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

matt-garrepy

Choosing a CMS can be an arduous and lengthy task. How do you choose from a list of several hundred (or potentially more) software packages to find the one that best suits your needs? We will discuss the best steps to take in order to help you make an educated decision.
Step 1. Determine the purpose of the CMS and what you hope to gain from it.
Not all CMS platforms are the same, there are some that are geared towards publishers, some are geared towards personal sites and others are corporate focused. Before you can make a good decision you need to know what you want it for. Do you plan to use the CMS for blogging but with some added functionality? Or would you prefer to have something that you can publish news about a topic on? Alternatively, you can also use a CMS to build a social network or for a corporate intranet. They have a lot of uses and step 1 is to narrow down what yours will be.
Step 2. Determine what functionality you require from the CMS.
Some CMS platforms have limited plugins and can only be extended to a certain extent, while others have huge number of plugins but steeper learning curves. You need to think about what kind of functionality you want on your CMS.
To help you decide, here’s a list of typical features of some of the more mainstream CMS platforms:
Tag Clouds – allows you to have a batch of words a user can click on to search your site. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_cloud" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> for an example.
Forums – This is a common one. Ensure the CMS you are considering has this functionality if you require it. There are alot of different ways these can be added. They can either be built into the CMS, attached to the CMS via a plugin or completely separate. Make sure you investigate which method you prefer as this can be a large frustration to find out you can’t add one after the fact.
Polls – Do you want to be able to post polls that allow your users to vote on specific issues. If so, you’ll need this function.
Ratings – If you want to be able to rate your content, then you’ll need to ensure the CMS you are looking at has some method of doing so, either with a plugin or a tag or snippet.
Captcha – This is a challenge response system that is designed to prevent spam from getting into your comments or any other area that allows user input.
Wysiwyg Editor – This one gets most people. This stands for What You See Is What You Get. Essentially this means that the CMS has the ability to allow you to enter text or pictures in a word processor kind of interface (similar to microsoft word or openoffice).
Gallery – The ability to add photos, video, etc to your site.
Step 3. Will the CMS be compatible with your host?
Depending on the host you are using, you will need to know what they support. There are PHP based CMS platforms and there are Java, C#, Ruby Rails and other CMS. You also will need to know which database type your host supports, whether it be MYSQL, Oracle, etc. Don’t forget to compare version numbers as well. For instance, a PHP5 based CMS will not necessarily work on a PHP4 host.
Step 4. How themable is the CMS in question?
Depending on your skill level, you may want to find a CMS that is easy to theme, unless of course you are a designer. Check google for “drupal themes” or “joomla themes” for example if you are considering these two and ensure that you can find something you can make work for your needs.
Step 5. (Getting tired yet?) How active is the CMS' Community?
This one is important. Ensure that the CMS you are choosing has an active user community and/or decent support. Alot of opensource CMS platforms have forums and the easiest way to find out whether they are active or not is to see how many new posts there have been recently and whether they have had helpful replies. Don’t always expect support from the CMS developers, most of the time they are far too busy or just simply not available as lots of them do the development for free.
This is just a start, we could write for days.. and perhaps we will at a later date.
Thoughts? Share them below.

5 Tips to help you choose a CMS

mike-johnston

Today we are going to present our list of the top 5 content management systems for dummies. The intent is to provide options that may be suitable for people with little to no experience with web development.
Without delay, let us present… Top 5 CMS Choices for the Complete Beginner.
#1 – <a href="http://www.concrete5.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Concrete5</a>
Concrete5 is an incredible system. It's refreshingly simple and easy to use yet powerful. What we liked the most was the ability to get straight to the “meat” of editing without ever having to look at a line of code. The C5 team doesn't just think outside the box, they think outside the constraints of what is possible and have come up with an amazing CMS. We can't wait to see what happens when people realize the potential this CMS has.
#2 – <a href="http://www.jaws-project.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jaws</a>
Have you heard of Jaws? Expect this little CMS to bite a good chunk out of the easy to use side of the industry. Jaws is a very interesting Ajaxified CMS that offers an immensely simple user interface with easy to use gadgets that quite simply rocks. What's also appealing about Jaws is that it's just fun to use.. something we don't see very often.
#3 –<a href="http://start.websitebaker2.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Website Baker</a>
You want something easy to use but with some horsepower under the hood, website baker is bringing it. With development of version 3 underway at this writing, we can't wait to see what they come up with as our understanding is that it's a complete rewrite from scratch.. a new recipe so to speak. In the meantime though, version 2 remains stalwart as one heck of a great choice for new users everywhere.
#4 – <a href="http://wordpress.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WordPress</a>
You can't write a list like this and exclude WordPress. Not only is it one of the most popular blog turned content management systems in the world today, it's also one of the easiest to use. Haven't tried it? You should.. it's powerful and well backed. With an unrivaled community, amazing plugins and tons of templates.. you can't go wrong with WordPress.
#5 – <a href="http://www.getpixie.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixie</a>
A new name in the world of content management systems, we recently introduced you to this svelt little CMS in October. Not only is it user friendly and fun to use, the interface is attractive and while new, it looks like it has tons of potential.
We're sure there are plenty of other CMS options we haven't covered in this article, so why not share? We'd love to hear what YOU think is the best choice for new users.
We're sure there are plenty of other CMS options we haven't covered in this article, so why not share? We'd love to hear what YOU think is the best choice for new users.

Top 5 Content Management Systems for the Complete Beginner

Storing documents in a physical filing cabinet is like attempting to index and file away the very air we breathe—what we attempt to track will likely be rendered unfindable.If that seems like a stretch, it isn’t: The average employee spends 30-40% of his or her time looking for information locked in email and filing cabinets (1). Sometimes this information is found, and sometimes it isn’t. But these are only a few of the reasons companies in accounting, construction, insurance, healthcare, and manufacturing are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.paperlessoffice.com/why-go-paperless/">going paperless</a> through document management software (DMS) at unprecedented rates.Although DMS marketers have become experts at describing the tangible benefits of the software’s features—features that enable third-party, industry-specific software integration, overthrow operating costs, reduce lengthy document turnaround times, de-clutter offices, and resolve broken project workflows, many of the software’s intangible benefits remain unexplained. Unlike the tangible benefits of DMS, the following intangible benefits aren’t adequately measured by the balance sheet’s bottom line, but they may become the reason DMS saves <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.hr.com/en/magazines/all_articles/10-ways-how-dms-saves-workforce-discovering-how-dm_im4q15kg.html">the world’s paper-dependent workforce</a>.<h3 id="5.-freedom">5. Freedom</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/freedom-image.jpg" alt="Freedom Image" />Those who attended the eFileCabinet Edge User Conference in 2015 noted that use of document management software had one particularly salient yet intangible benefit, and that benefit was freedom. In a very real and impactful sense, relying on paper to complete the business process through actions like faxing, storing, and sifting through information can be likened to manual labor. Although manual labor and white collar office environments are perceived to be at opposites of the workplace continuum, paper is what blurs the line between the conveniences of the corporate world and the physical exertion of blue collar, manual-labor intensive environments. However, we are only as free at work as the processes we use to conduct business allow us to be, and reliance on paper impinges this freedom, whereas document management software can enable it.<h3 id="4.-time">4. Time</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/time-image.jpg" alt="Time Image" />Of all the intangible benefits of document management mentioned in this article, time provides the most resources. And procrastination is not the thief of time as Edward Young put it—broken focus is. Although the number of interruptions a worker faces each day hinges upon the industry he or she works in and where he or she sits in the office, the breaks in concentration caused by relying on paper impose many setbacks: the time spent walking to the fax machine and printer, the time spent searching for lost documents, the time that can’t be recaptured.What’s more, these breaks in concentration are frequently viewed as insurmountable issues that are ‘just part of work,’ but you needn’t so readily succumb to these interruptions with the right technology. Even with today’s emphasis on productivity, cutthroat competition, and innovation, workplace interruptions are as commonplace as they are hindrances to the advancement of the economy as a whole. In a world flooded by noise, employees are increasingly deprived of the concentration they need to succeed in the workplace, earn raises, win promotions, and make a positive difference.Not only can document management software eliminate these interruptions through software integration (such as integration to digital signature solutions, which eliminate the need to print anything, and web sharing portal integration, which eliminates the need for the fax machine) the elimination of these interruptions gives workers the ability to work more productively and with the unfaltering concentration that’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/how-software-brings-the-psychological-benefits-of-flow-to-employees/">conducive to employees’ wellness</a>. Compound these factors with the myriad distractions we face outside the office (advertisements, personal phone calls, bills, and telemarketers calling at dinner) the interruptions in life, at their most difficult, can begin to feel as if they’re distracting you from the very purpose you were born to fulfill inside the office and out.<h3 id="3.-convenience">3. Convenience</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/convenience-image.jpg" alt="Convenience Image" />Although convenience has saturated the consumer-tech market, many remain unaware that enterprise software has reached a parallel level of convenience. However, DMS is positioned to reshape this understanding of convenience in the enterprise, and for myriad reasons:Accessing any file from any place there is an internet connection is increasingly important in a number of occupations (and especially important for traveling salesman, real estate agents, and constructions workers). DMS facilitates this accessibility and convenience through its mobile, online, and mac-compatible offerings, all of which offer improved customer/client service and the ability to work responsively.<h3 id="2.-peace-of-mind">2. Peace of Mind</h3>The demand for peace of mind is on the rise as security breaches, information leaks, and other information catastrophes made plenty of headlines in 2015. However, most of these breaches were the result of poor internal information management, and there’s plenty organizations can do to prevent these breaches.Although the insurance industry has already (and deservingly) made a lot of money from ensuring peace of mind, members of the insurance profession are discovering, through document management software, how they can ensure the same peace of mind in their offices that they do for their customers; all through DMS.Some of the peace of mind facilitators in DMS are its secure web sharing portals designed to prevent data breaches, sophisticated data backup, secure servers, 256-AES bank-grade encryption, and data storage with multiple artificial and physical points of presence, to name just a few. As far as internal information breaches are concerned, the role-based user permissions of document management software keep employees from accessing certain information at the account administrator’s discretion.<h3 id="1.-professional-growth">1. Professional Growth</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/professional-growth-image.jpg" alt="Professional Growth Image" />A crucial part of professional growth involves encouragement and positive feedback. When documents are lost, misplaced, and unutilized, it becomes difficult to praise the good work of the person who created it. Just as many works of art have been lost throughout history, many works of art are lost in the muck of paper dependent processes—and we cannot praise a person for his or her work if we know not where it is placed. The metadata of document management software makes information far more retrievable and securely stored, too.Additionally, improved workflow is both a feature and byproduct of document management software. As a byproduct, workflow ensures quick and accurate task completion; as a feature, it ensures good work can be traced to the right employees, and, therefore, that praise and blame are delegated fairly.Sources1. http://www.thepaperlessproject.com/facts-about-paper-the-impact-of-consumption/

The Intangible Benefits of Document Management Software

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

5 Tips to help you choose a CMS

Top 5 Content Management Systems for the Complete Beginner

The Intangible Benefits of Document Management Software