Articles - Page 189

The Top 10 AI Tools for Small Business: From Automation to a Coordinated Team of AI Agents

matt-garrepy

In episode two of Software Explorer, I'm taking a look at <a href="http://www.appypie.com/">Appypie</a>, the ‘free' app builder. However, unlike with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/software-explorer-mobirise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">my experience with Mobirise from episode one</a>, it's not all sunshine and rainbows this time around.
Despite some decent functionality, Appypie threw me a curveball that would make me hesitant to use it again in future. Small businesses looking for a simple app presence will find a use for Appypie. but check out the video to find out why I'd suggest exploring other app makers first.
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EoWiE73DmpI?feature=oembed"></iframe>
To learn more about Appypie, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com">check out their website</a>.
What do you think of Appypie? Let me know in the comments section below!

[Video] Software Explorer Episode 2: Appypie

mike-johnston

Corel has released <a href="http://www.coreldraw.com/en/product/home-student/?topNav=en?utm_source=CORPnewsRelease&amp;utm_medium=media&amp;utm_campaign=SMPRDRAW&amp;utm_content=HS" rel="nofollow">CorelDRAW® Home and Student Suite X8</a>, the latest edition of its graphic design and photo editing software suite for hobbyists and students that delivers pro-quality graphics tools at a highly affordable price. CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 features user-friendly tools for design, layout, and tracing, along with the powerful photo-editing capabilities of Corel® PHOTO-PAINT® Home and Student X8 and now Corel® AfterShot™ 3. Already known to be easier to use than other pro graphics software, the suite also comes with the new Interactive Startup Tour, a Quick Start Guide, Hints Docker, training videos and templates that make it quick and easy to get started.
CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 ensures you're making the most of the latest Windows 10 technologies and hardware. Boost your creativity and go hands-on with new support for Windows Real-Time Stylus pen-compatible tablets, such as the Microsoft Surface, as well as support for Wacom tablets and devices. Take advantage of multi-monitor viewing and see your work look its best on stunning 4K displays. Enhance your photos with new Corel PHOTO-PAINT Home and Student X8 features including Straighten Image and the Healing Clone tool, plus now take advantage of the power of Corel AfterShot 3 for photo management and image adjustment.
<blockquote>“Whether you want to create amazing graphics for a school project or you're a hobbyist with an eye for design, CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 gives you the creative graphics capabilities you want without the cost of a commercial package,” said Sobia Hameed, Product Manager for CorelDRAW. “Go ahead and design your new kitchen, impress the class with a remarkable presentation, or volunteer to promote your community's next big event. This complete package will help you create everything from flyers and newsletters to photos and social media graphics that look great.”</blockquote>
CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 offers a comprehensive and high-value graphics package complete with the following applications and useful extras:
<ul>
<li>CorelDRAW® Home &amp; Student X8: Intuitive vector illustration and page layout</li>
<li>Corel® PHOTO-PAINT® Home &amp; Student X8: Powerful image editing</li>
<li>Corel® PowerTRACE® X8: Accurate bitmap-to-vector tracing</li>
<li>Corel® CONNECT™: Instant content finder</li>
<li>Corel® CAPTURE™ X8: Simple screen capture utility</li>
<li>Corel® AfterShot™ 3: Fast photo management and adjustment</li>
<li>PhotoZoom Pro 4: Easy-to-use plug-in to export and enlarge digital images</li>
</ul>
CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8 also offers valuable content including 1,300 high-quality clipart and digital images, 100 royalty-free, high resolution photos, 125 fonts, 75 photo frames, 100 fills and over 100 professionally designed templates, including certificates, flyers, posters and more.
The CorelDRAW family of products are long-trusted by professionals and students for their power and ease of use. Student and CorelDRAW International Design Contest winner Kseniya Morgunova states:
Learn more here: <a href="https://www.coreldraw.com/">CorelDRAW</a>

CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite X8: Pro-Quality Graphics and Photo Editing Power at an Affordable Price

We talk about a lot of business software here on CMS Critic, so I've decided to start Software Explorer, a new YouTube series dedicated to exploring tools ranging from content management systems to wireframing tools – and everything in between.
Here goes nothing!
<h2>Introducing #SoftwareExplorer</h2>
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In each episode of Software Explorer, I'll dedicate a few short minutes to setting myself up with a new software. In the process, I'll evaluate things like the user interface, support options, pricing, and anything else that crops up.
Stay tuned for episode one, which will be out next week.
To make sure you see every episode, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2NIS5VfbwL6Igf2vhkV9rg">subscribe to our YouTube channel</a>.
Know a piece of software that you want me to feature on Software Explorer? Tell me about it in comments section below!

#SoftwareExplorer: A New YouTube Series For Business Software

Small businesses are using one resource that maximizes the value of their human capital, and it has put them on the shoulders of giants in their respective industries. Better yet, these small businesses are doing it against these giants’ will.
This resource isn’t technology. It’s the time that one technology provides, and this technology is document management software (DMS). Given the economic uncertainty of the dollar’s value, a strong case can be made for time being the most valuable yet underutilized currencies in not just the world of small business, but the world of work, too.
Here’s how DMS is freeing up this resource through DMS, and why it’s leveling the playing field in industries like insurance, accounting, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing across America.
<h2>1. DMS Overthrows the Time Lost in Poor Decisions</h2>
Have you ever wasted time and realized you can’t have it back? You’re not alone: Even bright employees in small, paper-dependent organizations do, and without even knowing it: At $30 per hour, the typical knowledge worker <a href="https://www.tonerbuzz.com/facts-about-paper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wastes $4,500 annually</a> just by working with paper. Given that DMS helps small businesses go paperless in a highly collaborative and efficient way, working with paper and not relying on DMS is any small business’s fast track to losing time through poor decisions at the operational level.
This is an example of what economists call ‘opportunity cost’ at its worst. Some opportunity costs are easier to point out and avoid than others; however, paper-dependency isn’t one of them.  Alternatives to paper-dependency and the time they save are rarely explored because paper is all that business has known since the Industrial Revolution.
When it comes to document management software, opportunity costs are reduced not only once organizations go paperless, but particularly for workers who rely on billable hours and commission to earn income – accounting, legal, insurance, and—in some cases—financial advisory. The more time you spend solving problems other people can’t, the more value you add to the hours you spend at work, and this will be reflected in your paycheck if you work in a paperless office (even if you don’t rely on billable hours and commission): Money follows value, and organizational leaders will not only be able to see the value a paperless DMS brings to their organization, they will be more ready, willing, and able to pay employees for increased performance with the savings found in the bottom line.
However, if you haven’t gone paperless and are boggled down by the administrative overhead and costs of misfiling, finding, and keeping track of information –the value of your hours on the job decreases no matter how skilled, educated, or practiced you are in your line of work, but DMS overthrows this issue, and prevents workers from using their time unwisely.
<h2>2. DMS Sheds Light on Temporal Discounting</h2>
This is a fancy way of saying that in the workplace, and in microeconomics in general, people tend to discount only rewards that occur in or near the ‘now’ as valuable. For instance, a CFO, despite his or her aptitude for numbers, may perceive a smaller financial reward for their organization, which is received in 6 minutes or fewer, to be more valuable than a larger reward received in 6 months.
However, mathematically speaking, the larger reward obtained 6 months later is irrefutably more valuable. DMS optimizes the business value of time by exposing how although upfront implementation costs can scare organizations away from going paperless through DMS, there isn’t a single organization who went paperless through DMS intelligently, and 6 months later regretted the decision. Larger organizations are more susceptible to temporal discounting than their small business counterparts, bringing competitive edge to smaller organizations while the larger organizations flounder at the thought of implementing new technology.
The miniscule tasks of paper-dependent processes are what most organizations still depend on despite the degree to which these processes prevent them from profiting, growing professionally, and using their time efficiently. However, the short-term ‘reward’ larger organizations receive for not going paperless (which is not putting in the effort to go paperless), is miniscule compared to the rewards it can reap over not just 6 months—but much longer periods of time as cost savings and output are only compounded, resulting in organizational growth and profitability.
<h2>3. DMS Reduces ‘Multitasking’</h2>
As a central repository for roughly everything that a small business or department in a larger organization needs to run more efficiently, DMS centralizes integration with industry-specific software (accounting, for instance), a <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/efilecabinet-sidekick/">transubstantiation of the typical shared drive</a>, workflow, file versioning (which prevents renaming of the same files and confusion over where these files are stored), and bank-grade file sharing encryption for sensitive customer and client information.
Without DMS, small businesses must jump back and forth from software to software, from repository to repository, increasing the likelihood that concentration on the task at hand will be broken: This is where DMS has a profoundly positive psychological impact on productivity, and, therefore, the value of time. However, this ‘jumping back and forth’ from task to task is more likely to impede larger organizations, who are less likely to have cohesive information technology.
What’s more, research in cognitive psychology has revealed that multitasking is only possible in ‘super-taskers,’ who make up less than 1% of the population. Therefore, although most workers in larger organizations may feel like they are multitasking when jumping from software to software or filing cabinet to filing cabinet, 99% of these workers are merely switching back and forth from each of these respective tasks, subtracting from their immersion and productivity in each respective task.
However, DMS bridges the cognitive distance between the multifaceted tasks we face in the workplace by placing nearly all important business functions in one software—maximizing workers’ time and reducing the negative impact of ‘multitasking.’
See how you can go paperless, stand on the shoulders of industry giants against their will, and <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/efilecabinet-online/">outperform your larger competitors</a> through document management software today.

How Small Businesses Out-perform Industry Giants

A new version of the popular Elementary OS is now available. A variant of Ubuntu, Elementary OS is a Linux distribution that uses the Pantheon desktop. The newest release, nicknamed Loki, is based on Ubuntu 16.04 and as such, gets Gtk 3.18, Vala 0.32, and a more current Linux 4.4 kernel.
Here are some screenshots from this release:
For a full summary of the changes in this new upcoming release, check out the <a href="http://blog.elementary.io/post/145881464631/loki-beta">release announcement</a>.
As with all new beta releases, there are bugs. Here are the main ones that are known at this time:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbugs.launchpad.net%2Fslingshot%2F%252Bbug%2F1581145&amp;t=ODE1YzgwZjJmZDEzOTcyMWQwZjFjMGJiNmY3YzMyN2M5ZTU4ZDAyOCxCdnpsaFh5Ug%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Applications menu search is ignoring keywords</a></li>
<li><a href="http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbugs.launchpad.net%2Felementaryos%2F%252Bbug%2F1503446&amp;t=YmY0NDY5YTVhYmRlYzBhZDlmNDgzOGMyZDY2MWE3MzlmZjRjZDc0OCxCdnpsaFh5Ug%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Media keys do not show responsive confirmation notifications</a></li>
<li><a href="http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbugs.launchpad.net%2Fgala%2F%252Bbug%2F1376382&amp;t=OTIwNWVhMzdhMTFmNTVkZjZmMThhNTRhNzhhZjE5ZDAzYTM5NWY3MyxCdnpsaFh5Ug%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Region around notifications can become unclickable</a></li>
<li><a href="http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbugs.launchpad.net%2Fswitchboard-plug-onlineaccounts%2F%252Bbug%2F1427410&amp;t=M2ZmYzFhZTJjMTlhNmJjNTRhYzI4Njk3MGQ0MGIwZDJhMWNmYTk4MyxCdnpsaFh5Ug%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Not all online accounts services present are integrated</a></li>
<li><a href="http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbugs.launchpad.net%2Fappcenter%2F%252Bbug%2F1587975&amp;t=ZTJkNzE0YzE4YWVmMDc0NGYwZWUxNjUwOTY0NmJmZTM2NzEwOWFjMixCdnpsaFh5Ug%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Packagekitd sometimes takes 100% CPU</a></li>
<li><a href="http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbugs.launchpad.net%2Fswitchboard-plug-display%2F%252Bbug%2F1522045&amp;t=M2E4OTI4Yjc5ZGFjZDc1OWI2YjJiMWI2YzgwMmJjNDY2NWMyNWJiYixCdnpsaFh5Ug%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Some regressions in the displays plug for multi-display users</a></li>
</ul>
Personally, I am not sure that I'm fond of a particular change in this release, namely the exclusion of a default app for handling .DEB files. As mentioned within the release notes however, the logic behind this decision is as follows:
<blockquote>
<h2>No Unsafe Software Sources</h2>
In the interest of promoting secure software installation methods, as of this release there is no default app for handling .deb packages and the command line tool add-apt-repository is not available by default. These tools are available to install from the default repos, but the stance going forward is that software should come from vetted, secure sources or in sandboxed package formats. If you’re worried about how users will be able to get and install your apps, don’t panic! We’ll have a follow up announcement soon.
</blockquote>
Interested in trying it out? You can grab the beta from here: https://elementary.io/developer
What are your thoughts on the teams decision? Do you agree? Disagree?

Elementary OS 0.4 Beta "Loki" Now Available

In this article, I'm going to get into minute detail with you on all of the major aspects of open source CMS and the things you should consider to make an informed decision. This is my “how to select the best open source CMS” guide.
When it comes to selecting a CMS, there's no doubt that the process of doing so is overwhelming (hey, it's why this site exists!) but it doesn't have to be.
<h2>No uninformed recommendations!</h2>
There are a myriad of great open source solutions on the market today but before you get into the selection process, it's important to make sure you set your expectations correctly and that you don't fall into the trap of accepting advice from people based on very little input. I get into this in more detail in my post “<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wordpress-joomla-and-drupal-are-not-the-best-cms/">WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are NOT the best CMS</a>” but essentially what I mean by this is that exchanges like this example below, serve no value:
Q: What's the best CMS to build a corporate website?
A: WordPress!
The trap people get caught in is one of blanket recommendations with no validity. How does the person answering the question truly know that WordPress is the best solution? Perhaps they want to build their corporate website in Java, is WordPress still the best choice? Of course not and the respondent wouldn't know this unless they asked, which leads me to the following statement: Don't take blanket advice from people who a) don't know your business and b) don't know your requirements.
Once you get past this initial hurdle, it's time to set the process in motion. In my <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-consulting/">CMS consulting</a> work, I often explain to my customers that I am first and foremost not helping them select a CMS but rather to find the right solution for their business. Without understanding the needs of the business and those working within it, I cannot accurately make a valid recommendation.
To accomplish this, I personally have a spreadsheet I use that contains a number of detailed questions and tabs covering information such as existing website capabilities, features that are absolutely required, integration points for the website and so on. I use this information that I've gathered to make a proper recommendation.
<h2>Understanding the arguments against open source.</h2>
When it comes to the proprietary vs open source CMS debate, my team and I most often are asked the following questions by those considering the open source route:
<ol>
<li>Stability: Is the CMS stable? Will it last for the long-term?</li>
<li>Support: Can I get the help I need?</li>
<li>Cost: What’s it going to cost me?</li>
<li>Flexibility: Can I move it, change it, or tweak it?</li>
<li>Security: Will my sensitive material be safe?</li>
</ol>
Here are my responses to these questions:
<h2>Stability</h2>
When it comes to the stability of an open source CMS, you must consider the fact that most popular open source solutions have massive communities of developers that work tirelessly at expanding, improving and bettering the systems they work with. Furthermore, because the code is openly available, it's often much easier for a developer outside of the company to find problems and recommend solutions than it would be if the code were proprietary. This is because there is no single owner of the product but rather the community of owners all who can contribute content as they deem necessary. This often leads to quicker innovation as well (although this isn't always the case).
<h3>Support</h3>
Perhaps you feel that a proprietary system is best because most of the time one of their main costs is due to the fact that they offer 24/7 support. This is definitely something to consider but you should also be aware that there are plenty of open source companies that do the same. Take for example some of the large enterprise players like <a href="http://jahia.com">Jahia</a>, <a href="https://www.onehippo.com/en">Hippo</a> and <a href="https://www.magnolia-cms.com/">Magnolia</a>. All of these companies offer open source products with 24/7 support options while still offering up open source versions of their products. There are plenty more of them out there as well. I'll add a list of some recommended solutions at the bottom of this article for those of you who aren't sure where to start.
Perhaps, however, you'd prefer not to pay for support. If you check the forums of the popular open source solutions, you'll see you can easily find thousands (if not millions) of people who are happy to help fix your issues for free. You may wait slightly longer in some cases but you won't be billed for it. Furthermore, you can often find scores of development houses and individual developers / programmers that are happy to help with your issues on an hourly rate. As such, there's really no validity to the lack of support options from open source CMS providers.
<h3>Cost</h3>
This is a big one and I'm going to play both sides in my response. Often times, I get customers who believe that selecting an open source solution means it's going to cost far less than a proprietary model. In short, my response to this, unfortunately, is an unhelpful: it depends.
Why does it depend? There are a host of factors that determine the cost of a new CMS implementation. From development &amp; design costs to deployment costs, it's virtually impossible to accurately quote something from the hip. A reasonably safe assumption, however, is that proprietary solutions are often packaged in “ready to go” bundles. They still require quite a bit of customization but most of the time, they are (in my opinion) more complete offerings from the get go. Open source solutions, on the other hand, tend to be very flexible and unpresumptuous, while not assuming you need everything bundled from the get go.
Most of the costs associated with open source CMS come from hiring developers and / or paying for support as opposed to hefty licensing fees which are most common amongst proprietary models. With proprietary systems you most often have four costs to consider: licensing, development, support and training. With open source solutions you typically pay for development and sometimes support but most training can be learned online and for much less cost.
<h3>Flexibility and Customization</h3>
This is, in my opinion, where most open source CMS tend to win the battle. Proprietary CMS are, as the name implies, proprietary meaning that unless you are a licensed third party developer or an internal developer working for the company itself, expanding the system is often much more difficult due to the lack of freely available code. With open source CMS, however, anyone is free to take their creativity to the next level and development extensions for the system.
Having said that, this can go two ways. I tend to lean towards the open source CMS provider that vetts out the contributed code FIRST before allowing it to be readily available to their customers as opposed to those that allow anyone to submit potentially poorly coded plugins or extensions without any code review process. As such, I recommend this be one of the questions you ask the CMS provider you are considering in your selection process. To help, I'll include a list of questions to ask at the end of this article.
<h3>Security</h3>
I've written about this numerous times but I'll do so again. One of the most common fears of those choosing open source solutions is that they may, potentially, be more prone to security threats. This can, in some instances, be true of any solution that is popular and is, in my opinion, not specific to open source products in any way. The more popular a solution and the more often it is used, the more it attracts the interest of potential hackers or wrongdoers. In the case of open source CMS, I've seen several people argue that because the code is freely available, it's much easier to find exploits. I would argue that this is, in fact, one of the reasons you are less likely to be attacked with an open source solution that properly monitors security issues and patches them accordingly. Why do I think this is the case? It comes down to the community. I've seen many instances where a product is released and a security whole is found within hours by a concerned third party developer who offers a solution leading to a quick release of a patched product.
The speed at which open source CMS providers can turn around patches and fixes is often much quicker due to a lack of firm release dates, red tape and the like. So from my point of view, it's less of an issue. Feel free to dispute this with me, of course, in the comments.
<h3>Quick Summary</h3>
So in summary, are open source solutions good options to consider? Of course. Should you only consider open source solutions? Of course not. It all depends on what you need.
<hr />
<h2>How to select the best open source CMS</h2>
So now that you have a better understanding of some of the main arguments for an against open source CMS, it's time to learn how to select the best one.
As promised, I've included some additional information in the form of two lists. The first is called “Things to consider” and gives you a list of considerations when thinking about which solution you may want to add to your short list (this can also be applied just as easily to proprietary CMS as well).
<h3>Things to investigate before contacting an open source CMS vendor:</h3>
<h4>The size of the community</h4>
The size of the community is a very important consideration when determining which open source CMS you should add to your short list. To determine this, I recommend checking a few things out:
<ol>
<li>How large are their forums (number of posts, replies, etc)? How active are they? (note: not all vendors have forums)</li>
<li>Do they have a wiki or FAQ? Is it current and does it contain good information?</li>
<li>Is their documentation easily accessible and does it appear to be complete?</li>
<li>Are they on Twitter? If so, do they reply to queries and appear to be active or are they ignoring questions?</li>
<li>What support options do they offer?</li>
<li>Do a quick Google search for “&lt;vendor name&gt; developer” and see what kind of results you get (eg: wordpress developer, drupal developer)</li>
</ol>
While this won't give you everything you need to know, it will certainly give you a good idea as to how popular and easy it will be for you to find what you need if you end up selecting them.
<h4>How often do they release updates?</h4>
Check changelogs, blogs for product updates and more to make sure that the system you are considering has been updated recently and continues to be updated on a reasonably regular basis. There are lots of solutions out there that haven't been updated in years and it's very important you check before considering one.
<h4>What options exist for support?</h4>
Do they offer paid support? If so, what are the costs. Do they offer support in your language? How easy is it to find support? Do a few Google searches and see if you can find people who provide support for the product you are considering.
<h3>Questions to ask potential vendors:</h3>
First and foremost, while you have (hopefully) done the research I recommended above, it's always good to confirm your findings with the vendor. Ask them how often they release updates, what support options exist and what they think of their community. This will give you a good idea as to how well they communicate their product. If their responses differ heavily from your own findings, I would steer clear.
<h4>What is your plugin / theme code review process?</h4>
To help you word this question, what you are looking to find out is what happens if an outside developer wants to contribute a plugin. Does it simply get published to the plugin directory and is it then instantly available or is there a code review process in place that makes sure the code doesn't cause issues with the core system itself, meets security requirements, etc. Ideally, if you are looking for a system for a business, you'll want some kind of code review process in place first.
<h4>Do you have a list of recommended development houses?</h4>
This is an important one. Often times, the vendors will have a list of companies they feel do the best work and best represent what they consider to be “fair and honest offerings” of their products. It's good to request their recommendations and then follow up with those development houses with RFP's in order to get a rough idea as to what your end costs might be.
<h4>Do you have samples of implementations that I can see?</h4>
While reading case studies can be somewhat tedious, they are a great way to learn more about how smooth the implementation process went.
<h4>Do you have references?</h4>
Asking for references is important. While this may not seem like a job interview at first. It is! You are choosing someone to spend your hard earned money on and references are critical.
<h4>Get your own references!</h4>
Do some research yourself beforehand. Find forum posts or Tweets from people who are using the system (takes a bit of Google knowledge, but you can do it!) and reach out to them yourself. Ask them how they found the process of working with the vendor, etc.
<hr />
<h2>Enterprise Open Source CMS vendors</h2>
Here is a quick list of enterprise open source CMS vendors for you. Keep in mind that this is not considered a complete list but rather a few options to consider off the top of my head. For a more complete list of vendors, visit our <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/products/">directory</a>.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.jahia.com/home.html">Jahia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://onehippo.com">Hippo CMS</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.magnolia-cms.com/">Magnolia CMS</a></li>
<li><a href="https://typo3.org/">Typo3</a></li>
<li><a href="http://dotcms.com/">dotCMS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ez.no/Products/eZ-Enterprise">eZ Enterprise</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acquia.com/">Acquia</a></li>
</ul>
That about sums up this article. As more ideas and thoughts come to mind, I'll expand this as needed but for now, I think this should give you a fairly good idea as to what you should be considering when selecting the best open source CMS for your project.
Did I miss anything? Do you have additional tips or questions? Leave a note below and I'll do my best to reply promptly and of course, if all of this seems too overwhelming to you, we also offer <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-consulting/">CMS consulting</a>.

How to Select the Best Open Source CMS

Those hunting for a better way to manage their office’s paperwork are often told that DMS is the way to go, but many of those people are unsure exactly what DMS is and how it can help them. In the article below, we’ll outline exactly what DMS is, the basic features and functions you should search for, the benefits of using it, and more.
<h2>So What Is It Exactly?</h2>
DMS can stand for “document management software” or “document management system.” These two phrases are used interchangeably to refer to any computer-based system that helps to reduce a business’s dependency on paper by transitioning documents to an electronic format. DMS is capable of not just storing electronic documents, but tracking and managing the changes made to the documents and helping to improve processing speeds and productivity over paper-based processes.
<h2>DMS vs Cloud Storage</h2>
Those who aren’t familiar with DMS often believe it is simply another form of cloud-based document storage. This simply is not true. Comparing DMS to cloud storage is like comparing a personal assistant to a filing cabinet. Sure, both of them can keep your documents organized, but just as a filing cabinet can’t answer phones, cloud storage can’t truly manage your documents.
In cloud storage, documents are stagnant. They simply sit in an electronic older in much the same way they would sit in a physical folder in a filing cabinet. But DMS actually helps you process those documents, guiding you through every step of the file’s lifecycle. From initial document creation to edits and new versions to collection of final signatures, DMS helps to automate various steps of a document’s lifecycle, whereas cloud storage merely allows you to continue with manual processes in an electronic format.
Below is a list of features and functions that set DMS apart from cloud storage.
<h2>Features and Functions</h2>
Most DMS solutions come with similar features and functions that are designed to help simplify document workflow and offer added security to protect the documents that are being stored in the software. Here are just a few of the features and functions that you should be looking for in DMS:
<ul>
<li>Encryption of data in transit and at rest</li>
<li>Role-based user permissions</li>
<li>Audit trails showing who accessed a document, when it was accessed, and what changes were made</li>
<li>Unique user logins</li>
<li>Automated workflow to move documents on to next stages in lifecycle</li>
<li>Securedocument sharing portal</li>
<li>File versioning, with option to revert to an old version of a file</li>
<li>Action-based file retention policies</li>
<li>Profiles and templates to maintain file structure</li>
<li>Integration with popular 3rd-party software (Microsoft Office, Salesforce, etc.)</li>
<li>Full text search</li>
<li>OCR and/or Zonal OCR</li>
<li>eSignature integration</li>
<li>Regulatory compliance with entities like HIPAA, SEC, and FINRA</li>
</ul>
While not all document management solutions will have these features, it is wise to find as many of these features as you can in the software that you choose. This will enable you to sift through the dozens of options that are out there so that you can find a system that will make your document management as simple and secure as possible.
<h2 class="western">Benefits</h2>
Now that you have a basic idea of what DMS is and the features that it has, you’re probably wondering exactly what it can do for you. The potential benefits of using this type of software are boundless, but here are just a few for you to keep in mind:
Increased productivity – Spend less time dealing with documents so you can focus on more important matters, like actually running your business.
Better security – The security features mentioned above will help to protect all of the data in your documents; it’s a lot safer than a drawer in your office.
Decreased costs – You’d be surprised just how much money you spend on paper, ink, toner, and postage; DMS greatly reduces your reliance on these supplies.
More space – By digitizing all the files in your office, you can get rid of the filing cabinets used to store your documents and use that space for more productive endeavors.
Stop losing documents – You won’t have to worry about who last had a customer’s file and where the copy of their contract went; it will always be available to you in your DMS.
Better accessibility – You’ll be able to access files from any computer or mobile device, so you can be productive from anywhere, and you’ll never have to go back to the office to find a file.
Easier disaster recovery – How would your company recover if a fire struck your office? With DMS, you don’t have to worry about losing your files to a disaster, and you can get back to business more quickly if such a situation ever does occur.
Simpler regulatory compliance – You don’t have to stress about a compliance audit; as long as you’re using the right DMS (and doing it in the correct way), audits will be easy.
Happier customers – Today’s customers like to get results quickly. Features like eSignatures and electronic file sharing let you get things to your customers faster, so they’re happier with your service and more likely to give you repeat business.
Our users all experience incredible benefits that are unique to their business and their industry, but the impact DMS has on businesses is always a positive one. Ultimately, when it comes to defining what DMS is, the best answer is that it is a tool that makes it possible for businesses to grow and improve their bottom line by helping them to properly manage their documents.
To learn more about what a DMS is and what it can do for your business, contact an <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com">eFileCabinet</a> business efficiency expert.
Sources:
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document_management_system">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document_management_system</a>
<a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/what-is-dms/">http://www.efilecabinet.com/what-is-dms/</a>
<a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8026-choosing-a-document-management-system.html">http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8026-choosing-a-document-management-system.html</a>
<a href="http://www.aiim.org/What-is-Document-Management">http://www.aiim.org/What-is-Document-Management</a>
<a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/5-unexpected-benefits-for-document-management-software/">http://www.efilecabinet.com/5-unexpected-benefits-for-document-management-software/</a>

What is DMS?

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

#ffffff

DotCMS has announced the release of version 3.5 of their popular java based open source content management system. In keeping with the customer experience management trend, this new release brings numerous personalization tools such as personas, targeted content and more to their customers.
“We designed our Rule Builder, personas, targeted content and personalization capabilities fully intending them to be readily usable by everyday digital marketing teams, without requiring developer muscle,” said dotCMS CTO, Will Ezell. “At the same time we didn't forget developers. Supporting our everything-is-content philosophy, targeted content, rules and personalized digital experiences can be fully customized or extended using dotCMS built in APIs for more complex interactions or integrations with third party systems.”
“With dotCMS 3.5, we're breaking down traditional barriers in digital experience management. We're now delivering features that are not usually available or easily accessible to marketers in other systems,” said, Tim Brigham, dotCMS, CEO. “We have a proven track record of being able to balance dependencies among technical and non-technical stakeholders in digital experience management. The flexible features sets presented in dotCMS 3.5 are a demonstration and proof of our commitment to empowering the entire digital team with the tools they need to get results.”
Check out the video below showcasing some of these new features:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p1cH0HNePuA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As DotCMS is an open source product, you can download this release and test these new features out for yourself from here: <a href="http://dotcms.com/content-management-system/targeted-personalization-cms">http://dotcms.com/content-management-system/targeted-personalization-cms</a>

DotCMS 3.5 Brings Targeted Content, Personas, Personalization Tools and More

Kit , a very interesting messaging based CRM company, has been acquired by eCommerce company, Shopify. Kit Pro manages your social marketing so you can focus on other aspects of your business. Just connect Kit to your store, then text with Kit to accomplish your marketing tasks. Kit works with five online marketplaces.
For those who are unfamiliar with Kit , here's a video showcasing how it works:
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/116822439?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The announcement of the acquisition was made on the Kit blog by CEO, Michael Perry:
<blockquote>
Today I am excited to share that Kit has agreed to be acquired by Shopify. We are thrilled at the opportunity to continue to build the future of commerce as part of the Shopify team.
I couldn’t be more thrilled and proud of what our small team has accomplished together over the years, and am truly thankful to all our customers who have been on this journey with us.
Our shared commitment to help small businesses grow and succeed is what makes Kit and Shopify such a great fit. Shopify is going to drive, support, and help us build what we envision deep into the future. Together we will make commerce great ?
On a personal level, I have been working in the SMB world since I was 7, and feel very fortunate that I get to work everyday on something I care deeply about. I am grateful for the amount of support I’ve received that allows me to do so, and I will continue to dedicate my life to this. I am ready for the next chapter and the opportunity to grow Kit at Shopify.
</blockquote>
To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.kitcrm.com/">Kit</a>.

Kit CRM acquired by Shopify

A new release of CMS Made Simple (CMSMS) has hit the web. This is a maintenance and security release for the 2.x series of CMS Made Simple and comprises of a number of fixes.
Some of the items fixed in this release include:
<ul>
<li>Implement the HTTP_HOST fixes and parameter cleaning fixes introduced in 1.12.2</li>
<li>Fix for endless loops caused when calculating page alias in some utf-8 environments (Some WAMP environments)</li>
<li>Fixes and improvements to the distributed .htaccess file(s)
<ul>
<li>Our distributed sample doc/htaccess.txt has more security improvements</li>
<li>We no longer distribute .htaccess files in subdirectories</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Fixes a problem with the system verification code</li>
<li>Optimize the LoadContentFromId() method to be typesafe, and more efficient</li>
<li>Fixes to the Uninstall/Re-install of Navigator</li>
<li>Fix News so that no errors are returned if no results match the specified filter.</li>
<li>Fixes to the installation assistant with relation to PHP7, and improve the README files.</li>
<li>Minor fix to FileManager when moving a folder.</li>
</ul>
For those interested in additional information, visit <a href="http://www.cmsmadesimple.org/2016/04/Announcing-CMSMS-2-1-3-Black-Point/">CMS Made Simple</a>

CMS Made Simple 2.1.3 Released

<a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics">nopCommerce</a> claimed a highly notable prize during CMS Critic’s most recent CMS Awards, receiving the crown for the People’s Choice Award for Best eCommerce Solution for SMB 2015.
<a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/NpWCNiFfwSLE881i8ip-XaZ_c0vlGwVU5Wt2op0E5Ld5fgTizLht6I0zH39qcHbgXO8wEBQDgF9OOjtQx3gwD65VukM_DUYRzFbacLs8x8vsQZqjd3-Ppa9lmHWCCS5WYEUzH8qN" alt="NpWCNiFfwSLE881i8ip-XaZ_c0vlGwVU5Wt2op0E" /></a>
Some may consider the win as a small coup for the robust selling platform, as it overcame some pretty big names in the process.
However, I would disagree.
Since its establishment in 2008, nopCommerce has calmly carved out a reputation of reliability and robustness, winning some big clients along the way, such as; Cadbury, Puma, Reebok, Speedo, and BMW.
In light of their recent showing at the CMS Awards, and also after their inclusion in my list of, “<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-25-cms-to-watch-in-2016/">Top 25 CMS to Watch in 2016</a>”, I thought now would be a good time to take a closer look at the Russia-based platform.
<h2>Free, Open Source &amp; Downloaded 1.5 Million Times</h2>
nopCommerce is free to download and totally open source. Notably, 1.5 Million people across the globe have already clicked the download button.
<a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KEJEDO8B48ZaLt8vR-U-ZbrRYGzWgWiT8duCE3zAoImt_2vhaa215XVDAX_4LYDdli25AY3KiKrNjVAfeYmrtL37iAr6VlXRCsTkr6S6Y7hxxIgpxZZdBzN2zls7ikxYX1MPUKzZ" alt="KEJEDO8B48ZaLt8vR-U-ZbrRYGzWgWiT8duCE3zA" /></a>
But it’s fair to say that many free and open source eCommerce products exist out there. What is it that makes nopCommerce stand out from the crowd?
Mobile Ready 
In today’s world, people want to read, write, watch and even buy using their mobile devices.
nopCommerce ensures that your store is ready to make such sales, with interfaces that are conveniently presented on all mobile devices and in all resolutions with clear and up-to-date responsive design.
Checkout Flexibility 
nopCommerce also serves up a variety of checkout options, so merchants can choose the system that best suits them.
Checkout types include; easy one-page checkout, anonymous checkout and much more.
Primed For Marketing 
In terms of marketing, nopCommerce comes bundled with features such as; discount codes, gift certificates, product ratings and product reviews. Extra marketing tools are provided for automated statistics and content marketing.
Plus, all pages created with nopCommerce are compatible with major product comparison feeds such as Google Shopping, PriceGrabber, Yahoo Shopping and Become.com.
Multi-vendor &amp; Multi-store Support
nopCommerce also boasts multi-vendor and multi-store support.
This means that nopCommerce users can operate a multi-vendor marketplace and easily re-sell items supplied by other vendors. Each vendors can enjoy a dedicated administration panel, keeping everything separate and easily managed.
nopCommerce’s multi-store support also allows users to operate two and more online stores (with totally different URLs) using just one administration panel.
<h2>Community, Extendability &amp; Sublime Security</h2>
When it comes to open source products, the size and engagement rate of the community is vital. Thankfully for them, nopCommerce has that well covered.
The nopCommerce community thrives in the <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/boards/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics">nopCommerce Community Forums</a>, where users can reach out for support, share their nopCommerce projects, and even have off-topic discussions.
But the nopCommerce community does far more than just talk. They’ve walked the walk, too, coming together to produce more than 1000 third-party plugins, themes and language packs.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_SqKsDk-lwZlYgykg8x-CR1Jqslr8TQD-q8zqTvp6s2z9Y7jW3LTihDsfU_mB82UU-EtHDuc6A3djGqF-f1UuNXtzD4B2YY38eLv8rGmiqp3lUGT_ZpHCEQ1CRdkXQ_WCDZqluS3" alt="_SqKsDk-lwZlYgykg8x-CR1Jqslr8TQD-q8zqTvp" />
All of those expandability options (many of which are free to download and use) can be found via the <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/extensions-and-themes.aspx?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics">nopCommerce Extensions &amp; Themes Store</a>.
And finally, I think it’s worth mentioning the impressive security track record that nopCommerce team should be proud of; in seven years, they have released just one security patch, despite having over 25,000 active stores worldwide.
Now that’s pretty awesome.
To find out more about NopCommerce, <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics">visit their website</a>, or <a href="http://demo.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">try out their demo</a>.
* * *
This post is sponsored by nopCommerce. Find out more at <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=sponsored&amp;utm_campaign=cmscritics">nopcommerce.com</a>.

nopCommerce: A Closer Look at The CMS Award Winner For Best Ecommerce Solution For SMB

Marketing automation can be a great way to streamline your marketing processes, but those processes have to actually be in place to begin with, before they can ever be streamlined.
Without a solid content marketing strategy driving your business forward, your marketing automation efforts will be pointless.
Of course, it’s tempting to simply ‘switch off and turn to marketing automation for all of your marketing needs, but the easiest routes in business are rarely the most profitable.
Here’s the thing; you don’t need marketing automation to get leads. You need a website, quality content, and a marketing plan.
<h2>First Things First</h2>
Think about it – how are you supposed to automate your marketing processes if they don’t exist yet? 
The whole premise of marketing automation is to create a system that automatically provides your customers and potential customers with relevant materials based on their specific wants, needs, and behaviors. But if you don’t know your customers, how are you going to market to them? 
This is where small businesses make the mistake of putting the ‘cart before the horse', as they get lured in with promises of easy leads and new business.
The reality is that you have to put the work in if you want to see results, and your marketing automation processes won’t work if they’re not supported by a content marketing strategy that supports your key business objectives. 
If you’re running a small business with limited resources, then you should be focusing on the basics before even considering implementing marketing automation. 
<h4>Here are a few questions you should be answering ‘Yes’ to before investing in marketing automation software:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Do you have an overall marketing plan in place?</li>
<li>Do you have a content strategy in place? Does it align with your key business objectives?</li>
<li>Do you have means to create and publish quality content on a daily basis? </li>
<li>Do you know your customer? (i.e. clearly defined buyer personas)</li>
<li>Is your site already attracting decent organic search traffic and leads?</li>
<li>Do you have a growing database of leads?</li>
<li>Do you have the resources (i.e. people, revenue, time) in place to implement and manage the software? </li>
</ul>
If you haven’t answered yes to at least half of the above questions, then it’s probably not a great idea for you to start automating your marketing at this moment in time (as awesome as that new platform may look).
<h2>Relationships</h2>
Before you can get started with any kind of marketing plan, you have to figure out who you’re targeting and why. You have to find out what they’re interested in and what will make them interested in your business. 
This relationship building is how you humanize your marketing efforts and these personal connections are vital for small businesses as a lot of your initial business will be generated via word of mouth, testimonials, and online reviews/recommendations.
The problem with marketing automation is that it outsources a lot of the tasks that you should be in direct control of as a small business. And if it’s not properly monitored, you’ll lose that ‘personal touch’ that’s so crucial to your success. 
<h2>Engagement</h2>
The most important thing about your marketing and social media channels is engagement with your audience and potential audience. 
Automated marketing often takes the ‘social’ out of social media and can make your company come across as cold and uninterested in its customers. You need a human at the helm to drive conversations and grow an online community around your brand. Nobody wants to be that company with 90 followers that spams <a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter </a>with promo links every hour of the day.
<h2>Social Selling</h2>
To follow on from the lack of engagement, marketing automation can have a pretty harsh impact on your social selling techniques. 
Automated social posts can lack the impromptu and personal feel of a real person – even when they’re carefully curated. Social selling is an integral part of a brand’s identity and if you get it wrong it’s going to have a seriously negative effect on how your brand is perceived. Your small business will benefit from personal touch. 
Remember, social selling is SOCIAL – the clue is in the name – which means it should always involve real people talking in real time to other real people. So, leave the bots at the door for this one.
<h2>Email Marketing</h2>
Automating your email blasts is a great idea when you’re a medium or large business with hundreds (if not thousands) of potential leads that need contacting. But what works for a large business won’t necessarily work for a small business that’s just starting out. 
 
When you automate your email marketing as a small business, you risk alienating your clientele or leads with generic and impersonal content. A small business will have much more success by personalizing a good template to ensure that the potential lead feels like they’re valued and not just another @ on a list. 
<h2>Branding</h2>
What a lot of small businesses don’t realize is that branding is absolutely everything when it comes to your marketing. Without a strong brand identity and content strategy, your marketing can come across as vanilla, generic, and lifeless. 
 
We’ve all seen the brands that start trying to sell before they get their marketing nailed down properly – and it’s not a good look. Small businesses often don’t have the resources to get all of these things in place and you need all of them in order to automate your marketing effectively. Without these key ingredients, brands can end up looking dehumanized and listless. 
<h2>Still Think Marketing Automation Is Right For You, Right Now?</h2>
Marketing automation is a great time-saver for businesses with a lot of leads and clientele and it can be valuable for small businesses too – in fact, here are <a href="/8-ways-marketing-automation-can-improve-your-roi/">8 ways that it can increase your ROI</a>. But this will only happen when you have the proper foundations in place to begin with. 
Once you have your ducks in a row, you can have a field day perusing the vast number of marketing automation systems on the market! 
To help you out, you can also check out our post on <a href="/choose-the-best-marketing-automation-system-in-3-easy-steps/">choosing the right marketing automation platform for your business</a>.
Are you considering implementing marketing automation in your small business in the future? Have any particular platforms caught your eye yet? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Why Your Small Business Isn't Ready For A Marketing Automation System

grainne-logue

Congratulations are due for the folks at <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/go/flywheel/">Flywheel</a>, the WordPress hosting platform for designers, as they raised a whopping $4M Series A round of funding, led by the fine folks at Five Elms in KC, along with many of our existing investors – Linseed, Ludlow, Lightbank, HPVP and a handful of others.
In a blog post on the Flywheel website, CEO and Co-Founder Dusty Davidson had this to say:
One of the pretty cool things about this round is that Flywheel was in the (unique) position of not really needing to raise money – we’ve got a large and growing customer base and cash in the bank. With the seed round of funding from a year and a half ago, we were able to build a fast-growing and profitable business, and have established ourselves as one of the top players in the WordPress hosting market.
That said, we’ve long talked about Flywheel as “a software company that happens to host websites,” and to that end, one of the things that funding allows us to do is continue to innovate and add features and functionality to our platform for designers and agencies.
We could have grown both quickly and organically, continuing to add features every now and then and products ad-hoc over the next few years. On the other hand, we realized that we could raise money with some like-minded partners and laser-focus our efforts on building THE WordPress platform of choice for web designers. Our partnership with Five Elms allows us to do just that (in addition to adding a bit of fuel to our sales and marketing fires).
Congratulations to the folks at Flywheel from all of us here at CMS Critic, we look forward to good things! Check out <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/flywheel">Flywheel</a> in the hosting directory or on their <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/go/flywheel/">website</a>.

Flywheel raises a whopping $4 million for their WordPress Hosting Platform for Designers

Shopify - The global commerce platform

Build your business with Shopify to sell online, offline, and everywhere in between.

The global commerce platform

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