Nascar and NBC Universal. They certainly had a tough act to follow with Felix taking the lead out of the gate but did an admirable job. You can catch a bit of what they said in our Twitter stream below.
The closing talk was given by Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, a Not-for-profit organization aiming to provide free education to everyone, everywhere. I must admit, I didn't know what to expect from his talk but I would be surprised if there was anyone in the audience who wasn't completely engaged throughout his entire talk. Not only is this man an amazing inspiration, but his humor and humility easily stole the show.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/day2.jpg" alt="Salman Khan - Khan Academy" /> Salman Khan – Khan Academy
I will admit that there were a number of times during his talk when both my wife and I became choked up listening to how he has changed the lives of people who thought they were never going to succeed. He's an amazing man and you can tell from the Twitter stream below, I'm not the only one who was blown away. I feel privileged that I was able to hear his story.
For those who missed our tweets during the opening session, here’s a breakdown of the key items we, and some others, shared. Thanks for reading!
[[highlights2]]

Adobe Summit 2013 – Day 2 Highlights

Sure, we could write all about the Adobe Summit (<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/adobe/">and we have</a>) but nothing speaks better than photos so we're going to share with you some of our favorites that we took at this years Summit.
Click on the pictures to get the full size. You can then view them in a slideshow if you like. Happy viewing!
[justified_image_grid ids=10041,10083,10082,10081,10080,10079,10078,10077,10076,10075,10066,10065,10064,10063,10062,10061,10060,10059,10051,10050,10049,10048,10047,10046,10045,10044]
For more on the Adobe Summit, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/adobe/">go here</a>.

Adobe Summit 2013 in Pictures

Today marked day one of the Digital Marketing Conference known as Adobe Summit. It kicked off with the usual fanfare and a crowd of over 5,000 people in attendance from over 27 different countries. Again this year, Brad Rencher started things off with his keynote address entitled “The Last Millisecond”.
In a nutshell, his keynote highlighted the need that all marketers have to capture and react within milliseconds in order to create individual experiences that compel consumers to act and engage with your brand.
Brad was joined on stage by Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, who reinforced Adobe's commitment to changing the way we, as digital marketers, work with their new Adobe Marketing Cloud (<a href="/adobe-kicks-off-adobe-summit-their-digital-marketing-conference/">read more about these announcements here</a>).
Rather than reiterate what was said, I'd suggest you watch the live stream here: <a href="http://summit.adobe.com/stream.html">http://summit.adobe.com/stream.html</a>
Following Mr. Narayen's address to the crowd, we were greeted with a taste of how the new Adobe Marketing Cloud makes it easier for all functional areas; from marketing to data analysts; to communicate quickly and efficiently without the need for huge delays and red tape.
For those who missed our tweets during the keynotes, here's a breakdown of the key items we, and some others, shared:[<a href="//storify.com/cmscritic/adobe-summit-keynote-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View the story “Adobe Summit Keynote Highlights” on Storify</a>]
Following the keynotes, we had an opportunity to ask questions of the Adobe Executives at a Press Q&amp;A event. Most of the questions seemed to come from analysts but we asked a few which we thought were relevant. The first of which is when can we expect to see the full suite of Adobe Marketing Cloud products generally available?
According to Brad Rencher, they are aiming to have them ready for public consumption by mid-summer and are beta testing as we speak with a number of partners and customers. Let's hope that deadline stands true and we can get our hands on this product sooner rather than later.
How long will the typical implementation last? Is it going to be faster than previous iterations of these products? Yes, says Mr. Narayen. The more we get these five solutions integrated with one another, the smoother the implementation will be and it certainly doesn't hurt that these services are all SaaS based now, which eliminates the need for deploying on customer hardware / environments.
What's next on the docket for CMS Critic today? We have the press reception to attend following by the famed Summit Bash we <a href="/the-summit-bash-at-the-adobe-digital-marketing-summit/">wrote about last year</a>. This year, we get a live concert from Grammy award-winning rockers, The Black Keys. Life is rough in SLC.. but trudge on we must…
Want to learn more about Adobe's products? Visit them online at <a href="http://www.adobe.com">http://www.adobe.com</a>

Adobe Summit 2013 - Day 1 Highlights

As you know, we think it's important to not just share the news but also to share the experience, so we've put together a few photos of the welcome reception that was held this evening at the 2013 <a href="http://summit.adobe.com">Adobe Summit</a> (Adobe's Digital Marketing Conference). For those who could not attend, this is for you. For those who chose not to attend, stay tuned, we'll be sure to show you all kinds of reasons you should have ?
In a nutshell, today was an excellent opportunity to mingle and meet with some of the many partners and exhibitors here at the Adobe Summit. The main conference program kicks off tomorrow morning with the keynotes and continues on through Friday.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for more from the Summit or <a href="http://twitter.com/cmscritic">follow us on Twitter</a> to get the latest updates.
As promised, here's a gallery of todays event:
[justified_image_grid ids=10044,10045,10046,10051,10050,10048,10047]

The Welcome Reception at the 2013 Adobe Summit

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