Articles - Page 44

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

matt-garrepy

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_4096-e1465425906661.jpg" alt="IMG_4096" />
It was a humid day in Basel, Switzerland, and there was a pre-conference buzz in the lobby of Pathe Küchlin Theatre. As the coffees flowed, the time soon came for that buzz to simmer down for the welcoming keynote of <a href="http://www.magnolia-cms.com/">Magnolia’s</a> Co-Founder, Pascal Mangold.
Mangold kicked off the event by taking us through Magnolia's impressive yearly revenue totals, as well as their projected totals up until 2018 (a year which they predict will bring in over $26M).
He also revealed some new high profile clients, including the likes of; Maserati, The New York Times, Tesco, Verizon, and American Express.
Boris Kraft soon took over, and the Chief Visionary Officer picked up where Mangold left off. 

 Both of their presentations were filled with highly professional videos, interesting factoids, and a few jokes to wake the crowd up, too. I found myself genuinely enjoying each section, particularly because they were discussing something pretty big, and pretty new. Speaking of which…
<h2>Magnolia Now Announced</h2>
Day one of the Magnolia Conference 2016 was marked with the official announcement of <a href="https://www.magnolia-now.com/">Magnolia Now</a>, a cloud-hosted enterprise CMS solution.


To put it simply, Magnolia Now has been released to help companies shorten their time to market. And of course, it will bring with it the traditional benefits of a cloud-based enterprise CMS, including; updates, backups, and premium support.
Mangold and Kraft both leaned on the metaphor of a car to describe their new product. In the analogy, Magnolia CMS itself is the engine, while the extra moving parts that make it easy for a driver to get in and drive, are the parts that make up Magnolia Now.


The release date is set for November 15th 2016, although the cheapest Magnolia Now plan for small-to-medium sized businesses (which comes at a fee of $999 per month) won't be available until 2017.
Following the announcement of Magnolia Now, I had the chance to converse with Magnolia’s new CMO, Lars Boeddener and IBM’s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deleatanda?authType=NAME_SEARCH&amp;authToken=E2V7&amp;locale=en_US&amp;trk=tyah&amp;trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A16712203%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1465425102497%2Ctas%3Adele%20atan">Dele Atanda</a> – who was due to give a presentation of his own towards the end of the day. 
We had a light-hearted discussion about the motivations behind – as well as the objectives of – the release of Magnolia Now. We all agreed that it was indeed an exciting move from Magnolia. 
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/preseetha?authType=NAME_SEARCH&amp;authToken=IDEh&amp;locale=en_US&amp;trk=tyah&amp;trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A6400579%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1465425081183%2Ctas%3APreseetha%20Kollamthodi">Preseetha Kollamthodi’s</a> presentation was another highlight of the day. The EMEA Channel Leader from IBM Marketing Cloud served up some genuinely useful insights for the marketers who were in attendance.


Dele Atanda’s presentation also impressed me. As the Chief Digital Innovation Officer at IBM Interactive Experience. Atanda’s focus was on IoT (Internet of Things). 


He touched on the types of technology that was already in production – like this <a href="http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/oscar-mayer-bacon-alarm-clock-wafts-meat-odors-from-your-iphone/">Bacon scent emitting iPhone accessory</a> – and dropped some interesting statistics about the future of IoT.
Atanda also gave us a glimpse into how IBM Watson was Working with a company called Cognitoy to change the way children learn by adding personalization into the mix. 
<h2>Success Stories</h2>
Magnolia showcased some of their client's success stories today, too.
<a href="http://moo.co.uk/">Moo</a>, the UK-based printing company demonstrated how they pulled off a migration to Magnolia, while <a href="https://www.migros.ch/de.html">Migros</a> – a huge Swiss retailer – showed off their Magnolia-driven omni-channel powers.
<a href="https://www.migros.ch/de.html">Migros.ch</a> and all its associated websites boast over 5,500 pages, which are available in three different languages. They presented the ways in which Magnolia facilitated a complete re-design of their digital presence, as well as how it continues to help them personalize customer experiences across different channels.


<h2>Day One Take Aways</h2>
I'll level with you. I attended the Magnolia Conference in 2014, and although I enjoyed it, it doesn't compare to what I experienced today.
Mangold and Kraft delivered honed and entertaining keynotes, Magnolia Now was announced, the IBM duo of Kollamthodi and Atanda impressed, and the atmosphere was splendid.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_0036-295x220.jpg" alt="The snacks weren't bad, either." /><figcaption>The snacks weren't bad, either.</figcaption></figure>
Furthermore, Magnolia went to the trouble of creating an iOS, Android, and Windows app specifically for the event. It provided maps, schedules, and even made use of bluetooth beacons around the Theatre to alert you about what was happening in the room you were standing next to.
As you may be able to tell, I thoroughly enjoyed day one of the Magnolia Conference 2016. And the best part is, day two is just a few hours away.
Follow CMS Critic on Twitter for more <a href="https://twitter.com/cmscritic">live tweets from me using the #MConf16 hasthtag</a>, and stay tuned for tomorrows coverage of Magnolia Conference 2016 Day Two.
Also, be sure to explore the <a href="/magnolia-cms/">Magnolia CMS hub on our CMS Directory</a>.
Looking for Day Two coverage? <a href="/magnolia-conference-2016-day-two/">Here you go</a>.

Magnolia Conference 2016 Day One: Magnolia Now, Success Stories & IoT

mike-johnston

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

Today, I'm going to announce the winner of the 2014 Critics Choice CMS Award for Best Open Source JAVA CMS.
<img style="max-width:188px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bestopensourcejavacms2014-1.png" />
The winner this year is a CMS that offers a wide range of features and is a powerful presence in the marketplace. The judges have chosen.
<a href="http://www.nuxeo.com"><img style="max-width:345px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/nuxeo_logo-1.png" /></a>
Nuxeo is an open-source content management system platform used by architects and developers to build, deploy, and run content-centric business applications. Nuxeo's Enterprise Content Management (ECM) technology allows for document management, case management, digital asset management, and other applications. The Nuxeo Platform offers modularity, a plug-in model and packaging capabilities.
Congratulations to Nuxeo on their win. Check them out in our CMS directory here: <a href="/products/nuxeo/">Nuxeo</a>.

2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner - Best Open Source JAVA CMS

Today, I'm going to announce the winner of the 2014 Critics Choice CMS Award for Best JAVA CMS for Small to Midsize Business CMS.
<img style="max-width:188px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bestsmbjavacms2014-1.png" />
The importance of content management systems to business is obvious, they are a critical piece of the infrastructure and part of what holds things together. Choosing the one that should be crowned as best of the best is a challenging task but the judges have made their decision.
The winner for this year is Jahia Digital Factory.
<a href="http://www.jahia.com"><img style="max-width:400px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/digitalfactory400x0.png" /></a>
Congratulations to the team at Jahia on their win. Learn more about them in our directory here: <a href="/products/jahia/"> Jahia Digital Factory </a>

2014 Critics' Choice Award Winner - Best JAVA CMS for Small to Midsize Business

The hype around digital experiences, headless, MACH, customer journeys, and other buzzwords can be deafening. 
But what about content? And more specifically, managing content? 
For most people in the CMS industry, managing content is considered "core functionality" when it comes to a content management system, but also an area that hasn't really been front and center for the past few years. 
Managing content – so you can do more with it – has huge potential. But how do you tap into this? 
Let's start our quest for better content management in 2022 by looking at some of the recent analyst reports. I'll then turn to a few other key market trends, provide some inconvenient truths, and finally offer some (hopefully) helpful advice on how you can make progress. 
 
<h2>What do the industry analysts say about managing content in 2022?</h2>
I've looked at the reports, we've talked about them in our recent <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts/" target="_blank">CMS Experts group</a> meetings, and to be blunt: there's so much confusion that even industry insiders struggle to navigate this marketplace.  
If you turn to the most recent <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/webinars/4005210/the-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-digital-experience-platforms" target="_blank">Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms</a>, you can get a glimpse into how one of the larger industry analysts sees the marketplace. As they say in the opening of the MQ report, their focus is on:
"...the demand for platforms to manage digital experiences of customers, partners and employees…"
And the way they look at the vendors is on how well they:
"...enable the composition, management, delivery, and optimization of contextualized digital experiences across multiexperience customer journeys…"
Content is naturally a key part of digital experiences, and Gartner does consider content management a core capability of a DXP. Still, it's listed alongside 14 other core capabilities and 12 optional capabilities. 
16 vendors are included in this year's Gartner report, and content comes up directly and indirectly with a few of the vendors, such as:
<ul>
<li>CoreMedia's strengths in supporting global multisite operations provide a solid platform to ensure consistency for brands.</li>
<li>Magnolia's focus on offering an extensible DXP built from best-of-breed components from different vendors, to the point of enabling customers to replace native content management system (CMS) capabilities.</li>
<li>Oracle's offering being differentiated by content and digital asset management.</li>
</ul>
 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/03/gartner-mq-dxp-2022.jpg" alt="Gartner Magic Quadrant for DXP graphic 2022" />
It's also worth noting that Gartner looks at <a href="https://www.doxee.com/blog/marketing/what-is-b2e-and-why-it-is-becoming-important/" target="_blank">business-to-employee (B2E)</a> use cases (traditionally known as intranets) and with some of the tools squarely focused on external use cases like digital marketing. This impacts how well they rate in the "horse race style" evaluation approach. 
A noteworthy vendor in this analyst report: Salesforce, who has been marching towards the leader quadrant for quite some time. According to Gartner, they're still positioned as a Challenger, but they've made a few interesting acquisitions – most notably Slack – with the aim of connecting their suite more deeply as a customer experience hub. Salesforce does seem to have a clear vision for integrating its technologies to deliver a more unified digital experience with brand power. Still, where does CMS, and specifically managing content, fit in the Salesforce stack? 
Competing IT analyst firm Forrester released their Q1 2021 <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/the-forrester-wave-agile-content-management-systems-cmses-q1-2021/RES161667?objectid=RES161667" target="_blank">Agile Content Management Wave</a> a year ago, which covered 15 vendors (mostly the same as Gartner). The initial recommendation from Forrester to buyers was indeed content focused:
"Deliver on the promise of reusable omnichannel content experiences…"
 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/03/forrester-wave-agile-cmses-q1-2021.jpg" alt="Forrester Wave Agile CMSes Quadrant graphic Q1 2021" />
Further down they mentioned the importance of managing content and experiences centrally to drive reuse. In terms of vendors, they didn't include Salesforce in the report but instead Amplience and Contentstack. 
Forrester hasn't yet released an updated 2022 Agile CMS report, but instead a new report on "<a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/why-a-multi-cms-approach-may-be-right-for-your-brand/" target="_blank">Making The Case For A Multi-CMS Strategy</a>." That's back to the age-old discussion of best of breed vs. suites, but also a potential to focus more on where you actually manage your content. That is unless you want to manage your content in multiple systems?
Finally, there's G2, which has its "<a href="https://www.g2.com/categories/web-content-management" target="_blank">Best Web Content Management Software</a>" quarterly grid report. G2 has carved out its own niche with user-based reviews – providing an unbiased, real-world reflection of what content managers and CMS users actually think about different platforms. Interestingly (and confusingly), Hubspot is currently positioned as the Leader on the G2 Grid, but not even mentioned in the reports by Forrester and Gartner. 
We live in confusing CMS times. 
 
<h2>Market trends driving a focus on managing content</h2>
There's always the good advice of not just looking at what someone says, but also their actual behavior.  
The recent acquisition of <a href="https://www.bynder.com/en/press-media/bynder-acquires-content-operations-platform-gathercontent/" target="_blank">GatherContent by Bynder</a> is interesting as it signals an investment in Content Operations or the more hip permutation of "ContentOps." GatherContent was initially a platform designed to "gather content" from different sources (kind of like a pre-CMS, if you will) and has since been developed into a large-scale content operations platform. 
In my analysis entitled <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2022/3/gathercontent-joins-bynder-to-take-contentops-to-the-next-level" target="_blank">GatherContent Joins Bynder To Take ContentOps To The Next Level</a>, I predict a shift in the content toolstack. Where the past decade has been mostly focused on delivery, content management is really not a solved problem. 
Looking at Google search metrics, can tell you a thing or two about intent and where the market is right now. One telling example: there are many more searches for CMS than for DXP. In fact, we have vendors who have long abandoned the term "CMS" and analysts who have stopped talking about it, evolved its definition, or completely eliminated the category. Meanwhile, there are a huge number of potential buyers that are looking for a new CMS – and using that keyword in their searches. 
There are a few lesser known but still established vendors that are benefiting from this confusion and focusing on managing content. Here's just three examples:
<ul>
<li>Norwegian <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/vendors/enonic" target="_blank">Enonic</a>, with their low friction content platform. Or as they frame it: "The ultimate back-end for your digital experiences."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.coredna.com/" target="_blank">Core dna</a> comes from Australian roots and has invested heavily in being an alternative to legacy technology. Their focus is on making it easy "to build your content the way it makes sense for your business."</li>
<li>"Your content. Better, faster, at scale." This is the positioning statement by <a href="https://kontent.ai/" target="_blank">Kontent by Kentico</a>, the headless CMS that's rapidly growing in adoption on the back of the Czech-based Kentico mothership. </li>
</ul>
Another key market trend is the success of MACH and the <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2021/10/11/whats-the-mach-alliance-all-about" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a>. This is indeed a technical focus (Microservices, APIs, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless) but also opens up different conversations in the enterprise. Historically, many have found themselves having to compromise when making technical decisions, and with MACH becoming more established, it enables customers to look for tools that manage content really well while selecting something else for different use cases. 
One final trend worth mentioning: businesses have a huge focus on building their digital presence, whether its campaigns, new stores, new brands, or introducing new digital functionality, it's always build, build, build. 
While talking about building websites, <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/vendors/wordpress">WordPress</a> remains the world’s #1 CMS. Their Gutenberg Editor was introduced in late 2018 and has made creating and managing digital content much easier. It’s not without controversy, however – one industry blogger even described Gutenberg as a “monumental hack” that is worrisome as a future foundation for WordPress. Will this affect WordPress and its mantle of leadership? Only time will tell.
On the enterprise side of the spectrum, many platforms are doubling down on growth and announcing huge investment rounds, particularly in areas like e-Commerce and headless commerce. One example is Bloomreach, which is keenly focused on being the best SaaS CMS for commerce – and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/bloomreach-reaches-2-2-billion-valuation-following-175-million-investment-from-goldman-sachs/" target="_blank">recently reached a $2.2 billion valuation</a> with an investment from Goldman Sachs. In the news from late February, Raj De Datta, CEO of Bloomreach, made an interesting comment:
"At Bloomreach, we believe that if the first 20 years of e-commerce have been about standing up the store or simply transacting online, then the next twenty years are about standing out from the crowd or differentiating in the face of increased digital competition and rising consumer expectation."
Besides using a tech solution that fits your needs, I would say that content and how you manage it is how you differentiate in the face of increased competition and rising expectations. That's the key market trend fueling huge investments. 
 
<h2>Inconvenient truths in the CMS marketplace</h2>
There is no "best web content management system." But there is probably a good Web CMS for what you're trying to do, and that's exactly what we focused on at a provocative session at the <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/past-conferences/2005-2009#2009">Boye Aarhus 2009 conference</a> some 13 years ago.
Much has happened since then, but unfortunately, customers still look for the best CMS. That's an inconvenient truth right there, and navigating the marketplace is not much easier these days. I wrote about that confusion in my post last year and offered some hopefully helpful advice: <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/how-to-make-sense-of-the-cms-market-in-2021/" target="_blank">How to make sense of the CMS market in 2021</a>. 
A big part of the problem, and a problem that's been around for a very long time, is how many customers keep creating checklists and producing Request-for-Proposals that ask questions that achieve nothing. Specifically, on selecting a CMS, you might find the open selection process by the web standards committee, W3C, interesting – in particular as accessibility was a key selection criterion. For more read: <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/what-can-we-learn-from-the-w3c-cms-selection-process/" target="_blank">What can we learn from the W3C CMS selection process.</a>
Another key indicator of an immature marketplace, even though this thing has been around for 20 years, is that buyers are not talking to each other as much as they should. That's why we have peer groups; that's why conferences are so important, and that's also why CMS Critic has a big value: so that you can find balance between the vendor marketing and the real story. 
When it comes to managing content, it's interesting that many CMS vendors are also struggling to keep up with the pace. Content migration is still not an easy thing and probably the biggest inconvenient truth that still exists in this marketplace – particularly when it comes to managing content in your CMS of choice. More often than not, it's actually more of a people problem. It's the people and the team who builds your site and, in the process, makes some key decisions – and it's down to the team that designs and implements the content experience afterwards to make it work. 
A bad team without a driver's permit will navigate their CMS of choice into a wall, while a good and experienced team will make almost anything work. 
 
<h2>Manage content like a pro</h2>
Let's wrap up this 2022 post by trying to learn from the best, in particular when it comes to content. 
To a digital leader, there's actually some good news in the world right now, even though the pandemic and the war in Ukraine are both inescapable realities. Digital strategies and playbooks, which used to be gathering dust and a low-priority thing, are increasingly being put to good use. And the importance of a digital mindset is no longer questioned.
To quote Ashley Budd from Cornell: "<a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2020/4/23/we-cant-rely-of-the-content-strategy-of-the-past">We can't rely on the content strategy of the past</a>." The new approach that she advocates includes:
<ul>
<li>creating various ways for people to help and make it easy for them to contribute </li>
<li>providing content themes to showcase the breadth of what your organization can offer</li>
</ul>
There's also progress when it comes to identifying content gaps – that's content you are missing on your website as customers are searching for it or because you've designed your site to focus on health and wellness but are short on authoritative content. There are guides and tools in the marketplace to help you, including from SEO experts like <a href="https://backlinko.com/hub/seo/content-gap" target="_blank">Backlinko</a> and ahrefs that come with a <a href="https://ahrefs.com/academy/how-to-use-ahrefs/site-explorer/content-gap" target="_blank">Content Gap report</a>. Website governance vendor <a href="https://littleforest.co.uk/" target="_blank">Little Forest</a> also has an interesting approach to identifying the content you need to be creating. 
There's also the term "content design." What is that, really? 
According to Melinda Belcher at Mastercard, content design focuses on the objective of driving preferences for their products and services. In other words, content design drives great customer experience through storytelling, clarity, and relevance. Still, content design is far from an established practice as compared to user experience design. Read more in this post: <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2020/11/13/content-design-drives-great-customer-experience-at-mastercard" target="_blank">Content Design Drives Great Customer Experience At Mastercard</a>. 
When it comes to managing content – and why I firmly believe this will be the year – the single biggest reason is the topic of trust. The <a href="https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer" target="_blank">2021 Edelman Trust Barometer</a> speaks of a "failing trust ecosystem unable to confront the rampant infodemic, leaving the four institutions – business, government, NGOs and media – in an environment of information bankruptcy."
Content is key to addressing it. To quote <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/tim-walters" target="_blank">privacy and trust expert Tim Walters</a>, you need to: 
"Embody, demonstrate, and project trustworthiness."
It's not just about compliance. It's not just about designing a better cookie banner or protecting consumer data privacy. In fact, it's what Tim Walters calls a "Global Data Privacy Revolution" – and this also impacts how we manage content and enhance growth. It's <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2022/3/6/the-necessary-shift-from-privacy-to-trust" target="_blank">the necessary shift from privacy to trust</a>. 
In closing: the best, in my humble view, are the ones who are sharing their work openly. Whether epic successes or that project that could have gone more smoothly, those are the heroes and the stories that drive us forward. If we continue to work together, it might also remove some of the confusion we're experiencing at the moment. 
Good luck with your projects this year! Hopefully, you've learned something about change and how we aspire to manage content. And if you're evaluating a CMS, remember to think about what it means to truly manage content.

Will this be the year where CMS is finally about managing content?

janus-boye

Featured image of graphic man pulling down a curtain to reveal a large text graphic of the word "CONTENT"

Building an online course will not only cement your reputation as an authority in your industry, but it can also be a source of passive income for you as well. 
Got your attention? 
With today’s technology, you also don’t require a full-on development team to build, manage, and sell online courses.
Platforms like Kajabi, Ruzuku, and Thinkific can let you do all of these tasks through an easy-to-use visual interface. 
To help you decide which platform perfectly suits your needs, here is a closer look on each of the platforms’ features.
<h2><a href="https://newkajabi.com/">Kajabi</a></h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kajabi1082x0-is.png" />
First up is Kajabi — an all-in-one online course platform that has everything.
In addition to functions that can help you create content and manage subscribers, it’s also equipped with features that can help you with the marketing facet of your online course. 
<h3>Overview</h3>
Here’s a quick list of things that you can do with Kajabi:
<ul>
<li>Theme-based website, newsletters, and landing pages</li>
<li>Lead generation pipelines</li>
<li>In-depth reports</li>
<li>Integrations with third-party services (PayPal, MailChimp, etc.)</li>
<li>Affiliate programs</li>
</ul>
<h3>Interface and Navigation</h3>
Are you a WordPress user? Then you’ll feel at home with Kajabi.
The platform kicks off at a dashboard with all the navigation elements on the left-hand side. This should make exploring Kajabi and getting to know its features a breeze. 
However, if you’re completely unfamiliar with anything that resembles a content management system like WordPress, then you can take advantage of the “Kajabi Assistant” found at the top of the dashboard page. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kajabi2905x0-is.png" />As far as usability goes, everything in Kajabi follows the same layout for each section; a submenu appears whenever you click on any menu item while the Kajabi Assistant remains at the top of the screen. This substantially smoothens the learning curve for new users. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kajabi31065x0-is.png" />
You’ll probably find yourself relying on the Kajabi Assistant to get around, especially during your first few hours with the platform. Nevertheless, the search feature itself performs fluidly enough that it actually boosts your productivity rather than hinder it. 
<h3>Tools and Features</h3>
The designing aspect of Kajabi relies on themes, which can be accessed by going to the “Appearance” section either through the “Website” or “Products” tab. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kajabi51065x0-is.png" />
Of course, every theme has a host of customization options you can use to personalize your online course website.
To launch the editor, hover your mouse over the theme preview and click “Customize” or click the paint palette icon next to the site you want to modify.

Learning Management System Review: Kajabi, Ruzuku, or Thinkific?

The Internet demands that you make your website easy to access for people browsing from a toilet seat. And that's the blunt truth that you need to deal with, if you haven't done so already.In fact, Google states that <a target="_blank" href="http://isitvivid.com/blog/google-penalty-non-responsive-websites">nearly 60% of all Google searches start on a mobile device</a>, with many then moving to desktop devices to expand their research. Plus, if your website isn't mobile friendly, Google will penalize you by lowering your SEO ranking.But perhaps even more importantly, without mobile-friendly design, your visitors will begin to leave you – because they absolutely demand content that they can access while using a mobile device. Anything less than that is almost repulsive in the eyes of today's digitally-savvy society.Thus, <a href="/why-responsive-design-is-so-important/">responsive design is vital</a> to the survival and expansion of your brand.<h2>Google's New Responsive Design Checker</h2>To help check how friendly your website is with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, <a target="_blank" href="https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly">Google has just launched a new tool</a>.As you can see, CMS Critic is a friend to all screen sizes:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-28.png" alt="Responsive Design Checker" />Via their new tool, Google analyses any website you ask it to, and then returns a short report.Firstly, and most importantly, it will point out if the website is mobile-friendly or not.It will also alert you to any individual elements of your website which aren't responsive. These may or may not be important, or indeed, you may have deliberately disabled some elements for mobile devices in order to enhance the user experience. But in either case, it's good to know what areas of your website mobile devices are (and aren't) seeing.Most modern content management systems are churning out responsive themes and templates these days, but with the stakes so high, we strongly recommend checking your websites for yourself.For more information, check out <a target="_blank" href="https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2016/05/a-new-mobile-friendly-testing-tool.html">Google's official announcement</a>.

Google Launches New Responsive Design Checker

Hotjar - Spot what confuses

Spot what confuses your users with Hotjar & AI

#ffffff

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pwpwpw121x0.png" />Numerous upgrades and refinements make ProcessWire 2.4 our most friendly and powerful version yet!
ProcessWire 2.4 is focused on listening to the feedback from of our users and answering with the best CMS experience for web designers/developers and their clients. 
<h2>What’s new in ProcessWire 2.4</h2>
<h3>Field Dependencies</h3>
Thanks to the sponsorship support of <a href="http://www.avoine.fi/">Avoine</a>, we now have support for field dependencies in both the admin and from the API. Your admin form fields can now be shown or hidden based on values in other fields. Likewise, fields can be made required or not required based on values in other fields. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/4323-field-dependencies/">More</a>
<h3>New Admin Theme</h3>
<ul>
<li>New and fully responsive default admin theme with 4 color scheme options (configurable from the Default Admin Theme module settings).</li>
<li>Support for admin themes as installable modules. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/4650-new-processwire-admin-theme-on-dev-branch/?p=53671">More</a></li>
<li>Support for multiple admin theme modules to be installed at once. When more than one is installed, admin theme becomes a user profile setting. </li>
<li>New drop down menus providing direct access to fields and templates (for superusers).  </li>
<li>Add New drop-down option for shortcuts to adding predefined page types.</li>
<li>New auto-complete search box with support for searching pages, fields and templates. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/?p=43930">More</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Admin Upgrades</h3>
<ul>
<li>New ability to install and upgrade modules directly from the Admin Modules page. Think of it as a Modules Manager Lite. </li>
<li>The modules screen now separates modules by Site and Core. (Site modules represent user installed modules). </li>
<li>New grid mode available with Image fields. Now you can view all your images in a grid rather than just a verbose list, and you can easily toggle between the two views. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/?p=45453">More</a></li>
<li>New double-click to select all mode for marking all files or images in a field for deletion at once. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/?p=45453">More</a></li>
<li>Core support for font-awesome icons with templates, fields and API level support with Inputfields. </li>
<li>New Link to Child option in the rich text editor link dialog box, along with other enhancements. </li>
</ul>
<h3>Language Support </h3>
Major upgrades to ProcessWire language support for page names/URLs. ProcessWire 2.4 now gives you the simplest, most powerful and stable options for creating multi-language websites. 
<h3>Database Change</h3>
ProcessWire now uses PDO rather than the mysql database driver by default. The mysqli driver will continue to be supported for backwards compatibility. The PDO driver provides better support for named parameters and offers more options for future database portability. 
<h3>New API Additions</h3>
<ul>
<li>New $log API variable for super-easy writing to log files. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/">More</a></li>
<li>New $database API variable for direct access to the new PDO driver. The mysqli driver continues to be accessible with the $db API variable. </li>
<li>New WireArray functions: implode(), explode(), and(), data(). <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/5098-new-wirearray-api-additions-on-dev/">More</a></li>
<li>New $pages-&gt;add() method for creating new pages more quickly and easily. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/">More</a></li>
<li>Conditional autoload modules. Now module authors can specify an anonymous function or selector string to trigger if the module is autoload. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/">More</a></li>
<li>New wireUnzipFile() function for unzipping a file to a destination directory, and wireCopy() function for copying all files from one directory to another (including recursively). <a href="https://github.com/ryancramerdesign/ProcessWire/blob/master/wire/core/Functions.php#L264">More</a></li>
<li>Support for sharpening and auto-rotation of images. You may define defaults in your /site/config.php file, and/or specify arguments to any image resize function. <a href="https://github.com/ryancramerdesign/ProcessWire/blob/master/site-default/config.php#L114">More</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Other updates and additions</h3>
<ul>
<li>Built-in abstraction of URLs in textarea fields. <a href="http://processwire.com/talk/topic/3768-processwire-231-dev-branch/?p=41651">More</a></li>
<li>New locked mode for Inputfields where a value can be shown but not edited.</li>
<li>Upgraded installer that now includes selection of color theme, timezone and more. </li>
<li>Support for an HTTP hosts whitelist for added security.</li>
<li>Countless optimizations, fixes and improvements. </li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/ryancramerdesign/ProcessWire/commits/master">See the full list of changes</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>About ProcessWire</h2>
<h3>ProcessWire is a friendly and powerful open source CMS and CMF with an exceptionally strong foundation.</h3>
With all custom fields, an easy-to-use jQuery-inspired API, and a powerful page selector engine, ProcessWire will rise to any task.
Clients love ProcessWire for its no-fuss simplicity and ease of use when editing their site. Designers and developers love ProcessWire for its thoughtful, easy and powerful API-driven approach that keeps them in control of the markup and makes development fun again. Not to mention, ProcessWire's API can also be booted from other applications or command-line scripts, bringing entire new levels of accessibility to your content.
ProcessWire is a modern SEO specialist's dream come true. It uses logical, readable and search-friendly URLs that always reflect the content's home in the tree. Meaning you'll never have to worry about multiple URLs or play duplicate content games. With full markup control, all custom fields, and support for runtime URL segments, ProcessWire lets you take full advantage of all the on-site SEO possibilities without wasting your time on long irrelevant tags and tricks.
ProcessWire is an incredible multi-language solution. With support for multi-language fields, multi-language URLs and a built-in static translation engine, ProcessWire 2.4 makes building and managing a multi-language website incredibly easy!
ProcessWire is designed for the needs of today and not limited by the past. It is equally at home powering small-to-large scale standards-friendly websites, mobile websites, JSON/XML web services, Flash applications, AJAX-driven content, iPhone/Android applications, and more. This output agnosticism drives ProcessWire's simplicity and makes it support, rather than interfere with your work.
ProcessWire is a mature product that comes from a strong bloodline of content management systems developed over more than a decade. ProcessWire runs beautifully on web servers running PHP 5.3.8+ and MySQL 5.
<ul>
<li><a href="http://processwire.com/">Learn more about ProcessWire CMF/CMS</a> and <a href="http://processwire.com/download/">download</a> »</li>
<li><a href="http://processwire.com/demo/">Try out a demo of ProcessWire</a> »</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/ryancramerdesign/ProcessWire#upgrades">ProcessWire 2.4 upgrade instructions</a> »</li>
</ul>

ProcessWire 2.4 Released

<a href="https://www.joomla.com/" target="_blank">Joomla</a>, one of the world's most popular content management systems, has opened its digital doors wider than ever before by offering up free, hosted website solutions.
Make no mistake, this is big news from one of the biggest players in the CMS world. Joomla is an open-source, award-winning platform, powering millions of websites and online applications across the world.
Now, thanks to a partnership with hosting company Siteground, anybody can sign up for a free Joomla website via <a href="https://www.joomla.com/" target="_blank">Joomla.com</a>.
<h2>Joomla In Just A Few Clicks</h2>
<a href="https://www.joomla.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-19700x0.png" alt="Joomla.com" /></a>
To make Joomla.com removes hosting fees, lengthy installations and some expandability options. The result is that a Joomla website is now just a few clicks away from the average person and business. Here are the feature highlights:
<ul>
<li>Hosting for all Joomla.com websites is totally free.</li>
<li>Free site name at the joomla.com subdomain (for example: mywebsite.joomla.com).</li>
<li>Comes pre-installed with additional extensions, templates, and all available languages.</li>
<li>Automatic updates.</li>
</ul>
Joomla.com doesn't offer everything that <a href="https://www.joomla.org" target="_blank">self-hosted Joomla</a> users can get, though.
As of right now, Joomla.com includes a set of pre-selected templates and several very useful pre-installed extensions like Google analytics, Google maps integration, Disqus powered comments and social media sharing options. However, Joomla.com wouldn't be suitable for a user looking to build an advanced website with custom code and a wider choice of templates and extensions. Then again, that's what Joomla.org is for.
Having said that, Joomla has claimed that websites started at Joomla.com can easily be developed later into full-fledged self-hosted Joomla projects without any limitations on extendability.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-20700x0.png" alt="Joomla.com" />
The President of Open Source Matters Inc. (which provides legal and financial support to the Joomla project), Sarah Watz, made these comments upon the release of Joomla.com:
<blockquote>“I’m very excited because the new service at joomla.com makes Joomla! CMS a more accessible option than ever.”</blockquote>
I take my hat off to Joomla, for this step towards greater accessibility is precisely <a href="/cms-in-2015-what-we-want-to-see/" target="_blank">what I called for from the world of CMS in 2015</a>.
For more information on this release, <a href="http://www.joomla.org/announcements/general-news/5580-joomla-offers-free-hosted-website-solution-on-joomla-com-in-partnership-with-siteground.html" target="_blank">check out the Joomla announcement</a>. To get your free Joomla website, head over to <a href="https://www.joomla.com/" target="_blank">Joomla.com</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/joomla/" target="_blank">Joomla via our CMS Directory</a>.

Joomla Now Offers Free Hosted Websites via Joomla.com

<a href="http://www.salesforce.com/">Salesforce</a>, the CRM powerhouse, has just acquired <a href="http://www.demandware.com/">Demandware</a>, the ecommerce solution trusted by the likes of Addidas, Converse, Panasonic, and others.
This move puts Salesforce right in the middle of the rapidly growing ecommerce market.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sales-force-acquires-demandware-small.png" alt="Sales force acquires demandware small" />
In fact, Salesforce has made a point of citing a Gartner report to illustrate just how well the ecommerce industry is growing. Gartner forecasts that worldwide spending on digital commerce platforms is expected to grow at over 14% annually, reaching $8.544 billion by 2020 (Gartner, Inc. Forecast: Enterprise Software Markets, Worldwide, 2013-2020, 1Q16 Update, March 17, 2016).
Through this purchase, Salesforce's is hoping to extend the company's CRM leadership and position it to capture this multi-billion dollar ecommerce market with their latest product, “Salesforce Commerce Cloud”.
<h2>“Salesforce Will Be Positioned to Deliver the Future of eCommerce”</h2>
The CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff,sees this acquisition as a way forward for Salesforce in the commerce industry:
<blockquote>
“Demandware is an amazing company—the global cloud leader in the multi-billion dollar digital commerce market.
With Demandware, Salesforce will be well positioned to deliver the future of commerce as part of our Customer Success Platform and create yet another billion dollar cloud.”
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Demandware CEO Tom Ebling, is confident that becoming part of Salesforce will help guide Demandware in the right direction:
<blockquote>
“Demandware and Salesforce share the same passionate focus on customer success.
Becoming part of Salesforce will accelerate our vision to empower the world's leading brands with the most innovative digital commerce solutions that enable them to connect 1:1 with customers across any channel.”
</blockquote>
<h2>Salesforce Commerce Cloud</h2>
By absorbing Demandware, Salesforce has announced Salesforce Commerce Cloud; which we're hoping to see before the end of 2016.
According to Salesforce:
<blockquote>
“The Salesforce Commerce Cloud will be an integral part of Salesforce's Customer Success Platform, creating opportunities for companies to connect with their customers in entirely new ways.
Salesforce customers will have access to the industry's leading enterprise cloud commerce platform, and Demandware's customers will be able to leverage Salesforce's leading sales, service, marketing, communities, analytics, IoT and platform solutions to deliver a more comprehensive, personalized consumer experience.”
</blockquote>
For more information on the technicalities surrounding the sale itself, check out <a href="http://investor.salesforce.com/about-us/investor/investor-news/investor-news-details/2016/Salesforce-Signs-Definitive-Agreement-to-Acquire-Demandware/default.aspx">Salesforce's official announcement</a>.
And as usual, be sure to check out the <a href="/salesforce/">Salesforce hub on our CRM directory</a>.

Salesforce Acquires Demandware for $2.8 Billion, Enters eCommerce Market

LightCMS has made life a little easier for its Partner Platform users, with a brand new client billing system.
With LightCMS, you can build blogs, online stores and more in a matter of minutes, <a href="https://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/lightcms/" target="_blank">as demonstrated on Website Builders Critic</a>. LightCMS has continued to improve itself over the last year, and was recently voted the <a href="/the-winner-of-the-2014-peoples-choice-cms-award-for-best-cloud-cms-for-smb/" target="_blank">People's Choice for Best Cloud CMS for SMB</a>.
Named, “Client Billing 2.0”, LightCMS' new billing feature will become available from February 3rd 2015.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sf59439logo-1.jpg" />
<h2>Smoother, Faster &amp; More Profitable Billing</h2>
With their “old” client billing system, LightCMS billed users for their monthly base charges and also billed users' clients for their monthly charges. Users then had to request that money from LightCMS, after the client had paid. A cumbersome system, to say the least.
Client Billing 2.0, though, does away with this dated billing method.
Here are the changes Client Billing 2.0 will bring:
<ul>
<li>The customer invoice has your company information, and your business is listed on your client’s credit card charge.</li>
<li>The processing fees are less.</li>
<li>Billing is initiated on your behalf by LightCMS.</li>
<li>There is no more “Money Pile”. Your money is paid directly to you by Stripe.</li>
<li>LightCMS bills you only for your monthly base charges.</li>
</ul>
To find out more about LightCMS' Client Billing 2.0, check out the official blog announcement.
Also, you can discover more about LightCMS via our CMS Directory.

LightCMS Revamps Client Billing

The popular content management framework <a href="http://www.kajona.de/" target="_blank">Kajona</a> today announced the release of Kajona version 4.4.
Since its founding in 2004, the open-source, PHP5 based platform has grown into a comprehensive and powerful framework that provides a wide range of use with a wide range of modules. According to developers, the main focus of the framework lies in usability and performance.
With version 4.4, Kajona are hoping to enhance their platform like never before, with a long list of improvements. So, let's take a look at what's new for Kajona users.
<h2>Fastsearch Capabilities</h2>
More than 400 changes were integrated by the Kajona team in order to build the new version 4.4 “fastsearch”. Besides the optimization of existing functionality and modules, the new, index-based search engine is the biggest change shipped with Kajona 4.4.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/v4_4_search700x0.png" alt="Kajona 4.4 Search Engine" />
While still being enabled for the backend only, tests prove that the index-based approach provides results way faster, especially for large databases. Complex search queries with combined filters and terms are possible using the API but not yet integrated into the user-interface.
Future releases will concentrate on a flexible, user-friendly query box. The search index is updated automatically as soon as a record is being modified. The definition what contents will be added to the index is made on object / class level; each property marked with “@addSearchIndex” is added to the index during index-updates.
<h2>Messaging, Backend Polishing &amp; More</h2>
The layout of the backend was polished and optimized for Kajona 4.4. Input fields supporting the user by autocomplete suggestions indicate the availability of this functionality by default. The path navigation is able to handle a large number of entries and adopts to the screens width automatically.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/v4_4_toolbar700x0.png" alt="Kajona 4.4 Toolbar" />
When working with a data-record, the different actions are available using a toolbar directly. This avoids the time-consuming navigation via the list-views.
The messaging center integrated into Kajona is now also configured using a new configuration panel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/v4_4_messaging.png" alt="Kajona 4.4 Messaging" />
The activation of message-providers is now way more user-friendly. The dependency management of packages is now formatted more user friendly, spotting unfulfilled dependencies is now way easier then before.. Built and implemented especially for developers, the new, parametrizable properties reduce the effort to localize interfaces.
Kajona makes use of established and well known syntax, e.g. from the Java-world: It is possible to inject values for the placeholders {0} and {1} into the expression “hello my {0}, today is {1}”, depending on the use case and other conditions.
Since Kajona 4.4 includes several bug fixes, security updates, and updates for compatibility with current web browsers and web server systems, the upgrade to 4.4 is recommended to all users. The update is available and recommended via the integrated package-management.
To find out more about Kajona 4.4, check out their <a href="http://www.kajona.de/en/News/newsdetails.Kajona-V4-4-fastsearch-available.newsDetail.925cc9f52f8a07b45fa8.html" target="_blank">official news release</a>. Additionally, you can dig up some more information on Kajona via our CMS Directory.

Kajona Release Version 4.4 of Their Content Management Framework

At the end of May, Janus Boye and his <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/martech-briefing2023">Boye &amp; Co organized two meetups</a> in Europe with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjbrinker/">Scott Brinker</a>, the famous author of the <a href="https://chiefmartec.com/2023/05/2023-marketing-technology-landscape-supergraphic-11038-solutions-searchable-on-martechmap-com/">Marketing Technology Landscape infographic</a>, Editor at <a href="http://chiefmartec.com/">chiefmartec.com</a>, and VP Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot. Janus also invited some other speakers to showcase the reality of martech development in different types of companies. Since Kentico was sponsoring the event, I was lucky to attend both of them and can summarize the most interesting takeaways.
<h2>MarTech Supercollision</h2>
Let’s start with Scott Brinker's presentation, “<a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/martech-briefing-hamburg-2023">MarTech Supercollision</a>,” covering several marketing technology topics. He discussed companies' varying levels of maturity with marketing technology, emphasizing the need for investment in people in addition to technology. Scott also explored the concept of composability in marketing, including its importance in creating personalized customer experiences. He analyzed the three different trends in MarTech, calling it “Supercollision” because each would be big enough to shake the industry. Still, they are now happening all at the same time: data, composability, and AI.
Scott has been exploring the MarTech landscape since 2011. There has been a 7,258% growth in the number of martech solutions in the last 12 years. The 2023 infographic contains 11,038 solutions – that’s an 11% increase from 2022, even though there was a 7% churn rate.
And as we discussed during the event, we can expect an even bigger influx of new niche solutions since the development of AI has completely shaken and democratized software development. It’s unexpectedly easy to brief an AI tool to create the right app for your needs and put it to the market.
In my insightful interview with Scott after the event, the conversation also revolved around the rapid influx of tools and innovations in the market and how companies can embrace these changes. Scott emphasized the importance of maturity in utilizing MarTech, stating there's a wide distribution in how mature companies are with leveraging marketing technology. He referred to Avinash Kaushik's 90/10 rule, where 90% of the investment should be in people and only 10% in technology. Scott stressed the importance of investing in people, not just in terms of individual skills training but also in evolving the organization to support what those people want to do.
We also discussed the concept of composability in martech. Scott explained that while there are different levels of composability, most companies are currently at a stage where they are composing relatively lightweight but very useful things. He emphasized the importance of creating a supportive culture that encourages people to experiment with applying these tools. He also highlighted the need to adjust processes to remove some friction, making it easier for people to use these tools.
I found Scott’s analogy of composability to LEGO clever for explaining it to non-tech marketers. However, I argued that in many cases, companies do not need to buy thousands of small bricks to build a LEGO ship. They can use pre-built sets, put them together, and have fun with the result instead of spending hundreds of hours sitting with the most expensive building kits. Sure, there are people who love to spend this time building it from scratch, and it’s fine. It’s just not the majority.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/scott-brinker-lego-analogy-1024x502.png" alt="Buy, build, adapt composable images from Scott Brinker's presentation" />
<h2>What about people?</h2>
I already mentioned that Scott emphasized the importance of people during our interview, but there was also another presentation called “The hidden success factor behind MarTech” by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-gust-5a4192205/">Angelika Gust</a>, Head of Marketing at S-Bahn Berlin, focusing on this.
Angelika argued that martech should actually be called “Communication Technology (CommTech)” since it should help anyone in the company, not just marketing people, communicating with the customers. And very often, she said, these hidden champions, employees with direct or indirect customer touchpoints, are not digitally native and savvy.
To maximize the potential of MarTech, companies should focus on transforming these employees into enthusiastic MarTech users. Angelika underscores the need for roles like Data Translator and MarTech Operationalizer, who can bridge the gap between MarTech specialists and other employees. She also highlighted the importance of addressing fears like job loss due to AI advancements.
<h2>The digital experience maturity journey</h2>
The journey towards digital experience maturity is a shared endeavor, as evidenced by the contributions of our own Kentico partners and customers at these two events. Co-founder of <a href="https://www.actumdigital.com/">ACTUM Digital</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/janhavel/">Jan Havel</a>, along with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/delfinvassallo/">Delfin Vassallo</a>, Marketing Director at <a href="https://www.actumdigital.com/cases/uponor-case-study">Uponor</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/roelkuik/">Roel Kuik</a>, Kentico Practice Lead at <a href="https://www.avivasolutions.nl/">Aviva Solutions</a>, alongside <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-van-dijk-b176b611/">Michael van Dijk</a> from APS IT-diensten, all shared their unique experiences of re-platforming.
The key takeaway from these presentations is the vital importance of ensuring that technology is in harmony with the specific needs and objectives of the business. By doing so, companies can optimize their technology solutions for the greatest impact. This alignment boosts operational efficiency and enriches the user experience and satisfaction, improving engagement metrics.
Furthermore, these insights highlight the necessity of flexibility and the courage to shift towards different goals and strategies when needed. Whether it's crafting a user-friendly interface for content editors, establishing a unified component library, or tackling industry-specific challenges in B2B e-commerce, the capacity to adapt and pivot is crucial.
In summary, these insights reinforce the mantra of "Listen to understand." Companies can make well-informed decisions about their technology implementations by attentively listening to the needs of the business, the users, and the industry. This approach, combined with a commitment to employee satisfaction and a willingness to embrace change, can substantially enhance business performance and user experience.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/critics/jenda-perla/">Jenda Perla</a> is VP of Marketing at Kentico, and a CMS Critic contributor.

Scott Brinker's "MarTech Supercollision" and Key Takeaways from the Boye & Co Briefings in Europe

jenda-perla

Martech supercollision of text and background moving towards center of light

Power your CMS on AWS

Manage your websites & apps in the most trusted cloud.

Explore a wide range of informative articles, insights, and industry updates. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our diverse collection of news and posts covering the latest trends and developments in the industry. Page - 44