Articles - Page 42

Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions

matt-garrepy

I've spent a lot of time recently searching the web to find responsive WordPress themes for a number of sites that I manage, including this one, so I decided to put together a list of places that offer them.
<h2>Where to find Responsive WordPress Themes</h2>
Here is a list I have compiled of places where you can find an excellent selection of responsive WordPress themes. You can also hire a <a href="http://www.imforza.com/">WordPress design company</a> to help you customize it further. In most cases, I've attempted to link directly to the page that lists them as opposed to making you sift through their websites individually.
<h3>StudioPress</h3>
StudioPress is one of the most prominent theme development companies for WordPress. All of their themes are based off of the incredibly powerful and versatile Genesis WordPress theme framework. As of last count, they had over 40 themes on their site, not including those listed in their community marketplace.
I highly recommend checking them out if you're in the market. Sites designed off of the Genesis framework tend to do quite well in Google as the framework is exceptionally lean and expertly configured for the best possible SEO performance. I use Genesis on my wife's site (<a href="http://thekitchenmagpie.com" target="_blank">http://thekitchenmagpie.com</a>) and love how easy it is to design with.
An example of one of their themes:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/generate.jpg" alt="Responsive wordpress themes 2" />
Like what you see? This is only one of many amazing looking designs you can choose from.
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.com/out/studiopress” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
<h3>WooThemes</h3>
I would be remiss if I didn't mention WooThemes. Like StudioPress, they've been around for a long time and have been providing top notch WordPress themes (and support) for many years. They also have over 20 excellent responsive wordpress themes to choose from.
An example of one of their themes:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zoho-crm_idx1u1.png" alt="responsive wordpress themes 3" />
All of their WordPress themes are built off of the WooFramework, which makes it super easy to handle upgrades and stay compatible with the latest releases of WordPress. The advantage here is that you won't lose your customizations during upgrades.
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.com/out/woothemes” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
<h3>PageLines</h3>
PageLines provides an awesome framework to build off of. It also happens to be the very framework I use here on CMS Critic. What makes it differ from the other frameworks on the market is that it's drag and drop capable. An example of one of how the framework looks:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pagelines.png" alt="responsive wordpress themes 5" />
PageLines gives you a ton of options for customization and to be honest, it's almost crazy how much customization you can do. It adds a huge amount of functionality to the dashboard in WordPress and gives you the ability to really do some amazing things.
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.com/out/pagelines” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
<h3>WPZoom</h3>
WPZoom offers a large selection of responsive WordPress themes. They release new ones constantly and the quality and look of their WordPress themes is outstanding. This is especially true for their magazine and newspaper style layouts.. some of these rival the looks of some of the top websites out there. They have some great looking portfolio themes as well and even a few free ones.
An example of one of their WordPress themes:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/vimes.png" alt="responsive wordpress themes 7" />
You can also check their showcase to see some of the various sites using their WordPress themes. Some of the designs are pretty impressive.
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.com/out/wpzoom” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
<h3>BizzThemes</h3>
BizzThemes creates some truly unique looking WordPress themes that don't conform to the norm. Their strength lies in the selection of niche themes such as options for Hair Studios, Consulting Agencies and more.
An example of one of their themes:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/streamlined-updates-1-e1471435122911_xdeua8.png" alt="responsive wordpress themes 8" />
The designs are attractive, the themes are responsive and the options panels that they've developed are intuitive and easy to use. I definitely suggest taking a look and seeing if any of their options suit your needs.
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.com/out/bizzthemes” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
<h3>Elegant Themes</h3>
Elegant Themes has been producing great looking, responsive WordPress themes for a number of years. Currently, they have a great offer where you pay only $39 and get all 77 of their themes. That's pretty incredible for a theme company and certainly the best deal around at the moment.
An example of one of their themes:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/socialengine_1_ilc5ip.png" alt="responsive wordpress themes 9" />
The theme selection is great with options for portfolio, blog, business, magazine and more.
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.com/elegantthemes” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
<h3>Themeforest</h3>
Themeforest has a huge selection of responsive WordPress themes and I could personally spend all day browsing through their site admiring all of the amazing creations that are being offered there. What makes Themeforest unique is that you can find themes from a wide variety of developers on their site. A lot of developers and designers use Themeforest as a marketplace to sell their themes and as a result, the selection is unparalleled.
An example of one of their WordPress themes:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/alyeska.jpg" alt="responsive wordpress themes 14" />
[button link=”https://www.cmscritic.comhttps://www.cmscritic.com/themeforest-responsive” color=”#05619F” size=”3″ style=”1″ dark=”0″ radius=”auto” target=”self” ]See their themes[/button]
And there you have it. With the above options, you shouldn't have any issues trying to find a good, responsive WordPress theme for your website. Best of luck and if you know of other places that offer a good selection, by all means, let me know.

Where to get Responsive WordPress Themes

mike-johnston

CMS Monthly Recap: Google Sunsets Universal Analytics, WordPress Releases a New Performance Plugin, and More

cms-critic-staff

Featured image of CMS Critic Monthly Recap text against a dark background with a close-up of a basketball

In the real estate industry, looking the part is half the battle. <a href="http://www.realtysoft.pro/" target="_blank"> PG Real Estate Solution</a> describe themselves as, “The ultimate CMS” for building real estate company websites. With this review, I'll be finding out just how true that claim is.
Developed and supported by <a href="http://pilotgroup.net/" target="_blank"> PilotGroup.Net</a> – who are responsible for various other content management systems and website scripts, PG Real Estate attempts to offer estate agencies, brokers and agents a full-featured website to display their property portfolios and attract buyers.
For a quick overview of what PG Real Estate CMS can offer, take a look at their introductory video below.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JtxKHYNIGSE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Initial Thoughts</h2>
In both offline and online presences, it is vital for every real estate agent, broker and organization to convey an air of professionalism, and PG Real Estate have definitely understand that concept as far as their own presentation is concerned.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/0_1700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Website" />
Their own website is in line with what you would expect from any respectable CMS vendor, whilst maintaining a real estate feel, for obvious reasons.
However, one thing I noticed, was the offer of two separate packages. The “Start” and “Business” packages are presented side by side on the homepage, yet within the “Start” package were three further options – Portal, Agency &amp; Broker, and Agent.
Each of these options led to a separate page, illustrating the features of PG Real Estate most relevant to the three types of customer they envisage using their product.
All the pages eventually led me to the same sales or demo page, regardless of whether you clicked on Portal, Agency &amp; Broker or Agent.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/0_2700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Website" />
Offering up these three different entrance pages for the same product would almost certainly confuse potential customers.
This is because it seems that there are actually three different types of software suited to three different types of customer – when it reality, it is the same software, presented in three different ways. A quick chat with a PG Real Estate support operator confirmed that this approach was simply there to highlight the flexibility of the software, and not to promote three separate packages or products.
A better approach would have been to explain how PG Real Estate caters for all three customer types, and then list the functions and features accordingly, all on one page.
This is not a colossal issue, but it was one which had me thinking twice about the way PG Real Estate was set out.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
After I logged in to PG Real Estate Solution's back end, I was greeted with a simple, flat interface. There was no eccentricity in the design, and I liked that, because it suited the industry that it was supposed to be a part of.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Admin Panel" />
Before delving into any of the functions, I took a moment to explore. The user interface and presentation of most sections of the admin panel was consistent, clean, professional and simple.
I felt that, if I had never used a CMS before in my life, I probably wouldn't struggle to find the key areas needed in order to set up core features of my real estate website.
The left hand sidebar was home to options like property listings, payments, banner ads, and other features, whilst the dashboard's homepage held some further options like admin settings, file uploading, and so forth.
<h3>Adding Pages</h3>
To add a page to the website, I needed to access the dashboard's homepage, and then click “Add info Pages”, which presented me with a list of pre-uploaded website pages currently active on the demo website I had been given access to.
Additionally, I found some more well laid out options such as the ability to add further pages, sub pages and modify existing pages.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/3700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Pages" />
Page creation was straight forward, with a section for the title, keywords and a link to the live page once it is published.
The content editor was fast, responsive and easy to use, although it wasn't much to look at.
In fact, the content editor looked very out of place. The grey tool bar was a stark change from the greens and oranges found everywhere else on the PG Real Estate platform, and the area editing area itself was not aligned with the rest of the page.
Instead, it was just an awkwardly positioned grey box.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Editing" /> 
Everything worked as I expected it to, except when it came to image insetion. I searched for an image button and tried a number of copy and paste methods before realising that there just didn't seem to be an easy way to insert images.
As it turns out, inserting images on standard pages can only be done by clicking the “Source” button n the editor, and delving into the HTML code.
Hardly user friendly.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/5700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate HTML" />
Excluding image insertion, the act of adding and modifying pages was seamless, although I felt as though the button to view and add pages to the website would be better suited on the left-hand sidebar, along with the other core admin options.
Relegating the option to the dashboard home page means that it is more of a chore to access.
Another minor gripe I had, was that any time I clicked “Save” on a page after making some changes, I was taken back to the page listings, instead of remaining on the page I was editing. It's the minor details like these which can frustrate newcomers and experienced web developers alike.
<h3>Adding Properties</h3>
As expected, PG Real Estate excelled when it came to adding properties.
The “Listings” section neatly laid out all existing properties, along with their designated image, description, and options to either edit or delete the property.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/6700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Propoerty Listings" /> 
Modifying property listings was easy – much easier than when I tried my hand at modifying pages. For example, clicking the “save” button didn't transfer me back to the listings page, and there was also a handy drag-and-drop image uploader to speed up the visual side of uploading a new listing.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/9700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Property Options" /> 
All the options any Realtor would need can be found – and then some.
Property prices, sizes, locations, and availability options are present, alongside further specifications like local amenities, environmental surroundings, and even virtual tours.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/7700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Property Images" /> 
Panoramic images can be uploaded to create the virtual tours, giving visitors are grander view of the property on show. Additional interactive features include the mapping system in place for PG Real Estate. After typing in the property address, the Google Maps section is automatically updated, with both satellite and street views.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/8700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Property Virtual Tour" /> 
The process of listing properties seemed far more complete than the page creation section, although unlike the page editor, there was no link to the live property listing directly from the back end.
<h2>Apps, Templates &amp; Extras</h2>
Heading over to the <a href="https://pilotgroup.zendesk.com/forums/22095512-Apps#recent" target="_blank"> PG Real Estate Apps section</a> of PilotGroup.Net, reveals some useful, dedicated applications.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/10.png" alt="PG Real Estate Apss" />
At the time of writing, there are only 10 apps available – only one of which is free.
The apps are listed, with each one having its own description page. To purchase individual apps however, you are taken to the checkout page designed for customers wishing to purchase the entire PG Real Estate software package, with no option to simply buy one module on its own. Not exactly a silky smooth sales procedure.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Apps" />
The apps on offer would be useful though, with features like Live chat modules, mortgage modules, SMS notification modules, and so forth.
One thing which was alarming, was that the “mobile version” of PG Real Estate was being sold as a separate application, for $99. This means that, in order to achieve a responsive design for your real estate website, you will need to fork out extra.
However, there is also good news on the horizon, as PG Real Estate recently announced the upcoming release of their iOS and Android apps, with the beta <a href="https://pilotgroup.zendesk.com/entries/40908953-PG-Real-Estate-Beta-version-of-mobile-application" target="_blank">being available for testing right now</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/12.png" alt="PG Real Estate Templates" />
Similarly, templates can be purchased at the <a href="http://www.pilotgroup.net/shop/" target="_blank">PG Template Store</a>, although it is very unclear as to how you can then make use of these templates without the help of PG Real Estate. A tactic which is becoming all too apparent.
<h2>Marketing</h2>
Built in to the PG Real Estate platform, are newsletters, which allow you to accrue email addresses for marketing purposes. Furthermore, Search Engine Optimization features can also be found within the platform.
<h3>Newsletters</h3>
The ability to collect emails and then send out newsletters, notifications and updates is all possible with PG Real Estate.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/13700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Newsletter" /> 
Different email templates can be set up to send to different subscriber groups, allowing you to target particular customers or partners with specific content.
The options are detailed, which may intimidate the typical website owner, but for those who know what they're doing, PG Real Estate's newsletter module can be a great way to stay in touch with clients and customers with just a few clicks.
<h3>Search Engine Optimization</h3>
Also found within the back end are SEO settings and options. Global titles, meta tags and keywords can be set, whilst a section for tracking codes from tools like Google Analytics can be integrated.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/14700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate SEO" /> 
What's more is, PG Real Estate offers some information regarding Alexa data and backlinks, allowing you to review some basic SEO data without having t leave your admin panel.
Further marketing options, are offered by PG Real Estate.Such promotional packages can once again be purchased at checkout.
<h2>Getting Help</h2>
Overall the support system for PG Real Estate is pretty solid, mainly down to the speedy live-chat system, which I was genuinely impressed with.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/15.png" alt="PG Real Estate Live Chat" />
On every page of the PG Real Estate website, you'll notice a relatively discreet box located at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, which allows you to quickly start live-chatting with a PG Real Estate support representative.
I experimented with the live chat feature a few times, and I was able to speak to different support operators within a matter of seconds, both of whom were very helpful.
To test the levels of customer service a little further, I requested that my trial be set up on a PG Real Estate server. The support operator told me she would contact one of the developers, who then emailed me within a few hours with my link and password. A seamless and pleasant process.
Besides the live chat feature, there is a handy customer support section where you can submit questions and requests. Here, you can also find over 200 pre-answered questions to help you find solutions faster.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/16700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Support" />
If all else fails, you can also call up directly, using US &amp; Canadian toll-free numbers.
Overall, as far as getting quick, effective help and advice, I think PG Real Estate customers are in very safe hands.
<h2>Customer Feedback</h2>
There's nothing quite like hearing from a genuine customer of a product to test its worth. So, I did some digging and managed to find some PG Real Estate customer feedback on <a href="http://www.hotscripts.com/listings/reviews/67211/" target="_blank"> Hot Scripts</a>, which seems to be the only public feedback out there which is recent.
With a score of 4.23 out of 5, the Hot Scripts reviewing section holds a positive view of PG Real Estate, although the criticisms are worth noting.
Besides the odd customer frustration over what seem to be “one-off” incidents, one of the biggest complaints seems to be the customer service – which I have already discussed and praised.
Another complaint listed stems from customers' lack of appreciation when it comes to functionality, templates and modules being sold separately when certain packages are purchased.
To PG Real Estate's credit, they responded to every concern and comment, offering thanks, advice and apologies where necessary. That's always a good sign.
<h2>Price Plans</h2>
With PG Real Estate, you can take care of all your website needs, from software to hosting, all in one place. This is naturally very handy, but it is also reflected in the prices that you pay.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/17700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Pricing" /> 
For a single domain name, prices start from $399, rising to $2299. The lower you pay, the more restricted you are in terms of module availability, branding and access to code. For example, paying the basic price of $399 means that you'll need to purchase future updates and modules separately, and live with PG Real Estate branding on your website.
The more expensive packages free you of such implications, giving you full access to modules and code alike. Furthermore, you can even arrange to pay in installments.
Pricing for PG Real Estate is definitely high when compared to real estate options found within WordPress, Drupal and other such platforms, although competitors AgenCMS charge quite a bit more than PG Real Estate, hovering around the $4,000 mark.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/18700x0.png" alt="PG Real Estate Pricing" /> 
Hosting, promotional, design and SEO services are also offered at checkout, all of which come with their packages and price plans. It goes without saying that if you wanted to really get your website looking unique and attracting large volumes of traffic, you'll be looking at forking out far more than the original software purchase price.
All in all, the figures aren't the prettiest – and I think PilotGroup.net should re-think their approach to pricing in order to offer more value, espeically when it comes to modules.
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
PG Real Estate CMS gave me an uneven experience.
By uneven, I refer to the inconsistent feel the platform has. To give one example, when editing a page, you have the luxury of a direct live link to the page you are currently editing, to give you quick access to it in order to preview modifications – yet this same, simple feature is not found when editing property listings.
The platform is not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but it also wasn't without its glaring faults. The simpler things need to be made easier. Inserting an image into a page for example, shouldn't require coding. Furthermore, the admin panel itself could do with some work, making pages easier to edit.
Additionally, there seems to be a lack of freedom for those purchasing cheaper packages when it comes to customization. As a result, PG Real Estate users on cheaper packages certainly won't get an “open-source” experience.
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>User interface is Extremely fast and easy to understand.</li>
<li>Friendly and attentive customer service.</li>
<li>Property listing is the platforms forte, with numerous options including virtual tours, maps and more.</li>
<li>Built-in Newsletter, banner ads and polling features.</li>
<li>Wide range of payment options.</li>
<li>Ability to import &amp; export properties via XML, CSV and other formats.</li>
<li>PilotGroup.net offer further services including third-party app integration, SEO, and more.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>Inconsistent feel to the admin panel functions.</li>
<li>Images can only be inserted into pages using HTML code.</li>
<li>The software is expensive, especially since most apps &amp; templates require further purchasing.</li>
<li>Not many apps available.</li>
<li>Out of the box website customization is severely limited.</li>
<li>The process of purchasing and installing modules and templates seems confusing.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Final Remarks</h2>
If you're looking to set up a real estate website, whether for personal use, or for the representation of a real estate or brokerage company, I think PG Real Estate solution is worth consideration.
They aren't the cheapest solution, nor the most extendable, however there are a lot of positives within the platform, including speed, attentive customer service, strong property listing functionality, and a range of customization options, for a price.
I've gone into enough detail about where the platform falls short in terms of general usage and editing, but there aren't any major issues which would prompt me to advise you to steer clear. It's fair to say that PG Real Estate excels in some areas, and falls short in others.
Perhaps the biggest question is about price. The initial fee to get started with PG Real Estate isn't outrageously expensive, but it is the added fees when it comes to responsive design, modules and templating options. I personally believe that PilotGroup.Net need to re-examine their pricing options, to make their platform and service a little easier to stomach financially.
To conclude, PG Real Estate is far from flawless, but there is also plenty to like about the platform. So, if you're in two minds, I'd strongly recommend giving the <a href="http://www.realtysoft.pro/realestate/demo.php" target="_blank">PG Real Estate demo</a> a try for yourself.
Additionally, you can find out more about PG Real Estate via our CMS Directory.

PG Real Estate Solution Review

Images are an integral part of the web. Without them, we would have no choice but to stare at blocks of boring text, with no pretty pictures to liven things up.
<a href="https://chevereto.com">Chevereto</a> is a CMS that allows users to create their own image hosting websites, where website members can upload and manage their images, for online publication or otherwise.
Founded in 2007, Chevereto has released over 100 updates and they have three major releases already since its initial release.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/favicon-1.png" alt="Chevereto" style="max-width:300px" />
With a sleek user interface, front-end content management, privacy layers, and social signups, Chevereto offers an interesting prospect for both personal and community use. But now, with an Arvixe-powered price plan, Chevereto is offering quite the deal for those looking to launch their own image hosting website.
<h2>A Tempting Arvixe-inspired Bundle</h2>
Valued at $150, Chevereto’s new “<a href="https://chevereto.com/pricing">Network License Bundle</a>” is available at just $48, thanks to sponsorship from the widely respected hosting company, Arvixe.
The bundle includes 1 year of Arvixe hosting, along with a Chevereto Network License, which boasts multi-domain support, lifetime updates, and no license renewal fees.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-user-albums700x0.jpg" alt="Chevereto" />
The deal is worth considering even for those with hosting in place, as the Chevereto Network License is effectively on offer for almost half the original price. Not a bad deal at all.
<h2>Trusty &amp; Feature-filled</h2>
Chevereto is a platform that is big on trust.
I had the chance to converse with the founder, Rodolfo Berrios, about his product, and he told me:
<blockquote>“The licenses that we offer are lifetime; which means one lifetime payment for upgrades and support. Users don’t need to worry about yearly fees or anything like that. We love our license model because users gets something that will never expire and they can enjoy updated software and support always.”</blockquote>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/devices700x0.png" alt="Chevereto" />
Not to mention, the <a href="https://chevereto.com/features">plethora of features</a> on offer make Chevereto a powerful platform, capable of supporting advanced image sharing websites.Such features include Amazon S3 and FTP multi-servers, multi-language support for 22 languages, CDN readiness, mobile readiness and more.
To find out more about Chevereto, <a href="https://chevereto.com">visit their website</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/chevereto/">Chevereto through our CMS Directory</a>.

Chevereto: An Image Hosting CMS With a Tempting Arvixe Hosting Bundle

BlackMonk 3.5 has arrived, and it brings about an array of new and exciting features.
The Banglore based CMS was founded in 2012 and specialises in powering online magazines, business directories, community portals and more. You can explore more by reading my full <a href="/blackmonk-cms-review/" target="_blank">review of BlackMonk CMS</a>.
Newly implemented features include; new responsive templates, minimalistic UI that brings content to the center stage, and more.
<h2>New Reporting &amp; Online Directory Capabilities</h2>
BlackMonks's online directory model is based on the traditional subscription model that has remained an industry favourite for years. BlackMonk v3.5 adds a new dimension though, by merging the traditional subscription model with commission-based coupon sales.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/6d90a859-6367-4d2b-b9d8-afd011236710_1700x0.jpg" alt="BlackMonk 3.5" />
BlackMonk users can now allow directory subscribers to sell coupons on the website’s deal store. Merchants can add deals via their directory listing, set coupon inventory and receive payments through an online/offline mode. The system allows publishers to set commission rates, automate all financial computations.
Improved reporting is also a part of BlackMonk 3.5. Users now have access to enhanced reports where they  can track traffic, monitor business performance and keep tabs on revenues.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/204a3653-85fd-41ba-b830-54d087d35013700x0.jpg" alt="BlackMonk 3.5" />
The advanced reporting system provides a convenient way to track more than 100 KPIs across variable timelines. It enables users to find answers to questions like: which area of website is most popular with users, which service earns maximum revenue, what kind of content is shared by users – and so forth.
<h2>Better Looking, &amp; More Mobile-ready</h2>
BlackMonk users can now maximize the visual impact of their website and promote readership by making content more accessible. 
BlackMonk provides mobile ready <a href="http://opal.blackmonk.com/" target="_blank">Opal</a> and <a href="http://ivory.blackmonk.com/">Ivory</a> templates – featuring content focused design that allows users to browse and read content with ease. The new templates ensure great content presentation across all sections of the website, no matter what device the visitor is using.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/0da114c2-00e9-4401-8ffc-25e2e9198bf4700x0.jpg" alt="BlackMonk 3.5" />
BlackMonk 3.5 also introduces the advanced inline editor that allows publishers to create pages with rich formatting, photos and videos. This is something that I mentioned should be implemented in my full <a href="/blackmonk-cms-review/" target="_blank">review of BlackMonk CMS</a>.
However, unlike conventional WYSIWYG editors, where content is edited within a small text area, the inline editor gives the experience of editing a live web page. The handy context menu provides all the formatting plus media insert options, and can be invoked with a single click.
Further new features include enhanced content syndication and rich Google snippet optimization.
To get the details of everything BlackMonk v3.5 introduces, check out <a href="http://www.blackmonk.com/blog/2015/01/blackmonk-v35-the-most-advanced-web-portal-software-for-online-publishing" target="_blank">their official blog announcement</a>. 
And of course, you can <a href="http://www.blackmonk.com/" target="_blank">visit their website</a> to explore their platform further.

BlackMonk v3.5 Released

<a href="https://wpengine.com/" target="_blank"> WP Engine</a>, a leading SaaS content management platform for websites and applications built on WordPress, has launched a brand new GeoIP feature, built to empower WordPress website marketers.
WP Engine provides hosting, backup, and technical support services for WordPress websites and apps. It caters to everybody, from bloggers to enterprising companies.
Delivering personalized content on a regional basis is becoming increasingly important. WordPress marketers will be particularly excited though, as this new prospect, titled <a href="https://wpengine.com/blog/wp-engine-geoip-plugin-now-available-wordpress-org-repository/" target="_blank">WP Engine GeoIP, </a>  allows marketers to offer personalized content even by postal/ZIP code.
<a href="/wpengine" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wp_engine_logo_bb700x0.png" alt="WP Engine" /> </a>
<h2>WP Engine Hit New Heights (And Locations)</h2>
WP Engine GeoIP allows marketers to target Web content to users based on their physical location, without using third-party IP detection. GeoIP enables global brands to take a geomarketing approach to foster a more relevant, targeted, and personalized user experience down to a user’s country, state, city, and even ZIP code.
<ul>
<li>Powerful Geo-Targeting Capabilities:  create a personalized user experience by showing content especially useful or relevant to visitors on a location-by-location basis.</li>
<li>Same Old High Performance:  GeoIP is a native feature to WP Engine’s platform, there is no speed or performance loss associated with using a third-party service or the need to exempt pages from caching</li>
<li>Enhanced Marketing Effectiveness:  Brands can save marketing/advertising dollars by leveraging WP Engine’s native GeoIP functionality, reducing the need to rely on third-party IP detection tools, as well as boosting efficiency of advertisements through a localized approach.</li>
</ul>
Tomás Puig, Director of WP Engine Labs, made these comments upon the unveiling of WP Engine GeoIP:
<blockquote>“WP Engine is committed to driving better solutions for makers and marketers at global brands who are looking to improve the customer experience and be more effective with their marketing strategy. WP Engine Labs continues to provide innovative solutions built directly into the WP Engine platform, without hindering the world-class performance our customers expect from us.”</blockquote>
<h2>A Step Towards WordPress CXM?</h2>
WP Engine used to be a highly respected hosting company for WordPress users. But this update makes it more than just that.
Make no mistake about it, WP Engine has just taken a sizable step towards becoming a WordPress-dedicated customer experience manager. Personally, I'm excited to see what they'll introduce next.
To find out more about WP Engine GeoIP, <a href="/wp-engine-unveils-geoip-wordpress-marketers-can-now-deliver-location-specific-content/" target="_blank">check out their blog announcement</a>. There, you'll find an explanatory eBook, as well as some FAQs.
Also, be sure to check out our <a href="/wp-engine-review/" target="_blank"> WP Engine Review</a>.

WP Engine Unveils GeoIP: WordPress Marketers Can Now Deliver Location-Specific Content

Today I'm going to announce the winner of the Critics' Choice Award for Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS.
<img style="max-width:188px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bestsmbnetcms2014.png" />
When it comes to the small to midsize market, one CMS stands out from the rest of the crowd in both popularity and capability. This was an easy pick for the judges this year. The winner of the 2014 award for Best SMB .NET CMS is…
<img style="max-width:400px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/dnn_fullcolor_pos400x0.jpg" />
Congratulations to the team at DNN Corporation on their win. Check them out in our directory here: <a href="/products/dnn-evoq-content/">DNN Evoq Content</a>

2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner - Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS

Although the platform is still in beta, <a href="http://microweber.com/" target="_blank"> Microweber CMS</a> is attracting a fair amount of interest. 
 Focused on stripping away the complexities of most other content management systems, Microweber has hundreds of registered users, a growing online community and a platform which boasts some simple yet effective features, none of which require any technical ability to use.
 To get a taste for what Microweber has to offer, check out their quick demonstration video below.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eajCiD0ha2s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>The Microweber Story</h2>
It's always nice to get a feel for how a CMS came into being, and it just so happens that Microweber have a rather pleasant tale worth reading.  
 After working in the web design sector for some time, Bulgaria based Microweber co-founders Boris and Peter decided to try something new. They felt that the CMS sector lacked a truly easy to use service for the end-user lacking technical knowledge. Thus, the idea of Microweber was born.
Following a failed attempt to raise funds via Kickstarter, they made a bold move. A video was recorded and posted on their small YouTube channel in late January 2012, where Boris and Peter asked for financial support from whoever saw the video and liked their idea.
Less than a month later this move yielded a result, as investor Nicholas Gerber from the USA decided to help the duo. For almost two years though, Nicholas never met Peter or Boris, communicating solely via occasional e-mails. This means that between early 2012 and late 2013, all investments from Gerber relied completely on the sole trust that Boris and Peter were honest men who were focused at creating something innovative. 
However, during Christmas 2013, all parties met for the very first time in Istanbul, Turkey.
Since then, Microweber has quickly been advancing through its Beta phase, accumulating several hundred registered users, scores of orders from websites and a helpful community. The latter resulted in the purely voluntary translation of Microweber in six languages: English, German, Spanish, Russian, Slovenian, and Greek. Some users even wanted to teach about Microweber in their academic institutions. Thanks to this exponential growth, the project got its third developer – Alexander, who is responsible for front-end development.
With 2014 now underway, the trio decided that it was time for Microweber to go live and unleash its full potential. Their aim is to deliver an easy, free product that is rich on customization for end-users and that is open source so the designer/developer community can benefit.
<h2>A Superbly Simple CMS</h2>
Now that you know the Microweber story, let's delve into their digital offerings. 
Microweber is a CMS that lets you Drag &amp; Drop modules alongside its “Live Edit” feature. This means that websites can be drastically modified and tweaked via live preview, so that you can experience the end result as you edit.
<a href="http://microweber.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2700x0.jpg" alt="Microweber CMS Dashboard" /></a>
The free and open source platform is aimed at delivering an optimal user experience, with simplicity always in mnd. It is also customization friendly, so developers and designers can have a take on it and create their ideas using the platform. 
Using Microweber, you can create a website, blog, or online store using the default theme of Microweber. The Microweber development team is also currently preparing a whole load of new templates so users can customize their sites according to their needs and wants. 
You can also make use of Microweber's Drag &amp; Drop technology when creating content, uploading images, embedding videos and a range of other tasks. Users can arrange elements with just a click of the mouse, dragging and dropping them across the screen before clicking them in order to modify them further.
<a href="http://microweber.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/5700x0.jpg" alt="Microweber CMS Live Editing" /></a>
The highlight feature of the CMS is the real time text writing &amp; editing function. With it, you can manage the site content without any use of admin panel, going “live” on the site interface instead. As an addition, there are different modules and layouts that offer rich customization in the pursuit of crafting the most suitable website.
Furthermore, Microweber can also be used as an ecommerce platform. The platform allows you to upload products, pictures and videos, set pricing &amp; shipping costs, customize products using custom fields (size, colours, everything needed) and track orders and payments.
<a href="http://microweber.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4700x0.jpg" alt="Microweber CMS ecommerce" /></a>
The developers and designers can benefit from the fact that Microweber is open source. They can create and share themes, modules or plug-ins and either distribute them freely or sell them. A Marketplace is in the making so the process can become more coordinated.
For more information on Microweber CMS, visit their <a href="http://microweber.com/" target="_blank">official website</a>, or better yet, <a href="http://demo.microweber.org/" target="_blank">test out a demo</a>.

Microweber: A CMS Stripped of Complexity

Hotjar - Spot what confuses

Spot what confuses your users with Hotjar & AI

#ffffff

Today, I'm going to announce the winner of two Critics Choice CMS Awards, Best eCommerce for Enterprise and Best eCommerce for SMB.
<img style="display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:188px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bestenterpriseecommerce2014.png" /> <img style="display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:188px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bestsmbecommerce2014.png" />
The winner this year (who managed to score a double win!) is none other than...
<img style="max-width:338px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bigcommerce.png" />
<a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/">BigCommerce</a> has really shown they are one of the top contenders in the eCommerce marketplace. Their platform is second to none and, as far as we are concerned, there simply is no other platform better deserving of these two awards.
Learn more about Bigcommerce in our CMS directory here: <a href="/products/bigcommerce/">Bigcommerce</a>.

2014 Winner - Best eCommerce for Enterprise and Best eCommerce for SMB

Best Small Business E-Commerce 2014 Ribbon

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> is a popular website builder that's often used to create free websites. It's a platform that has continued to gain recognition on the web for its ease of use. For that reason, I decided to take a look at this website builder and write up a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> review to investigate whether it's a good option for those looking for something similar. Without further adieu, here is my Weebly Review.First let me say this. A lot of people use Weebly. It's an incredibly popular website builder boasting over 12 million people and businesses. A pretty impressive feat which, one would think, means it's got to be an impressive tool right? Let's dig into our Weebly Review.<h2>Weebly Review – Let's Get Started</h2>When I first chose to review <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a>, I was greeted with a quick and simple sign in box to get you started. Immediately after you fill out these details, you are asked for a site name and category:<h3>Weebly Review – Enter a Title for your Site:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/recyclebin_cwlhwx.png" alt="Weebly Review" />Once you've submitted this form, you get the option to make your own weebly.com address, purchase a domain or transfer an existing one to use with the site. Most people will likely start off with a subdomain and purchase a domain from Weebly (or somewhere else) later, but the choice is yours.Once you've got a domain, you are immediately put into the Weebly website builder so you can get building.<h3>Weebly Review – The Weebly Editor:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly3-620x413.jpg" alt="weebly review" />What I love about the Weebly website builder is its speed. It's incredibly fast and the modules update immediately unlike some other builders I've used. To add a new module, you simply drag and drop it into your site. Once it's dropped, if configuration is required, you'll get a popup from Weebly that allows you to complete the setup. Here's just a small example of the modules you can add to your site:<h3>Weebly Review – The Modules:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly11-620x71.jpg" alt="weebly review" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly10-620x80.jpg" alt="weebly review" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/workspace-820315_1280-1_fuama1.jpg" alt="weebly review" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly12.jpg" alt="weebly review" />I'd say that's a pretty good collection wouldn't you? You'll notice that you can add a ton of different elements to your Weebly page from basic eCommerce (redirects to PayPal or Google Checkout) to photo galleries, slideshows, flash components, videos, maps and text / images. There's definitely more than enough for the average website. In fact, I'm not sure there's anything missing at all, now that I think about it.To add a component, like I mentioned, just drag and drop it onto your new Weebly website. You'll notice that below I dragged the Multiple Columns element into the site and was quickly given the option to choose the number of columns and resize them if necessary.<h3>Weebly Review – The Multiple Columns Element:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/office-620822_960_720_ptvexi.jpg" alt="weebly review" />Once done, I can then drag any of the above elements are shown below into any of the columns as well. If you wanted to change your logo, you simply hover over and you'll be given the option to either turn it off, use text or upload the logo of your choice.<h3>Weebly Review – Modifying the Logo:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly5.jpg" alt="weebly review" />Here, you can see that I've added the Paragraph with Picture element.<h3>Weebly Review – The Paragraph with a Picture Element:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly6-620x101.jpg" alt="weebly review" />What I like about this one is that you can use a resize handle to get the image exactly how you want it, add a link or comment and edit the text easily. It's generally just fun to use this tool given how easy and fast it is. I know I've said that a few times but you really have to try it to get the full feel for the speed of this tool.Spicing up your new Weebly website is easy as well and Weebly has plenty of theme and design choices to choose from. You can, of course, also edit the HTML/CSS directly.<h3>Weebly Review – Selecting a Theme:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly16-620x82.jpg" alt="weebly review" />I browsed through the designs they offered and there are some decent choices with more being added daily. It shouldn't be hard to find a good one to use as a basis of your site and then build from there. I like that they have a large collection as some similar tools lack in this department.Once you've got your design, perhaps you'll want to add a page to the site or even a blog? You can do that through the Pages tab and it's just as quick and easy as the rest of the stuff I've shown you.<h3>Weebly Review – Managing Pages:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/weebly17-620x410_xhvdtm.jpg" alt="weebly review" />For fun, I added a blog to my Weebly page, gave it a title and it immediately showed up on the site ready to be populated.<h3>Weebly Review – Blogging Functionality:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly18-620x505.jpg" alt="weebly review" />Clicking on the Blog Settings button, I was presented with a quick set of options for my new Weebly blog page. Surprisingly, they even included share buttons!<h3>Weebly Review – Blog Settings:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/great_banner_image_option_yusang.jpg" alt="weebly review" />Now it's time to try adding a blog post. I expected that this would bring up a simple text editor where I'd be able to add an image and some content with a post title. I was wrong. Instead, I was given far more!<h3>Weebly Review – Adding a Blog Post:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly20-620x478.jpg" alt="weebly review" />Admittedly, I didn't expect to be able to use elements for my blog post so I was pleasantly surprised to be given such a great selection of ways to add content and media to my post. For those looking to use Weebly for blogging or should you want to incorporate blogging into your Weebly site, this is a great editor and truly fun to use and create with. You won't be lacking in features.The next tab, Editors, allows you to add additional people to the site that can contribute content or administer it for you. Once you add them, you can manage them from this screen as well.<h3>Weebly Review – Working with Multiple Editors:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/coffee-desk-notes-workspace_cdxdsd.jpg" alt="weebly review" />Last but not least, the Settings tab. First on the tab are your site settings where you can change the address, title, favicon, etc.<h3>Weebly Review – Site Settings:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly8.jpg" alt="weebly review" />You are also given some SEO functionality where you can change / add a site description, meta keywords, header and footer code (good for analytics or adsense code) and add 301 redirects.<h3>Weebly Review – SEO Functionality:</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly9.jpg" alt="weebly review" />On the eCommerce Settings tab, you can choose between PayPal or Google Checkout as your preferred means of processing payments. On the Mobile Settings, you can tell Weebly to display the mobile-optimized version of this website when someone visits from a mobile device. This is a great option that I was surprised to find and means that your site will be mobile responsive without any effort on your part. Lastly, you can un-publish your site or download a complete zipped version of it.<h2>Conclusion</h2>Simply put, I love Weebly. This website builder is incredibly fast, feature rich and full of all kinds of great options that allow anyone to make a great website with no coding experience at all.  I was blown away by the speed of the tool (in case you didn't notice) and as I navigated it, was repeatedly surprised by the depth of the options within. This truly is a favorite of the systems I've tried and I won't hesitate recommending it highly. What do you think of Weebly or this Weebly review? Share your thoughts in the comments below or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weebly.com/">try Weebly</a>, I'm sure you'll be just as impressed as I am.Check out our newly updated Weebly Review showcasing all of the new features since this review was written: <a href="/weebly-review-all-new-weebly/">Weebly Review</a>

Weebly Review - The Website Builder that makes Web Design Fun

Founded back in 2001, <a href="http://www.crownpeak.com/" target="_blank">CrownPeak</a> is now a widely respected enterprise CMS solution.
CrownPeak isn't just popular though, it's also an award winner. After securing its place as a <a href="http://www.crownpeak.com/Press/CrownPeak/20141023-CrownPeak-Named-a-Visionary-by-Gartner-for-Web-Content-Management.aspx" target="_blank">“Visionary” in 2014 Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management (WCM) by Gartner, Inc</a>., CrownPeak recently went on to become the <a href="/2014-critics-choice-award-winner-best-cloud-cms-for-enterprise/" target="_blank">2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner for Best Cloud CMS For Enterprise</a>.
I recently had the pleasure of asking CrownPeak's CEO Jim Howard a few questions about the history of CrownPeak, some of the platform newest features, and where he sees the industry heading in 2015 and beyond.
<h2>About Jim Howard</h2>
Jim is focused on advancing CrownPeak's leadership in the cloud services marketplace. Under Jim’s leadership since its founding in 2001, CrownPeak has become the enterprise's only open cloud service for web experience management. Among the companies in the CrownPeak client roster today are Prudential, Diageo, Skype, MetLife, BNY/Mellon, Intuit, Oppenheimer, Zoetis and Eli Lilly.
<img style="max-width:200px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jim_howard_headshot200x0.jpg" />
CrownPeak has been named as one of the 100 most influential companies in Online Content by eContent Magazine, named as a “cool vendor” and a “visionary” by Gartner, and was chosen as an
SIIA Codie Award finalist for Best Content Management Solution three years in a row.
Jim’s professional background combines extensive startup experience with years of software development and professional services delivery and management. He has spent the past eighteen years working with web content management, analytics and search technologies. Jim previously held senior executive positions in professional services management, sales, and operational management with companies such as USWeb, MarchFIRST, and successful startup, W3-design. Jim holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Delaware.
<h2>The Interview</h2>
<h3>You founded CrownPeak in 2001 alongside Carl Sutter, the current Chief Product Officer. What were your aims at the start of this journey?</h3>
Carl and I came from one of the big internet consulting firms together. We had been installing and integrating on-premise Web Content Management packages for the previous few years. We both believed that the leading products in the WCM market at the time were simply too hard to get live and too hard to manage. These products essentially became bottlenecks to effective, agile digital marketing. We founded CrownPeak to offer a very cost-effective and results-focused set of WCM tools and services for the managers of websites – only delivered as a service, not installed. This was before the term Software-as-a-Service was even defined, although other startups like Salesforce were helping us to prove the delivery model.
CrownPeak became the first “CMS as a service” to target small to medium-sized businesses. We had to achieve the dual goal of highly efficient management for us and very cost-effective delivery for the customer.
Our engineers worked hard in those early years to build a single unified platform that separated the presentation layer for users on the front-end from all the infrastructure we managed for them on the back-end. That’s something we all take for granted today. From the beginning CrownPeak has been “true SaaS”, and we still offer the market’s only multi-tenant architecture. We’re also the first and only “low-code” development platform in the sector.
<h3>Have those aims changed at all?</h3>
Or, perhaps more appropriately, what additional aims have you adopted since co-founding CrownPeak, perhaps in response to evolutions within the industry?
We have evolved our capabilities a great deal over time, becoming a fully cloud-based solution that manages the entire digital customer experience across web, mobile, social. The platform now provides data-driven personalization, testing and targeting, digital asset management, search, behavioral analytics, and more than 60 out-of-the-box integrations with best of breed data and content sources.
We think we’re the most open and interoperable enterprise WCM on the planet! We have also evolved the company's focus. In 2010 we made a major shift to focus on the large enterprise customer because our platform offers scale and performance advantages to global companies with very complex web portfolios. One of the great advantages of our platform is the ability for many different project teams to implement projects simultaneously, sharing standard workflows, templates, designs, assets, integrations, content and data.
This ability to centralize the architecture but decentralize creation of great digital experiences is game changing for large distributed enterprises – particularly in highly regulated industries like healthcare and insurance where security and compliance are paramount.
<h3>Recently, you guys released a new Digital Asset Management Solution. Tell us a little bit about that.</h3>
We dedicate about a third of our product roadmap to feedback from customers, and back in 2013 they ranked Digital Asset Management as their top request. Because we are a cloud solution, when we roll out a new capability it’s available to every customer immediately. The DAM offering has met with huge success: we've seen almost 100% adoption.
This is a big deal because many DAM products go unused for web and mobile content management because they are “bolt-on” additions that don’t fully integrate.
This requires extra steps for designers and content authors when manipulating, deploying and managing digital media files. CrownPeak DAM is an integral part of our platform which means that assets can be curated, standardized and policed to design and launch consistently branded experiences on a global basis. We created a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlzLAmRXehg" target="_blank">3-minute video</a> recently that describes how it works.
<h3>CrownPeak boasts a heavy focus on making digital marketing easier for enterprises. Of course, the marketing vs IT balancing act has been the subject of debate for a long, long while now. How does CrownPeak respond to this very real issue?</h3>
I'm really glad you asked this because I think that debate is missing the point. Over the last decade, IT has faced their hardest challenge ever: to provide a direct web and mobile interface to every system they support for every line-of-business… and to do it securely. During this same period of incredible change, IT has also had to enable digital marketing, a relative newcomer to the world of technology automation.
There is no debate that IT must support marketing, and that it's been a challenge. We like to think that the CrownPeak brand is about giving greater freedomto both sides. For enterprise marketers, they become more self-reliant and free to launch great digital experiences faster. Their agencies receive greater creative freedom, flexibility and agility when designing those experiences. And technical folks, they are freed from complex integration problems and a flood of marketing support tickets!
However, there are two much more interesting debates that I end up writing a lot about <a href="http://www.crownpeak.com/Blog/Index.aspx" target="_blank">on my blog</a>. First, what is the role of marketing today? Second, how is IT tackling the challenge of developing a unified approach to customer experience management? In regard to these more relevant questions, we are focused on enabling digital marketing teams and other teams managing customer experiences to be highly successful and freed from the chores of software development.
We are also focused on enabling IT with a platform to deliver on their much broader customer experience management mandate. CrownPeak allows the entire organization to take advantage of the content, designs and integrations created by marketing across every other digital customer touchpoint. This means customer service and support – the sum total of digital experiences that inform greater customer loyalty and lifetime value.
<h3>2014 was a good year for CrownPeak, recognition wise. As many of our readers will know, you were named the winner of the 2014 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Cloud CMS For Enterprise.</h3>
<h3>Plus, Gartner recognized CrownPeak as a “Visionary” on its 2014 Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management, lauding the platform’s commitment to cloud delivery. Two impressive achievements.</h3>
Why do you think CrownPeak was so successful in these two instances?
We have gained customers and thus recognition because we have a much better solution to two key business problems. We allow global companies to standardize on a web and mobile platform without creating a bottleneck.
Second, we empower large enterprises to take advantage of the great content, design and integration work they have done with marketing and sales experiences and easily extend that work across all other lines-of-business. CrownPeak easily integrates with whatever marketing technology our customer is already using. Our platform has proven the scale and performance that enterprises expect. Here in the middle of our second decade, I’m very optimistic about what we’ve built and where we are headed.
<h3>With that being said, can you tell us anything about what 2015 has in store for CrownPeak clients?</h3>
CrownPeak is the enterprise’s only open cloud platform for managing web experiences, and remains a fiercely independent one at that! Looking out across other software sectors, cloud services have largely won the day because they are open, agile, more architecturally flexible, and provide significant economic advantages.
In 2015, CrownPeak customers will see more interoperability via a whole range of native content and data integrations with other cloud service providers. Our customers will gain added agility via a big push to make the platform even faster and simpler to implement. And our customers will gain further flexibility as we help them to manage the “front-end” of web applications built on the major stack providers like IBM and Force.com.
<h3>And finally, if you had just three short sentences to sum up why an enterprising company should choose CrownPeak over any other solution, what would they be?</h3>
CrownPeak is not for every customer out there.  We have built this platform for large, global organizations managing many web/mobile sites and looking to offer a unified digital customer experience.  So with that as the starting point:
First, CrownPeak provides the best solution ever built for global mult-site management because our open cloud platform eliminates the production bottleneck.
Second, due to our low-code development approach combined with our elastic computing architecture,  it's possible to centrally control the platform but decentralize creation of solutions.  In other words, every brand, market or functional group around the world can develop their solution on the central platform – taking advantage of all content, assets, designs, models and integrations – without risking compliance, security or performance.
Third, the platform can be used as a universal customer experience platform, where solutions created on the platform can be “front-ends” for portals, e-commerce, line-of-business applications, mobile app management, or secure document management repositories. Was that three sentences or four? Well anyway, you get the point! Thanks for asking.
<h3>Thank you for your time, Mr. Howard!</h3>
For more information on CrownPeak, <a href="http://www.crownpeak.com/" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/crownpeak/" target="_blank">CrownPeak via our CMS Directory</a>.

Interview With Jim Howard, CEO of CrownPeak

<a href="https://ghost.org/" target="_blank">Ghost</a> has released some improvements which will help make tag management a tidier experience.
Recently crowned the <a href="/2014-most-promising-cms/" target="_blank">2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner for Most Promising CMS</a>, Ghost is proving to be an exciting blogging platform, which now releases mini-updates like these on a very regular basis.
Ghost users can now edit and delete their tags in Ghost.  Additionally Ghost users can personalise tag archives by adding cover images and meta data. This allows existing tags to be tidied up a little, both in terms of spelling, quantity and categorization.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2015-01-13-at-14-05-37700x0.png" />
As usual, Ghost Pro users will find this feature enabled automatically, while those self-hosting will need to <a href="https://ghost.org/download/?__hstc=10303082.e349d0ad7a5666a28a9feace53e2dd1f.1416486488818.1422275546673.1422296414441.10&amp;__hssc=10303082.2.1422296414441&amp;__hsfp=3780233567" target="_blank">update to Ghost version 0.5.8</a>.
For more information on Ghost's new tagging system (including a handy GIF showing this new enhancement in action), <a href="http://blog.ghost.org/tag-management/" target="_blank">check out Ghost's official blog announcement</a>.
To find out more about Ghost, <a href="https://ghost.org/" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.

Ghost Tidies Up Tag Management

Last week, CMS Critic were in Paris, attending Jahia's first ever international conference, <a href="http://www.jahiaone.com/home" target="_blank"> Jahia One</a>.
 I previously covered <a href="/jahia-one-day-one-jahia-7-glowing-feedback-and-more/#.Uv5Mu_l_vhM" target="_blank"> day one of the conference</a>, along with <a href="/jahia-one-day-two-jahia-7-release-date-demos-surprises/#.Uv6OQPl_vhM" target="_blank"> day two</a>, detailing some of the biggest Jahia news of the year so far, including Jahia 7, Portal Factory and eCommerce Factory. 
 Today however, I wanted to delve into other aspects of Jahia One – away from keynote quotes and product announcements. 
I'd like to take you through the experience of a typical Jahia One attendee, exploring the smaller details which usually go unreported at such events. 
<h2>The Venue</h2>
Jahia One was held at the <a href="http://www.pan-piper.com/corporate/" target="_blank"> Pan Piper conference and events centre </a> , deep in the heart of Paris. 
Spread out over two floors, with multiple conference rooms being used at once, the Jahia conference was well housed, allowing attendees to freely roam between talks, or sit and enjoy presentations within a comfortable setting. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/conferencedayone5.jpg" alt="Pan Piper Venue Jahia One" />
The Pan Piper
The modern design of Pan Piper suited Jahia perfectly. Seating was comfortable, and the well-lit main stage created the perfect setting for Jahia executives to talk everybody through what was to come for the company.
<h2>The Food</h2>
A menu can say a lot about an event organiser, and when it comes to conferences hosted by companies such as Jahia, the same rule applies. Thankfully, the food was absolutely fantastic.
Soups, salads, Salmon, assorted breads and even miniature hot dogs were on offer, all beautifully presented, and pleasing to the taste buds.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/conferencedayone2.jpg" alt="Jahia One Food" />
Presentation Goes a Long Way
However, it wasn't just the quality of the food which was impressive, but the way in which the entire lunch break was set up. 
Not only was there a large table being constantly re-stocked with food, but waiters and waitresses were also on hand to take dishes to attendees, who were standing around in conversation. A small task, but one which helps keep a talkative room alive.
Courses were also changed periodically, with starters turning into fuller meals, and eventually into delicious deserts.
<h2>The Atmosphere</h2>
A pleasant atmosphere is made up of more than just polite greetings at the door of an event. A great atmosphere also needs bubbling attendees who are excited to be a part of the conference. Additionally, conference organisers and speakers need to be amongst the crowd, answering questions and making connections. 
 As mentioned in my <a href="/jahia-one-day-one-jahia-7-glowing-feedback-and-more/#.Uv5Mu_l_vhM" target="_blank"> day one coverage</a>, Anne de Forsan was active during the lunch break on day one of the event, interacting with attendees with a microphone and a cameraman in tow.  She was capturing attendees on camera answering questions about their experiences so far, sharing their views and airing their observations. It was all good fun.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/conferencedayone1_2.jpg" alt="Anne de Forsan Jahia One" />
Anne de Forsan
Overall, the lunch session embodied the event, with a bubbly atmosphere full of professionalism, but not without a hint of fun and friendliness.  
 Another noteworthy aspect of the conference, was it's size. 
 With around 170 attendees, Jahia One can be considered as a relatively small conference – which worked brilliantly in its favour. The smaller, cosier feeling on the conference grew as it went on, allowing attendees to meet and build relationships throughout the day, instead of losing sight of each other within minutes of greeting. 
 The Gala Dinner on day one helped solidify these relationships further, allowing attendees to relax more around those they had already met. Essentially, thanks to its smaller size, the conference was able to have its very own mini-community by the end of day two.
<h2>A Roaring Success</h2>
As an attendee, I feel it's fair to say that the Jahia One conference was a roaring success. 
All Jahia executives and guest speakers were easy to listen to as they presented on stage, whilst CEO Elie Auvray kept both days flowing nicely with some light humour peppered throughout his own presentations.  
 The Gala Dinner capped off day one off perfectly, and allowed attendees to mingle just a little further in preparation for a smooth, yet exciting day two.  
All in all, this may have been Jahia's first ever international conference, but they pulled it off with perfection anyway.

Jahia One: Observations of an Attendee

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